Thursday, April 14, 2011

Sixteen Minutes

So toward the end of another grueling workout on the elliptical machine a short while ago, I was running out of steam.  Giving myself a pep talk, I looked at the time remaining on the screen.  Sixteen minutes.   Sixteen short minutes!

I can do anything for sixteen minutes, I thought to myself.  It was at that exact moment that the smelliest, stinkiest, man came and hopped on the machine next to me.  I took a deep breath (somewhat important in exercising) and nearly choked!

Wow!  That sixteen minutes became an eternity!  Was this person trying to set a record for not showering, or did he simply live in the woods and was anti-antiperspirant?  Whatever the reason was, continuing to breath next to this smelly man was now my biggest challenge, not completing my workout.

I struggled on, counting seconds instead of minutes.  I was determined to finish.  Finally, my time was up and I escaped before being overcome with the toxic fumes.  Oh, and I did my cool down far, far away.

Have any of you ever encountered "unusual" people at the gym?

Wishing all of you a sweet smelling day!

14 comments:

  1. I did a 2 week trial at a gym back in January and yes, the people stink. Made me wonder if I did too though...

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  2. Your post made me laugh so much! <3 Yes...and it is usually the men that are the stinky ones...it is like really. I had someone so bad next to me one time. I stopped my workout and moved to another machine far away. LOL and I did not care what they thought either, you can't get the right kind of air with people like that around..ew. You could leave an anonymous bar of Zest for him at the front desk...lol.

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  3. I go to my gym when it opens at 5:30am. There's a guy who walks to the gym and when he gets there works out in jeans, a sweatshirt, and whatever jacket/coat he walked there in. Then, without showering, he walks to work.

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  4. No I have never really experience that before. I have been around guys that smell bad at deer camp though and it is rough. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  5. I was at the gym on Tuesday, and had washed my gym clothes on cold. Once I got there, I realized that "cold" might not have done the trick. I was just starting to sweat but I could already smell "something". I was paranoid the whole time, and steered clear of people. :)

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  6. Colleen, Yikes about the guy that works out in his work clothes. They would fire me if I did that... well, If I worked. :)

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  7. When I first started to read your post I thought about my own personal mantra to get through those 'last 16 minutes'...and that is "Nothing Hurts worse than being fat" But then I just started to grin about the stinky guy dilema. Wow...you have perserverence to make it through stench!

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  8. There's an earthy girl at my yoga who doesn't shave her armpits (cool, whatever, her choice) but she also doesn't wear deodorant, icky.

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  9. I have never personally encountered this, thankfully, but there is a sign at my gym telling people they might stink and to be aware of it. Lol, o.k. I can't remember the exact wording, yes, it is phrased in a slightly more delicate manner than this.
    Good on ya for getting done, I would have quit or moved, for sure, I don't do well with offensive body odor.

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  10. Offending odors aren't something I deal with very well.
    I too would have moved to a machine further away....MUCH further away!!!

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  11. LMAO- potent, eh? Hahaha! Sorry he clouded your breathing room...did it turn green like it does in the cartoons?

    TOO FUNNY!

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  12. I am new to your blog and just had a baby in March. I started a new blog to journal my own weight loss journey too.

    I used to belong to an all woman's gym and never had any stinky encounters! Thank goodness.

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  13. oh yuck lol now thats determination!

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  14. Oh this cracked me up because right now I work out at home right smack dab next to my husband who often gets rather smelly when he sweats. But the worst was a guy in cycling class once. Horrible.

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