The Gym

Yesterday I did something new and exciting: I joined the gym! And not a student gym or an express little gym, but basicall the fanciest gym I've ever seen. This is not because I am indeed a fancy person, it's just the only gym I can get to easily in my hood. It's a David Lloyd, which is some sort of chain with a multitude of locations, this one being at Fulham Broadway, in the same lovely building as the tube station, the movie theater, restaurants and a grocery store. Let me just stop for a moment to say that my 'y' button is sticking and has been really bothering me for several days now. Bad y, bad!

My reason for not joining the gym before now has been the price - 75 pounds a month. Which after paying 80 pounds for a whole year of Southampton University gym is quite a blow. But lucky for all involved, David Lloyd is running a special deal with a slashed joining fee and no membership due until January. So yesterday afternoon we made an appointment to see the place and basically join as I don't think anyone can escape those things without joining. The gym is on the top floor of the little mall thing and includes a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, Costa Coffee, free wi-fi, a licensed bar, a big cardio area filled with plasma tvs, random equipment I would never know how to use, a separate 'ladies gym' with much small tvs, and 3 rooms where they hold different types of classes (and they have a lot of classes!). And most importantly, free towels as you walk in. Joining also includes an appointment with a personal trainer who will basically show you how to use everything and come up with some sort of work out plan for you (which is then conveniently left on file accessible as you walk in). Note: the y key seems to be behaving. So my appointment is on Saturday. I'm a little wary that some drill instructor type will spend half an hour yelling at me but mainly optimistic that they'll be able to show me how to use the scary looking pilates machines.

I've got my little extra bag all made up to take to work with me today so I can go straight to the gym on the way home. I have the distinct feeling that I will get lost as the place is some sort of maze and I'm going to end up in a sauna with a bunch of mafia members or naked Germans or something but hoping that won't be the case! Also worried that it's going to be overly crowded at that time, but can also see the ladies only gym possibly coming to the treadmill rescue!

And I tried some of Lisa's tube standing techniques yesterday evening! They went quite well but I had to end up putting one foot in front of the other to maintain balance in the other direction. I'm assuming it doesn't help that train tracks I'm using were built in the mid-1800s.