Today I re-booted my gym regime with particular unprecedented gusto, by actually going before work. Yes that’s right – BEFORE work.
I rather enjoyed it too. You kind of get to start your day with an added vigour. Obviously one has to avoid the other people in the gym at that time; for they must be a bit over-enthusiastic towards their fitness – getting up so early clearly makes them a bit weird and sinister. Trust me; I know this because I have done the gym-before-work routine before. As I recall, I was on the cross trainer, heading close to my 4.5 mile target, when suddenly the fire alarm suddenly sounded. But rather than evacuating, all the weird gym enthusiasts just kind of carried on, completely non-plussed; even when the alarm had rung for a good 30 seconds or more. I thought it was odd that they had no regard for their own safety, but because I am a leader rather than a follower, I simply carried on with my exercise too. And as is so often the case with these things, it did turn out to be a false alarm. But even so, I thought their determination to continue exercising through the cacophony showed a strange level of enthusiasm towards weight loss. So strange, that I wonder if they just nonchalantly consider a blazing inferno the most effective way to burn calories or something.
In hindsight, this interruption had rather fortunate timing for me. Had I been taking a shower at the time when the alarm sounded, there’d have been no other people for me to follow the lead of. I’d have been faced with the dilemma of taking decisive action myself – either potentially risking my life by hoping it was a false alarm, or walking out to the car park’s fire assembly point whilst in a completely naked state. Given such a circumstance, I’m not quite sure what I’d have plumped for.
What if I’d actually chosen to evacuate? Seeing as it had turned out to be a false alarm and all the rest of the weirdo gym-freaks had no intention of abandoning their exercise, any passers-by would effectively witness me as a solitary naked man, standing very publically in a car park, for no conceivably visible reason whatsoever. So even though I’d have been the one person sensible enough to follow H&S protocol, it is me who would’ve actually been seen as the weirdo! Where’s the justice in that?
I rather enjoyed it too. You kind of get to start your day with an added vigour. Obviously one has to avoid the other people in the gym at that time; for they must be a bit over-enthusiastic towards their fitness – getting up so early clearly makes them a bit weird and sinister. Trust me; I know this because I have done the gym-before-work routine before. As I recall, I was on the cross trainer, heading close to my 4.5 mile target, when suddenly the fire alarm suddenly sounded. But rather than evacuating, all the weird gym enthusiasts just kind of carried on, completely non-plussed; even when the alarm had rung for a good 30 seconds or more. I thought it was odd that they had no regard for their own safety, but because I am a leader rather than a follower, I simply carried on with my exercise too. And as is so often the case with these things, it did turn out to be a false alarm. But even so, I thought their determination to continue exercising through the cacophony showed a strange level of enthusiasm towards weight loss. So strange, that I wonder if they just nonchalantly consider a blazing inferno the most effective way to burn calories or something.
In hindsight, this interruption had rather fortunate timing for me. Had I been taking a shower at the time when the alarm sounded, there’d have been no other people for me to follow the lead of. I’d have been faced with the dilemma of taking decisive action myself – either potentially risking my life by hoping it was a false alarm, or walking out to the car park’s fire assembly point whilst in a completely naked state. Given such a circumstance, I’m not quite sure what I’d have plumped for.
What if I’d actually chosen to evacuate? Seeing as it had turned out to be a false alarm and all the rest of the weirdo gym-freaks had no intention of abandoning their exercise, any passers-by would effectively witness me as a solitary naked man, standing very publically in a car park, for no conceivably visible reason whatsoever. So even though I’d have been the one person sensible enough to follow H&S protocol, it is me who would’ve actually been seen as the weirdo! Where’s the justice in that?
