Adventures in Exercising

I learned another lesson this week, or perhaps realization is a better term. 

I haven’t been feeling well the past few days; even though I no longer have to go into an office full of people on a daily basis, I still managed to catch myself a pretty nice cold.  I attended an outdoor art festival on Saturday and started to feel a little funky walking around the blustery streets of Toronto.  The following day I felt a little worse so I skipped the gym in favour of a lazy Sunday lying around the house watching sports and self medicating … and then Monday it peaked.  I spend most of Monday and a good part of Tuesday in and out of bed.

On a side note here, I’m one of those unfortunate people whose appetite does not decline when I’m sick.  You’d think at least one advantage to having a cold or the flu would be that you could lose a few pounds as you starve your cold or fever or whatever the saying is … but not me !!  I eat the same if not more, and since I’m lying around in bed most of the time, the scale tends to go in the wrong direction - up.  The only time I can’t stomach food is when I’m hungover, and unfortunately the reduction in calories the next day are pretty much offset by the copious calorie consumption from the previous night’s festivities.  Bummer :(  Needless to say, I missed 4 days in a row of gym time. 

Actually I had 2 realizations this week, and the first one was that I actually missed the gym ?!?! Go figure … me, the girl who just stated last week that I’d trade lying on the couch downing nachos and beers for the gym any day of the week.  As each day passed and I realized I had no energy to get myself there, I felt this nagging sense of guilt and deprivation.  I wanted desperately to go to the gym but knew there was no point as I’d likely do more damage than good.

Wednesday I woke up still not feeling 100%, but the crazy, stubborn bitch inside of me refused to miss day #5, so I forced myself to go to the gym.  My “more damage than good” theory was proven right throughout my entire workout.  It always amazes me how quickly you can lose your fitness. With just a four day break I felt so weak it was like I was a beginner all over again, but perhaps the cold had something to do with that as well.  It was one of the toughest workouts I've endured in a long time but I got through it just a little worse for wear.

My second realization was that the gym really makes a difference !!  This statement might confuse people - I'm talking about becoming a personal trainer - of course I feel the gym makes a difference ... don't I ???  What I mean is, after just a four day hiatus, I swear I could see the difference in my body.  More cellulite started to appear on my thighs, my belly started to expand even further, and everything else felt flabby and giggly and gross.  Perhaps it was just my pea sized, estrogen filled brain seeing things that weren’t actually there, but I’m pretty sure what I saw was real. 

So speaking of the gym, attending this week while feeling ill and not in the greatest of moods, I feel it necessary to point out my biggest pet peeves about the going to a public gym, as my tolerance level was at an all time low:

Stupid people # 1 – There is an indoor running track at my gym, it has a wonderful rubberized track so running is easier on your body and you can go much further than if you hit the pavement outdoors.  It’s a smaller track of course, 145m in length around the perimeter of the gym.  There’s a big sign as soon as you enter the gym indicating the track direction for that day, as they change it daily.  Below the sign is a big arrow indicating that day’s track direction.  As well there are 3 lanes on the track, with large markers painted directly on the track itself reserving one double wide lane for walking, one for running and one for passing.  Not a day goes by that someone is running in the walking lane, walking in the running lane, or running in the wrong direction.  Even better is the idiot who’s doing both, running in the walking lane in the wrong direction.  I love these people.

Stupid people #2 – I walked in the gym one day this summer on a sweltering hot day, and there was a guy running on the treadmill wearing a parka.  A few weeks later I saw a lady working out in a sauna suit.  Where did she even find that thing ??  Did she dig one out of her closet or get it at a garage sale along with a Suzanne Somers thigh master?  I’m pretty sure they don’t even sell them anymore … and do you know why they don’t sell them anymore?  Because they DON’T WORK !!!  You will not lose weight simply because you’re sweating more because you’re wearing extra clothing.  You will just sweat more – period.  Morons.

Ignorant people at the gym – These are the people that talk endlessly on their cell phones while working out at a snails pace, not even breaking a sweat.  Is that phone call really that important?  Really ??  Just go home and free up the machine for someone who will use it properly.

Guys who hit on me # 1 – I realize that a lot of people go to the gym to pick up or to get hit on, however take a good, long look at me.  I’m wearing baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt, my hair is in a ponytail, I have zero makeup on, and I’m working extremely hard and sweating profusely.  Do I look like I’m one of those girls ???  Try your luck at the girl in the skimpy outfit with full makeup, jewelry and long flowing mane.  After all, she primped herself for 20 minutes in the locker room before even entering the gym, please give her a shot.  When you hit on me and I look like that, I seriously question your judgment.

Guys who hit on me # 2 – While some of the guys who approach me are at least smart enough to either start small talk or compliment me on my efforts and/or results, the guys who try to start a conversation by either suggesting exercises, correcting my form or insulting me really need to give their head a shake.  Unless we’re in grade school and I’m wearing pigtails with pink bows on the end, that method will not get you very far.

Inflated egos at the gym, both of the male and female persuasion – Psssst, we don’t really care how much weight you can lift or how big your muscles are … go away and stop hogging the mirrors.

Despite all these aggravations, I still prefer going to the gym to working out at home, and I will continue to do so - day after day after day after day … maybe I just need to stay away from there when I’m sick ;-)