Okay, so for the first time in several years, I’ve signed up and started going to the gym again. Yesterday was my first meeting with the trainer, and since it’s been so long, I’m basically a newbie starting from scratch again on the equipment.
And today, I am in much pain.
The really fun part was two days ago when I had my “fitness evaluation”. It’s the incredibly humbling half hour when you discover just how out of shape you really are. On the plus side, I’m at a good weight and my BFI is healthy. On the flip side, I’ve got all the flexibility of a 2×4.
Bye bye ego.
This is the first time I’ve joined a gym, I think, for the right reasons. I’m not going because I feel I have to. I’m not going to impress somebody (namely a member of the fairer sex). I’m not going because my girlfriend wants me too. I’m not going because I feel like a wimp next to other guys (that oh-so-fun male competetiveness thing). Heck, I’m not even going to flirt and meet girls. I specifically chose a smaller gym to avoid the “meat market” aspect so many gyms have. I’m going for me, and I’m going because I want to improve myself for, well, me.
The fact of which, unfortunately, does nothing to abate the pain. Hence the desire to down Advil like M&M’s today.
At least I have a good trainer. She strikes just the right balance between encouraging me and pushing me. Plus, she’s in her late 20’s, which helps a lot since I didn’t want some 22 year old going, in an annoyingly bubbly voice “okay, we’re going to get you in shape now! Are you ready? Are you excited? Let’s go!”.
To which I would have responded, in the most Dr. Coxian manner I could muster: “I’m going to have to kill you now. I don’t know if it’s going to be an aerobic or anaerobic exercise, but I guess we’ll just have to find out as I end your existence.”
Everybody says that it’ll get better, the pain will go away and I’ll actually start to enjoy this sadistic torture. I certainly hope so… right now I’m so stiff I can’t even fully extend my arms. Putting away the dishes was… well, let’s just say it wasn’t a hell of a lot of fun tonight.
Off to take more Advil…
The GeekHiker 
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