“A few things happen when you turn forty and are in my career field, Police Officer. You see co-workers start to age more and you feel your back ache from lugging around a twenty-five pound gun belt for a 12.5 hour shift. When you fill out work related forms you see you are closer to darkening a new bubble which will take you out of your thirties and place you in the old person category 40-44. Most of all you see the young officers fresh from the academy in the age range of 22-25. They are lean and have that I will conquer the world attitude. They stand upright and don’t hesitate to jump over a fence or chase down a suspect. They laugh when you are in the locker-room and you moan and groan as you take off your gun belt and ballistic vest.
It was at thirty-eight that I decided to add something to my already hard workout routine, or so I thought. I made an appointment with Mikki and met with her at Starbucks on the Mesa. I looked at her and thought she looked like she was in great shape. But I was five foot eight inches, weighing in at 185-190 pounds. I thought I could bench press her and maybe teach her a thing or two about bulk and strength – after all I was a cop!
Mikki looked me over like a drill sergeant at boot camp and asked me what my goals would be if she took me on as a client. Easy answer, to be in better shape and get stronger duh….. Mikki again gave me a look over and decided to take me on as a client. I thought she must be impressed with me for my age and size (All Chest). Little did I know she had other plans for me. I look back now and think she must have been excited to show me how fit I truly was!
So my first workout with Mikki started off simply enough – a quick photo of how I looked. Then for forty-five minutes, Mikki showed me what kind of shape I was in. And all I could say was HOLY MACKEREL – was I hurting, huffing and puffing. Once it was over she smiled and said, see you next week right? I wanted to say “NO” but I knew I had found the right coach, trainer and mentor to make me into a better human, both physically and mentally. I left and almost could not drive home, my arms weighed so much. I was sore for three days and I remember thinking, is this worth it? Will I gain what I want out of it in order to be in better shape. The answer was, “YES”.
In the time I have been with Mikki – a little over a year and a half – I have accomplished more with my body than I ever have. I now weigh in at about 163 pounds, I no longer feel sore from a long work-shift and I can keep up with those younger officers at work. In fact, I am in better shape than most of them! I see Mikki once a week and look forward to working with her. I am learning what my body is capable of when trained properly.
Mikki has extended my career and given me added focus in an already demanding field. She has taught me to push through each set of exercises and I have come to tell myself, my life could depend on this squat or kettle bell snatch! I have also trained and finished two half marathons, one in Portland and one in San Diego. I have posted times of two hours, three minutes and two hours, two minutes. Not bad for a forty year man with asthma who hates running! There are so many things I could write about what I have accomplished, but it all goes back to one person, Mikki Reilly, who without, I would not have found the fountain of youth.”
Rick