Juggling College and Fitness

I successfully made it through week one of the Spring 2012 semester AND stuck to my training schedule for the week.  It was not easy.  Granted, I spend more time in the gym than the average person but it was often difficult to carve out that 1 to 1 1/2 hours each day to exercise.  I don't handle multi-tasking very well so when my mind is full of chemistry and biology nonsense  coursework I find it hard to switch gears to the exercise mind-set.  

The key to sticking with a training schedule, at least for me, is establishing a routine.  If I tell myself that I can go to the gym whenever I want to during the day then I will invariably put it off and run the risk of not going.  If I establish a routine of going to the gym after class (or at a certain time of day) I'll be much more likely to get the workout done without having to force myself to go.  So far this is working well as I can stop by the gym on my way home from college.  

This week I ran 2 miles in 15:40. That isn't my fastest time ever. My PR is 15:20 which I ran in 2007. I believe I can beat that PR. After all, I wasn't running as if I was racing for that 2 miles, I was just following the pace dictated by the training schedule. It wasn't an easy pace but I wasn't completely wasted afterward either.  I haven't concentrated on speed at all really during the past year as I've been focusing mostly on building up my endurance.  It was a boost to my ego to see that I wasn't too far off my 2 mile PR especially a PR I set over 4 years ago.

I've volunteered to help with the Peachtree 5k/10k next weekend.  I figure that I owe a lot to the volunteers who have given me water, cheered from the sidelines, and handed me food and other goodies at the finish line so that it's only right for me to volunteer for a couple of races this year.  I haven't gotten word on exactly what I'll be doing or anything but I'm looking forward to being a spectator at a race for the first time.  I hope it'll be fun or at least fulfilling!

New Faces in the Gym

The gyms are crowded with plenty of eager new faces set on fulfilling their New Year's resolutions of getting into shape, losing weight, etc.  I have mixed feelings about this.  Sure, it's great to have goals and I suppose the new year is as good a time as any to start.  I think what really bothers me about this is that most of these gym newcomers will hit the gym hard initially but burn out quickly and by February will be going to the gym infrequently, if at all.  Nothing is more annoying to me than someone who doesn't follow through with what they say they're going to do.

The high attrition rate of these new gym members is great for the regulars in that it frees up more space in the parking lot and frees up a lot of the equipment.  I'm sure it's great for the gym too because they have a lot of people paying for new memberships which they'll hardly ever use.  But, it is sad to see so many people give up on their aspirations.  And from what I've seen so far of these newcomers, most of them really need to lose weight and get in shape.  What makes them give up?  Well, it's hard to get into shape and lose weight.  It's intimidating too for someone who's rarely if ever stepped into a gym to workout alongside seasoned gym rats.  Even those gym rats had to start somewhere though.

I have no problem working out alongside newbies.  I don't care if they walk slowly on the treadmill or lift the lightest weight on the weight rack.  I don't care if they ask questions or wander around like they aren't sure what to do next.  What does bother me is when they make negative comments about "skinny people" or "those girls wearing shorts". I have overheard these comments and, no surprise, they're all from women.  The shorts comment came from two ladies wearing pants and jackets who seemed like they couldn't understand why people would choose to wear shorts while working out unless they were trying to show off their legs.  To me this says that they obviously haven't run in the 70 degree gym before.  Just because you feel insecure or out of place in the gym doesn't mean you are right in making derisive comments about those who have been through the hard work of getting into shape.  Many new gym goers assume that those "skinny people" are naturally thin or athletic but that's a false assumption.  A lot of those "skinny people" have to work hard to be in the shape they're in.  Maybe it's just easier to blame your out-of-shape figure on genetics or some other external factor instead of looking at what you're doing wrong. No wonder so many people quit going to the gym by February!

So, if you are one of those people who recently started a gym membership and haven't spent much time in a gym before please keep some things in mind.

• Working out is hard, so don't expect it to be easy
• Everyone started at square one at some point so don't be insecure
• Don't make excuses
• Follow some sort of plan instead of wandering aimlessly from machine to machine
• Start gradually and work your way up to more intense workouts to avoid early burnout

There's a lot more I could add but I think this is a good starting point. :D