A different day in the water

Today was another water aerobics day today, but one very different from the others.  You see, there are different teachers on different days of the week.  When I started, I intended to go on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  But then I went to the Monday class, and the instructor kicked my butt.  Like, I went home and cried it was so bad.  I took everything she said personally, she yelled at us like we were at a military boot camp, and I HATED it.

I went to the Wednesday class and met a different instructor with whom I immediately hit it off.  She is gentle and kind, encourages us to push ourselves, offers variations on moves in case we have pain, and never once yells.  She makes me smile and shares silly water and exercise trivia.  I look forward to going just so I can spend time with her, because something about her fills me up inside.

Now, there were some women in class who think she was too easy, too slow, not intense enough.  And that's what some people like best - the external motivation like the Monday teacher offers.  But not me.  I don't care what they say; I love my whole experience with the Wednesday teacher.  And, bonus, she teaches Fridays, too.

But she was gone today, and will be gone next Wednesday.  The young woman who came in to sub had a very different style.  She was smiley and fun, explained things well, but taught from the pool deck with a stopwatch around her neck, instead of in the pool with us.  She timed intervals, switched us between moderate and high intensity activities, encouraged us to work harder and was the first to point out someone's hard work.  I worked hard, by heart was going crazy all hour, and I know I got a more intense workout than on a normal Friday with my favorite instructor.  But I missed the personal connection.

So now I realize that, in order to get this same great feeling of physical accomplishment on Wednesdays and Fridays, I need to push myself, make myself run faster, scoop harder and bring my knees higher.  I need to take some of the accountability into my own hands.  And I'm OK with that.  No instructor is going to be perfect in every way.  But I think I now have the feel of a more perfect workout, and can "bring it" for myself on the days when I have the perfect personal connection with my favorite instructor.

Did I mention that I had three days of exercise this week??!!  Wahoo!