Working Out

I am a fairly entrenched couch potato, at least when it comes to exercise. I think people who exercise all the time are narcisistic, at best. Back in college, I flunked one class, "activities for fitness". It just was NOT fun. Over the years, I have resisted all my doctors best efforts at getting me to exercise, I won't run, I have refused to go for walks, and my body really doesn't want to hike up hills anymore. I like racquetball, but haven't made the time to go and play.

Lately I have changed my mind. Kind of. I have decided to exercise. I actually joined a gym, and have been going and working out. I have also been walking with my friend Larry. He is a couch potato too, but I think we both have realized that it is now or never. Get in better shape, or be prepared to go down down down......

So I have joined the gym, I had a personal trainer work with me twice, so that I could know what all those machines were for and how to use them. I have my little routine that she gave me. I also go on the treadmill. One night I really got into it. I worked out on the weight machines, I pedaled the bike for 30 minutes at level four, I got on the treadmill and went another 30 minutes. I was a driven woman! It was a friday night, and I ended up being the last one there, besides the desk guy. I was kind of surprised that everyone cleared out of there like that. Finally, I quit, and he says "Oh, are you done?" I assured him that I was, that I worked so hard because I hadn't been there for a few days. I told him that I had even walked around the "lakes" that morning. Nice boy that he was, he acted impressed, and said he would see me in the morning!

And then he wished me a cheery good evening and I left. I left, and saw the hours posted on the door. I had kept him there for a full 45 minutes past closing time! On a Friday night no less! A college student! I was mortified! I would never do something so rude on purpose!

I showed up the next morning, and apologized. He was extremely nice, shrugged it off as no big deal. Then I asked him if he skied or snowboarded. He gave me a very funny, wary look, and said "well, I snowboard". So I gave him a couple of tickets to the Summit, and thanked him again. His look of relief was hilarious! I think he thought I was gonna ask him on a date! Now whenever he sees me, he says "stay as late as you want!"

I am kind of liking working out. But I do have an ulterior motive. I have this fantasy of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada next summer. That would be the summer of 07. Why I want to do this is fairly inexplicable, given my inclinations towards physical inertia, but I want to. My brother Dan and I are loosely planning this together. It sounds like a grand adventure, and I am all about adventure!

So that is my story, and I am sticking to it.