The New Adventures of RunnerDude

If you've been reading RunnerDude's Blog for a while, you may remember several months ago a post that I wrote about my career change from the world of educational publishing to the world of running, fitness, and nutrition. That change is finally becoming a reality. This past weekend I attended the 2-day RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) seminar for running coach certification (I still need to get my CPR and first aid certification and to take the online RRCA certification test, but I'm almost there.) Monday, my NPTI (National Personal Training Institute) program began.

The NPTI program is a 6-month program that meets Mon-Thurs 9:30 to 2:30. It's a 78-mile commute each way from my home in Greensboro to the school's location in Raleigh, NC for the program, but it's only six months and it's an awesome program. Another great thing about the program is that in addition to receiving your personal training certification and nutrition consultant certification, it also qualifies you to take the Advanced Certified Personal Trainer (A-CPT) exam giving you the option to receive an even higher level of certification. Previously only someone with a Bachelor's Degree in a health-related field from a regionally accredited college or university could qualify to take the A-CPT, but the qualifications have been broadened to include 500-hour State Board of Education approved training programs, which fits the high standards of education received from the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI).

There are about 25 students in the class representing a wide range of age groups and backgrounds. There are 20 somethings, 30-somethings, 40-somethings, and 50-somethings. (I'm a 40-something.) There are a few that appear to be fresh out of high school, some recently graduated from college, some stay-at-home-moms who are returning to the work force, and several like me for whom this is a career change (some by choice and some from being laid off). Some of the students already have a strong fitness background, while for others, it's a completely new experience. It's only been a few days, but the group has melded nicely and I really think this is due to the diversity of the group—everybody has something different to contribute.

We've gone over the skeletal system, parts of the muscular system including the Rectus Abdominis and Erector Spinae, the planes of motion, each plane's axis of movement and related movement terminology, a laundry list of terms including, aerobic, anaerobic, eccentric, concentric, isometric, isotonic, hypertrophy, as well as covering gym etiquette, and learning about different types of sets such as straight, super, and compound. And that's just the first four days!

The program consist of 500 hours total. We spend 2.5hrs in class learning the curriculum, have lunch, and then spend 2 hours in the gym applying what we've learned. My brain hurts and my body hurts, but I've never been so excited and pumped! My dream of building a business around running, fitness, and nutrition is coming to light and that's an awesome feeling.