Willa's Journal

Thursday, March 11: New schedule

I know that when you lift weights, you're supposed to take a day off in between to let your muscles repair themselves. And ever since I started at the health club, I've tried to figure out a good schedule for myself. For awhile I would do Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday, then Monday-Wednesday, but they close early on Fridays and I could get there in time sometimes, and other times not. Saturday and Sunday are pretty good--there's usually almost no one there on the weekends--although they're only open for a few hours on Sunday afternoons. I figured as long as I was getting there three times a week it didn't much matter what days they were, but it bothered me a little not to have an actual schedule.

I'd kind of forgotten that whole dilemma while I as off, but now that I've started back, I've been thinking about it again. I just started back last week, and I did Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and this week I did Monday, Wednesday again, but last night was no fun at all. I noticed on Monday that the whole place felt humid and sweaty and hot, and I figured that was because there was a very energetic step class going on at the time I got there, and all the treadmills were taken so I ended up on a stationery bike.

I didn't really think any more about it until last night, when the same thing was going on when I got there. Lots of jumping and sweating and pounding music. I can't really complain about that, of course, it's a health club.

But here's something I can complain about: I went over to the treadmills--which this time were actually free--chose one, and started walking. Another woman came over and took the one next to me, then she went over and changed the television channel. I wasn't watching it, so it wasn't any big deal, but it would sure have been nice if she'd asked if I was watching it. But that wasn't even the annoying part.

She proceeded to turn the volume up so that she could hear it over the disco music blasting up from the main floor. Yikes. Or maybe she was deaf. In any event, I'm pretty sure they could hear this particular Friends rerun WAY on the other side of the building. And then, when she stepped back onto her treadmill after adjusting the television to her satisfaction, she stepped on the power cord to my treadmill, turning it off.

I figured it was a sign, and I went over to the other side of the room and rode a bike again. But I was really grumpy. I did my weight circuit afterwards, but the whole place was just so humid and noisy that I didn't enjoy it all. And it finally occured to me to grab a class schedule and sit down and figure it out.

On Mondays and Wednesdays the classes start at 5:00 and go through to 8:00 with "Power Pump," "Step & Sculpt," and the "Cardio Combo." There aren't any classes on Friday nights, so at first I was thinking that would be a good night to go, then I remembered that they close at 7:00 on Fridays, and that's about when I get there. 6:45 or so. So that won't work.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, though, they have yoga at 7:00. Ah, yoga. Not that I'm taking it--I tried it a couple of times and this particular class just didn't seem to suit me. But they make them turn the volume off on the televisions when yoga class is going on, there's quiet, soothing music rather than blaring rock with an instructor yelling over it, and obviously it's a little less sweaty than step class.

So Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays it's going to be for me from now on. And when it starts staying light longer and warms up a little, I figure I can walk outside on the alternate days. Sounds like a plan.

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