3k swim and a little rant...

Going to the pool today to do something like a 3k swim. I'm not sure how it will go and I'm not too concerned either. I've been feeling like poop all day and all I want to do is sleep. I'm not sure if it's because of stress or the rides I've done the last couple days, but whatever it is, it's sapping my energy right now. Also, I've decided to cut my caffiene intake dramatically (it was scaaary!), and eat better, so maybe the shift in diet and coffee consumption is playing games with my system. Either way, I've still be able to put in some solid training less than a week removed from the biggest cycling week of my life, so overall I'm happy. It's gonna suck to ride in the rain all weekend, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

For the rant: So I work in the fitness industry, and the biggest thing that annoys me is when people take advantage of others. What I mean by this is trainers, instructors and the like, taking money from people based on false premises and misinformation. I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but as Americans, we're obsessed with the idea of a "magic bullet". Forget about work and being patient to see results, we want what we want when we want it. Unfortunately, fitness and athletics don't lend themselves to getting something for nothing.

For every client I work with, I like to think that I educate them as much as I train them. My goal is for them to be able to develop the knowledge to be able to train themselves without me. While from a business standpoint this may seem insane, it's a value I have that I'm very proud of. Each person that comes to me should and hopefully does get their money's worth. In no way would I ever want to cheat them out of something as important as health and wellbeing. Fitness and exercise is so important to me, I wouldn't feel right in exploiting it. My life has been changed by being active, and I hope to instill that in others.

My personal opinions aside, other's don't always feel this way. They exploit people for everything they're worth, stringing them along on false hopes and promises. One particular fitness instructor I know (whom I won't name but should be outted because he is basically stealing from people) is making a killing doing just that. If brought to his attention he would probably insist that I was jealous of his "success". However, I've got everything I need. Every single person I work with gives me joy, and at the end of the day, I feel that I've provided them with the best of my abilities and to the best of my knowledge. No matter what, I can go home at the end of the day fulfilled and happy, knowing (or at least hoping) I was able to make their day better and healthier.

This schmuck (pardon the harshness) can't possibly feel the same. There's a special place in hell for people that take advantage of others. I'm sorry about the long rant, but this is just something that means a lot to me. Seeing someone like this do the exact opposite of what I believe in just really ruffles my feathers. I only hope that there are less of him, and more of people that really want to make a positive difference in the lives of others through health and fitness. END OF RANT! :)

So tomorrow is another easy run and most likely back in the pool. The legs are still feeling a bit heavy and tired, so I might also go out for a short and easy spin to loosen them up.