This week was a slow week of running. I write this sitting by the pool at the Double Tree Hotel in Tempe, AZ dropping off my only child for her freshman year at college. Needless to say the emotions are overwhelming from one hour to the next. If you have a daughter, you know what I mean.  So, I’ll slowly eek these next posts out with my mind being pulled in two different directions.

Monday – 12 August 3  miles on the elliptical machine.

Ahh, there’s nothing like the smell of an old crusty gym. No, really…I mean it – whew!  There are two main gyms on the base where I work.   One gym is a nicer gym and usually where the upper rank, retirees, the “look” at me’s and others who are not serious about working out frequent.  Sorry, had to get that dig in, and frankly its true. This place reminds me of one of the foo foo gyms.  Then there is the James Gym. Your typical Army type gym. People are seriously working out. Even though I’m working on an AirForce base this gym reminds me of the Army gyms I used to go to when I was in and I just feel more comfortable there.  You go, you work out – no niceties needed thank you.

Since I started running, I prefer to take it outside. Cold, hot, rain or snow I rather be outside. I have begun to switch things up a bit with some strength training and from time to time the elliptical or treadmill.

I walk into a small segmented room with about 6 elliptical machines lined up on the back wall and 6 treadmills divided on the remaining two walls. It’s a tight fit and hot. The walls are painted a dull beige yellow color (common military color) with four flat screen TVs on the back wall and various pictures of beaches from around the world. On more than one occasion I’ve wished I was at one of those locations. I opt for the machine in the middle so I can choose which screen I want to watch. Three are working and the one on the far left isn’t. My viewing choices consist of TMZ, ESPN,and FOX news.  Sigh. Directly ahead of me is one of those cheap clocks, you know with the white background and black numbers. I step up to the machine to begin my work out.

I start by watching the screen with TMZ. I’ve never watched TMZ. Quickly I realize it’s an entertainment type show. Entertainment, yeah. I’m plodding along and watching this crap. Why do we look up to some of these people. There was some gross stuff and remember I can’t hear anything.  I’m just watching the pictures. Not interested in ESPN or the news. Keep moving.

Halfway into the work out a gentleman gets on the machine next to me. I hear “hold on there I need to catch up”!  My sarcastic brain feels like saying “okie dokie let me slow down for you”;). I know he meant well, so I just smiled.

This is why I like to run outside. Being inside sometimes is mundane and uneventful, especially without tunes.

Running on…