On becoming a gym bunny

After months of being in two minds about it, I finally took the (pricey) plunge: I joined the gym!  (I sniffed out a fantastic deal: R700 cash back if you visit the gym 28 times before 10 January 2016...  Getting paid to train?  YES, PLEASE!)  So why did I join if I'm determined not to run a single step on a gym treadmill ever again?

1.  Gettin' Older

My forties are just around the corner, and let's face it: A body needs more than just running to keep it strong and healthy.  Plus my infrequent planks are definitely not cutting it anymore - bootcamp classes for the win!  

Running, I love you.  But if we're going to run until we're 90, we're going to need a little extra help.  [Photo by Stanley Harvey.]

2.  Being a (lazy) sucker for punishment

For some odd reason I thrive in militaristic settings.  Send me into the gym's free weights area alone and I'll pump out a few unenthusiastic bicep curls at most.  But put me in a class with an army sergeant-like instructor barking out orders, and I'll do push-ups until I lie in a heap, shaking.  So there's that.  

3.  The Pool

The Northern Cape is hot, people.  Crazy hot.  I seriously sometimes wonder why anyone in their right mind would want to live and exist here.  Yet here we are - existing away.  So here's the thing: My new gym has a big, blue, ice-cold swimming pool to be active in when running outside would be suicidal.  Oh yes. 
   

4.  Gym Childcare

I don't think we'll use it a bunch, but at least the gym's childcare facility is there to be used.  We gave it a test run on Saturday, and it was a big hit with Miss K, but a miss with J Bear...  We'll see how it goes.

My two new gym buddies!

5.  That Sub-50 Minute 10 k Goal       

I'm running faster now than ever before - the saying that women run faster after giving birth certainly rings true for me!  (I personally think it's a matter of a forced improvement of efficiency, and not so much altered physiology - just my ten cents.)  Anyway, so I figured that adding regular strength training to the mix will either a) make me faster, or b) slow me down.  Fingers crossed that it'll be the former - I'm looking at you, sub-50 minute 10 km!

Judging by the way my body feels after just one strength training class, joining the gym was the right decision - holy DOMS!  Things can only improve, right...?