Despite being fairly exhausted from the day's college courses, Natalie still made an effort to workout at the university gym. She needed it. Frankly, she was the worst player on the softball team.
Sure, she was in good shape already, but compared to the other girls on the team, she simply wasn't good enough and it was a miracle that she even made the team at all. The team required a minimum amount of players and Natalie was that minimum.
After performing a push/pull routine with various machines, she took a breather before hitting abs. She did thirty reps in quick succession on a bench, rested for a minute, and then repeated the set two more times.
When she struggled on the last set, she looked up to see a face blocking the light. A woman randomly stood over her with a sweaty face, a messy ponytail, and a towel wrapped around her neck.
"Come on, reps, reps, reps!" the woman encouraged jokingly.
Natalie instantly recognized that it was Coach Taylor. She pushed through a few extra reps on her abdominals as if to prove her toughness, then stood to greet the coach.
"Hey there," she smiled, taking deep breaths from the workout.
Coach Taylor smiled back. "Sorry to disturb your workout. You needed a boost."
"Yeah, I'm trying to get in better shape."
"I'm glad to see you're working hard," the coach replied.
"Speaking of which, were you here the whole time? I hadn't seen you."
The coach wiped her face with a towel. "I was in the sauna for the past half hour. Before that I did an hour of cardio on the treadmill."
"Nice."
"Are you a runner, Natalie?" she asked. "How often do you run?"
"Not as much as I'd like. I run more often when there's no school. Maybe 3-5 miles."
"Wonderful."
"Obviously I don't have results like you do," Natalie replied, noticing the coach's muscles ripple when breathing. "I mean, my god, your physique is amazing."
Coach Taylor flexed a bicep. "Thanks. Plenty of hard work."
"I mean, seriously. You have great genetics."
"In some ways, but in all honesty, I'm smart with my routine."
"Any secrets?" Natalie inquired. "I'd kill to have a body like yours."
"First of all, thanks, that's sweet. Second, be proud of the body you have. Women are too hard on themselves. I think every woman is gorgeous in her own unique way. Be yourself and rock what you've got."
Natalie nodded. "Oh, I definitely agree with that sentiment. But not every girl is on a sports team. In fact, I'm on YOUR team, and our odds of winning games would exponentially increase if I was in better shape."
For added effect, Natalie batted her eyelashes and the coach laughed.
"Tell me your typical workout routine and diet. Then I'll give you some thoughts if I can."
Natalie gave a quick rundown of her usual fitness regimen and nutritional plan; everything from how she liked to run and what exercises she did.
"I think I found your problem," Coach Taylor said in a conclusory tone.
"What is it?"
"You've likely reached a plateau. That's when your body is so used to the same routine that it stops adapting, thus you aren't making gains anymore."
Natalie pursed her lips. "Hmmm... Interesting. I've used the same routine for years, so you might be right."
"Maybe lift heavier weights or try more explosive exercises. Switch things up, find something fun."
"Any recommendations?"
"Personally, I like swimming," the coach replied. "It's low impact on my joints, high intensity, and it gives me a feeling of freedom when I'm in the water."
"God, I used to
love
swimming as a kid. Less when our family moved to a different place. I haven't gone swimming at all since moving for college."
"There you go. Problem solved. Try swimming. Swim hard, swim fast, but don't make yourself too sore, or else you won't be able to practice softball properly. If you couple that with a good diet, you'll notice big changes in your body."
"The problem is that all of the nearby pools are always busy," Natalie moaned. "Especially the university pool."
"True, which is why I always arrive to campus early and swim alone. The schedule works perfectly for me."
"Swimming alone? That must be nice. I can only dream."
"Am I sensing jealousy?" the coach teased. "Yes, I have the pool all to myself. It's therapeutic for me, both physically and mentally. It's a great way to start a busy day."
"I'm totally jealous."
"You're welcome to join me, as long as you keep it a secret."
"Are you sure?" Natalie asked, taken aback by the offer.
"Why not? Will you be uncomfortable?"
"Depends. Are you a serial killer?"
Coach Taylor shook her head. "No, but I may be a serial killer who kills other serial killers, like
Dexter
."
"Works for me," Natalie replied, before pausing to think. "I'm not bothering you, am I? I mean, I don't want to disturb your private time."
"Nonsense. I'll be at the pool at 6:45 Monday morning. If you're interested, be on time, and bring a towel and swimwear. We'll have an hour alone."
"It's a date," Natalie smiled.
The coach gave a quizzical look. "Interesting choice of words. Anyway, I must be going and I need a shower. Sorry to interrupt your ab workout."
"No worries. My abs suck anyway."
The coach poked Natalie's belly. "Monday morning. I'll show you a few good ab routines in the pool."
"Do you think that'll work for me?"
"It's worked for me," the coach replied, rubbing her own flat stomach, feeling the tight muscles.
***
In all seriousness, Natalie was blown away by the chance to workout privately with the coach. After all, this coach was an awesome person and in fantastic shape.
Deep down, Natalie always dreamt of being
that
girl. The girl who'd hit the winning shot, then the whole team would hoist her up on their shoulders, so she could be paraded around the field as a hero. It was unlikely, but a fantasy nonetheless.
Monday she arrived on time and greeted Coach Taylor. After unlocking the pool, switching on the lights, and turning on the heat, they went to the locker room to change. They put on their swimwear in different locker areas so they wouldn't see each other naked.
They met at the pool area where they took a moment to admire each other's swimwear.
"Is that new?" the coach asked.
"Yep. I bought it over the weekend."