The Return of the Gym Rat

Growing up, I was always obsessed with exercising and aerobics. I remember being in elementary school and for the holidays someone in my family gave a "Get in Shape, Girl!" set that came with cassette tape, poster, jump rope, wrist bands, etc.

You go girl! -the modern-day set- They now even have Get In Shape, Girl Yoga!

In late elementary school and middle school, I was obsessed with my mother's Jane Fonda tapes.

Leg Lifts!

In high school, I would occasionally jog or ride a bike. I especially enjoyed rollerblading 4miles nearly every day of the week. It was in high school when my parents joined a gym, getting a family membership. I was a bonafide gym rat.

In college, I discovered that I could eat a box of oreos and no would stop me. I could eat soft ice cream on the way to class, and get another cone after classes, walking back to the dorms. I could eat chocolate chip muffins for breakfast at the student union. All the time in the gym wouldn't prevent the inevitable. In those four years, the idea of going to the gym sort of died.

Living in Charleston wasn't so bad...I would go the gym occasionally and try to run or jog outdoors. Anything to not become a sloth. Then we moved to Delaware, where the winters are, for me, bitterly cold with a strong wind to boot. I turned into a sloth. And by sloth I mean, being short of breath after climbing two flights of stairs.

On Monday night, after a summer spent eating (and huffing & puffing), I broke down and finally joined a local gym. I feel sort of guilty doing this, especially since I have access to not one but TWO free gyms.

The gym on base is free, and in Charleston it was decent. By decent, I mean that it was usable. If it wasn't for the treadmills and other exercise equipment, I would think the gym was actually a bomb shelter (no windows), but considering it was only 3 miles from our place, I couldn't complain.

Here, the on base gym is about 30 minutes away, plus a $1.00 toll each way. A storm from a few months back damaged the roof and and there is tarp covering 'the roof'...a la south Florida after Hurricane Wilma. The air conditioner doesn't really work, which makes for some pretty noxious smells.

My school gym, is again, 30 minutes away (in the opposite direction), with a $1.00 toll each way. For Summer it would probably work, but in the fall and spring, it is apparently so crowded that unless your goal is to exercise your right to find a date, it's best to run outdoors.

So as a present to myself I decided to join a local gym (I found out that I'm receiving scholarship money that will cover this past summer term, upcoming fall, and part of winter session). The gym is only 2 or 3 miles from my place, and it's dirt cheap. So cheap that I'm hoping they don't go out of business any time soon.

After lifting some weights yesterday, I am unable to move my arms without that "oh, ow, I'm sore" feeling.

I LOVE that feeling!

Does anyone know of an online exercise log that is user friendly & free? I used to have an online running log, but a new company took over the running log, and redesigned the layout losing some old information. I might end up making an excel speadsheet.

In the meantime, here are the digs on this weeks workout:
Monday: ran outside...not sure how long or how far...over 1.5 mi, definitely within 25 minutes but I wasn't wearing a watch...
Tuesday: gym: weight machines (all parts), Elliptical, and later at home, after sitting around the house, bored, I biked outside for about 20 minutes.

Let's hope I can get a little something done each day of the week :) The gym rat is back!