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Me in college, early 2005 |
In grad school, I worked out ocassionally at the campus gym, then frequently when I lived in Arizona. My first job offered a partial reimbursement for a gym membership. I joined the closest one to work, which was a women's-only gym. It was not my style. Despite working out there for the prescribed 30 minutes, three times per week, I think I lost one pound in three months. When I left that job, I wasn't sad to leave that gym. It just wasn't intense enough for me to make a difference.
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On the way home from picking up Napoleon |
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Our wedding, May 2009 |
We got Napoleon the weekend after we came back from our honeymoon. About six months later, he started barking at the elliptical while I worked out. I realized it was because he never saw anyone use it before.
It wasn't until July of 2010 that I got serious about fitness. I went to Australia for a work trip. I'm not sure what really clicked there, the fit people everywhere, the super expensive food or the fact that a dress I brought to wear didn't fit, but when I came home, I signed up for Sparkpeople.com. Since then, I've gone from 144 down to the 130s, with the goal of reaching 124. I once told people I only run if I'm being chased. Now, I've completed several races, including a half marathon, and have plans to complete a triathlon and marathon, and ultimately, an Ironman.
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In Sydney, July 2010 |
And that is what brought me back to the gym. The gym where I knew people would be watching me workout. The gym where I might not be able to make it through a class. The gym where people would undoubtedly be fitter than me.
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My temporary gym home |
So far, I've swam twice, taken a spinning class and tried a core strengthening class, all of which totally rocked. Spinning was awesome - my heart rate was up the whole time and I felt like I was really working. The core class wasn't challenging until I tried to get out of bed the next day. And I'm learning a lot about swimming already. I also hit up a toning/lifting class today, which wasn't really what I expected. I'll see if I'm sore tomorrow before I pass judgment.
I'm not very comfortable there yet, but I'll make sure to get my $35 out of this.
2 comments:
I am happy you have finally found a gym you feel great in and are trying new classes! I would love to try spin someday. And I totally know what you mean about feeling the abs workout the next day.
A work trip to Australia? Amazing!
Gyms can totally be scary! But good for you for facing your fears. It's so awesome that you have all those long-term goals that will help keep you motivated.
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