Off to the Gym

I've always hated the gym.  Being stuck inside.  Dirty, sticky equipment, that all kinds of sweaty people have touched.  And it doesn't take much activity to get drenched.  Do they do that on purpose?  Pump up the humidity and turn the air down so that by the time you finish your workout, you're drenched.  Just to make people feel like they've done a hard workout no matter how easy it is?

But the people watching at the gym is fantastic.  For instance, the 50-something guy last week, with long, graying black hair, wearing jean shorts with leather belt, white wife-beater tank, pulled up above his hairy belly (and no, he didn't have a 6 pack).  Or the short, Asian guy in sweatpants with shirt tucked in, sitting on one piece of weight equipment for long periods of time, staring at women.  Creepy!  Then there's this very fit African American chick, with arms I would love to have...

But, alas, I, too, have become a gym rat.  Well, sort of.  I can't do anything else.  It's my rehab.  Upper body strengthening, plus working on regaining mobility in my right hip and knee, and gaining some supportive strength around those joints.  I'm also making up for not using my 3 year prepaid membership more than a few times in the last 2 years.  Maybe after the next couple of months, I won't be able to get enough either.  Best case scenario, I'll gain some respect for gym-going and strength training, and I'll be ready to keep it up (a little) and hit the road in January.  I'm already planning my first race, the LA 5K or Half Marathon (wishful thinking) on January 16th.