Every summer our family gets a three month membership to our town's community center. We do this so we have access to the outside pool, but the center also boasts a workout room, indoor pool, weight room, gym space, etc.
Bill has been encouraging me to take advantage of the workout room, in particular the treadmill because I like to run. I tell him that I am a road-runner and there's nothing like the open road under my feet as I stretch myself to the limit with my 12 minute miles. He convinced me today to try the treadmill and he would show me how to use it. And so began the formation of this blog post as to why I am not a treadmill kind of girl. Let me explain.....
So, we get there and there aren't any treadmills side by side. I don't want everyone seeing that I need a lesson on treadmill usage because that would be embarrassing. I tell Bill I am perfectly happy to jog around the inside track and he should go ahead and run on the treadmill. Before he has time to convince me otherwise, I bolt out the back door of the room and start walking the track. After one time around I am completely bored out of my skull and want to start jogging. I see a lot of people walking on the track, but no one running. My mind starts telling me that maybe running on the inside track isn't allowed. I continue walking. There is an annoying couple taking up way too much space and not allowing me to pass them. My heart rate is up, but not because of exercise. After about 15 minutes of this and only one mile in, I see that the treadmill next to Bill opens up and it's the last one available to boot. I tell myself, "You can do this" and I quickly scoot in the back door of the workout room and head straight for it.
As I get closer to Bill and the open treadmill, a guy I know walks in the front door of the workout room. Knowing he's there to run, I pretend that I just want to say hi to Bill and check out the numbers on his machine. I say "hello" to the guy, and walk back out. I mean, how could I take the last treadmill? Who does that?
I see kids running on the indoor track now. I wait, just wait. Someone's going to come and tell them there's no running on the inside track. No one does. Maybe running is allowed after all. But then I see Bill finishing his run. Darn! Just as I was about to start. Oh wait, Bill is getting on the rowing machine. He's not really looking so good. Maybe I should tell him to stop his workout. Selfishly I leave him alone and start my jog on the inside track. I get a quarter mile in and Bill finishes his workout. I take this as an opportunity to leave this completely stressful situation.
On the way home I reiterate the fact that I am not cut out for this kind of thing. I have so many questions. What kind of person can take the last treadmill and not feel guilty? How do you continue running when there's a line for the treadmill and people with evil eyes are staring at your back? Do you still need to wipe off the treadmill if you haven't even broken a sweat? Is there a book about gym member etiquette anywhere? So many unknowns!
The moral of this story?
I am too insecure to use the work out room.
This as absolutely hilarious to me, especially the "just checking Bill's gauges" part. As you know- 8 months ago I joined my first gym. Even though I go 3 to 4 times a week - so far I only used the basket ball courts with john when it's not crowded and have the ready excuse "I'm with my son" when asked to play a pickup game 2) the indoor track. My recruiter calls me every other month to see if I'm ready to be introduced to the rest of the gym-I keep saying call me back in 2 months-maybe then.
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