In which I join a gym

I did the most cliched thing you can do 2 days before New Year's Eve: I joined a gym.

I've been thinking about it for a few weeks, and I decided I want to amp up my exercise.

When I was losing in 2002-2003, I completed the C25K program. I even ran a few 5Ks and had a good time. I didn't keep my running up and eventually all the weight came back (eating whatever I wanted helped, too).

But running was great in that is burned a ton of calories, toned me up and gave me a lot of confidence in that I did something I never thought I could do.

To run, at least for the winter, I need a treadmill, which means I need a gym since there is absolutely no space for one in our home.

My gym requirements were pretty simple:

Close to home.

Working treadmills.

Clean.

Open 24 hours.

There are a couple of 24-hour gyms close to home. I called the first one, all ready to schedule a tour and join that day. Left a message and never heard back.

Instead of calling the other gym, I just showed up, took a tour and joined. It met all my requirements, and the owner said it's not super busy in the early morning, so I shouldn't have a hard time getting a treadmill. I don't quite believe that, but we'll see. There are 6 treadmills, what are the chances they're all occupied at 6 am? I type this hoping there's not a post in January titled, "I Can't Get An Effing Treadmill At 6 am!"

So, I'm excited. This is a new, fun jumpstart my exercise needs. I still love Leslie's walking workouts and I will do them as a kind of cross-training. They're still challenging and they're weather-proof. I just needed a boost.