Travel Pass

Earlier this month, I visited my parents in deep South Texas. Yes, there is life south of San Antonio.  And guess what? They have a whole lot more than other metropolitan places and stuff are much cheaper.

But this blog isn't about comparing amenities. It's about my experience at Gold's Gym with a Travel Pass.

In Austin, I know my surroundings.  As a "travel guest," I am new to an environment.

I enter Gold's Gym and ask if I could use my RF tag to check in or if I need to use the travel pass. The young lady behind the counter tells me that I need to use the travel pass. She quickly completes an index card with all my information and checks me in.  I was then set free to roam the gym.

Of course "roam" is an understatement.  Let me explain. The gym in Austin's north location is perhaps 10,000 sqft big. The gym in Mission, Texas is maybe a quarter of the size. The majority of the equipment are weight-based--meaning, I have to physically add my desired weights onto the equipment.

Although the cardio is upstairs, similar to the Austin location, the selection and variety is limited.  The gym does, however, carry equipment to work the abs that other Gold's Gyms don't offer, which was a total plus. And unlike other Gold's Gyms I've visited, they have tanning capsules.

Being a visitor, I was a bit intimidated using the weight machines, so I mostly focused my workout to cardio and abs.  So, in a way, my workout during my visit to the Valley was far from being intense.

Regardless, I did manage to spend an hour using their equipment and coming out feeling fulfilled. The staff was friendly, and the location was convenient--however, beware of traffic when exiting.

Before 5 o'clock

The best time to go to the gym is before five o'clock in the afternoon.  That's if you despise people. 

You can basically fart without offending the person next to you.  Lifting 30 pounds on a circuit won't be as embarrassing.  More importantly, walking back to your car after working out a full 45 minutes isn't challenging.

Sad, isn't it.  Parking two rows from the entrance has caused us dismay and frustration.  What's next?  The water fountain at the far right corner of the gym?  Oh, wait.  That's already the case.

Before the legislative session ended, I decided to leave the office a few hours early.  Early being 1:30 in the afternoon.  Hey, it was Memorial Day, and I was just a few people in the office.

When I got there, I was able to park one row from the entrance.  All the equipment was available to me.  Circuits were sparsely used.  I was actually able to do three sets of each circuit weights.  Yes, my mom, who has bragged to do more, would be proud of my achievements.

Nonetheless, I was able to do cardio and circuits and cardio and circuits.  I was feeling great achieving so much before 4 pm. 

30 pounds

Perhaps it wasn't such a bright idea to avoid the gym for a week.  My muscles were becoming achy and my legs restless.

I, however, have a good excuse.  The state's legislature was wrapping up their business and I needed to stay late and watch whether the bills we were tracking would pass.  Needlesstosay, our good governor decided to call the elected representatives back to the Capitol and finish their business within another 30 more days. 

But this post isn't about politics. It's about me avoid the gym for the week and the struggle it was to get back into the routine.

I left early from work on Wednesday to try and put in an hour and a half of cardio and circuits.  Yes, an hour and a half may not sound like a "routine."  However, for someone who is as petite as myself and who lacks upper body strength, it is a struggle.  Okay, I'm over-exaggerating, but I need to in order to keep you interested in this blog.

So, working out has become a sort of a job.  You perform well, you'll see results.  For me, I haven't seen any results except now I'm HWP rather than hwp.  I do have to admit that my upper body strength has improved.  I can now lift up a cooking pan without problem.  Don't ask how big the cooking pan is.

One thing I did worry about when getting back into the routine was that I would not be able to lift 30 pounds--stop laughing!-- but I did.  I actually lifted a little more.

Now the goal is to continue this throughout the summer.  I'm thinking one hour each day.  Maybe more.

Although I am planning a trip to the Valley to visit friends and family in the next couple of weeks, I need to make it a point to visit the gym at least an hour.  Oh, but the food in the Rio Grande Valley is soooooooo goooood!  This will definitely be a struggle.