Uh, oh..... I'm at it Again

As you all know, I have a friend named Angela who has somehow been sucked into the world of fitness - exercises - working out.  It's a bummer when a friend turns strange.

Due to Angela, earlier this year I tried a few different exercise classes - Spinning  http://skirt.com/nichellerae/blog/if-you-love-someone-please-stop-them-please and Zumba http://skirt.com/nichellerae/blog/zumba-who-your-sisters-one

Now that I have moved to Denver, the healthiest city in the USA, I figure I should get moving.  So, while my schedule was still a bit slacked I walked – I love to walk – over to the recreation center at the park about ½ mile from the house. I picked up a schedule of their classes and all the particulars I needed to know.

I decided on the 9am weight lifting class.  It’s only twice a week.  I can handle that, right?  I also decided that I would walk to the classes from home, do the class, then walk back home.  A well-rounded workout routine; I was so impressed with myself just thinking that I, NichelleRae, would have a “workout routine”.  I forgot somehow that I am not a morning person. 

Great thing about Denver, walking paths everywhere.  Down side, the paths are shared with bicyles.  In theory this isn't bad, "passing on the left".  I mean I'm ok with that. What I'm NOT ok with is the people cycling who think they will be riding with Lance Armstrong later in the day and need to prepare. I mean they could take a leg off with how fast they are going. It's a walking path PEOPLE!

I get there about 10 minutes to 9am.  Oh, I forgot to tell you NOTHING in Denver EVER starts on-time.  NOTHING!  At exactly 9am I walk into the weight room and I wait.  At about 10 after person after person trickles in.  Who was in the class you ask? 

Yup, the youngest of them was in their 60’s.  The instructor though is in his 20’s.  When he sees me his eyes get big “aahhh, fresh young meat to put to the weights”.  So, you reach into a bag and take out cards which take you through various stations of the weights.  A woman leans over to me and says, you only want the blue cards the others are way too much”.  Not needing to ask anymore I reach in and all the blue cards are gone.  The instructor comes over introduces himself.  I explain I’m new and just trying to lose weight and be skinny like the women on TV.  He smiles and gives me a yellow card.  I look back over to the woman who warned me about the cards.  She’s smiling but shakes her head in dismay.  I start having flashes of Zumba and Spinning all over again. 

Before I hyperventilate, the instructor tells everyone to find their machine.  Ok, so I'm here and i'll get started.  We do some stretches and i see the group is into it.  Sure they're all talking to each other but they are moving. 

Well, this is how it goes. He tells you when to start, then tells you when to switch machines.  Like a Live version of Curves except there is no running in place between machines.  As we move to the 2nd machine I start looking around.  I think I'm the only person who is being pushed by the instructor.  My fellow workout peers are well, holding weights and sitting on machines, but how much work-OUT is really coming out I'm not sure.

 What the WHAT!!!  Everytime we move to a new machine the instructor comes over and adds more weight to my machine AND shows me the proper way to do it.  Now, Skirt I know what you're thinking "woo-hoo, he's flirting". NO he was not.  Somehow he got into his head that I was some sort of soon to be body builder Chic. He obviously, doesn't know me as well as you all do.  I mean everything I did felt like I was going to die.  D-I-E!  There were the weights, the bands, the hand weights and that stupid ab killing ball thing.

 It was torture.  Torture only for me.  The rest of my group ...... what were they doing, you ask?

What?  You thought because they changed machines the momentum or conversation would stop..... so naive.

I will say the group, who by the way have been meeting for more than 10yrs and have potluck for the holidays and birthdays, were very inviting.  They talked to me too. 

Now about 1/2 way through the workout I was informed by a woman, well warned really, about the lady on the treadmill.  "That's Mary (name has been changed), don't worry about her or try to keep up.  She runs and does all sorts of things.  Just ignore her." Now, this "Mary" was on the treadmill just going to town and reading the paper.  Occassionally she joined in the conversations or someone asked her about something in the paper.  She was like ..... well, remember that scene in The First Wives Club when Goldie Hawn is talking while on the treadmill never losing her breath.  That's Mary!

Anyway, I did it. When I left there I felt buff.  I felt buff all day.

I was told by the group I would not be able to walk the next day.  They were right, except it took me 2 days.  I haven't had time to go back, but when I have time I will go again.  Mostly just because ...... I enjoyed the conversation.