The front yard looked bleak in the pale light of not quite morning. The trees, barren of leaves, stood alone and empty above the brown lawn of late winter. This time of year always felt heavy and depressing, especially in the early morning gloom.
In spite of her gloves, jacket, and knit cap, Sabrina shivered as she walked out into the cold. Brrr. This cold front that had moved in was really something.
She sat on the retaining wall, figuring she’d give Brandy ten minutes before she went back inside and dove back into bed.
“’Bout time you got out here, slacker.”
Sabrina jumped at the sound of Brandy’s voice. She turned to see her jogging in place beside the neighbor’s shrubs. “Wow, you’re looking motivated this morning.”
“It was a choice of freezing to death out here waiting for my trainer to finally show up or keeping the blood flowing. I chose life.”
Sabrina checked her iPhone. “It’s three minutes until five. I’m not late, you’re early.”
Brandy shrugged but kept jogging. “Don’t tell anyone. I wouldn’t want word getting around.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Sabrina opened a training app she’d spent the last few days honing. If she was actually going to coach this girl, she needed to follow some sort of plan. Something that would challenge her without being overwhelming. “Okay, this morning, your goal is to run for the entire session. You don’t have to push yourself for speed, just keep a nice steady, comfortable pace. The only rule is that you are not allowed to stop and walk.”
“You’re not even timing me?”
“No. I want endurance, not speed.”
“Pssh. Kid stuff.”
“We’ll see about that. Around the block, get started.”
Brandy shook her head and took off at a snail’s pace of a jog toward the first corner. It was almost as if she were jogging in slow motion, her movements were so slow and exaggerated. This continued for as long as Sabrina could stand it. “And if you’re not back around here in five-minute intervals, we’re going to switch back to sprints like the last time.”
“Kid stuff.” Brandy changed to a trotting pace and went around the corner.
When she came around after the first lap, Sabrina stood up. “You’re doing egg-beater arms. Move them like pistons, always pushing forward, like this.” She pumped her arms up in straight lines in front of her.
For the entirety of the hour, she came around at five-minute intervals, making a show of pumping her arms while tossing out comments like “Woo, I’m breaking the sound barrier now” and “Look at me, I can run as fast as a grandmother.”
By the end of the workout, Sabrina had learned one thing about Brandy. She needed to be pushed. Hard. Anything less seemed to insult her.
Time to tinker with the plan.