Dim Gym

Last Thursday I decided to exercise my gym-wandering privilege and visit a different gym than the one I normally go to. My friend had told me how much she enjoyed doing Cardio Cinema at this particular location and watching a movie while running sounded quite appealing that night. When I walked into the gym I was surprised how quiet it was. The place I normally go to is one of the largest in the state (if not country) and it is always packed with people causing quite a ruckus. This gym was laid out so differently that I had to ask for directions to the locker room. If I hadn’t been so embarrassed I would have also asked for directions to the drinking fountain.

After I changed clothes I noticed a black tinted glass door labeled “Cardio Cinema.” I was like, "Oh boy, here we go!" I walked in expecting something much different (and less stifling) than the small room with three rows of cardio machines packed in for the ultimate sauna effect. I was like “Huh?!” but I rolled with it. Luckily there was a treadmill available so I jumped on and put my empty water bottle in its rightful holder. The room was super dark but I stumbled upon the right button and got the thing going. When I looked up from the control panel I had the strange sensation I typically get when I’m standing on the shoreline facing the ocean and looking at my feet as the waves recede. Do you know the feeling? It’s trippy. In the Cardio Cinema room I felt like we were all on some kind of boat and we were paddling the heck out of it but not actually going anywhere.

They were playing a movie I had never seen before. It was a suspenseful action flick with lots of chase scenes culminating in a fight-to-the death showdown in the main character’s home. Thanks to the constant action I didn’t succumb to the heat in the room although I often cursed my empty water bottle and stared at the ceiling wondering why the designers didn’t include a ceiling fan or two. The only real problem I had was “countering” what was happening on screen. If a character ran from the left side of the screen to the right side of the screen I countered the movement by gradually wandering off the left side of the treadmill. After a few close calls I decided to switch to an elliptical machine. They are very hard to fall off of but let me tell you one thing: they are hard to start in the dark!

All in all my first Cardio Cinema experience was very positive. I got to combine something I never dare to do outside (run in the dark) and something I love to do (watch movies). Little did I know I’d be doing some more dim gym wandering in the very near future.

Last night my ward had a very interesting pre-Valentine’s Day activity. We were told there would be appetizers and desserts and that was all we knew. The second I walked into the brightly-lit gym I should have recognized the speed dating table configuration but the reality of the situation eluded me until I got a good look at the questions carefully taped at each place setting. My first reaction was to run away but my trusty friends helped me be a little courageous. Lo and behold people stayed and the Activities Committee pulled off a really fun speed dating activity. I was so keyed up when it was over I ran around protecting the helium-filled balloons from a certain knife-wielder (you know who you are) and was happy to join my friends dancing by the stereo. One friend mentioned a big dance in south P-town. After a little coaxing/convincing/teasing five of us girls set out for the dance with spontaneity on our side.

I once again found myself in a dim gym. I don’t know about you but for me the first 10-15 minutes of dancing is incredibly difficult. I worry about people watching me (though some may say that’s the whole point) and my feet tend to feel glued to the floor. Of course, unfamiliar music never helps the situation. This particular dance had a strong Latin vibe and after observing from a safe distance my friends and I joined the crowd. I tried to channel my Hispanic heritage but these hips don’t lie: I have no rhythm! (Okay maybe I have rhythm but it is something I have to push out of mind or else I get all tripped up.) I had to throw caution to the wind and just go with it. At least in this particular dim gym there was no risk of falling off a treadmill.

Dancing became easier and more cathartic as the night went on. The only problem was the heat. Again I found myself scanning the room for fans. The best moments were when a familiar song was so engaging I forgot the heat and the sweat and the fact that it was only Monday. I was with wonderful friends and plenty of fun strangers. Everyone was respectful of everyone else’s space (except for the occasional in-your-face dance-off) and there was no shortage of friendly guys asking us to dance. The night peaked (perfect song, perfect crowd, perfect person-to-gym ratio, perfect everything) and when the moment passed I scrambled to recreate it. The only problem is that when you’re desperate for all of the elements to combine again you’ll always be missing one key element: surprise.

I can never tell what a particular weeknight will have in store for me. Perhaps it will involve avoiding collisions with characters that appear to leap off the screen. Perhaps it will lead me on a constant search for water. Better yet it can drop me off in the middle of south P-town with a pack of trusted companions, a rocking beat and a flexible curfew. Last night found me floating above a floor I had previously felt glued to. As I stared at my bedroom ceiling well after midnight last night trying to process all of the crazy things that had happened in the past five hours I learned a few things: Mondays can be just like Fridays, strangers can be my new best friends, and familiar faces can still melt my heart.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!