Greg:
It's 2:22 in the afternoon on a fresh Monday afternoon in a soft orange colored Valenciennes train station. We're waiting for our train to Brussels. A man keeps pacing around the center circle of seats where Suzy, I, and a handful of french 20-somethings are sitting. Catty-cornered to us are a couple of France's notoriously naive teenagers toying around with something.
You see, Caitlin and Kade graciously pointed out to us that the kids received new mobiles from Santa this year. It's now of the fashion to tuck your tight jeans (or your MC Hammer parachute pants) into your white socks, tilt your bright A-Ha-esque ball cap (think random neon colors) to any direction other than forward, and strut around with your cell phone in hand.
This last one is most important. You cannot effectively entertain the unfortunates around you with your tinny, synthesized last year's dance hit unless you blast the 8 bit sound from your palm.
On the tram, I was convinced that the popularity of the NES quality abomination was due to a more familiar concept: gangs. While we were riding from Danain to Valenciennes, we noticed that one individual had maxed the volume on his cell phone until the conductor finally spun around with an aggravated look and forced him to turn his Dr. Dre down. Upon this, another youth promptly and indiscreetly pumped his one hit wonder dance hit up, thus stealing rapper youth A's market share of sound. In a sense, dancer youth B just recruited all of Dre's previous following. All the while battling a third gang of two middle teenager girls promoting their dated pop music that sounded reminiscent of banging on a paint can and styrofoam plate.
Can you follow? I'm facing backwards in the first car and we have Dr. Dre 3 feet away to my 7 o'clock, dancer youth B 2 feet away to my 9 o'clock, and mad battling girl duo to my 12 o'clock with pop... ALL IN THE SAME CAR.
On a completely different note, I've been struggling about the gym idea. Don't misunderstand! I still have a few things on track: get the personal trainer certificate when I get back to the States, talk with people regarding what they would like in a gym, etc., and look to go part-time (at least) at a gym to get some hands-on experience while I further build something.
I think I had an epiphany an hour ago. I think that I've been confused and doubting the gym is because I really want to go that route, but it's not financially sound. In fact, the first 3-5 years for opening a gym is statistically unprofitable. No money. No cash flow. Lots and lots of debt. We can survive that; I'm postive. It's the starting a family, getting a house, future thing that I'm concerned about. And I knew this but I've been trying to figure out how to get by it with a minimum of that in-the-red stuff...
I suppose I bring this up because I would like some ideas from you all. Any of you that do that gym thing... why? What is it that you look forward to or do you hate about gyms? How often do you go? Why so much or so little? What do you prefer to do (ie, running/jogging/bike, tae kwon do/aerobics/other classes, lifting weights/machines, swimming, basketball, etc.)? How much do you expect to pay each month or each day you go?
If any of you would rather not comment as to why, would you email to me? You should have my address but for the sake of it all, it's greg.beitling@gmail.com. I would really appreciate any comments as I am soul searching.
Our train should finally be arriving so I will leave you all with adieu. We'll see you all in 4 1/2 months or so. :)
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2 comments:
Hey Gregchurro! I miss you two dearly! I hope you don't give up on this passion of yours; I think you can make it happen. Plus, you totally have a registered dietitian at your disposal :)
But anyhoo...things I like about/in gyms:
1) a LAP pool...or at least designated lanes for lap swimming. It's also awesome when the gym has a cold water pool (and in extravagant circumstances, the kids get a warm water pool too)
2) When the trainers and staff know you. One thing about 24 hr fitness that I dislike is that their staff is constantly changing. And all of the male trainers are just body builders wanting constant free workouts...where are the female staff (besides the yoga class)?
3) sufficient number of showers
4) those bathing suit spinning things, haha
5) a women's dressing room with adequate power supply...ask any woman how many times girls blow the circuits...it's so annoying.
6) classes held in the early morning, like before work (KU's fitness center is smart about it. They have pre-work classes, lunch break classes, and after-work classes)
7) If you're going to have a machine, then have more than one!
8) I like it when the equipment is clean. You inevitably get people who don't clean up all their sweaty germs, so it's nice when the staff watches for this.
9) I like it when trainers take me to a more private area to do more embarrassing work outs....like when I really suck at push ups, or some chick wants me to do the downward dog...
10) Call it personal bias, but I like it when gyms push nutrition more than supplements. For the average person, that is much more important, and is the first step.
Okay, that's enough for now. I'm sure you know most of this anyways :)
Wow... Most of those I honestly hadn't thought about so those are all very informative. I never would have thought about extra power for women's dressing room for the obvious reason.
I'm not too sold on the whole pool though. My brother's wife used to work for Bally's and she had told me that pools can be tremendous work and can age the machines really quickly due to all of the extra moisture.
Right now, I've been mapping out virtual blueprints of a basic gym and what I feel like there has to be bare minimum-wise but I'd really like to go with something more convenient like you're pointing out. The pre-work and lunchtime classes are a really good idea that has also escaped me until you mentioned them.
Thanks! :)
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