finally made it to the gym
I kept telling myself for weeks, "you can go to the gym when you finish X"..."X" being a chapter, a paper, or something else important. To me, the gym is actually a reward. You certainly wouldn't think so by looking at me, but it really is. So, today I went to the gym, even though I have not finished the chapter due last Wednesday, nor have I finished (obviously) the two chapters due tomorrow. I'll probably get my book taken from me. That sucks, because I really, really, really need the money. I know I should say "that sucks, because I didn't finish what I started", but anyone who knows me knows that I
hate writing books and only do it for the money. I only need the money because I make $30K less than my market value, to work in a place that affords me the luxury of being me, and working whatever hours I want, as long as I get the work done. Of course, that means to make up for the lack of money, I have to write books....which I hate doing. It's a horrible cycle that weighs on me every day. Yes, you're right...wah wah wah, get over it. Anyway, the gym is a reward kinda like how the diner is a reward (which is really funny, since one has to go to the gym to counteract the diner food). It's a place where for 45 minutes I can just chill...or sweat, in the case of the gym.
People-watching at the gym is hilarious. I don't people watch to look for cute boys or girls or anything like that...I'm actually fairly oblivious to both of those sets of people. I like to watch the old people, and the people who manage to wander around a gym for at the least the 45 mins I am there, without actually working out! I go to your standard 24-Hour Fitness Sport (aka gym with a pool and steam rooms), and usually go very very very early in the morning, to avoid crowds. The first day I worked out there, I saw this 70+year old man on the elliptical machine. He was on it the entire time I was there, while his similarly-aged wife was doing the Nautilus circuit. I do some time on the elliptical and then do the full-body Nautilus workout...on this particular day I followed this old lady from machine to machine, adjusting the weights when it was my turn. Adjusting the weights
downward, that is. That little old lady could probably kick my ass. I've seen this couple doing the same workout each day I've been at the gym. I think that's wonderful.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are the non-workout people. These are the ones that walk on the treadmill at like 2 miles per hour for 30 minutes and think they're done. Now, if these people were very large and had never seen a treadmill before, I'd be saying "good job!" and cheering them on. But these treadmill walkers are always like 110 pounds. What's up with that? I'm a large person whose knees are a mess, and I'd have to try really really hard to walk that slow. I've never seen any of them sweat, and I've never seen any of them lift a weight. Whatever works, though...but I'd have a hard time justifying $40/mo when I could get the same amount of exercise that they're getting, by walking to the mailbox. Then there are the folks who sit on the Nautilus machines but don't actually do anything. I don't know if they're psyching themselves up for the triceps extensions (ok, bad example, because I have to psyche
myself up for that one.) or what, but it's strange to see someone sitting on a machine and not lifting for a loooong period of time. When they do lift, it's like 5 reps. If they're on the next machine in the row, you have to be polite and wait a minute, then ask "uh, are you done?", which is always sort of embarrasing for them. I do my 4 sets of 12 and move on to the next machine, then they go back and do their 5 more reps. If they were doing a really excessive weight, and like 5 sets of 5, maybe that would be ok. But 5 reps, then wandering around, then 5 more reps..I mean really, what are these people there for? Maybe these people have a lot of time on their hands, I don't know. I'm the queen of the 45 minute full-body workouts...that's about my attention span. Good times.
