Mush!The treacherous dogs look back at me, unwilling to step out of the garage.
MUSH!
Stupid dogs! That's the last time I buy a dachshund dog sled team. Iditarod winners my butt! They are soooo going back to Lowes when the weather breaks, I unload the sled transferring supplies to the trunk of my car in a huff.
Today I creep into the gym averaging about 25mph. This is weather for caution, for once the weather folk got it right, it is icy. When I get there not a single car to be seen. I figure I'll get the gym to myself since the other
When I get in the gym Everest is there strolling on a treadmill. What's this? How bad is this storm if Everest forgoes her beloved elliptical?!
She calls out, "Who's there?" her poor vision betraying her. I identify myself and she says we might be the only two in here today and would I mind driving her over to work?
Are you kidding me?! My imaginary sled dogs won't even go out in that weather! I tell her, "It would be an honor" or something approaching noble sounding. She asks when I'll be done with my workout. I glance at the clock and tell her I think I can be dressed and ready by 7:15 if that's OK. I really don't enjoy the mental image of her sitting on some chair with her gym bag on her lap waiting for me, still I HAVE to do this workout so I'll just pick up the pace of it.
Everest fits into the Early Riser category, I have no idea how long she's already been here, probably hours.
I flip on the TVs so that I can monitor the death storm and they're too loud so I find the remote and turn them down. I'm getting sadistic pleasure out of watching those poor junior reporters they always stick out on the side of the road reporting how awful it is. I secretly pray an eighteen wheeler will roar by covering them with slush. I'm a very petty man.
I hop on the elliptical next to her and start driving my heart rate up.
Everest is positively... loquacious, causing me to wonder if weird barometric fluctuations are causing unusual changes in behaviors. She's telling me that she doesn't care to listen to the TV, she normally wears her ear-buds because it's hard to see who's around. She hopes no one thinks she's being standoffish.
I tell her I don't think so. I'm already starting to puff just a bit so it also reinforces the fact that when you come to this place it's to exercise, after awhile gab is not an option. She's not alone with the ear bud thing.
We yack about this and that and I'm trying to speed through my dynamic warm ups. I'm recognizing where she is in her routine and I'm picking up the pace of mine to reduce her wait.
A trainer comes in and a bit later a few more folks.
I'm about to get on the dread stair climber shooting for six minutes (I did it! :-)) in prep for the Friday Fun Run. I'm yakking with the trainer when Everest comes up and asks how I'm doing with the workout. I say to the trainer, "You really should hire her, she's driving me through this routine! Make her an assistant trainer or something!"
Everyone laughs but I think I embarrassed Everest a little which wasn't my intent. Whatever quirky dynamic is going on between us, the bottom line is I'm getting a better workout than I would have if our paths hadn't crossed.
While dying on the stair climber I decided to rename Everest to Assistant Trainer Everest, AT Everest for short.
I wrap up my routine and tell the trainer that I'm going to the lockers so if AT Everest comes looking for me please let her know I haven't left.
He kicks back, "I'll tell her you're slackin'" causing me to laugh.
On the drive over to work we continue to talk and she thanks me profusely for the ride. I tell her anytime.
So if you see AT Everest sans ear buds you might want to say hi, just remember to identify yourself :-)
Tomorrow the treadmill of torment - sigh.
PS: A reader writes in that 'Everest' is a better name. I thought about it and agree but I like the trainer thing too so I'm going with AT Everest and corrected the blog post :-)
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