Hey Hey, Goodbye

Today was my last day training with Brandon. I've been working out with him for 4 years, and even though I know we'll stay in touch, it's sad. It was a lucky happenstance that I discovered Fitness Together and started working out with Brandon. Liz and I were at the Tunnel Bar with our niece Grace having chocolate martinis to celebrate Grace's 21st birthday. We were walking from the bar to Main Street to find a place to eat dinner (yeah, martinis on an empty stomach--not the best idea) and when I saw Fitness Together, I was curious about what they did. I had never worked out with a personal trainer, but in my slightly inebriated state, I immediately thought that working with a personal trainer could give me the edge I needed to do an inline skating marathon in 2 hours. I went in and learned that Brandon also did inline skating and started working out with him shortly thereafter.

Brandon's always challenged me to push myself and I told him for our workout today, I wanted him to push me so hard I'd have to crawl up the stairs at the end of the workout. I was able to walk up the stairs, but had the kind of workout that was fitting for our last one. I know I'll continue to make great progress with the other trainers, but it does feel like the passing of an era. Brandon said he'd come in to do my final assessment for this free training period, which I'm really happy about, because I want him to see the progress he's helped me make, going from sitting in a chair for 6 months to a high level of fitness in 2 months.

Speaking of which, I was talking with Brandon today about how slowly my weight is coming off, given how careful I'm being about eating and how much I'm working out. Brandon reminded me that after sitting for 6 months, I had lost a lot of muscle (yes, when Brandon calculated my percent body fat a month ago, it was not a nice number--40%), so when I'm working out now, I'm really building a lot of muscle, which weighs more than fat. That makes sense, because I can feel the shape of my body shifting. Brandon said that at some point the weight will start coming off fast.

Brandon was named by Business West as one of their "40 under 40" this year--an honor he earned and deserved for how he ran Fitness Together and his contributions to the community. I know he will continue to be successful in whatever he takes on next. Thanks, Brandon, from me and everyone whose lives you've made better by improving their fitness and that of the people they love.