Dorene Loughlin
In August 2008 I met Jack for the first time. His first question to me was “why are you here?” My answer: I had registered to swim in the 2009 World Masters in Sydney Australia in October 2009. My thought was if I am going to go that far I wanted to be in the best possible shape I could be in. I was overweight and unbeknownst to me held little confidence in my athletic ability. Well – I have just returned from Sydney and my fitness is at a level I never even imagined possible. I have lost 55 pounds and 53 inches! In the 15 months I have worked with Jack I have developed both the mental and physical strength to do things I would never have considered.
Our first workout in the gym was spent doing squats for 45 minutes. Squats, Jack told me, were the bases of so many exercises I needed to get them right. He insisted we stick with it until I got it right. I hated him for that and soon learned he was right he was right! What he showed me on that first visit was his professionalism – he taught me right then getting it right was important and he would work with me until I got it.
There were days when Jack asked me to do things that I was pretty darn sure were not possible for me to do. He knew they were possible. At some point I think he got to know me better than I know me. A real advantage for him because he takes the approach of what I can do. I was stuck on what I couldn’t do (and still get stuck there occasionally).
As he introduces new exercises he explains them well and is patient as I struggle to master them. The first few are often clumsy yet he sticks with me, encourages me to believe in myself and most importantly – trust. Trust myself and trust him (although it’s sometimes hard to believe he isn’t going to set me up to hurt myself). After a set or two I CAN do it. Every time I am on the gym floor he challenges me mentally and physically.
More confidence! With each challenge he throws my way he continues to build stamina and strength and it also builds confidence. He seems to have a knack at knowing when he can push me to the next level. When I struggle he reminds me of times when I thought I couldn’t do something then with a little push I did it. Those images of previous success give me the energy to dig deep and finish the task at hand.
He knows when I need a kick in the butt and when I need a pat on the back and willingly gives whatever is required.
Through casual questions about food, stretching, life, etc, he has kept me focused and accountable.
Each of those factors had been missing in my own exercise routines. In the past, I would get on an “exercise kick”; I would develop a plan and stick to it (sort of). I would use DVD’s, run, take the odd spin class and do yoga workouts but I never REALLY pushed myself. I really thought I was; now I know I wasn’t. Had I not met Jack I would still be doing the same routine (or less) and wondering why it wasn’t working. This is no longer an “exercise kick” – this is a lifestyle.
When I started my focus was 100% swimming. With increased strength, flexibility, cardio ability, confidence and decreased weight things started to evolve (and they still are!). I had dabbled in sprint triathlons over the years and had even run a ½ marathon in 2000, something I swore I would never do again. In the summer of 2009 I completed my first ½ Ironman. It was incredible – I swam 2km, biked 90km and then ran a ½ marathon (yes – the same distance I swore off in 2000). I have just registered for my first Marathon for June 2010 and have plans to do two ½ Ironman’s in the summer of 2010. While I still grimace when I say “I am an athlete” that is what I have become. Becoming an elite athlete or participating in these kinds of distances are not for everyone and I am not suggesting everyone needs to do them. The message in that is, we have all set limits on ourselves that we aren’t even aware of what they are. By working with Jack you will learn to challenge those beliefs, push past the barriers you have built and accomplish things you never thought possible.
