Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Weird Observations at the Gym

Today was a very interesting day at the gym for me. Maybe I was just in an inquisitive mood, but I seemed to notice many a strange person today.

First off is my least favorite gym co-member. AGHHH, this guy is so gross. He shows up very day around 11:30 -- which is just about the time I was leaving today, luckily. I totally avoid being at the gym between 11:30-12:30 because of him. He wears these short shorts and a tank top. He has his favorite elliptical and he is beyond intense on this thing. He has it cranked up to the highest incline possible and races like a mad man the entire time he is on it. Now, I am all for intense, but his personal intensities seem to spill over into everyone else's personal space. I had just hopped on to a machine and so did two other girls around 11:15. We had been working away for less than five minutes when the gross guy showed up. All three of us literally hopped off the machines and headed for the treadmills.

Why did we all move clear across the gym? NO ONE wants to be stuck next to this guy. He works up a nasty sweat, which drips into puddles around the elliptical, he makes all sorts of sounds, snorts and " whoo ... whoo " 's . His eyes are wide open the whole time he is grossing everyone out. I don't think he blinks for over an hour. He is slinging sweat and who knows what else the entire time he is there. SOOO GROSS. I know I am not alone in this because I ran into a friend on my way out of the gym one day and she asked if it was busy. I told her no, but the gross guy was there and she knew exactly who I was talking about.

I have never had the stomach to wait around to see if he cleans up after himself, mops up is more like it. I can only imagine the germs he spits into his towel, I can only hope they are not lingering after a chlorine filled wash. I just avoid his "area" altogether.

Enough of him. Then there was the perky little 18-20 year old girl, waltzing around in her tight exercise pants and t-shirt. She hopped onto a treadmill and ran an effortless 5-6 minute mile with a smile on her face the whole time. She didn't even break a sweat!! She then hopped onto the rowing machine and seemed to be having the time of her life. I noticed her not only because of her overly jubilant attitude, but because her poor overweight and slow moving sister or friend was trying so hard not to look envious, uncomfortable or depressed about her 2.5 speed on the treadmill. I felt like leaning over my treadmill and saying " I feel your pain sister ". Life is so unfair sometimes.

Then, the most disappointing of all. These two middle aged men came in and loudly lamented Obama's glorious new plan to save the ailing housing market. Again, I wanted to lean over to the other side of my treadmill and say " Amen my brothers ". To my dismay, these two seemingly nice, intelligent men started picking away at their wives for the next twenty minutes or so. Who knows how long they went on about their very flawed wives, I left before they were done. What a sad thing to have to listen to. I don't even know these men, and have never seen them before, but talk about a loss of respect in an instant. I should have leaned over my treadmill and said " You guys are a couple of ..." Well, I am too much of a lady to say what I wanted to. It was a good principle to reaffirm to myself though.

Enjoy your workouts-- there is always something interesting to see. I had gross, annoying and disappointing all rolled into one hour today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

3 comments:

Larissa said...

Hey...do you work out at my gym? I guess gym weirdos are everywhere!!! I would stay away from "gross guy" too! Yuck! And a tip I got from my friend who also happens to be a tiny bit germaphobic is to go to a beauty supply place and buy a dozen of their towels. Perfect for gym only towels. Then, you bring home your own sweat, etc. and control how they are washed etc.

Those perfect little bodied girls who barely workout bug the heck out of me. My question is...if they barely workout/break a sweat...how are they so perfect bodied? I don't get it.

Terry said...

Hey Larissa--

Thanks for the tip, I think will do that. I also want to buy a yoga mat so I don't have to use the amonia laden mats at the gym either.

I also use the disinfecting spray before I get on any machine. How many times have you seen some sweat-meister hop off a machine and not clean it off. Gross!!

The things we do for beauty.

SydneyMin said...

Terry - you are cracking me up! I'm sitting here reading your posts and snickering, hoping my husband won't ask me what's so funny because I just don't think he'd get it. Love ya!