So, it’s happened. Your beloved teacher – the one who totally *gets you* and runs the perfect class and is just SO GREAT – has booked a show or a tour, popped out a baby, or flown away to another place. While you’re delighted for him or her, you’re also panicked. WHO will you train with while they’re gone? WHO will suffer through all your (adorable) neurosis? You’re going to lose ALL your skills! Your abs will be jello! Your training life is oooooooooooooover! ….. Or is it?

Accept that Your Teacher will be Gone

After the tears and snot have flowed, and the hiccups subsided, take a deep breath. It’s happening, and, short of kidnapping them and stuffing them in your closet, there’s nothing you can do to keep them here. Step one is to accept that your teacher will be gone, BUT – that doesn’t mean your training grinds to a halt. In fact, we’re gonna turn this no no no no into a yes yes yes yes.

This is an opportunity to shake up your training – experience a new teacher, adjust your focus to another area (conditioning, flexibility, PT, etc), or try another apparatus for a little while. While it’s never fun to be separated from your favorite coach, it doesn’t have to be the worst thing that’s ever happened to your training. I swear.

Make a Plan

Know what you’re NOT going to do? Sit passively in a lump and moan and winge until they get back. If you want to take a break, take it! Sometimes, breaks are just what the doctor ordered. But, if your coach will be gone for more than a few weeks, or is moving away for good, it’s time to get proactive and make a plan.

1. How long will they be gone? Find out what the timeline is, and adjust your plan accordingly. A few weeks? Consider taking a break, and/or focusing on a complimentary area (strength or flexibility, for example). Longer? If you want to keep your skills moving forward, you’re going to need a plan. Read on.
2. What should you focus on to make the most of the time? Get input from your coach – I guarantee he or she will be HAPPY to tell you what you need to work on in their absence! It’s so worth booking a private, and talking through everything from alternate coaches to conditioning to training on your own. Come in with a plan you think might work, and let them “reality check” it.
3. What are your options?
   1. Training with another coach. I know, I know, your coach is the one and only, and NO ONE else can take their place. Believe me, I get it! We get very attached to our teachers – it’s a tangled mess of trust, admiration, comfort, and bonding, and it’s very real. BUT, it’s so good to learn from other teachers! You get a different perspective, and will almost always come away with at least a few new things you like. Give them a chance, and consciously focus on what’s working.
   2. Training on your own. If you’ve reached a level of proficiency to have open gym time, great! Go over some goals with your coach in a private session, and structure your training so that you don’t spend the entire time talking with Bitsy at the front desk or scrolling through Instagram.
   3. Upping your conditioning, stretching, and PT. You have some weak and/or tight bits that you’ve been ignoring (I’m very psychic). Now is a great time to get that sorted.
   4. Dreaming and planning. Create your magnum opus! It’s never too early to start mapping out a small sequence piece. You can envision something you could do soon, or create your dream piece – no limits! Use YouTube, Instagram, stuff you’ve discovered, your favorite moves in class, etc. What matters is that it stokes your fire, and keeps your heart going pitty-pat for your chosen discipline.
   5. Try something new! Are you a silks girl who’s always wanted to try lyra? Now’s your chance! Love German wheel but curious about cyr? Get going.
4. What will you do when you hit a wall? It’ll probably happen, so make sure you have a contingency plan for when you start running out of steam or get discouraged. It might look like reaching out to your community on FB, training with a friend or classmate, or setting a new goal.

Let this time be an opportunity to work differently – shake things up (and down)! You might miss your coach (I do – I put up her photo while I train because it makes me slack less), but this can be a great thing if you decide it will be! Love and pull-ups, Laura