I'm strictly a treadmill user in these rooms. During my running streak (31 days, including everyday in February-hooray for me!) I've discovered treadmill running and college fitness rooms have changed quite a bit since I was a student.
1. During my steady-state 5 mile run last Friday a female student got on the treadmill next to me. Some readers may have heard me breathing during interval work or races where I sound like a train engine or wild boar bearing down on the finish line. At the college I've behaved myself and not grunted or pushed to that point of breathing. However, this young lady began walking and then running easy while hooking up her music and headphones. Then she began singing. Out loud. Over the noise of the music that was playing through the room speakers. Over the noise of our machines.
I found this a bit strange. After a minute she was quiet and I figured, okay, she realized where she was and what she was doing. No. She switched songs and began again. Her voice was okay, but isn't that an unusual thing to do?
2. One of the fitness rooms has the treadmills set up so you are looking out these large picture windows. The romance of staring off into 4 foot snowdrifts is gone. I kept thinking about the snow melting and wondering what grass really looks like. I pretended I was running off and heading towards warmth. It must be warm somewhere in the country.
3. I follow the rules and clean the treadmill when I'm done. The way I sweat this is mandatory. But then I wondered, "what if the person prior to me didn't clean up"? Should I clean the machine before I use it too?
4. Treadmills are good for practicing even-paced running, but this can get tedious so.....
5. Treadmills are even better for interval work. It's easy to push the button up and down, watch the little line on the track on the treadmill go around faster and faster. This is a trap. Don't fall into it everyday. I have and it doesn't work out well over time.
6. Years ago when I attended SUNY Brockport there were times I spent hours in the weight room. I was going to bulk up for football. I did get strong but I never bulked up. Anyhow, I never saw women in that room. Ever.
If I wanted to look at girls I had to go to the windows overlooking the gymnastics area and stare down forty feet. Of course I never did that. No. Never.
At MCC now the fitness rooms are 30-50% female. They are using all the equipment. It's good for them, but also interesting how the times have changed. And now I'm the old man in the room, the balding, sweaty old man. Maybe I'm an inspiration? Or maybe they wonder if Gramps is going to keel over on them?
7. I don't get the televisions in the MCC fitness rooms. In one it's in the middle of the room, up high, no closed captioning, no sound. What's the point? In the newer room there are three or four screens, but you can't see any from the aerobic equipment. I see snow outside.
8. I have no balance on a treadmill. Maybe that's why when I'm outside running on the canal path I bump into fellow runners all the time. I wobble. I'm a Weeble-Wobble.
9. When doing laps in the pool I sometimes try "Stealth Swimming". I secretly compete against the person next to me. I'll do the same on a treadmill. I'll use my peripheral vision and see their stride rate or try to judge their pace and match or beat it. Especially if it's some young college guy. Or I'll time us, " look at me, how long I've been running. You may be faster, but I can keep going. I got here first and will stay till the end, how about you, you punk! " at least that's what I think in my head.
10. Hip-hop music. I don't get it. In both rooms it's often the music of choice coming over the speakers. Last week I tried to do intervals to the length of songs but couldn't tell when one ended and a new one began. All the songs (at least I think it wasn't just one long 20 minute song) sounded the same.
Crap I'm old.
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