This morning I had my last workout of the year…a one mile swim. It was slower than past miles because I haven’t been in the pool in more than two months. Rust collects quickly.You might think I’d be disappointed that my last workout of 2010 wasn’t a barn-burner. You would be wrong. A conversation I had at the Y this morning was the perfect end to this year in fitness. But first, you need to know the back story.
It was January 2009. I was at the Y on a treadmill. Due to feeding my anger and being sedentary following a knee surgery, my weight was way up, only 20 pounds less than my top weight ever. I could run a few seconds, then walk, then run a few seconds more. And to think, nine months earlier I had completed my first half marathon. I was starting over.
I noticed one of the employees staring at me while I huffed and puffed on the treadmill. This wasn’t a moment of paranoia; he was really paying close attention. And I knew why. He was keeping a close eye because I looked like I could have a heart attack at any minute. I’m not kidding. I tried my best to act like I didn’t notice and didn’t care.
So back to this morning’s conversation. I wanted to meet with another Y employee, Suzy. She’s one of the kindest, most trust-worthy people ever. I know if I ask her a question, I’ll get a straight answer, wrapped in love. I told her about being watched almost two years ago. I wanted to know if staff are trained to keep close tabs on very overweight people. Suzy confirmed that yes, my hunch was correct. She remembers me 87 pounds ago and confirms I was a “high risk” member and the employee was following training protocols. She gave me props about how far I’ve come (and she knows what it takes because she’s made her own incredible physique transformation).
So why did I want my hunch confirmed?
Last Sunday I worked out on an eliptical trainer. The same employee from two years ago walked right past me. He paid NO attention to me. Zero. Nada.
I’m no longer high-risk. It was great to be ignored.
482gr8 