Training update: What training?

This afternoon, I got over the mental block I've had about the cold and got the shoes laced up for a run. Lately, I seem to make excuses for not wanting to get out there. Other times, I genuinely can't make time in my schedule to get out there. I've been in a slump.

Let's flash back to two years ago today. I braved a trip to Gold's Gym and signed up for a two-year contract, on the spot, right there. After years of being sedentary, I committed myself to it.

Today, I wrote a letter to the financial company that handles memberships, asking for my two-year contract to not renew on a month-to-month basis. I sent it certified letter, because otherwise they wouldn't accept my request.

Joining Gold's made sense at the time. I was going to be living about a mile away. I followed my housemate's sleeping patterns, which meant I went to bed and got up at a regular person's hours. I had time to go to the gym before work. I was going six days a week, alternating between the treadmill and the bike thing until I got the doctor's note saying I was okay to use the weight machines.

The first time I exercised, I just walked on the treadmill. Really fast, mind you. I didn't have any gym clothes yet, so I had on a white t-shirt and gray sweat pants.

I was so nervous going in there. I couldn't imagine myself as someone who was in shape. I'd always been fat, I convinced myself. I wasn't that kind of person, I thought.

I realized around this time that I really didn't like the person I'd become. I was looking back at a long life of bad choices, and I knew I had to get myself right. I knew if I just committed to exercise, I would transform myself.

Somewhere along the way, I lost the motivation. Pushing my body reduced my negative energy, my negative emotions, and off I went. For those first three months, I was always at the gym, and it was fantastic.

Then I ran a road race. And another. Suddenly, I only wanted to run outside. I would run and then track my progress by mapping out my routes on Google Earth, tracking how far I went.

For a while, I was good at going to the gym for weight training, but that began to taper off. I also began to get busier at work, and then returned to a job at Court Square Tavern. I began going to the gym less and less.

My marathon training stopped last fall after I injured myself. But, after a ten day rest, I started running again, and picked it up somewhat okay. I kept running, but last winter forced me back to the gym. I was grateful for my membership.

I trained all winter for the Charlottesville Ten Miler, and was pleased with my showing. Completing that in my time made me feel like I could do what I set my mind to, and a chapter of my life ended.

Somewhere along the way, exercise alone wasn't enough. I needed to express myself, so I picked up the guitar and began playing. Usually this has meant playing very late at night when all the work is done, which means I like to sleep in when I can. Athletic training hasn't been totally abandoned, but it's not a priority like it was in the beginning. As we come closer to the spring, I'll definitely be working to get back into shape. I need to buy a pair of shoes before I get serious, and I really can't afford a pair at the moment.

Also, races cost money, and I've not really been able to spare any. So, I'm doing it on the cheap.

I plan to enjoy the last month of membership I have at Gold's, and then I'll switch to the new Smith pool near my house. There's a little fitness center in there, and it has a treadmill, which is all I need for now.

Oh yeah, and a pool. I may take up swimming. Why not?

I'm no longer really training as much as maintaining my shape and trying to stay in fit. I know at any point I can step it up if I need to. I'm training other parts of my life, working hard to get better at playing guitar, studying songs like I've never really done before, trying to pick them apart to see how they work.