One thing I appreciate about being a member at UEF, even more than the friendly competition, is the camaraderie I share with members and trainers alike.  If you’re open and willing, any place one spends a significant amount of her time is bound to present opportunities to cultivate meaningful relationships.  I realize that some people prefer to keep to themselves, get in their workout,  and return to their lives without making such connections.  While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, it is not mine.

I’m not suggesting that flapping one’s gums while exercising, at the expense of her intensity level, is desirable.  There are plenty of other blabbertunities while at the gym- during an informal pre-workout foam rolling session, for example.  As usual, today I arrived for Brick class a little early to set up my bike, mentally prepare myself for a grueling hour, etc.  Once that was done, I joined the instructor on the floor for some targeted foam rolling and conversation.  We covered a lot of topics in our short-ish exchange, one being the internal conflict between wanting to “diet” (in order to drop a few pounds and run faster) and the lack of strength that comes with such deprivation.  In the end, we decided it was better (for us) to feel strong and fat than skinny and weak, a tongue-in-cheek revelation since we are both athletes and neither of us are actually overweight.

The knowledge that I’m not alone in my struggles, and sometimes outrageous concerns, can be enough to dissolve them on the spot.  The combination of the emotional strength I gain from such personal exchanges plus the physical toughness brought on by an awesome workout, empowered me to destroy my demons of self-doubt, at least for today.