I know people care about sports, I just will never care enough to be that loud about it. Anyway, last fall...we got a YMCA upgrade; they built a new facility and it is lovely. Bigger workout rooms, air conditioning, private tvs on all the machines; their upgrades made it so I could ignore Zumba guy, coffee guy, Johnny Tremain guy, and skanky girl (that actually said, and I quote "will this exercise work my boobs??" Sorry, but it happened) more effectively. I was in heaven!
Then we were denied our "scholarship" renewal. Yes, yes, we are poor, so they were helping us out. And then they weren't. I felt more rejected than is probably normal, but working out is one thing that has, at times, kept me sane while we've been in Ohio. Nate remembered that UT has a REC facility that he could work out for free as a student, and I was required to pay a bit; but averaging both of us paying, it came out to be about the same price as the YMCA before. So we suited up, paid for me, and entered into the undergraduate zone. I couldn't shake the thought that I was one of very few real paying customers, so my expectation was higher (and/or dashed more quickly) than theirs. As opposed to the YMCA guys, these weight room guys were legitimate steroid users, they legitimately used nasty boy language, so I legitimately avoided that area. I stuck to the cardio machines where I learned I can workout and still benefit, even if my closest workout companion smells like dinner sweat, even if I have to watch "the Shore" or "The Real World", even if I see an older gentlemen doing questionable hip exercises, and even if a guy comes up to me and tells me "you can do it! (running)" when indeed I already was doing it. (Is this what flirting has come to?)
When I told Nate last night that it was our last night to go to the REC, he cheered. I'm sad I'll have to be more creative about working out for the rest of our Toledo stay, but I'm happy to be free of our time there. Will I miss being stopped in the parking lot and asked to judge who out of two friends is taller (they were adults, if anyone is wondering)? No, indeed I won't.
7 comments:
The metro parks in Toledo are nice, and FREE!
Remember the guy at the Y doing all that yelling before yoga?
FIrst of all, your hair looks as good as I've seen it in that last pic. Secondly, can I be invited to your creative workout? The way I see it, you won't be able to avoid such characters as long as you live in this region. Maybe it's just best to think about how you can capitalize on them (develop a boob workout, start carrying a measuring tape and charge for measuring, become a paid police informant, etc.). Fine, or you can just move.
Admittedly, one of the hardest things to give up when we moved from AZ to cow-country was having a membership to the Y. I was forced to worked out at the college (Not only was it free for me, but it was, shockingly,the only gym in town.) After a few months, I quit going to the gym altogether.
You wont give up though...because you can do it.
Wow! I have been thinking about getting a gym membership but I can officially say you have talked me out of it :)
Sounds like a lot of fun...Steve has had the fun of working out on a bike/treadmill with stinky (I don't think he has ever really heard of what deodorant it) guy working out next to him! Enjoy the fresh air!
Oh my, what a good laugh! It made me think of Wolverine, the original gym nickname guy "Tis-SEE-AH" I'm telling you - exercise ball if you can train the cats to leave them alone!
sorry about the "who's taller" thing. i'm just a bit self-conscience.
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