Travelling and Training

I am off again, going out of town for a couple days. Cooper had Freshman orientation at Chico State University so we are all piling in the car, driving north about four hours (more because I am in the car which means several pit stops from all the water I drink).


We will be staying at the Courtyard by Marriott and I am sure they have a "fitness center" but it won't have what I need or want.


I don't travel for work, I know some people who do and I have no idea how they maintain a training schedule (actually I don't think any of them really do). But when I travel I don't use it as an excuse to skip my training- you see I LOVE my training and I don't want to skip it,  I want to keep doing the same thing I would be doing at home, it just takes a little more planning.


So after I get the reservations made the next thing I always do is hunt for a close by gym. Turns out the Gold's in Chico has closed, so I started in on Google looking for gym's close to the hotel. 


The first has a virtual tour and the place looks like a very tacky whorehouse, and I see machines but no free weights. Next


Then another that has everything but...weights.


What the hell do these people do in their gyms anyway??!!


I call The Core. It's a Crossfit gym, a "box" I can tell. But it has a picture of several squat cages all lined up and the say they don't have ANY machines.


I call and a young girl answers the phone "hello?" I ask if this is The Core and I hear fumbling then a gruff male voice comes on the phone. I ask again and he answers "Yes it is, but it's Sunday which means my daughter answers the phone."


I think Sunday is his rest day and I interrupted it.


I explain what I am doing, can I train there just for an hour. He asks what I need. I tell him i am doing German Volume Training, I need a squat cage, an Olympic bar and some plates, and that's it.


Yes, he says I can come and he won't charge me. Then when I tell him it's Tuesday morning and I need to be in real early, he says I cannot come, they have rowing contests or something...something Crossfit I don't know about.


He tells me about two other places to try, and then adds "You can probably take a sauna after too." I think he was dissin me a little, but maybe he just has a very dry sense of humor.


I call the place he recommended, they open at 4:30 am, and I ask the girl if they have squat cages. "I don't know what that is." she says...I explain they might be called squat racks, it's where the big bar is inside and people do squats there. She still doesn't know. I ask if they have free weights or just machines. "Oh we have lots of free weights!"


I will take a chance, I am heading there in the morning when they open. It's my last day for GVT, I need to nail this one. They have towels and hair dryers, I can get ready there and then drive back and get the boys in time for orientation.


Wish me luck!

Look Like a Model?

I went to visit my father for a couple days, and of course still needed to go to the gym. I am quite familiar with the gym and in fact I like it quite a bit. The only issues I have are 1) it's 13 miles away and 2) there are no towels (I always end up forgetting mine the second day since I have to hang it out to dry.)

I just set my cell phone alarm for "butt crack of dawn" as David says and then go train, and shower and am home just after or even before everyone else is up! That way I do my thing, and don't disturb anyone else.

Too mnay people have excuses for not exercising, but travel is probably the number one and frankly, I think they are whiners and babies. There are gyms everywhere, or there are parks, there is a pool, there is something you can do!

This last visit I saw some women setting up several tables and signs, they were placing posters all over, getting ready for a big event. I thought it was rather odd, as it's not a big city, so it must be some "cardio-a-thon" or something silly like that.

I finished my training and by then all of the posters were hung, and this is what the huge event was:

They would be auditioning for a TV reality show! Interesting I thought, as I don't think I have ever seen any "model" material in the gym...but I suppose they need to go somewhere to stay so skinny.


I surveyed the requirements and the first was "Must be 5'7" or taller"...that counts me out right off the bat! 


I hopped in the shower (I didn't forget my towel this day) and then leisurely dressed and applied my make-up. 


I came out to quite a long line of young women. I was shocked as I looked around, they were not only tall, but very, very skinny. Very unhealthy looking and in my mind, not attractive at all.


I find it very sad that we as a group tend to think that emaciated, underfed, skinny women with fake breasts and sunken hollow cheekbones are the epitome of beauty.


I walked out thankful that I have the muscles I have, that I work everyday to make them grow and eat a healthy diet so that I can look like this:

Ha Ha! My friend Mark came over on Tuesday to borrow Moby, he wanted me to hang sheet rock with him, but I really am not so strong that I can support 120 pound sheets on the ceiling while he screws them in. 

He had made this at home and handed it to me, telling me I was in the latest Muscle and Fitness (men)....I think he was trying to convince me I was stronger than I am.

Oh, and this person needs to shave their arms....yuck!