As the Treadmill Turns: Try, Try Again

As the Treadmill Turns: Try, Try Again

Here they were, alone in the gym. It was the date and time they had both set to begin again. They both knew they needed to start over; nothing had gone right, yet neither was willing to let go just yet. Jennifer looked at her feet, embarrassed that she wasn’t quite up to Mike’s standards. Mike leaned against the wall, one foot behind him, resting against the weight rack, protein shake in hand. He downed the entire shake in one gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He exhaled, trying to shake the painful silence that hung in the air between them. They both knew what needed to happen, but both doubted the ability for things to actually work out.

Mike sauntered over to the desk and slapped a paper in front of Jennifer. He grunted his explanation of the new workout and diet plan. It was different, and if she was dedicated, she would see results. It required working out 6 times a day, plus only protein shakes and diet supplements for food. Mike grunted that this plan had worked for others, so it was sure to work for her, too. He emphasized again her need for commitment to the plan. He’d be here to watch her lift weights and grunt supportively, but she had to do the rest.

Jennifer’s heart sank. She was dedicated! She was working harder than she ever had before. She’d followed the diet and the workout plan, cheating only once with a single piece of licorice. She tried to keep the tears from falling from her eyes as she staggered over to the weight rack and tried to heave the dumbbells from their slots. She was determined to make this work, and to make it work, she’d just have to try even harder. She grit her teeth and struggled to lift the weights again.

Stay tuned for the next episode: Standing Up