Working Out

I went and worked out tonight for the first time at this gym across the street from our house. It was (and still is, for the time being) a small 24-hour gym, and it just got bought out by this other gym, which is much bigger and offers a lot more by way of exercise machines and classes and saunas and pools and such (the such is really what sold me). Mom was kind of mourning the loss of this easy access 24-hour place that she could've worked out at anytime she wanted, and was small and intimate, but it had been there for at least a year and she only decided to sign up for it the day it was bought. So I don't feel too bad for her. And this new gym will be open 4am-midnight, so our opportunities to exercise aren't really limited by time - I mean, I don't think Mother was going to go over and run on the treadmill at 2 in the morning - she told Dad just yesterday that she'd go work out later that night around 9pm and he should watch her walk over in case she got kidnapped or mugged. At 9pm. I don't imagine her going anytime later than that. (She didn't end up going at 9pm anyway, so no one had to worry about anyone getting mugged. Always a good thing).
This new gym isn't fully built yet - it's still very much in the building phase - so we get free access to this old gym. I decided to take advantage of that tonight, because it's still a bit chilly outside and I didn't feel like just straight-up running. So I threw my hair in a fun messy ponytail and put on my cute new workout clothes. Last week when we went on a Barlow Family shopping outing at the Park City outlet mall, I enjoyed myself at the Nike store and the Adidas store, as well as the exercise areas of some other stores (Old Navy is growing their exercise clothes, who knew?), and found myself some cute workout clothes for the spring and summer. I need to get myself in great DC shape - I've skipped trying to motivate myself with 'swimsuit season;' it hasn't ever worked before, so it would've been a long shot this time. But who gets motivated when they have no cute clothes to be out in??? I sure don't. Clothes I want to spend time in get my butt to the gym or out on a run, which in turn helps me bring less butt back home. And there were some great sales, so I now have a good start on my motivational outfits.
So, I threw on some shorts and a tee, and then a light pink pullover jacket - a nice addition to my technical gear (which, if you had been with my mom at Park City, you would realize is now essential for just about every piece of clothing. Not to mention, dad can't fault you for buying it if you say it's technical - he's got enough of it, he can't question our purchases). Threw on my shoes, and I ran out the door...in more of a walking fashion, of course. I made my way to the gym and found it empty. Perfect. It gave me time to walk around a little bit, acquaint myself with the place, without looking like a total newcomer to anyone else. Then I jumped on an elliptical, played with the remote for the TV for a bit until I stumbled across the end of Wheel of Fortune. I smiled to realize Jeopardy would be on next, and I settled into a nice 10 minute warm-up. It seemed like the perfect combination: working my brain and my body at the same time! Talk about your multi-tasking.
That first 10 minutes in the gym was interesting: realized I run funny on an elliptical; felt my left hip bothering me due to funny running; refused to stop running before the 10 minutes were over out of stubbornness; answered the majority of Jeopardy questions correctly (or questioned the Jeopardy answers correctly; I suppose); missed stupid questions/answers I should've known; sighed with relief when 10 minutes ended. Then I moved to a treadmill and quickly decided two things - a. I do not like treadmills. b. I shouldn't try to set up any machine's workout programs while still trying to catch the clues given on Jeopardy. because it just doesn't work. I quickly moved to a stationary bike, hoping I'd like that better. I had to learn lesson b from above again, but I got myself going pretty smoothly this time.
I'm not the best stationary bike rider. I always want to give up after about 2 minutes. But I set my workout on the cardio setting, and I forced myself to get through another 10 minutes. I didn't realize at first that this 10 minutes would also require getting my heart rate to 157 and keeping it there. I don't last long on bikes - I almost just fell off around minute 5, as I went 'up' my 3rd 'hill' and wondered why everyone thought biking was such a great thing. Perhaps it's different on a real bike. But I don't think so.
But never fear, I forced myself to stay on that bike until it flashed 10 minutes and let up on its training course My heart rate wasn't so faithful though - it started falling a minute after I achieved the mark. So much for maintaining it.
The hardest part about exercising on a bike is that I sweat when I exercise anyway, and, as gross as it sounds, riding on a bike just makes me feel like I've peed my cute workout shorts. I'm sitting there around the 7 minute mark and I seriously have to think, "Did I really just pee my pants? Have I suddenly lost complete control of my bladder? Do I need to start wearing Depends?" I get up, wipe the seat down of my sweat (for I have finally concluded that I do still control my bladder, but not my sweat glands), smile that it really isn't very sweaty, that I was just getting over-nervous about it. But I was sweating, and my shorts still feel a little like I wet them.
And these workout shorts (not so cute when sitting on a bike, but I blame my squished thighs for that) have the built-in extra underwear/lining in them, which always seem to be bigger than the shorts they're put into. I'm really noticing their presence right now. I go and do a few sit-ups and weight machines for a few minutes, hoping to dry myself out, since a few older guys have come in and I get suddenly claustrophic with their presence. I finally decide I've done enough for my first night at the gym, and I leave, taking a quick 2 minute jog home. The cold air chills my sweat but feels generally pretty refreshing. But it makes that sweaty extra lining feel even heavier, and I can't help by feel like I'm carrying a load. So now, not only have I peed my pants, but I've also pooped them, according to how they feel. Stupid extra panties, making me question my bladder and bowel control, making me feel like an 85 year old woman. Don't worry, I've still got the control of your average 23 year old girl - only peeing my pants when I laugh too hard and only pooping them on extremely special funny occasions.
Mom thinks the extra liner might shrink when I wash them, and I'm really hoping for it. But other, asta la vista, panty. We had our fun, but if you can't change, then this can't work. You're too high-maintenance for me. I'm cutting you out of my shorts and out of my life.