Me and the Gym

The Gym

            I set myself a few goals for my deployment, keeping in touch with people, reading some books, and then going to the gym, among a few random other ones.  But I planned on going to the gym on a regular basis and really getting into great shape.  A myth about people I the Army is that we are all in really great shape.  That isn’t always the case, it depends on your job, the unit you are with and really your own motivation.  My own motivation has really been lacking plus just the business of life and the job really caught up with me back home and I got out of the habit.

            As most if not all of you know I had knee surgery a little over a year ago and since then I haven’t been consistent on my physical activity, I do what I need to, to get by and pass the PT test, and then until it is time to take it again I don’t do a lot in between.  Part of it is because I have to change some of what I used to enjoy doing.  I know that surgery was supposed to put it back exactly where it was but it didn’t it still gets sore, and it hurts when I do certain exercises and run on certain surfaces.  I also know that part of me is scared of hurting it again.  It was painful and a long recovery, one that I don’t want to go through again, and I’ve seen a lot of people have to go through it a few times.  So needless to say my physical fitness is not where it should be, so I decided that a goal of this deployment would be to get to the gym, after all there isn’t much else to do around here and it is a good thing to do to get out of the office (currently the library we are working out of) or my room. 

            I have been running on the treadmills, not my favorite thing but they are good, running in this place is difficult that is for sure and I am pretty certain it is not all because I am out of shape.  We are at a higher altitude so the air is thinner and then the air quality isn’t very good, apparently especially in the winter because people around this area burn whatever they can find for heat.  But I’m not letting that discourage me, I figure if I can run here and get better than when I get home it will be that much easier. 

            So the gym is kind of my outlet, my way of getting out and sticking to a routine and a goal, so I don’t hang around moping or locked up.  I have been able to shoot around a bit which has been nice but no games for me, I am about 5 – 10 years older than the guys that are playing and I can’t keep in step with them plus they are a bit too competitive for my liking, at least in this environment.  But I have played some volleyball and sometimes get so lost in working out that I have been in the gym for almost three hours at a time, that is not the norm but it has happened a few times.  

            I’m not sure why I wrote a whole post about the gym and me going, but I will say over the last couple weeks it has kind of been a sanctuary to me, things can be kind of get claustrophobic here and the gym is one of the few outlets there is.  It helps me forget that I don’t know many people here and that I don’t have a lot else going on.  I have always been a busy person, I thrive on being busy.  I remember my brother-in-law once asking me if I could spend a whole Saturday at home, without going anywhere or doing anything, honestly that is hard for me most of the time, not to say I haven’t done it but I like to get out, I like to be with people and be doing things.  So this is kind of hard for me, but I am adjusting somewhat to the difference