Recently I joined the gym, as run by Stevenage Leisure Limited in partnership with the Council. Even though I’m new very there, I have already managed to embarrass myself…..
1. Completely forgetting my email address
This was required for getting things set up initially. Not just for general communications but it is also needed for the Boditrax assessment and the main App which tells you what exercises to do and recording them (somehow)
2. Dropping my iPhone on the treadmill
I didn’t exactly do this deliberately as I had carefully rested my iPhone on the treadmill while I was running. At some point one of my fingers pulled the headphone cord and it pulled the phone down.
As I was going at a fairly brisk pace, it was jettisoned across the smooth floor, followed by my headphones which had been yanked out of my ears. While they were falling towards the moving treadmill I almost tripped up and staggered somewhat as I hit the emergency stop button.
Everybody stared as I stepped down, walked a few metres to pick up my iPhone and then in a different direction to pick up my headphones. I felt such a newbie!
3. The wrong shoes….
When I turned up for my induction session, I was advised to wear my gym kit. Which I did, except I’d forgotten my trainers, so I just kept my clumpy outdoor leather shoes on.
“Oh” said the personal trainer, looking at my shoes “have we forgotten something…..?”
Yes I had. I felt so awkward and conspicuous in my Lycra shirt, Ron Hill shorts and heavy leather shoes.
While on shoes, the next time I did manage to take my running shoes, complete with mud from Dunstable Downs. By the time I had finished a little run on a treadmill, there was a little pile of dried soil on the floor, right at the end of the treadmill. It was very noticeable and I felt so awkward, somebody must have realised it was me!
4. I could go on
About the time when I forgot my glasses at the induction session, when I needed to see what I was doing in scanning the QR code on each machine (these gyms are becoming very high tech these days).
Also I could mention having a pre-programmed run in the treadmill; this was programmed about 4 years ago when I went to another Council gym and the machines must all be connected up to some central computer. There’s no way I could keep up with the demands of the 20 minute run as I did before – fast/slow, flat/incline. I can tell you, even the slow restful minutes were too fast and I was panting and spluttering big time. So I think I have some way to go in regaining my previous fitness: I will do as best I can.
I feel such a newbie but I’m sure I’ll be in the swing of things before too long!