Nope. Not in the slightest. I had someone say that to me today as I was explaining to the man that I had recently won an arm wrestling competition against a dude. Yes, a DUDE! Don’t believe me? Here’s the picture to prove it!
Now, I don’t want to go having an ego trip about this, but last night really put things in perspective for me. I didn’t realize how strong I was until I actually put my hard work to the test. Unfortunately, being out and about last night got me thinking about something serious. My public image. Who am I? What am I doing? Why am I doing what I’m doing? What kind of example am I leaving people with? Guys, I apologize for sounding whinny and slightly emo about this, but I have to confess something now that has been on my mind for months, and it’s starting to cause me a great deal of stress. I’m not one for showing my emotions too frequently, but this time I just can’t keep it to myself.
I apparently have a following around Pittsburgh now. Everyone knows I’m training for HKC. Everyone knows I can eat like a line backer. Every knows how fit I am. In fact, when a good friend of mine was describing a another fitness friend of hers, she described his physique by saying “this guy is more ripped than Janelle.” You should have seen the looks on peoples faces in response to that. While I appreciate the level of respect I have gained for being Pittsburgh’s number one bad ass, I have to admit that the attention has made me ever more paranoid when I am out being a 20 something in the city.
Here’s my issue. I am about to enter into the fitness industry. With my HKC certification coming up, I am doing A LOT of demanding work on my body and have gained awesome results because of it. However, I am also human and abide by what is known as the 80/20 principle (welll, more like 90/10 for me) to keep my sanity while training. We call these the one day out of the week cheat meal/drink/what have you. An average person not tied to the fitness industry will find no problem with this as I have stated, having that special day to just not give a crap about your diet can keep you sane. For me though, I am running into a a problem in terms of being a “role model” and maintaining this principle. My friends already want me to help them train. My co workers have asked me about weight loss. My family is rooting for my certification. And well, I worry here. I worry that these meals, these drinks, these what have you may send the wrong message to people. I don’t want to be that trainer that eats the wrong thing in front of my clients while at the same time blogging about all things healthy. I don’t want to be the trainer that is out running amok in Pittsburgh and has the wrong picture taken at the wrong time. God, can you say “way to blow your career!”? I’m actually starting to feel guilty about this, and this guilt trip lead me to blog about it (again, sorry for being emo).
Fellow yinzers and Burghers, fitness fanatics and health nuts, I have some questions for you all, and these questions I have are serious ones. For those of you reading this blog who know me personally, for those of you already in the fitness industry, and for those of you who are willing enough to comment here, please, I need advice. How do you balance your humanity without leading others astray? How do you maintain your public image and professionalism? Have any of you gone through this kind of “break in” period in your life? I want to represent myself correctly, and I’m realizing just how difficult that is when you’re a 20 something living in a vibrant city such as Pittsburgh.
And as I close this post, I sit here in my apartment staring at my RKC binder I have in front of me. I actually printed out the RKC code of conduct and.. well.. it’s killing me guys. Check this out. I’ll post what it says ver batum.
“I am an RKC. Therefore, I shall:
1. Represent my school with honor in my professional and personal life.
2. Treat my ‘victims’ with respect and tough love.
3. Carry my strength with modesty. Remember that my job is to teach, not to impress.
4. Never overstep the boundaries of my expertise and be humble enough to say ‘I don’t know.’
5. Never stop improving my instructor skills and enhancing my own strength.
6. Conduct myself as a gentlemen or a lady in public places, including the Internet. Exhibit restraint, the hallmark of a professional.
Should I violate the code, my RKC certificate may be revoked.”
I’m taking this seriously folks. Send your comments, tweets, emails and texts. I need all the feedback I can get.
Until next time, eat smart, train hard, and enjoy your life!
-Janelle
