HOSTILE, ME?

My family can tell you that I am simply not competitive.

I cheer for whatever team currently has the ball.

I'm legitimately happy regardless of which team wins.

My blood doesn't boil when someone passes me while driving.

I don't have to be at the very front of the line.

I'm pretty passive.


At least I thought so.

Today I was one the treadmill between two gentlemen I know (both from church), and somehow outlasting them suddenly became extremely important to my happiness.



True, they were running, and I was only walking, but somehow I needed to stay ON the treadmill longer than they did.

Thank goodness they stopped before me.

I guess I do have some aggressive inclinations after all.

SO WHEN DOES IT BECOME BETTER?

I am pretty proud of myself; for the past four weeks, I have gotten to the gym (AND worked out) for three times each week.

I started with literally walking for only 10 minutes on the treadmill; I'm now up to 30 minutes and about a mile and a quarter.

I'm lifting some weights - there are enough people in the morning that the 'heavy' lifters seem to crowd the machines. But I'm going what I can each day. And if nothing else, I do some floor work in addition to my regular stretches.


So when do I start feeling better?

Yes, I feel energized for about 20 minutes afterwards - enough time to get my shower and begin driving back home.

But by the time I walk in the front door, all I was to do is lay down and take a nap -- which is what I usually do.

I feel exhausted most of the time - which is the main reason I began working out again, to get RID of that feeling.


Any suggestions, people?

MY KINGDOM FOR A TOWEL

I am just getting back into the habit of going to the gym.

Part of me ROARS every time I begin to put my workout stuff in a bag - "What?! There is so much HERE that needs to be done! Why are you wasting time going into town!!??"

And there is an insistent nagging voice that says that all I need to do is go outside and just go for a walk around the block here at home (which is just a little more than 2 miles for me).

However, the more persuasive and seductive voice is the one that softly whispers, "Why don't you just go ahead and take a nap instead?!"


For this past week I have been good about ignoring all this and getting to the gym to do a little BABY workout - I am in poor enough shape that a 20 minute walk knocks me out.

But yesterday I forgot something.

No, I remembered my new workout shoes - I even took TWO bras (one by accident) and a change of clothes - I took my favorite workout shirt (the gray one).

But I forgot to take a towel for my shower.


I did get spoiled at my old gym, which provided unlimited amount of clean, fresh white towels for wiping your sweaty brow, and in a pinch serving as a towel for your shower.

My current gym does not have any such service.

So standing there, no towel, half-naked, sweating, still breathing hard, I reviewed my options:

--- I could put back on my sweaty gym outfit, ignore my in-town errands and simply drive back home and take a shower there.

---  I could wipe myself down with paper towels ("spit bath" is what the Army calls it)

---  Or I could use what resources were available - a hand-towel and a face-cloth.

Believe it or not, you can get pretty dry using just a hand-towel.