Memories of the Gym

I went to the gym last Sunday. Big deal, right?

You worked out? You lifted some weights? Whoop dee doo, Mike. Congratulations. 

First off, thanks. I sense your sarcasm, but thanks. Secondly, the thing is, going to the gym IS a big deal nowadays. Last Sunday’s visit marked the third time in the last month. A whole month! That’s terrible!

It’s obvious (and well documented because of this blog) that life before Belle (LBB) was different for me and Bridget. Nowhere, though, is that as obvious as the gym.

I used to go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week. Sometimes I’d go six days a week, sometimes seven. There’s just something invigorating and cathartic about throwing iron around for 45 minutes. The thumping tunes in your ears. The feel of your muscles expanding and contracting. The knowledge that you’re making your body leaner, stronger, and faster. It’s like a drug.

But now, it’s a drug for someone else. It’s for LBB.

I used to run a lot, too. I ran a half marathon last year and spent many afternoons sprinting up the bleachers at Harvard Stadium. One of my favorite moments each week was a Saturday morning 7-miler along the Charles River. I used to love the feel of my shoes softly bouncing off the pavement while I fought off the glare of the morning sun. A cool breeze off the water when the day started to heat up. A friendly wave from a fellow early-morning jogger. A satisfying gulp of Gatorade after I’d finished the final sprint down my street.

But now, the Gatorade is for someone else. It's for LBB.

Staying in shape has always been really important to me. I’ve run since high school and lifted since college. I’ve always made sure I could run a mile in six minutes and bench press my weight. Someday soon, though, those milestones will fall into that scary three-letter category. You guessed it: LBB.

But as I sat at the gym last Sunday (yes, sat; I was tired, so leave me alone), I stopped getting mad at myself for missing 28 other gym days that month. Instead, I focused on the three days I was there. And I felt good about myself for doing at least something every day. Because I can’t go to the gym, I’ve adopted short daily exercises, including:

• The 7-minute iPhone workout 
• The deck of cards workout 
• Good, old fashioned free weights in my living room 

Do I miss the gym? Yes. Do I miss running? You bet. But if daily trips to the gym and half marathons on cool fall days means I’d have to trade places with the LBB guy, I'm really not interested. Frankly, Gatorade is overrated anyway.