You guys – I went to the gym!
Me! The eternal gym avoider! Look, see:
Don’t worry, I haven’t become one of those annoying people who takes pictures at the gym, I just wanted to be certain you believed I actually went. I don’t put on a full face of make up and hang around taking photos just to show off, I promise – here is a horrible selfie of my sweaty post workout face to prove it:
I just needed to record it for prosperity, because I’m not even sure I believe it myself. I WENT TO THE GYM! And do you know what? I actually enjoyed it. It took a while to get me there, but I made it in the end, and that’s all that counts really, isn’t it!
I’ve managed to get neary 35 years into my life without being a gym-goer. In fact, if gym avoidance itself was an Olympic sport I’d definitely get the gold. But it’s not down to laziness. OK, it’s a little bit down to laziness…. but it’s mainly because until now, I just didn’t really ‘get’ the gym. Exercise has always been a solitary activity for me, you see. Because I spend a lot of my time obsessively judging myself, so I assume others will too. What an ‘interesting’ technique. Why is she so slow? Gosh she’s unfit. What an underachiever. Does she know she looks that ugly when she sweats? That kinda thing. Which is why running has always been my thang, because even if someone does judge me, I’m already gone, like the wind! Or a slightly tepid breeze anyway, but you get my drift… Anyway, while sport in general just doesn’t really appeal to me all that much, I’ve always enjoyed running. It’s a fantastic way to tune the world out, get in the zone and blow away the cobwebs. On a cool, crisp morning when the sun is shining it can be an almost enjoyable experience! Of course, in England, those days don’t come around very often, so getting out for a run normally ends up being an occasional activity for me. Not conducive to getting back into shape!
I’d been doing my best to avoid admitting to myself that maybe joining a gym was the solution to this problem, but when work started offering half price passes and Dan suggested we sign up to some classes together I really had to accept that now was the time. And so, Sunday afternoon, after much feet dragging and making a very bemused Dan promise not to leave my side for even a second, I found myself pounding the treadmill for a good hour, and feeling pretty darn smug about it! I actually found it easier than running properly as it’s much easier to maintain a steady pace and you don’t need to stop and start all the time. And of course it’s great to be able to see the little calories burned counter clocking up – a real motivator!
Of course by the time you read this I’ll be hurting like hell, but hopefully this will now be a regular thing and I can stop talking about getting fit and actually do something about it! Wish me luck!
Love,
Picking the Day 