Planet Y

For as long as I can remember, doing anything was a struggle. Between smoking and eating anything sweet that I could get my hands on for most of my adult life, I had put my body through the ringer without a second thought. I was never a physical specimen, even in high school. But by the time I hit 40, even taking the trash out was a chore. Any exercise would have been beyond imaginable.

Somewhere along the path of "I need to lose weight in order to not be insulin dependent" it dawned on me that I have been presented with a golden opportunity. With the nicotine addiction a distant memory and the change in eating habits, suddenly I feel better and I have more energy. Maybe this could be more than a weight loss goal.

Day before yesterday I was up and down 2 flights of stairs in a home a dozen times and realized I wasn't even a little winded. 2 nights ago, on my nightly walk, I pushed Little Red in her Wheelchair. Better than a mile on the truly rough terrain that Gahanna Royal Manor sidewalks present. And when we were almost I home, I picked up the pace and actually ran part of the distance.

That's right. I ran.

It wasn't a long way, maybe 700 feet total. But it was the first time I remember running since Jen Turner made me jog across the second street bridge in Louisville 6 years ago. And I thought that was gonna kill me. This time, I took a breath when I was done, and we continued on.

In that moment, I knew what I needed to do. It was time to go from being scared of becoming insulin dependent to getting into shape. Real physical shape. Better than I have been in my life. It was time to join a gym. 

After dinner last night, Tiffany and I went out to check the local places. We had narrowed our possibilities down to the YMCA and Planet Fitness. Before we left, we heavily favored the Y, not only because we had been members there before, but because of the opportunity to work with a personal trainer. I would like to have some guidance since I have never really done this before, and Little Red needs to have a specialized program because of her health issues. However, neither of us wants a muscle headed drill sergeant in our face. Family friendly Y would be the best option.

When we got to the Y, the first thing I noticed was how busy it was. Like, it took a couple laps to even finding a parking spot busy. We came in, and told them we wanted to talk to someone about membership. A little stand offish at first, the lady took us around the facility to show us all the changes that had taken place since we were there 3 years prior. 

We weaved through the crowd to the pool, past the yoga rooms, then looped back to the workout area. There was a line for the treadmills, and I immediately ruled out ever using the weights, as they evidently invite all of the Mr. World Class Body Builders there. Not a chance I am going to embarrass myself.

We got back to the main reception area and began talking about membership fees. They encouraged us to sign up for a year at once, at only $800. I nearly fainted. I asked about personal trainers. $300 for 6 sessions. Wow. Activities? $45-$99 for 6 week sessions, depending on activity. I was floored. I knew this was not going to be cheap, but I didn't expect sticker shock. Disappointing, and we left there thinking maybe we should just invest in a home gym.

Expecting more of the same, we made our way to Planet Fitness, which just opened in Gahanna. We walked in and immediately felt the difference in the environment. From the vibrant colors to the people who looked like us to the lack of muscle bound body builders, it was much more comfortable than our visit to the Y. We asked for a tour, and a young lady named Corey gladly showed us around. We were introduced to the different areas, and different work outs. From a 30 minutes lunch routine to the cardio versus strength areas, we learned more in the first 5 minutes about how to use the facility than we did in 45 minutes at the Y.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop, we asked about the membership fees. "$20 a month" Corey told us.  I looked at Tiffany and said that's so much cheaper, only 40 bucks for you and I. Our guide interrupted and said "Actually, with your membership, you always get to bring a guest, so it be better for one of you to pay and the other be the guest. That way $20 would cover both!" Wow. I was sold on the place, but knew personal training would play a big role in getting my wife to commit.

She introduced us to Ethan, the trainer there. He told us about what he does, his schedule, and then we discussed price. Or lack there of. Personal training sessions are included in the $20 membership.

True. Story.

So we start at Planet Fitness on Friday. 4:30 am. It's really the only time that will work in my schedule. Plus there are only like 12 people there at that time. Even though it is a judgement free zone, I would just as soon not show my fat to everyone just yet.

Day # 1067. I have never been more excited about getting up that early in my life. Cannot wait until the sacrifice starts paying dividends I can see. It is good to be me.