Moving in Ways That Are Not Walking in a Winter Wonderland
After I parked my car, I kept it running for a few more moments so that I could finish listening to the song that was playing. I do this so often that I don’t really know what song it was that particular time. I like music. Deal.
I feel weird taking pleasure in getting a good parking spot at the gym. I mean, how lazy can you really be when you’re about to work out? So, every time I get one of the good parking spaces, I have a moment of silent celebration followed by puzzlement at my oddity. On Monday, I got the third spot from the door and silently celebrated and contemplated the meaning of existence.
When I finally shut off my car, I gathered up my backpack and water bottle and made for the entry. I beeped my car locked, and chatted quickly with one of the trainers who was also on her way in. I knew she was a trainer, but for some reason, I didn’t act as if I did…
“Here we go again,” she muttered.
“Yup. Great way to top off a Monday.” I didn’t know if I was being sarcastic or serious.
“I work here.”
“So… great way to start a Monday?”
“I just came from my other job.”
“Then, I stand by my first statement.”
“I like it here.”
Why she said that last statement is beyond me. I don’t see her around the gym all that often (I think she normally does her appointments in the morning), so I filed the conversation away and marched right into the building, keys still in hand. I swiped the membership card that dangles from my keychain along with the grocery store cards, pharmacy cards, and other tracking devices, and smiled at the guys behind the front desk as I walked by.
One of the newer front desk guys likes to poke fun at me. If I’m not smiling, he chastises me in an attempt to flip my mood. If I am smiling, he taunts me. He’s recently started teasing me about my socks. (Recent foot covering features have included a variety of argyle, some floral print, and fun stripes. Today, my feet are covered with stitched vegetables.)
I went into the locker room, changed, and stuffed my crap into locker #42, just like any other day. I weighed myself (1/2 a pound less than last Thursday – neat!) and filled my water bottle. Then I considered my options. I could “run” (where “running” is more like jogging with the occasional sprinting and more than occasional fast walking), but I’ve kind of got bored of running. I could ride the stationary bike, but I always feel like that’s a cop-out. In fact, I usually ride the bike when I’m not feeling so great because it’s less work. Having knocked out those options, I settled on an elliptical machine. I picked one and started her up.
“Pick a program”
“Random”
“Enter weight”
“23… clear… 226″
“Enter time”
“20″
I then started… um… “ellipticalling?” “Pedaling” maybe? Whatever. Moving the elliptical while staying stationary. I had debated picking up a magazine, but instead I decided to try something different. I have heard that some people while running or performing other such repetitive exercise get into a kind of “zone.” I decided I wanted to try to do that on purpose, so once I got into a rhythm, I closed my eyes and started imagining snow. Just as I was starting to fall into a winter wonderland where I felt no pain…
“You sure got right into it, didn’t you?”
My eyes snapped open, I looked up, and there’s that front desk guy walking by. I nod, not willing to actually speak for fear of coming out of it, but it was too late. I looked down at the clock on the machine, and it informed me that 4:35 had passed. “Not bad,” I thought, as I took a sip from my water bottle. “Not bad at all,” *gulp*.
I was beginning to become aware of my surroundings, and that just wouldn’t do, so I placed my water bottle back in its holster and re-closed my eyes. Snow flakes. Rolling hills covered in snow. Snow-coated trees. Winter wonderland. Hey, isn’t that Frosty the Snowman over there?
Yes, I understand how odd it is that I decided to actively try to gain a passive state while exercising. But it was just as much of an intellectual exercise as a mechanism to try to get myself to enjoy the activity. I wouldn’t necessarily call the idea a success, as I “came-to” (for lack of a better phrase) several more times before my twenty minutes had passed. Still, though, I think I would like to call the experiment a plausible success.
I will be trying this again. Worst thing that happens is I get bored of the elliptical and I go back to the treadmill (where closing ones eyes could result in serious disaster). Best thing that could happen is I learn how to meditate through exercise and I redevelop my love for moving.