I signed up for a membership at the gym two blocks from my workplace yesterday and got up at 5:30am this morning and rode the 23 in for my first workout. I feel like I’m in the worst shape of my life, and I likely am, so I made sure to take it easy. There is a room where they have group exercise, but as none of the classes are scheduled until 8 or so, I have it all to myself for some basic calisthenics and happy-joy fencing footwork. I did that for about twenty minutes, had a good long stretch and then ran for a half hour on the treadmill and watched some dude stab an inflatable snowman on television. A set of crunches later and I hit the showers: without a towel. [This oversight will be remedied tomorrow.] There is also a room at Fitworks [warning: noise] where they show movies, a sort of treadmill cineplex, where people can run in the dark and zone out. They were showing Christmas at the Kranks yesterday. I wonder if I can convince them to play Criterion films…
One block from work is a CVS, where I imagine I’ll be getting my post-workout breakfasts. I bought some yogurt and granola bars today. Riding the gym, in the dark, on the bus, listening to Orion by Metallica, I felt like I was having a real-life training montage.
The city steams on winter mornings
like a spent horse
buses squall
in the dark
lockers hold ties
and work boots
another
heart pumps legs
pump heat hunts for
release—
powering this
restive beast called Cleveland.