Sucking Wind

Colleen and I joined 24 Hour Fitness in Tualatin, near work. I went this morning for a 5:30 organized workout class. 30 minutes on a resistance bike with a dozen other people (and a leader), then 30 minutes doing some aerobic weight lifting with the same group. I can't believe how bad I was on the bike. My endurance is for shit. My strength is good though. Carting around Grady and Liam has helped me keep that going.

I've never been a gym person, but I'm really excited about it. I definitely need it. My metabolism has slowed and if I want to keep eating the way that makes me happy, I need to increase my excercise. And, my body has always responded really well to weight training, so I'm looking forward to seeing results within a couple of months.

The facility is really nice -- the clientele is young, the instructors are quality, the equipment is new, and the classes are included in the low monthly fee (and are offered frequently throughout the day, from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.). The amenities, as listed on their web site:

Basketball Court, Group Cycling, Group X, Kids' Club, Pool, Pro Shop, Sauna, Steam Room, Tanning, Whirlpool.

The Kids' Club is awesome. Huge padded room with climbing structures, kid-height basketball hoops, video games and tons of kid-friendly toys. Grady and Liam are going to be pushing us to go to the gym often just so they can be in the Kids' Club. Any motivation to get me there is good.

Besides the great facility, their membership options were very flexible. There is no lock-in membership, just month-to-month (unless you want to pre-pay and save some money), and we got our monthly dues down to $22/each because we selected a plan that limits us to using the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Perfect for our schedule.