Sometimes I have a really hard time remembering that this is a running blog and not a diary of my private thoughts. At times I have to remind myself not to indulge stories of what I did during the week, how I feel about my dreamy boyfriend or what my mom told me about a friend when I talked to her on the phone. I mean, I know you're all incredibly interested about my life and what I'm doing, but seriously folks, I'm private, like a closed book, and this is a running/triathlon blog. C'mon, give me some emotional space here, I'm not into that whole "divulging my life online" crap.
Ok maybe I am, but I'm trying really hard not to. Let's stick with running.
This week I got up at 5:30 on Monday and Tuesday to go to the gym. I got a week pass at the gym at the Ritz Carlton, and it's pretty....Ritzy. Bwahaa. No, really, it's one of the fanciest gyms I've ever been in, and with good reason - membership costs $165/month, after a $700 initiation fee. WHOA! Hold up, people actually pay that much for a gym??? Apparently they do, cause it's been packed every time that I've gone. Even at 6am. It's a gym for hard core fitness freaks (cough not like me at all), but it's also kind of a pansy gym, to be perfectly honest. Stacks of towels are abundant, in their own little cubby holes throughout the gym. The locker rooms are just beyond belief and the showers are equipped with "spa" products (ok, shampoo, conditioner, body wash...and lotion and shaving cream...the showers are Gold's Gym have some kind of soap foam that you can get out of a dispenser on the wall. And they don't have real doors). Each cardio machine is equipped with its own television WITH CABLE. Some of the machines face out onto the street so you get lots of natural light, but since we're on the 3rd floor, privacy is maintained. There is a lap pool, as well as a pool for water aerobics.
Sure that's all great, but SERIOUSLY???? This is a gym we're talking about here. A GYM. That's where you go to sweat and put yourself in considerable pain and suffering to the benefit or detriment (depending on if you do it right) of your body. This is not a vacation spot. I mean, I guess you should want to go somewhere to work out...but it's just a little over the top in my opinion. I happen to really like my Gold's Gym, with no natural light on the main floor. It looks like it was built in an old warehouse, with pipes in the ceiling and cement walls. It's painted yellow (er gold) and black and white and grey - those are colors that make me want to smack my body around a lot. I'm not interested in being spoiled. The gym is a place to work, it's like an office. Ok, I'm not saying that it should be a painful, bland experience. I'm saying that it shouldn't have classical music playing in the background. If you want that, put it on your ipod and start your powerwalking, cause the kind of music they were playing at the Ritz certainly wasn't for running. Or any sort of physical exertion.
Am I bitter because I can't afford the Ritz? Maybe a little. It's a really nice gym, and I'm not knocking it completely. I think for a lot of people, that's the kind of gym they need. It's so nice and expensive that you want to be there. But I don't really need the "atmosphere" or the background stuff to get me to a gym. I really can't soften up too much before this triathlon. I'm not going to be swimming in a fancy lap pool for my 1.5k - I'll be flailing in the grimy Potomac. It's a nice facility, but you're paying a lot for extras that I think will ultimately just distract me. I'm burying the girlie girl in me and mustering up the crazy, hard core Sarah that lives way in the bottom of my heart and only gets out when I do things like marathon/triathlon training. It's a good thing I do this stuff...I wonder how she would manifest herself if I didn't.
******************Sarah's Unpaid Endorsements: RETURN!!!**************************
YES! They are BACK! And once more, the hideous subject of YOGA rears its ugly head! On Sunday, I convinced my boyfriend to get up in time for a free 10am yoga class with me at Lululemon. First of all, I'd like to point out that this is the most ridiculous name ever for a store. It's a yoga retail store, so it's a lot of work out clothes and yoga mats. I was really skeptical, but they had a guest "Yogi" (hahahahhaha not the bear) who came in and taught an hour long class. And although I might have smirked a little bit, especially during the ohmms, I really enjoyed the class. I felt like maybe I had stretched enough for my week. I think once a week is sufficient...
Lululemon: Logan Circle
http://www.lululemon.com/washington/logancircle
Free community yoga class at 10am on Sundays
Recommended: come at least 10 minutes early to get a spot. Don't bring a lot of stuff with you. Mats are provided.
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