Triumph

I have been having major struggles ever since my cheap-ass gym eliminated their group classes about two years ago. For almost 3 years, I had the most fabulous gig…a fantastic instructor (Michelle) who taught a 5:30-6:30 AM class EVERY morning of the week, along with a core group of about 8 of us who all went darn near every morning. Michelle taught a different class each morning…Step, Step and Sculpt, Boot Camp, and Strength Training…so the workouts changed often and you got a good balance of activities. We not only had a great time together during class, but we were accountable; if you skipped more than a couple of days, you could count on getting at least a couple of emails making sure you were ok. Nothing pushy, but it really made a difference knowing that if I decided to sleep in two days in a row, people would be noticing. And anytime I reached a new fitness milestone (increasing the height of my bench, going up in weights, being able to do a full push up), people noticed that as well, and celebrated along with me.

Once our group was disbanded, we still met up occasionally for coffee or playdates. Two friends have daughters who have babysat Gabby. One friend has a son who house-sits when we go out of town. Most of us are still in touch on Facebook. Some have gone beyond being a "friend from the gym" and are just considered full-fledged friends.

I am still bitter that my gym cut these classes. I have had a hard time finding any sort of regimen that not only sticks, but is equally as challenging or effective. I have gone to two other gyms for classes, but they were far enough away that I had trouble getting there regularly. I have continued to work out in my original gym in the mornings, but I don’t do a good job on my own. I don’t push myself hard enough, I don’t make myself get there early enough to get a thorough workout, and I have been averaging just 3-4 workouts a week instead of 5-6. I have had some strong moments, but nothing consistent...and I just don't LOVE it like I used to.

So when a new 24 Hour Fitness opened up about 15 minutes from my house I was SO ready to find a way to attend some classes regularly. BUT...their morning classes don’t start until 5:45, AND the gym is further from home. Which means that the only way I would be able to fit in morning classes would be to get ready at the gym and go straight to work.

David agreed to get Gabby ready and take her to daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays so that I could go to classes on those mornings without having to come back home. Now, I have never before gotten showered and dressed at a gym, and I have been in total anxious/fretful/listmaking/overplanning mode for the last two weeks about this. I am usually fairly quick in the mornings, but only because I have my getting-ready routine down pat…I am super efficient.

The prospect of getting ready at the gym turned me into a crazy freak trying to figure out how I was going to manage everything. How will I possibly have time to pack and unpack my gear? (I won’t…I bought doubles of EVERYTHING…makeup, hair dryer, flat iron, etc. It can all live in my gym bag permanently). What about morning coffee? I usually take a travel mug with me in the morning when I head to work…I refuse to buy coffee or drink the sub par coffee at work (I have these awesome travel mugs…made by Contigo…spill proof and hold heat FOREVER. I’ll pour my coffee before heading to the gym, it can wait for me in my locker while I work out, and I'll have a nice warm treat to enjoy while I get ready). Where should I put my sweaty gym clothes since I can't go home and put them in the hamper? (I’ll stash them in a reusable shopping bag…I won’t have to get my gym bag all sweaty, and the shopping bag is cloth so it is breathable AND washable). I don’t like to put my work clothes on until I’m ready, but I also try to avoid being naked in public... (Swimsuit cover up! And I do consider a locker room to be “public”) How will I keep my huge duffel bag organized so I am not frantically trying to find stuff? (I got 4 separate travel bags! One that goes into the shower with me with shower stuff. One that contains all the things I use right after getting out of the shower. One for makeup. One for hair stuff). How will I fit my duffel bag, coffee, hanger of work clothes, winter coat, and purse all in a locker?? (I won’t! I bought two locks so I can spread my stuff out in two lockers). What if all the showers are full or the mirrors are being used and I have to wait a turn?? (Hmm, no good answer for that one. Just going to have to try it and hope it’s not crowded).

These and many, many, MANY other fretful questions have been running through my head for days, and I have mentally gone through my Getting Ready Process about a hundred times making sure that I wasn’t forgetting anything, and that I had a good mental picture of my "plan of attack". Is it just me, or do others get this wigged out when getting out of their comfort zone?? Apparently I really rely on having a routine and I am not very adaptable! I have probably made about 10 different lists just to get myself prepared for this new little adventure.

What I am actually getting at after all this, is that this morning was THE CLASS…my first morning class in two years, and my first time getting ready at the gym. IT WAS AWESOME. The class was great…kicked my butt in a good way, and lots of fun. And getting ready was a snap! I had already told everyone in my office I might be late today, just in case things did not go smoothly. I was actually a tiny bit EARLIER than usual! The showers were nice, my bag was nice and organized and I was able to get what I needed quickly, the lighting by the mirrors is fabulous for makeup, my coffee was still piping hot after an hour in my locker, and as it turns out, I am able to get ready WAY quicker when I am only getting myself ready, and I don’t have to worry about Gabby. I took my time this morning just to get a baseline of how long it takes me to get ready there, and I totally had plenty of time. Not to mention, my friend Laura took the class with me and also gets ready there…so it was such a nice change to get ready with a friend, and to be able to sip coffee and chat (I was not the only one with the genius coffee idea!) while putting on makeup.

I know I am a dork, but I cannot tell you how excited I have been ALL DAY LONG today that I got a great workout, that I am now able to work some morning classes into my weekly routine, that I conquered the challenge of getting ready for work outside of my comfy home environment, and that I have a new (old) buddy to work out with. I cannot wait until Thursday!!