Welcome to my running journey

I Survived My First 2 Weeks of School

I never envisioned being one of the many people switching careers later in life. I didn’t think I’d ever go back to school or need any added education to take on a new job after staying at home for so many years. Yet, here I am. Going back to school is proving to be just the challenge I was looking for this summer, especially with all my key races cancelled or postponed.

I enrolled in the NASM Certified Personal Trainer guided study a few weeks ago and was intimidated as soon as I received my new textbook in the mail. Excitement outweighed trepidation and I logged into the online platform to get started. After getting familiar with the online platform, which is a whole new way of learning for me, I launched into the first week materials and began to second-guess my decision. The sheer volume of information in the first week seemed overwhelming. Waves of self-doubt kept washing over me. How can I possibly remember all of this information? When will I have the time to study and memorize all of this material? I was seriously worried.

Throughout the first week of class, my old college study habits naturally returned. I read the materials and watched the lecture videos multiple times. I took notes, my kid called me a nerd (a few times during the week), I read things again, studied and performed required assignments. With a great deal of repetition, I eventually took the weekly test and passed. I was elated and so proud!

Armed with confidence, I cracked open my textbook to start on the second week materials and was quickly met with the exact same overwhelming feelings of doubt. A ton more information, challenging strategies, and more random facts and figures. Filled with great uncertainty, I took a deep breath and began to read and re-read, watched videos on repeat, practiced the assignments multiple times, then took the weekly test. Once again, I passed.

There’s a clear pattern here. Initial intimidation and lots of self-doubt. Practice. Application. Confidence. I had to take a minute to figure this out so I could break the cycle. I read and learn a lot daily. Learning new things isn’t the issue. This particular way of learning is new to me and being graded is also new. In addition, pursuing this certification for the purposes of a new job adds a level of pressure. The light bulb turned on, I understand it now.

This weird cycle I experienced also reminded me of racing. I remember feeling the nervous energy as all the runners line up at the start. There’s a little intimidation looking around at the competition, but my focus often returns to my own goal for that particular race. Once that clock starts, all doubt fades and is replaced by the desire of getting to the finish and doing my best! That’s a feeling that I know well and relish. Becoming a NASM CPT is important to me, just like finishing a race. I want to succeed so that I can be the best trainer for myself, for my family and for my potential future clients. I can’t be frightened by a new process, new information or making changes. I need to embrace it!

With two weeks successfully finished, I’m now looking forward to starting the next chapter – literally and figuratively. I know this process may continue to be challenging, but it’s also interesting. I’m ready to work hard and practice what I learn. When I open the textbook to the next chapter, I won’t have the same feelings of self-doubt. I’ll be excited to see what’s next on my syllabus and keep making progress toward the finish.