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2018... Hello Gym Membership


So, 2018. Here we are. Somehow you are flying by already.

I thought I’d take time for a little catch up, now that we are solidly into 2018… February already?!!

I have become the cliché! January 1st arrived and I joined a gym. Since taking up running I’ve been quite smug about not needing to be a gym member. ‘I get all the cardio I need through running.’… ‘I do my own strength training at home.’ ...Why would I need to join a gym?

And yet, I haven’t seen any major progress in my running for a long time, my jeans are all feeling a little... well... a lot more snug (darn you Christmas!) and my strength training now pretty much consists of a couple of squats and stretches whilst watching Eastenders. So when one of those new, cheap and cheerful, no contract, 24- hour gyms opened on my doorstep, I thought maybe, just maybe I could benefit from a helping hand.

I’ve now been a member for just over a month, though two weeks of that was spent booking and then cancelling classes. I was actually nervous about working out in the company of others. Running has always been a solitary affair for me- not by choice I must add. With no running club nearby and children to juggle, my runs are nearly always under the cover of darkness once the long suffering husband is back from work.

When my work partner said he was looking to join a gym, I took my opportunity to pounce. ‘Join mine, we can work out together, fit it around meetings. It’ll be great!’ And it has been. If I’ve ever felt like flaking, he’s been there to give me the gentle push through the door, or shove after the kids have kept me up all night. For the love of God, sleep children! The classes are great, and with each class I am discovering strength exercises and routines that can only benefit my running. And the buzz! Oh, that wonderful buzz that feeling strong brings. The extra classes and strength training have also given me a much needed boost in confidence that I feel I can achieve some of my running goals. I’d been feeling a little defeated recently, like I’d never improve. I actually was feeling like a bit of a fraud in the world of running. But with this new found drive, I’m feeling a confidence resurge. I can do, I will do. Just watch me! 2018… Bring it on!
Post-gym glow... clearly
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