Vacation is wonderful but there really is no place like home.  As I’ve mentioned before, I am a creature of habit.  While deviating from my usual routine can be a refreshing novelty, it doesn’t take long before I’m a dog chewing on furniture and scratching at the door, itching to resume my training regime.

As luck would have it, my first appearance at Urban Escape Fitness in over a week coincided with video shoot day.  Although I’m almost as vain as I am competitive, I rarely give much thought to what I look like when working out.  Sure I attempt to choose cute outfits and usually brush my  hair, but I never wear makeup to exercise.  Until today.  It was a super ridiculous decision- knowing that if I actually participated in class, it would be minutes before my artwork melted away.  However, something about potentially being captured on film made me reach for the mascara and the eyeliner and the foundation and the concealer and the primer and the lipgloss.

After constructing my face, selecting the perfect synthetic fiber ensemble AND brushing my hair its surprising that I had any energy left to workout.  I’ll just take it easy, both to preserve my handiwork and in anticipation for tomorrow’s 13-miler.   Easier said than done. Something unnameable switches ON in me the second that class begins. It’s impossible for me to come to UEF and to not bring it, and the circuit and running challenge only fueled my impulsiveness. At first I was acutely aware of the camera guy, where he was and whom he was shooting. I remembered to suck in my vacation beer gut as I sprinted on the treadmill and pounded out push ups. But then I kind of forgot that anyone might be watching and lost myself in the calculation of competition. Back on the treadmill, I encountered unrecognizable raccoon eyes assessing me in the mirror. Horrified, I dabbed at my face with while running which is no easy feat. Mostly I smeared the mess around more than removing any of it, and sullied more than one previously white towel in the process. Unfortunately, any hopes of stardom dissolved as quickly as my makeup but at least I got an awesome workout!