Is it just me? or maybe my imagination
heroyalslimness
Posts: 591 Member
But why is it--
When I have arrived at the gym--and scoped out a solitary treadmill in a hu-m-on-gous gym filled with treadmills.
I am happily plugged into the video plug that allows me to choose from my over a hundred rock-soul vidoes that REALLY get me going in a sewat.
Right now--after not having worked out for ages--I am on 2.5--on a steady walk -and trying to ignore that I feel rather large--concentrating of my goal of 2 miles--happily lost in Jennifer Lopez's "Waiting for Tonight".....that
SUDDENLY comes a skinny girl one-quarter of my size---who immediately hops on the one empty side and treadmill next to my treadmill-- in a room FILLED with empty treadmills---hops next to me and immediately STARTS RUNNING VIGOROUSLY AT TOP SPEED on the tread--taking sneak peeks at me--next to her as I am plodding along --feeling caught in an ad hoc competitiin --I did not sign on for---while I happily oblivious boppping on the tread TO R&B and landing in the land of shame after the clear comparisons
It keeps happening--no matter where I go----it's as if some one got onthe tread and said hah-I am THIN and you aere NOT,
and I HATE IT. Totally RUINS my attempts at a lively and fun workout. Same thing in dance classs--it seems to me there are always girls who are mad to compete and position themselves for that---whether it's an actual competition or not
When I have arrived at the gym--and scoped out a solitary treadmill in a hu-m-on-gous gym filled with treadmills.
I am happily plugged into the video plug that allows me to choose from my over a hundred rock-soul vidoes that REALLY get me going in a sewat.
Right now--after not having worked out for ages--I am on 2.5--on a steady walk -and trying to ignore that I feel rather large--concentrating of my goal of 2 miles--happily lost in Jennifer Lopez's "Waiting for Tonight".....that
SUDDENLY comes a skinny girl one-quarter of my size---who immediately hops on the one empty side and treadmill next to my treadmill-- in a room FILLED with empty treadmills---hops next to me and immediately STARTS RUNNING VIGOROUSLY AT TOP SPEED on the tread--taking sneak peeks at me--next to her as I am plodding along --feeling caught in an ad hoc competitiin --I did not sign on for---while I happily oblivious boppping on the tread TO R&B and landing in the land of shame after the clear comparisons
It keeps happening--no matter where I go----it's as if some one got onthe tread and said hah-I am THIN and you aere NOT,
and I HATE IT. Totally RUINS my attempts at a lively and fun workout. Same thing in dance classs--it seems to me there are always girls who are mad to compete and position themselves for that---whether it's an actual competition or not
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Replies
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If the gym really is that empty and there is no shortage of machines, bring two extra water bottles and a few towels and throw them on the machines on each side.0
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That's a great idea!0
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If the gym really is that empty and there is no shortage of machines, bring two extra water bottles and a few towels and throw them on the machines on each side.
best.
idea.
ever.0 -
Maybe she is lonely, or insecure:glasses:0
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Some people are just not comfortable in a big open space. They will intentionally hug the machines near other people. It's not about you, it's about their own insecurities (or on the positive side maybe they're hoping to meet and make a friend?) There are other people who will never take the front row in a class. And still others who take up an amazing amount of space. (Maybe people taking advice like you just got -- to scatter towels and things around to give some distance between you and the huggers.)0
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HAHA!!! It happens to me all the time.
Maybe its the competitive nature of the person who decides to enlist us in a competition without our knowledge or permission. In which case I throw a towel over the digital board most of the time.
Maybe we are treating it wrong?? Competition usually brings the best out of us. We should use it as a tool to work harder.
Or maybe they are just skinny *****es and *kitten* who dont appreciate how hard it is for some people to exercise and we should just punch them in the face.
Who Knows??0 -
Every female that I know competes one way or another. I think it must be hardwired into us. I can think of hundreds of ways women have tired to compete with me. It is kind of funny actually. But I am sure that I would be annoyed if what happened to you at the gym, happened to me. You should realize that the skinny girl must still have some insecurities in her to make her feel that she needs to act out in that way. Hang in there! Tell yourself that like her, you are at the gym and working out. You are both getting fit.0
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It's probably just your imagination. For me I have 'my' treadmill at the gym which is my 'favorite' LOL. I always go for that one. Last time I was at the gym I hopped on it and started to do my thing (I ramp up to 5mph within a minute) and this very obese woman next to me started glaring at me. I snuck a peek at her treadmill and she was only going 2mph. It then dawned on me that she probably thought I was competing with her or trying to show her up or something. I wasn't!
Just do your thing and block out other people. Trust me they are focused on their own workout.0 -
I have to remind myself in EVERY race I participate in that I am competing ONLY against myself, against the time I finished in the last time I ran that distance, and running to make MY life better. It's so tempting to push too hard to try to beat that random person in front of me...............but I have to resist that. Stay at the pace where you are comfortable, because you want your workout to benefit you mentally, not just physically. Obviously you're going to challenge yourself, but pushing to "match" someone else only sets you up for frustration, and sometimes injury. Just keep doing the best for YOU.0
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It is about you! It is what you want---Sometimes the closer we get to what we want the harder we have to work for it. Dont let this become an excuse. Wear shades, move, even speak to the skinny chick! Do whatever you need to do to get your mind back focus on why you started this in the 1st place! If this is happening no matter where you go--you must fix the problem--sorry to say its you. Get passed this you have came along way to let this stop you now. use the next skinny person that steps up next to you when you are working out as a poster. Say to yourself I will finish my workout because in a bit I will walk in this gym and look just as good as this skinny chick!0
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I just hate it after New Years, you know how packed the gym suddenly gets as everyone starts working on their New Year's resolutions. Then, you can't get a machine. Usually stays that way until February or March, then they all start dropping off and the machines are available again.0
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Maybe she wants to talk about diets - but seriously, I don't like company when I'm working out. Bring some sunglasses. I wish I had a set of people blinders - like horses use, it's important to stay focused on who you are there for! I too like the extra towle/water bottle on either side, I'm going to borrow that - shrug and say i'm waiting for someone! Good luck!0
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That's the way us women are. Very competitive by nature whether they want to admit it or not.But why is it--
When I have arrived at the gym--and scoped out a solitary treadmill in a hu-m-on-gous gym filled with treadmills.
I am happily plugged into the video plug that allows me to choose from my over a hundred rock-soul vidoes that REALLY get me going in a sewat.
Right now--after not having worked out for ages--I am on 2.5--on a steady walk -and trying to ignore that I feel rather large--concentrating of my goal of 2 miles--happily lost in Jennifer Lopez's "Waiting for Tonight".....that
SUDDENLY comes a skinny girl one-quarter of my size---who immediately hops on the one empty side and treadmill next to my treadmill-- in a room FILLED with empty treadmills---hops next to me and immediately STARTS RUNNING VIGOROUSLY AT TOP SPEED on the tread--taking sneak peeks at me--next to her as I am plodding along --feeling caught in an ad hoc competitiin --I did not sign on for---while I happily oblivious boppping on the tread TO R&B and landing in the land of shame after the clear comparisons
It keeps happening--no matter where I go----it's as if some one got onthe tread and said hah-I am THIN and you aere NOT,
and I HATE IT. Totally RUINS my attempts at a lively and fun workout. Same thing in dance classs--it seems to me there are always girls who are mad to compete and position themselves for that---whether it's an actual competition or not0 -
Or maybe she either:
a) has recently lost a lot of weight and uses other people to track her progress or compare her new self to her old self, which happens.
b) is a yo-yo-er, which can sometimes mean that motivation stems from how she compares herself to others, as opposed to motivations for pure health.
c) is anorexic - and if you have friends or family that are such, you'd understand how their mind works.
My advice is to follow a better and healthier mindset than that or hers. Once you use others to motivate yourself to move, you are no longer striving to meet your own, true potential in health and well being but another's potential, which is of an entirely different genetic makeup. There will always be someone ahead of you, and always someone behind you in terms of meeting their potential. But you should try and meet your own unique potential.0 -
It may be your imagination, but I don't blame you one bit for feeling this way!! I would feel exactly the same. I've actually been known to change treadmills in my days at the gym. Nowadays, I work out at home because that's what works best for my lifestyle and my temperament.
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It's probably just your imagination. For me I have 'my' treadmill at the gym which is my 'favorite' LOL. I always go for that one. Last time I was at the gym I hopped on it and started to do my thing (I ramp up to 5mph within a minute) and this very obese woman next to me started glaring at me. I snuck a peek at her treadmill and she was only going 2mph. It then dawned on me that she probably thought I was competing with her or trying to show her up or something. I wasn't!
Just do your thing and block out other people. Trust me they are focused on their own workout.
I agree with this. Most likely it's her favourite spot and it has nothing to do with you.
I do think that peeking at someone else's screen is rude.0 -
It's probably just your imagination. For me I have 'my' treadmill at the gym which is my 'favorite' LOL. I always go for that one. Last time I was at the gym I hopped on it and started to do my thing (I ramp up to 5mph within a minute) and this very obese woman next to me started glaring at me. I snuck a peek at her treadmill and she was only going 2mph. It then dawned on me that she probably thought I was competing with her or trying to show her up or something. I wasn't!
Just do your thing and block out other people. Trust me they are focused on their own workout.
If it was me, sorry. I have my favorite treadmills and go for them if I can. They have my fav tvs in front of them. But I don't look at others treadmills if I can help it. I do the towel over mine so no one can see it. Maybe that would be a good idea?0 -
Give her a big smile and say "nice job!"
I'm serious. Whether you're the heavy one feeling weak or the skinny one sprinting next to a slow walker, you can easily diffuse the "competition" with a minimal show of support for whatever the other person is doing.0 -
Maybe you were using her favorite tread mill?0
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I wouldn't say it's just you, but then again, she might feel a little competition could be a motivator for you. I know that when my much thinner co-worker goes to the gym with me, she will not get on the elliptical next to me because she can barely do 10 minutes and I'm just powering through 35 to 40 and she knows she can kick my backside on the stair climber, which I avoid like the plague.
However, when she does try the elliptical, I do encourage her to push through. She always ends up doing more than she thinks she can.
I still avoid the stair climber, simply because I'm clumsy on stairs.0 -
Some people feel more of a need for a bubble of personal space than others. And some people have a favorite treadmill. I had both. There was only one treadmill I liked because it had the best airflow in the whole building. But I also don't like people close to me, so I'd silently stew and have a miserable time if I had to use another treadmill. And now that I don't go to a gym and do all my running outside, it seems equally odd to feel the need to have a buffer zone, or feel a Sheldon Cooper-esque anger that "you're in my spot," or to feel competitive about someone next to me.
We're all weird, in our own ways.0 -
Thanks for the input--everybody! And for reading over my glaring typos.:ohwell: A lot to think about. It is nice to know---whether accurate or imaginative---that I am not alone in feeling this way. You can sometimes sense a competitive vibe---and I am sensitive--so knowing others experience this was a big help. I also appreciate looking at it from the view--that I am the problem- challenge and the solution~
But I also might try the extra towels and water:devil: :laugh:
I took a Pilates-yoga today, and no one cared that I could not sustain the downward dog for more than 10 seconds. I know that is possible at other clubs. I have a passport membership with a chain health club so I can go to any location. Since being comfortable is important to me -- I will suss out locations with a mellow-er atmosphere-- which means getting there early--or during offpeak hours---I like having workouts with less people around.0 -
I like to be relatively close to someone who has already started their workout simply because I know I shouldnt stop until well after they have... and occasionally I do glance to see how long someone has been at it just to gage how far through their workout they may or may not be... so I know if I need to pick a new unwilling imaginary running partner somewhere in close proximity I can do so...
but I def. do NOT pick the machine right next to someone unless a) its my favorite (dont lie to yourself in a room full of treadmills we all have our favorites either bc of the machine itself or its location) or b) there are no more available... Im definitely not going to be the one ramping up the speed either though...
my pet peeve is the girls who jump on run at 7.0 with their long hair down... your not Farrah on the beach sweetheart so stop kidding yourself..0 -
^^ thisGive her a big smile and say "nice job!"
I'm serious. Whether you're the heavy one feeling weak or the skinny one sprinting next to a slow walker, you can easily diffuse the "competition" with a minimal show of support for whatever the other person is doing.
this is a great idea, i always get a really fit man decide to sprint a marathon or make a blur of the cross trainer next to me and subconciously start going faster until i think my legs will fall off! foolish competitive streak of mine!0 -
Give her a big old smile and say "HI! Wow you look great! How long did it take you to work up to x mph? What do you eat? How often do you work out? Let's go get a smoothie after this!"
You'll either make a new friend, or she'll never come near you again 0 -
get a similar thing at the pool- women using my lengths to pace themselves- ensuring they are always ahead of me. Last time I overheard a couple of girls counting thier lengths- I did'nt tell them that I was ten ahead of them! It p*sses me off though.0
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You get all kinds at a gym. Just do your thing. Having spent years using gyms I've learned to create a little bubble. I have come to learn how to control my pace on TM's by sticking to my training plan when someone hops onto one next to me and decides to race (usually guys). It's empowering to not give in to the urge to let their closeness affect my workout.0
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I've been having the same problem, I try to run/jog/do the best I can at the high school track, I usually go around 8:45-9 pm and it never fails, I am sweating/breathing heavy and here comes this little 120 pound high school track star, wearing her little shorty shorts.... and I feel like this huge pig... it's stupid.0
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I know when I used the gym I picked a treadmill based on it's location in the gym (i.e., in front of the windows!) because I liked to look outside while I ran on them, made running inside more enjoyable and easy for me. I would never purposely pick a treadmill right next to someone if I could avoid it though, but since I used the window (and not the TV) it sometimes happened.0
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my question is who cares?
I dont give a hoot if someone decides they wanna use the elliptical right next to me even if there are 10 more open. WHY. DOES. IT. MATTER?!
Maybe I am the odd person though. I might be the only one who thinks this way.
Also, I really could care less what the person looks like and it is no competition in my mind. People who think that are insecure. I have my favorite piece of equipment at the gym and you bet your sweet behind I wanna use it every time I go. Also I dont like using some of the machines cause some are broken and wobbly, some do not have the subtitles hooked up on the tv screens and I like to watch the tv when I work out. There are so many reasons other than ALL ABOUT YOU why someone might have chosen the machine next to you.
I dont care if its right smack dab in the middle of two people. If you wanna be alone don't go to a public gym. I have every right to run my *kitten* off on the treadmill in my shorty shorts right next to you.0
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