It starts!

I've said it before, and here I am saying it again. Today, I started working out at the YMCA. I've written or said that previous sentence too many times to be saying it once more. But, this time feels different. I seem to have more focus and determination. Let's talk about my first day back.

I couldn't decide whether to go to my normal (but small and crowded) West location or the larger, spacious (but a bit further away) South location. Well, I had a meeting to get back and prepare for after lunch, so I chose the West side...boy-eee! I got flagged at the front desk because my membership expired on Jan. 1. Since my membership is a perk from my job, it's on them and I was allowed to pass into the most frightening place on earth...the men's locker room!

I knew it was gonna be terrifying since every possible stinking machine had someone on it. That's why I hate working out right after the new year. But I'm just as guilty as all of those other new-bodies. In the locker room, I was lucky to find an available locker. Most had locks on them, and those that didn't had clothes in them...and wallets, and cellphones, and car keys. I could've made out like a bandit! I'm just too honest.

From the time I spent in the men's locker room today, I learned these things...I don't tell enough dirty jokes. I don't drop the f-bomb into casual conversation nearly enough. And, I need to learn to gaze at my naked, post-workout body in the mirror, with no regard to those around me, for minutes at a time. I'm not sure I'll ever achieve any of those things, so I guess I'll be the guy in the locker room who observes and then blogs about the choads surrounding me.

The workout was decent. Spent a half-hour on my familiar elliptical machine. This time, I didn't jump into the middle of the crowd like in the past. I'm doing this for myself, not anybody else so their company is not important to me. I found a place near the back (where I could observe everybody else) and pushed through my 30-minutes. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. The hardest part was trying to breathe when Mr. J Crew hopped on the machine next to me for a short 10-minute jaunt while the massive amounts of Drakkar he was wearing tried to squeeze the air out of me. I was chewing gum and even THAT started tasting like how this guy smelled. I had to stop chewing and tuck it up into my upper lip until he left. I guess he could've smelled like sewage or Cozy Inn Burgers, so I shouldn't complain, but guys...this was overbearing! Take a big whiff from the ammonia bottle under your kitchen sink. That will show you how strong this was.

But, as you can see, I survived day one. I will get through this and meet my monthly goals, then I'll continue and meet my next goal slated for July. It's gonna suck at first, and quite possibly the entire way through. I will complain about it here, giving you something to read for the next 7 months. But the end result will be worth it.