Our Spotlight Member this month is Sarah! In her interview we talk about the power of consistency and the support of community. She also shares about the importance of prioritizing your own self-care, especially when you are feeling busy and stressed. Sarah always brings her best to her training, takes in the details to get the most out of her sessions, and is an awesome training partner to her fellow gym members!
BREAKTHROUGH: Thank you, Sarah, for chatting with me.
SARAH: Of course!
BREAKTHROUGH: So, it’s been since early last summer that you have been a Breakthrough member… how were you feeling before you joined? What made you feel like this was something you wanted to do?
SARAH: I hadn’t really been doing a lot of exercise during Covid. I was trying to do stuff at home for a while. I don’t work as well in a gym setting as far as a regular, typical gym with just treadmills and machines. And I kind of get lost and I don’t really do it full tilt. I know I work better in group settings. But I hadn’t really found anything I really liked, and I knew I really felt out of shape and just not where I had been before, as far as how good I felt and how strong I felt. I knew that my mental health was on a little bit of a decline because of how stressed out I was about work. I had a big event coming up and there were a lot of things happening. I knew that if I didn’t start something to de-stress myself that I was just going to end up having an issue. Because I was working so much, I thought, “What is next to me that I will go to on the way home?” and you guys are right across the street!
BREAKTHROUGH: Perfect!
SARAH: Literally, right across the street. And I had seen the website and the pictures. And I thought, well I will just try it and see what I think. I had done a little bit of weight stuff in different types of personal training before – never kettlebell stuff – so I was a little bit hesitant about that.
BREAKTHROUGH: But you are a natural!
SARAH: Well, thank you! I really didn’t know what to expect but I just needed to do something to start. And it was just a matter of actually making an appointment and going. Then I felt like “OK, I can do this.” And now I am very excited about all the days I get to come, and that I feel better at the end of my workout. Every time I don’t do it, like when I get busy over the holidays or something, I can very much feel the difference of not doing something on a regular basis for myself.
BREAKTHROUGH: But you pretty much never don’t do it. I remember even when you had a bunch of stuff going on and your schedule was all over the place, and you were coming at 7 in the morning instead of coming at night when you usually do. So, that’s commitment!
SARAH: I did make it a priority. I felt like I needed to do that for myself just to get myself through the harder parts of the year. That was just work related, stress related. Of course, that is just life that never seem slows down. But now it more manageable now. And now it is like a routine. And it is nice to have that, every week.
BREAKTHROUGH: And how are you feeling now that it has been about 8 months or so of being in that routine?
SARAH: It’s weird that it’s been that long because it doesn’t feel like very long. I try to pretend that I am still new.
BREAKTHROUGH: Ha, ha! I know. Well, you are new compared to some of the people you train with who have been here forever!
SARAH: That is the thing too. Some people have been here such a long time. It’s also really nice to chat with people who you don’t see every day. You have your people who come to endurance or during your regular programs. It doesn’t matter that there are some times when I don’t feel great walking in but at the end, I say – that was good. Whether or not it was the hardest workout ever. I absolutely feel better. I walk out of here feeling great!
BREAKTHROUGH: You never regret it…
SARAH: No, I never regret it!
BREAKTHROUGH: That’s good! I always feel that way too after my workout. Even on the days I am tired or busy. I am like, no, I will feel better when I am done, so just do it.
SARAH: Yeah. I never feel like I am pushed too far. Which is also something I have had before. I don’t feel like I am going to run outside and pass out…
BREAKTHROUGH: Oh no!
SARAH: Or something like that. I have had that before and I am always so appreciative that it’s not that. It’s more to your level, and what you want to push yourself to do instead of being told.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yeah, so there’s a dialogue that we want to have with you guys, which is all about finding the right intensity level for the day. Most of the time your training intensity should be at a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 – 10. Maybe occasionally during the year you push yourself to an 8 or 9. But most of the time….
SARAH: Well, I get talked into increasing things a lot!
BREAKTHROUGH: You do, you do. Haha! But it’s always when you are ready, you know.
SARAH: And I will say no sometimes…
BREAKTHROUGH: I know that if you say no, no means no. It’s not up for debate. That means she is not doing it. Haha! It’s good that we can have that dialogue, because that’s how we make progress. Is there anything that has surprised you about training? Something you weren’t expecting?
SARAH: I wasn’t expecting chin-ups!
BREAKTHROUGH: What? The fact that you can do them?
SARAH: Yeah! That we are going to get there even with the band! I had never done a chin-up before. I had never even tried it. And I like the different programs. They are six weeks and you get to kind of, not master something, but do them enough times and then they get switched out for something and you are starting over. I feel like that’s why it feels like I haven’t been here that long, even though it has almost been a year, because it’s always changing and always interesting. But I am very surprised that I enjoy it as much as I do.
BREAKTHROUGH: Haha!
SARAH: I mean that in the nicest way!
BREAKTHROUGH: No, I get that. It is surprising that training actually can be enjoyable. It needs to be challenging enough to get results, but it shouldn’t be breaking you down or making you feel like you are going to puke… Ok, so the other thing that we like to ask people is what is your why? What is the deeper motivation that makes you do this to take care of yourself?
SARAH: Hmm. When I was young, the rule in my household was you played a sport, or you played an instrument. So, I have always had that – you have to be doing something. I know that I am a very busy person, and I am always doing something. So, when I have a day off, I will probably not do anything at all. But if that lasts longer than a day, I kind of go crazy. I know that I need to keep myself busy. And I need to make sure all the things are ticked off for me – mental health, exercise, eating well, and all the things – just to feel like I am doing everything to be the best I can be at the time, even if there is craziness going on. So, it’s motivating when you have something like this where you are putting yourself in a position where you want to be better and you want to make the effort because you are trying to work toward something, even if it is just a chin-up!
BREAKTHROUGH: Yeah, I know! exactly! It is I think that is much more inspiring. I have never been motivated by just how good can I look.
SARAH: Yeah.
BREAKTHROUGH: I am always much more motivated by a goal, a target I am trying to achieve. A chin-up is such a great one!
SARAH: Well, I didn’t have a goal, really. I just needed to de-stress. I need to do something. And then I get motivated by everyone here. “You have to join Winter Warrior. You have to do all the things!”
BREAKTHROUGH: I know, I know! Your training partners are going to try to rope you into all these extra challenges!
SARAH: But it is impressive. I am a lot stronger than I was before – 100% – and than I ever thought I would be.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yay, yay, yay! It is always a fun surprise when you start to do these things that you didn’t know you were capable of! And eventually you will know what you are capable of, and you will be enjoying that!
SARAH: I will find new goals!
BREAKTHROUGH: Yes! There are always new things to get excited about! Anything else you want to share?
SARAH: Well, I think it’s very telling that I was willing to be interviewed and put in the newsletter, because I enjoy it so much. I even told my friends, and they were like “really?” and I was like, “yes!”
BREAKTHROUGH: Why do they find that surprising?
SARAH: I think they tend to like more of a traditional gym situation… just going on the treadmill and then sauna. But I need something more. And I like something more community based. I like that aspect a lot.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yes, we’ve seen that so many people really thrive when they are connecting with others as part of their training. Not to mention that traditional gyms can feel overwhelming and unwelcoming.
SARAH: Oh, everybody here is exceptionally welcoming. When someone is new, everyone makes a point of saying, “this is my name”, and invites you to things. It’s very sweet. It’s a good place!
BREAKTHROUGH: That’s how we want it to be! Thank you so much for sharing all this, Sarah!