Baby Come Back

Strained. That is how I would define my relationship with The Gym. We are friendly, but not in a way that I can make jokes about the condition of the locker room...more of a polite friendly. There is a general acknowledgement that one another exists, but we don't go out of our way to see each other. I blame myself.



I have this rebellious streak in me that runs deep. It isn't that The Gym doesn't hold a valuable place in society, but I just haven't embraced its place in my life. I have always found a way around it....going to classes because "I get more out of it", taking up cycling because "I don't want to fenced in", modifying my eating because...wait, ugh.....I knew I forgot to do something!



However, determined to make some serious changes in my life, I decided to reconcile my differences with The Gym and see if we could put our rocky past behind us. That is when I encountered perhaps the most perilous excuse of them all....becoming one of "them". That's right, I had trouble facing it at first, and it is difficult even now...but I did not want to be lumped into the group known affectionately as "The First of the Year-ers". You have all heard them, as soon as January rolls around, "I was up at 4am for a Pilates class," like they have been doing it all year...wait, they have...both days. I have been guilty of it myself, I shamefully admit. I have in fact uttered the words,"No thanks, I brought my lunch," more as a proud, boastful declaration of supremacy than a mere fact.



So it was with certain trepidation that I timidly shuffled in The Gym. While I didn't hear anyone actually SAYING "First of the Year-ers," in my mind I knew that is exactly what I was...and suddenly it was The Gym that gave me the most comfort of all. I fell back in love with the time alone, the early start to the day....even the the fellow First of the Year-ers talking about their quads and calorie burn. The Gym provides me with an anonymity, since no one really wants to look at each other when we are all that ugly and tired in the morning. The Gym gave me an outlet for my stress and anxiety about my beloved schedule, but also reinforced said schedule by giving me a reliable outlet for time alone. The Gym just, "gets" me.....



I never could "find time" to make it to The Gym before and really I didn't want to be healthy the conventional way...that is too, conventional. I have had to adjust my schedule, but so far, I am kind of enjoying the alterations. I will admit that I may have muttered and grumbled on Monday as I grouched my way out the door into a nippy 27 degree, black morning. However, Monday night I tucked myself into bed early and with a full 8 hours under my belt, I only muttered this morning. So perhaps, tomorrow I will progress to actually looking forward to it......or at least maintain enough energy that I don't fall asleep at traffic lights, either would be great.



Ok...so it has only been two days....and maybe it is the honeymoon period all over again, or the fumes from the sanitizer, but suddenly I don't care if people know I am a First of the Year-er or not. The Gym is my new place of solace and I will shout it from the rooftops! So watch out... I have at least three more dates with The Gym this week and this relationship may be going somewhere.



Check back to find out how I have decided to utilize some of my children's energy for good and not evil, as well as, "Chores on Designated Days...Can it Wait?"