Why I Love the YMCA

Yesterday, Thursday, Ben, Jack, and I headed for the Y.  Jack goes to kid watch and Ben and I workout nearly every Thursday before work.  The schedule works for us and if we have a set time to go, we're more likely to be guilted into going.

So, I'm doing my thing on the treadmill.  To me it feels like an out and out sprint.  Granted, I am only running at 4.6 mph, but for someone with a 27 inch inseam, it feels like I'm Flo Jo making her way down the backstretch.  This older woman (greater than 65) gets on the treadmill beside me.  She's walking for 10 minutes and then gets off.

I finish my twenty minutes of hell (aka running, but always feel sooo good afterward).  I did the resistance machines for arms and legs and then headed to the locker room to shower.  Awaiting me in there was the little lady on the next treadmill.

She told me that I was doing a really great job running.  She wished she could still run.  Now, I know that I am not a track star.  Usually I feel like I'm going to cough up one or both lungs while on the treadmill.  Until I turned 30, I had NEVER run for 20 minutes consecutively in my life...not even sure if I had broke 5 or 10 minutes before.  It was so nice and uplifting to have someone (even if she was 65+) recognize your effort.  That was my little piece of gratitude that I felt yesterday.  I don't know her name, but "THANK YOU" little blonde lady with a frizzy ponytail for making me feel like my hypoxia on the treadmill is not all in vain.  You made my day!!!!!  Sometimes it's the little things in life that mean so much....