“OK,” Tanisha said, crossing her fingers. “Hopefully it’ll work out. No pun intended!”
* * *
The next day after school, Tanisha and Derek went to Janet’s gym, EveryFit. They opened the double doors to the gym, looking on in awe.
“This place is huge!” Tanisha exclaimed.
Janet exited her office and walked over to Derek and Tanisha. “Hey, Derek,” she said, giving him a hug. “Your mom told me you’d be stopping by with a friend of yours.”
“Hi, cuz,” Derek replied. “This is my friend Tanisha from school. We’re signing up to compete on Rugged Reaper next month and need a place to train. Any chance we can do it here?”
Janet thought for a moment. “I don’t see why not,” she said.
“Awesome!” Tanisha and Derek hollered, high-fiving each other.
Janet held up a hand. “Two conditions, though,” she said. “First, you help at the gym a couple hours a week. Second, you let me train you.”
Derek and Tanisha looked at each other and turned to Janet. “Deal!” they said in unison.
“Where do we start?” Derek asked. “How about the climbing wall over there? I know there’s one in the Rugged Reaper course. That would help us practice.”
Tanisha felt uneasy looking at the massive climbing wall. It was more than twenty feet high. She was overwhelmed by its height.
“Maybe we shouldn’t start with the hard stuff today,” she said. She pointed to the rowing machines. “Those look cool.”
Janet shook her head. “You’re doing an obstacle course with a lot of running and endurance activities,” she said. “Let’s start with cardio and circuit training. Go to the locker rooms and change into your workout clothes, then meet me in the training area.”
Tanisha and Derek did as they were told. Minutes later, they were standing with Janet at one of the training areas.
“All right, let’s warm up and stretch a bit, and then we’ll get started,” Janet said. “Warming up and stretching improves your heart rate and prevents fatigue. It also minimizes your risk of pulling or straining a muscle.”
Janet showed Tanisha and Derek how to properly stretch their calves, hips, arms, necks, legs, and shoulders. Then they were ready to begin.
“Let’s start a cycle of twenty push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks,” Janet said. “Go!”
Derek and Tanisha had no problems doing the push-ups. But as Tanisha blazed through her sit-ups and began her jumping jacks, Derek struggled.
After finishing her jumping jacks, Tanisha looked at Derek. “C’mon, Derek, you can do it,” she said. “Only four more to go! You’ve got this!”
Derek completed his sit-ups and quickly did his jumping jacks. After finishing, he was breathing heavily.
“Sorry, T,” Derek said, panting. “I don’t want to slow us down. I’ve never been good at sit-ups.”
“It’s OK. It’s our first day. The more we train, the better we’ll get!” Tanisha said, trying to sound positive. “We just have to support each other.”
“She’s right,” Janet agreed, nodding. “Having a supportive partner makes a difference. But so does training, so let’s get back to work! Another round of push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. Go!”
After completing a few sets, Janet led them over to the balance beam next. It looked just like the one on Rugged Reaper.
“You’ll need some balance training,” Janet told the kids. “Climb up on the beam and slowly walk across. Focus on your center of gravity and posture. The more you practice, the quicker you’ll be able to go.”
Derek got on the beam first. After a few steps, he lost his balance and fell off the beam. He landed on the mat below with a thud!
“Oof!” Derek coughed.
Tanisha stepped onto the beam next. She was halfway across and feeling good, so she decided to pick up the pace. Almost immediately she lost her balance and fell on the mat.
“Ow,” she muttered. “This place needs softer mats.”
“What did I say before you got on the beam?” Janet asked.
“Slowly walk across the beam, and the more we practice, the better we’ll get,” Tanisha said.
Janet nodded. “That’s right. Now both of you get back on the beam and try again.”
CHAPTER 3
A TALL PROBLEM
Tanisha and Derek continued training with Janet at the gym every day after school. That weekend, they helped at the gym as repayment. After a week of training, they were already starting to see some improvement.
“I can actually run a couple laps around the track without getting tired or taking a break,” Derek said. “I’ve never been able to do that before!”
“I know!” Tanisha agreed. “And your cousin’s nutrition tips have been a big help. I’ve been drinking more water and less soda and not eating as much junk food. I don’t feel as sluggish as I did last week.”
“We’re going to do great on Rugged Reaper!” Derek said.
