The plan for yesterday was to go to the gym and get in a few miles on the treadmill right after work. Well, “right after work” is a horrible time to go to the gym because everyone in the neighborhood has the same idea. Sometimes I get lucky. Yesterday was not one of those days. Every single treadmill, bike, elliptical machine … everything was taken. I sat in the parking lot for ten minutes watching to see if something would free up but nothing.
I had an idea. There is another branch of my gym not too far from where I live – maybe 15 minutes – so I decided to head over there to check out the availability. I was hopeful but when I arrived I wasn’t surprised to find the same situation.
As I drove home, I tried to figure out my next move. I was dressed and ready to work out. I was going to work out. I got home a little after six, made some dinner and turned on Netflix to watch Rescue Me (my new addiction) and started to think. The advantage of belonging to a 24-hour gym is that I can go whenever I feel like it. So I decided that I would head back over to the gym after 8:00, when most of the people have cleared out.
And that is exactly what I did. I was determined to get my miles in. I’m discovering that I have to stop being so regimented in everything that I do. I have got to be more flexible. If I can’t run outside, I don’t run. If I can’t get to the gym at a certain time, I don’t go. That way of thinking has gotten me nowhere. One of the ladies in my running group logged over 100 miles in the month of January. I only did 48. And she has a young child that she sometimes brings to the trail that she pushes in a stroller while she runs. That is determination. There is another woman who is as fit as I would like to be one day. She wins fitness competitions, runs a 9-minute mile and her body is amazing. Well, she didn’t get that way by slacking. She works at it every single day. I admire these women so much. I have absolutely no excuse. No more excuses and no more complaining. It’s time to move.
