gym love
So I go to a gym that's only for women. I love it. I live in a very affluent Jewish town. Two things that I am not. But it's fun too. It's a good reminder every now and then to feel a bit like an outsider. After being in college for 4 years, you sometimes forget that the rest of the world isn't composed of Bucknellians. I wish I had the time to go into our stereotypes, but I'm sure you already know them. It's also nice to break out of the age bracket thing. Especially at the gym.
I've been at this gym for over a year now. That's exciting for me. I have an anniversary with my gym. And it's just so cute. With its little sauna and tiny locker room. The pilates and cycling studios are upstairs. There are mirrors everywhere and big balance balls that Kristin always does sits up on while I stand and bitch about my day. It's always packed and that's frustrating but then I go at peak hours so what do I expect? My gym has all of the machines that I like and a circuit weight room and fun classes that I really should take advantage of more.
It's just that for as scheduled a person as I am, my workouts are not. I like being able to go to the gym and just do whatever it is that I feel like doing. I let my mood of the moment dictate the workout that I do. Sometimes, I am simply not mentally prepared for yoga on Wednesday nights. Sometimes, I have had the worst Wednesday ever and all I want to do is rotate every machine in the gym, take it out equally on everything. Fifteen minutes on 5 different machines. Or sometimes, I've had an especially long day, I'm starving and all I want to do my easy workout, 30 on the elliptical, 20 on the bike and the arm machines of the circuit. Or if I really just wanted to take a walk and the weather was crappy out, I'll do 25 on the lifefitness and then walk for 25 minutes on the treadmill. You get the point.
But you'll never find me on the stairmaster because I suck at it. I sink to the floor, which is entirely not the point of a stairmaster. I used to run too, but outside, and I only run when I'm really angry. There was a period there after John dumped me where I ran nearly every day, away from school, back across the golf course and into this pretty neighborhood with gigantic houses. Maybe I'll try to return to it this spring. I'm sure someone will piss me off before then.
I like my all girls gym because I know I work out harder with all girls. I know at Bucknell it'd be nice to see some hot guy and crank up your speed but I find I'm more competitive around girls. And my gym is a total mixture of ages and body types. It's great. You've got the little skinny girls who are still in college and have no idea that soon their butts are going straight to desk chair formation. You've got the girls like me who have some meat on their bones but it all gathers into different areas. That fascinates me. If I gain weight, I'm not lucky enough so that it shows up in my boobs or my butt. I would like an ass more than anything in the world. And I think it's coming around but still, it's not easy going. I kind of feel that at the gym there's a certain self-redemption. A certain reminder that it could be worse. It could be better, but it could be worse too.
And I don't mean that unkindly. Because for everyone's problem assets, there are definitely things that they have that I would love to have. I know what I don't like about myself. I mean I've lived with myself for 23 years now, I've just noticed by now. Although, I have definitely come to terms with a few features that I previously didn't like about myself. I used to be really proud of my toothpick legs but recently I noticed that they're not as toothpicky as they used to be. Maybe it's because I don't wear skirts in the winter and I wear pants at the gym but I didn't notice before. They're not skinny anymore. I actually have muscles in my legs. And maybe I always did but now I'm just becoming aware of it? I'm not really sure.
It's funny because I'm hopefully going to get my big bonus (not the contest bonus, the actual you hit your goal, way to go bonus) this Thursday. And all I want to do is head to thunder sports on my lunch break and buy a new pair of sneakers. Is there really anything better than breaking in a new pair of sneakers? I'm a sneakers girl, I like the bounce in my step when I have my sneakers on. I have Adidas ones now and they have had a long, great run. But I think I need to put them into retirement. Kind of like the rainy day puddle sneaker status or the I'm going hiking in mud and since it's me, I'll probably fall so let's go with the poncho and the adidas.
I'm weird too about my sneakers when I workout. I stretch first and then untie my sneakers, even if they're already tied tightly, then I pull up the tongue and tie them again. It's my routine, my little prayer to the gym god to bless my workout and make sure that I don't fall off the machine or something. Because that's a possibility when you're me.
So in summary, I love my gym. I love the magazines that I get to read for free, I love how inside edition comes on at 7 o'clock when I'm halfway through my workout. I love the fact that I'm surrounded by people who see value in going to the gym even if it's more fun sometimes to sit on the couch for 3 consecutive hours. I love that there is this older, bigger woman who takes maybe 4 or 5 classes a week and she just kicks everybody else's asses in terms of her relentless energy. She wears a sweat headband too. And there's one this chick who rocks out on the lifefitness machine. You just know that Rihanna's SOS just came on and while the rest of us are internally celebrating, she literally shakes it. I love the runners who run because they love it and although jealous of their bodies, I'm so impressed that they can run (fast) for an hour. I love that Kristin is there sometimes and we can go on neighboring machines and gossip like we used to when we were roomies. I just really love it.
And I can't wait to go back tomorrow! (Insert enthusiastic arm slug here). So remind me of this entry when I whine about having to go the gym later this week. Please.
I've been at this gym for over a year now. That's exciting for me. I have an anniversary with my gym. And it's just so cute. With its little sauna and tiny locker room. The pilates and cycling studios are upstairs. There are mirrors everywhere and big balance balls that Kristin always does sits up on while I stand and bitch about my day. It's always packed and that's frustrating but then I go at peak hours so what do I expect? My gym has all of the machines that I like and a circuit weight room and fun classes that I really should take advantage of more.
It's just that for as scheduled a person as I am, my workouts are not. I like being able to go to the gym and just do whatever it is that I feel like doing. I let my mood of the moment dictate the workout that I do. Sometimes, I am simply not mentally prepared for yoga on Wednesday nights. Sometimes, I have had the worst Wednesday ever and all I want to do is rotate every machine in the gym, take it out equally on everything. Fifteen minutes on 5 different machines. Or sometimes, I've had an especially long day, I'm starving and all I want to do my easy workout, 30 on the elliptical, 20 on the bike and the arm machines of the circuit. Or if I really just wanted to take a walk and the weather was crappy out, I'll do 25 on the lifefitness and then walk for 25 minutes on the treadmill. You get the point.
But you'll never find me on the stairmaster because I suck at it. I sink to the floor, which is entirely not the point of a stairmaster. I used to run too, but outside, and I only run when I'm really angry. There was a period there after John dumped me where I ran nearly every day, away from school, back across the golf course and into this pretty neighborhood with gigantic houses. Maybe I'll try to return to it this spring. I'm sure someone will piss me off before then.
I like my all girls gym because I know I work out harder with all girls. I know at Bucknell it'd be nice to see some hot guy and crank up your speed but I find I'm more competitive around girls. And my gym is a total mixture of ages and body types. It's great. You've got the little skinny girls who are still in college and have no idea that soon their butts are going straight to desk chair formation. You've got the girls like me who have some meat on their bones but it all gathers into different areas. That fascinates me. If I gain weight, I'm not lucky enough so that it shows up in my boobs or my butt. I would like an ass more than anything in the world. And I think it's coming around but still, it's not easy going. I kind of feel that at the gym there's a certain self-redemption. A certain reminder that it could be worse. It could be better, but it could be worse too.
And I don't mean that unkindly. Because for everyone's problem assets, there are definitely things that they have that I would love to have. I know what I don't like about myself. I mean I've lived with myself for 23 years now, I've just noticed by now. Although, I have definitely come to terms with a few features that I previously didn't like about myself. I used to be really proud of my toothpick legs but recently I noticed that they're not as toothpicky as they used to be. Maybe it's because I don't wear skirts in the winter and I wear pants at the gym but I didn't notice before. They're not skinny anymore. I actually have muscles in my legs. And maybe I always did but now I'm just becoming aware of it? I'm not really sure.
It's funny because I'm hopefully going to get my big bonus (not the contest bonus, the actual you hit your goal, way to go bonus) this Thursday. And all I want to do is head to thunder sports on my lunch break and buy a new pair of sneakers. Is there really anything better than breaking in a new pair of sneakers? I'm a sneakers girl, I like the bounce in my step when I have my sneakers on. I have Adidas ones now and they have had a long, great run. But I think I need to put them into retirement. Kind of like the rainy day puddle sneaker status or the I'm going hiking in mud and since it's me, I'll probably fall so let's go with the poncho and the adidas.
I'm weird too about my sneakers when I workout. I stretch first and then untie my sneakers, even if they're already tied tightly, then I pull up the tongue and tie them again. It's my routine, my little prayer to the gym god to bless my workout and make sure that I don't fall off the machine or something. Because that's a possibility when you're me.
So in summary, I love my gym. I love the magazines that I get to read for free, I love how inside edition comes on at 7 o'clock when I'm halfway through my workout. I love the fact that I'm surrounded by people who see value in going to the gym even if it's more fun sometimes to sit on the couch for 3 consecutive hours. I love that there is this older, bigger woman who takes maybe 4 or 5 classes a week and she just kicks everybody else's asses in terms of her relentless energy. She wears a sweat headband too. And there's one this chick who rocks out on the lifefitness machine. You just know that Rihanna's SOS just came on and while the rest of us are internally celebrating, she literally shakes it. I love the runners who run because they love it and although jealous of their bodies, I'm so impressed that they can run (fast) for an hour. I love that Kristin is there sometimes and we can go on neighboring machines and gossip like we used to when we were roomies. I just really love it.
And I can't wait to go back tomorrow! (Insert enthusiastic arm slug here). So remind me of this entry when I whine about having to go the gym later this week. Please.