making progress
and i’m not talking about the state of the union.
ba-da-BUM!
the boy and i joined planet granite at the tail end of 2009, and not for new year’s resolution reasons. naz has been curious about rock climbling and bouldering for some time, and admittedly, my curiosity was piqued as well. since first joining, i’ve put on my bouldering shoes probably half a dozen times, including when i was trying them on at the store. the truth is, i do enjoy climbing up the walls, twisting my body around, hoisting myself further up. what i don’t like is the prospect of falling—i am not afraid of heights—and strangers looking at my ass.
at some point, i will tackle the wall again, but only during morning hours when the gym is dead silent, save for the alternative rock filling the air. in the meantime, i’ve taken to a couple cardio machines and even weight training. surprisingly, i already can see a difference thanks to my paltry efforts. i say paltry because it was only this week and part of last where i’ve gone to the gym with any kind of consistency. the rain and my coughing issues were impeding earlier progress, so i felt like i was starting over.
i’ve never been one to “work out,” particularly when i have to pay to be a member of a gym. the last time i went to the gym regularly was after my calculus class freshman year in college. i had at my disposal the campus fitness center that included decent machines and even a huge swimming pool. but despite all my efforts, working out was no match for my booze intake, so i gave up. yeah, i know. it’s sad.
but since then, my alcohol consumption has dropped significantly; my eating habits actually contain vegetables not drenched in butter or ranch dressing; and my exercise regiment now involves more than opening the fridge or lifting a remote control. it’s safe to say that i was a bit of couch potato. in fact, it’s only been in the last five years or so where i’ve felt in the best shape of my life.
sadly, though, commuting on my bike and walking shaun the dog™ aren’t enough anymore to combat age and a slowing metabolism. i’m not saying i was gaining weight, it’s more that any sort of trimness i had was falling to the wayside. and with san francisco being so compact in comparison with chicago, the commuting alone wasn’t enough.
enter my submission to the gym class. i don’t see myself becoming a fitness guru or trainer anytime soon, but at least with some noticeable results, i have no excuse not to go. and hell, i do enjoy it. most days.