I Love the 80's!

Once more the weather forced me inside for the whole weekend. And actually, that is a lot truer than even I am willing to admit. I didn't leave the house at all on Saturday until around 5 to go to church and then again at about 8 for the Team Vardo Christmas party at our neighborhood (smoke-free!!) drinking establishment. The snow finally stopped around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, leaving about 3-4 inches of the white stuff behind. That meant I hit the bike for my daily dose of exercise. Since moving the bike/trainer to the basement (and, thus, away from the DVD player), I have had the occasion to dig out all the old VHS tapes I had stacked away and to reconnect the VCR to the 13" TV in the basement. Time passes oh, so quickly when watching old Tom Cruise movies from the 80's. Yesterday's treat was "Cocktail," the first half anyway. Next up is "Top Gun," then such classics as "National Lampoon's Vacation" and everyone's holiday favorite, "A Christmas Story."

Today, I again ventured out into the great white world, this time to hit the fitness center for an hour of fun on the treadmill. It's especially enjoyable for me, since I have learned the ability to stay upright on the machine while watching folks try their darnedest to kill themselves on the weight equipment. As a personal trainer who emphasizes safety first, that is an aquired skill. For example, the two people who spent Friday morning working out in open-toed sandals. Or the 6'2" guy who sets the hip machine up for himself as though he was a 4'8" little old lady; my back was killing me just watching. Then, there are the classic over-achievers who load about 50% more weight on the machine than they can actually handle and grunt and scream while trying to build as much momentum as possible to move the weight. Clearly, they are getting a great workout... but my all-time favorite has to be the groups of women who think that by simply being IN the weight room, they are getting all the effects of USING the weight room. Sorry, ladies, it doesn't work that way. You actually have to MOVE the machine ALL the way through the FULL range of motion to garner ANY sort of effect. But, I digress...

Today's run actually felt pretty good. Thankfully, the Fall Out Boy CD has not worn out due to repetitive use. It has been a life-saver for me during my treadmill days. I had a great stretch after the run and even contemplated a nap on the mat in the weight room during the stretch, but that probably wouldn't have looked very professional...