Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Day 10: My Mind Wanders (or Gym People part 2)



I laced up my new running shoes, feeling them out for any sign of that they would be uncomfortable.  I jogged in place for a minute, did some jumping jacks, and walked up and down the stairs several times and I have to admit; they are very comfortable. They cradle the soles of my feet and the gel treads give a soft feeling like walking with shock absorbers. 

After a little warm up I hit the pavement one foot after the other enjoying the smell of the spring.  On the road I jog I could smell honey suckle and various flowers hanging thick in the humid air. Sometimes when I jog my mind wanders.  It’s a good time to think and just be alone with my thoughts and for some reason today I kept compairing it to jogging on a treadmill in a gym and another subculture of the urban gym. I like to call this tribe “Treadmill People.”

Who is this weird and dangerous subset of gym dwellers you ask? They can easily be recognized in the following four descriptions:

1.       Crazy Treadmill Lady – This lady appears to be in here late 50s but to be honest she could just be 25.  She is on the treadmill when you come in for your work out.  Her treadmill is set to 7 miles an hour and a 12 incline.  She resembles a human skeleton with skin draped over it and she always has one of her knees in a brace or wrap.  One hour later as you leave from you exhausting work out she is still there trying to burn off an apple she ate three days ago. 
2.       Weird Racer Guy – I really don’t like this guy.  He is the one that decides that despite all the empty treadmills all over the gym he needs to be on the one next to you.  Seriously annoying once he has targeted you as someone he needs to race he starts his work out.  No matter what your treadmill is on he is always upping the speed on his and glancing at you disapprovingly.  Then something goes off in his head and cranks the speed up and continues to glower at you while you chug along at 3.5 miles an hour refusing to get sucked into his race that goes nowhere.
3.       The Singer – Easily identified this is the weirdo four or five treadmills down that is listening to some weird kind of music you have never heard before but that’s is okay because they choose to share it with you.  You turn you own head phones up but it only seems to encourage them to sing louder and you get stuck in “Name That Tune” hell while they provide an unwanted soundtrack to your work out. 
4.       The Players – Not because they are “Players” but because they play on the treadmill.  Usually younger gym patrons they never spend more than 5 minutes on a single machine.  Like Goldie Locks they try every machine in the gym never spending more than a few minutes on a single machine.  It never fails that for some reason they need to try the one next to you five or six times.  Each time they start a work out and stop it two minutes later.  You want to scream “Just pick one already”

That is what went through my mind as on today’s jog. As always here is the recap:

Daily Recap
Matt – 36 Minutes Jog
                5 Pushups and Sit-Ups
Kelly – 80 Minutes Walk

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