Gorka
I used EntrenarMe (=TrainMe) and contacted several personal trainers available in Barcelona and with decent reviews from their clients. The one who got back to me immediately and indicated availability on the days that worked for me was Gorka Layola. We arranged a meeting for a first interview at a coffee bar just next to my office and I remember that he asked my why I only wanted to be able to run a 5k and why I did not wanted to loose weight (my BMI at that point was about 27).
My answer was simple: Motivation.
I knew that I needed 4 things for my plan to be successful:
Easy access to the training (no long commutes, no passing by my home first)
Guided functional training sessions twice a week to prepare my muscles and joints and prevent injuries
Running “homework” in between the functional training sessions improve general fitness.
Have a simple, attainable goal to start with. If I reached for a 10k instead of a 5k - or if I aimed for fitness and weight loss at the same time - I would be at a greater risk of giving up half way.
So I said to him: help me run a 5k and we can talk about the 10k or the 10kg when I crossed the finish line, alive.
We agreed to meet for the training sessions at the beach down the road from where I worked. It was a place where it was easy to park and besides the beach there was also a park with lots of shade for the summer months. On April 4, 2016 we met for the first training session there. The day after, I did my first homework: Gorka sent me on a swift walk around my neighbourhood for 30 minutes.
Seeing the data on those two first sessions now makes me smile - you may understand why.
