TO GYM OR NOT TO GYM

My knees hurt just looking at this picture. Do I spot some ellipticals in the next row though?

Even before my latest "freshness" issue (okay, that sounds dirty, I'll explain in a bit) I was tossing the idea around of joining a gym. Now that running and I are no longer in the honeyman stage and are having some martial problems, I have been really dreading the winter. The cold, the dark, the rain. It's just very hard to stay motivated and get out there when it is so awful outside. There is a Planet Fitness really close to my house and I thought it might be a good idea to join so I can still stay active and not be outside.

My solution in previous years has been to go to the THPRD indoor track. At $4.50 (I think) a visit it's not cheap but was a good option for those few times a year I just couldn't get myself outside. Now that I am even more picky about when I run, that could start to add up though. Plus, it's only a track, nothing more. So running is the only option. There are other THPRD facilities with workout rooms, but at $4.50 a pop, it could really add up.

There are my people!

So, about that freshness issue lately; I've heard about this thing called Monistat been feeling really run down. I think I'm working my way toward another overtraining syndrome thing. I need to give me body, my knees in particular, a break. The two weeks off after Detroit was not enough and the recent half marathon seems to have introduced even more problems. After that race on Sunday I didn't run again until Wednesday, when I only did 5 miles. Followed that up with 3 Friday and 6 Saturday. That seemed to really kick my ass, I was physically limping yesterday and my knees actually looked swollen.

I really don't know what the fuck is going on other than I can't keep up what I'm doing. It's not only my knees, but my hamstrings were really sore too. That same "bat to the back of the knee" feeling I had last February. So I think taking some time off would be great. An entire month maybe. I don't know. I think the elliptical would be a good way to keep my cardio up in that time, plus it's way easier on my joints. Maybe I'll actually use some of the other machines and work my upper body too. I don't know.

I just know I can't go through this winter like the previous ones. I need to shake something up. My body needs a break. I have the Miami Half Marathon and the Zena Road run in late January/early February, so if I'm going to take some time off from running, now is the time. Will I pull the trigger on this gym thing? Stay tuned!