Monday, September 04, 2006

Gym Tales

Week One. Day One.

Sunday. Knowing that Monday morning is our first outing to the Gym I pack my bag in advance. A bit like a school bag run where we had to find out which lessons were on the next days timetable and pack textbooks & notebooks accordingly. My big Crumpler bag is ideal. I knew someday I would be able to justify why I spent all that money on a newspaper-delivery-looking-water-proof-bag. This is the day.

Bag has office clothes (what was the point of ironing them if they are going to be rolled into a ball?), office shoes, hairbrush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, assorted nice smelling things (deodorant and perfume) and cosmetics (which I otherwise never use) to complete the ensemble. After all there will be other women in the locker room while I get ready – I have a reputation to keep up (not so much keep up as build from scratch – this is only day 1). Bag also has handbag within it which has wallet, card holder, lip balm, Polo mints, travelcard, book and ipod for journey. Bag weighs 34 kilos.

Monday. Alarm set for 5.30am. I am up as soon as the alarm goes off. My sneakers/ trainers (depending on where you are from!) with new socks tucked in are at the end of the bed, near my already packed bag. Gym clothes – non-slogan T-shirt and tracks – are resting on the bag. Out of bed like an eager child on Christmas morning (still blissfully unaware that Santa was in fact mom and dad) followed by hurried-get-ready experience and at 5.55 we were out the door and legging it to the Gym.

Gym is full of scary, scary thin people. The kind motivated enough to get up and be at the Gym in their colour coordinated gear before the crack of dawn. V and I are motivated but not even vaguely colour coordinated – forget with each other, even just as ourselves. Ignoring the running masses we decide to diligently exercise for 45 whole minutes.

While I walk on the treadmill at the pace of a snail doing the marathon I marvel at how for someone who has often been described as a ‘slow walker’ this is an achievement. For someone who will not move an inch unless absolutely required this is inspired. As for getting up at 5.30 am to be in the gym at 6am, this is the equivalent to walking on the moon.

I go to office full of beans confident that I have already lost some weight and look better in my clothes. Excuse my delusions. I need them instead of coffee.

Week Two

Went to the Gym for four days out of five in Week One. Skipped it on the weekend because there is still so much house setting up to be done that I think that is exercise enough.

Found the class for fat people. It’s called – say it together people – “aqua aerobics”. It’s at 6.50am on a Tuesday morning. Being ‘aqua’ it is naturally in the pool. The class is great for my self-esteem. I am the thinnest person there. I swim 30 laps before the 40 minute class starts. All the roly-poly’s come to this class mainly because the water provides good resistance making the workout make your body work hard while also cushioning it from injury. It’s lovely, a coordinated whale workout if you like. The teacher is fit and energetic and has us all feeling like we’ve had a workout rather than just aimlessly splashed around in the pool. I’ve met some nice people and in just the second week of us taking this class together we are chatting after class. "Did you enjoy that? Where do you work? How many days do you come in? How long have you been a member? Do you always use this locker?" A bit like a secret club this is Gym-talk, if you like.

Besides losing weight my only aim is to get them to switch off that Brittany Spears music.

Week Three

Can you believe I am still getting up at 5.30am to use the Gym before work? I hit the snooze button almost as soon as the annoying alarm goes off. 8 minutes later I am awake and getting ready. I think the sheer cost of the Gym membership is keeping me going.

6am gym sessions are not to be laughed at. It’s that time of year when winter is closing in on us and the sun lights up the sky a few moments later each day. It’s not cold enough to need even a light jacket yet but the skies are darker when I wake up. The thought of not going is a fleeting one I have managed to overcome so far. Like the preceding two weeks, in Week Three, I managed to go to the Gym for four out of five days.

I feel lighter although the scales tell me I have not lost anything. They lie methinks.

Week Four

I’m used to the alarm now and wake up just a few moments before it's peeling begins. I like waiting in the dark for that first ring to herald this new day.

I’m still pre-packing my bag (although I have done away with handbag inside a bag and various other unnecessary items – who needs blush-on when freshly scrubbed pores show red cheeks to their best?) and being well-organised.

I feel a little bit saintly.

I wonder how long this madness will last?

18 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:32 PM

    Nice post.. inspired me enough to find a gym close to my house but not enough to get me out of my warm, cosy bed at 5.30AM !!!!

    Radha

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  2. Anonymous11:58 PM

    5 : 30 am to gym? what madness!

    :) hehehe u can tell i'm just jealous of your motivated self. keep it up!

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  3. Anonymous1:27 AM

    good show!!! proud of you!!! and myself!!!...i am on week 8 of going to the gym 4 to 5 days a week and the damn scale still does not show it...hang in there

    Anyway, I will NOT be dying of a heart attack!!! 40in2006

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  4. Gyming always an experience.. Wonder how you going to manage in the winters :D

    And going to the gym with V... romantic.. if I could call it that :p

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  5. 4 weeks!! Thats great going!!

    My 1st time I went all for 3 weeks, regularly, every evening. Then, one evening I skipped it, went home early and realized what I was giving up - a comfy warm couch, chips, filter coffee and the remote, all for myself! And that was it!!

    Over the years, I have realized that even a high membership fees is not enough to keep you motivated. What works best is your girlfriend's taunts like the football is now a basketball!! That really keeps you going for it, believe me.

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  6. wow! damn happy for you! hope it lasts a long time :)

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  7. taht's brilliant! Awesome! 5.30am!!!! PHEW!!! All that exclamation was my workout for the day! :)

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  8. I loved the things in this post which made me smile - your non slogan tshirt, 34 kg bag (good resistance workout!), people with color co ordinated workout gear, the feeling that the scale is lying :-)
    You just inspired me to workout seriously in September.
    gg

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  9. Anonymous5:47 PM

    Inspiring.

    I have managed to keep up going to the gym regularly .. but can't imagine getting up early morning for it .. evening works much better for me.

    Am sure the scales will soon show the good work.

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  10. You are my hero! You have already been to the gym more days in three weeks than I have been in the last one year!

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  11. Reminds me of when I took up a year long gym membership and ended up going for all of three months! On the first day I did only stretching for 15 minutes. The rest of the day was spent throwing up and feeling sick.

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  12. The only thing I get up at 5.30 in the morning for is yoga =D
    gym time is 7am...and its a schedule I have maintained for decently long now..its a bit addictive, no??

    and dont worry about the scale..muscle weighs more than fat. how you feel and how well you clothes fit are a better indication of gymin having its effect.

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  13. you can do it you can do it.. shake it like a milkshake to britney spears from yesteryears! heehee!

    i've survived 3 years and more in a small town punjabi gym with loads and loads of bhangra horrible punju songs.. the grass my dear is always greener, but how can that ever compare to the slightly looser fit of the jeans that just came in from the wash?

    and p.s i like what you write :)

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  14. Anonymous3:45 AM

    Hi

    Thats a good work u have done..Atleast keeping up with the 5.30 schedule.
    I could not manage with that though..
    And yes the big bill is not motivating me at all...
    Lets hope i do start before the wingtter sets in.

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  15. wow 6am ..

    i'm feeling the same - gymming in my lunch hour daily but not seeing any difference but i like to believe that i feel lighter everytime i come of that treadmill .. my head sure as hell feels it :)

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  16. Wow you are motivated!!! 30 laps in 40 min??Wow, doublewow!!! You'll be supern toned soon,mark my words :)
    I've decided that I am content with not being skinny :) There was a time I was skin and bone but that changed with age and marri"age" :)

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  17. Sorry everyone for being so rude and not having replied to your comments so far.

    Radha, finding a gym is the least of ones problems - it is sticking to actually going.

    Ipanema girl, you are so right - it is madness. But if I do not go in the morning (when I ahve no real excuse not to) I will find an excuse to not go in the evening and just never do this.

    40in200, you are my inspiration! I too will NOT die of a heart attack!

    Me: We'll see what happens in winter. And there is nothing romantic about going to the gym whatsoever. Just need each other for sheer motivation, sometimes competition (if you do 40 minutes I'll do 45 etc!?)

    Happy/Lucky, Exhorbitant membership fees is certainly my motivation. And I like the mornings because then I can sit on a comfy couch in the evening without any guilt whatsoever.

    Prerona, Jane, Shub, Pea, GG, Rohini, Indian Archie, Szerelem, Rosa, San and Inquisitive : Thank you all for your kind words. Never before have I been an 'inspiration' to anyone or for anything. I hope this gym things lasts. Beside the membership fee all the hilarious gym incidents also make me want to keep going back. But if the scales/ clothes don't show me anything I shall have to re-consider!!!

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  18. Anonymous4:06 PM

    Hello,
    U sure have inspired me to loose weight. according to the trainors though Im overweight, I dont look like.
    Can u help me pick a gym- I hv gone to 2 and one's membership costs the 3 times of the other. How do I decide.

    Thanks

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