Little story about working out

                At some point in our lives come this moment when we see someone physically better (Male Example, Female Example) and suddenly we feel this urge to go out there, to do all kinds of those interesting, weird-looking exercises, and when we finally go out… we notice that there are plenty of people who are better than us, and it makes us feel uncomfortable, and we feel we should go home. “Pizza doesn’t ask questions,” because “pizza loves unconditionally.” Or maybe it’s just me, I don’t know. Maybe most of you don’t have problems like that…
Text is also available in Polish

I have a long history of trying, and failing, to start running, or to start doing anything in my own free time. Kenpo Karate helped a little, but recently I couldn’t attend my trainings, and it somehow left me empty on the inside. And I was watching “Daredevil,” and “Band of Brothers” (I saw it like three times, but I think it’s a pretty good, accurate show), and I saw how quick they were, how much they trained, and how it impacted their lives (which doesn’t mean I’m going to fight with the mob, or with Nazis, on my own, thank you very much), and I felt like I should do something, too.

The decision came suddenly. I had running shoes (which for me are everyday shoes, because they’re comfortable more than any other shoes), I knew my neighborhood, on CSUN is one place with training machines for free (to use the fully equipped, fully professional gym you have to pay, and I’m but a poor student)… So one day I finished work, and I promised myself I will go running. Why after work? Here’s some additional background about me: I was born in Poland. We have snow like 3 months a year, and temperatures in summer are at the level of 80-ish F. In California, most of the year from 8am to 6pm is just too hot for me and I can’t manage that. That’s why when I closed at 7pm, it was already cooled down. Before I got home, drunk something, changed pants, and charged my phone a little bit, it was already 8pm.

Well, anyway. I ran with music blocking all unnecessary thoughts, and when I got to the place I realized there were some other people already. I thought, “I’d be damned if I wouldn’t even try to do something since I’m here anyway.” So I did whatever I could, but there was this guy who just non-stop went from one machine to the other. Needless to say, he was intimidating. Very intimidating. Next day I did the same, and I will go back to the idea of “second day” in a second, and that guy wasn’t there. But there was the other guy, evidently boxer. The stuff he did was amazing, and how quick he was doing them was far beyond my reach. However, the beauty of the second, third, fourth and so on days is that you start caring less and less about other people being there.

Now, the idea of second day. What I noticed is that the first day of exercising is always easy. It’s the adrenaline rush, feeling that you are doing something good, worthy, needed… The next day it’s all gone and you’re left with muscles’ pain, and thoughts like “maybe I won’t go today, maybe I will go tomorrow?” IF on the second day you will do the same what you did on the first day, my experience tells me that you will do it on third day too. That second day is the most important moment. It’s the moment that decides about your exercising future. And a simple advice – don’t go around telling people that you are starting working out, because if you stop on this first day, you’ll just look weak. If you have to, tell them later, after three or four days of working out already. It will save you some honor ;-)