Friday, December 05, 2008


WHAT'S IN YOUR GYM BAG?
No, this isn't mine, but it was pretty cute. My point here today is all the stuff I carry every day, some to work out with, and some I need for my other life.
I always think of the post Kona Shelley wrote a couple of years back about her 100 pound gym bag she lugs every day. Today I think I surpassed that.
It always helps to pack your stuff the night before, but it gets to be such a chore I can hardly bring myself to come home, haul it into the house, unpack it, and then repack it immediately. I need time to decompress from all that stuff! And its particularly more challenging when you're involved in multisport--shoes for spinning, shoes for running, flip flops for the pool (and shower), heart rate monitor, toiletries, underwear, clothes for spinning/running, swimsuit, pilates/yoga, or weights, etc. Whew! I get tired just thinking of all that stuff.
So there I am this morning, madly stuffing all of the above stuff and then some into my gym bag, and finally get the bag jam packed and zipped, only to discover I had forgotten my makeup bag, my running shoes, and my underwear. I knew I couldn't fit one more thing in that bag and would be lucky to even be able to carry it, so I had to go to another bag and stuff that full besides!
The next challenge of course is getting all that stuff into the car and then a little later into the gym all in one haul. Of course along with the gym bag/s, I also have my lunch, which is as big as a picnic basket (when you're gone all day, including breakfast, and sometimes doing 2 workouts in a day, you just need your snacks!), my clothes for work on hangers, my purse (also jammed packed with snacks that don't fit into the lunch bag--and which my kids say resembles a bowling bag), and last but not least is the hot coffee. And then try to get all that into the building which requires one hand free to use the access card and shlepp all that stuff into the gym without dropping it! And of course then there's the old man at the gym who thinks I'm afraid of him (no, actually, I really don't like you!) and wants to make an issue of that every time I see him, while I'm trying to hustle all my stuff into the locker room before either my arms rip out of their sockets, or something falls and I have to bend over to pick it up, or get scalded with the hot coffee!
I really consider all that one workout for the day. Everything else after that is a cakewalk!

11 comments:

E said...

Packing up the gym bag sounds like a big workout all by itself! :) Have a great weekend!

Fe-lady said...

There's a little man that lives in my workout bag who tangles my ipod and hair dryer cords.....
and uses all my lotion too!

:-0

chia said...

It's an awful shame they don't rent lockers at your place. It would be so cool to keep the staples there and only have to bring the "washables" with you.

Hello :-)

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I remember that drill and still have gym bags and backpacks with old shampoo, swim goggles, granola bars, Runners World magazines and the like, tucked in various corners of my closets. Sometimes cleaning out an old bag is too daunting, so I simply move on to a new one.

I think a cute doggie would be nicer to haul around, quite frankly. I must make a mental note about that.

Born To Endure said...

I haven't swam since before IMFLA until this week. Of course when I got to the pool I had NO shampoo, no conditioner, no body wash..thank god I could get some from someone else. I have to remember my routine. I pack my bag, then I lay in bed going through my head "what did I forget"..LOL

Calyx Meredith said...

A gym bag CART is what we need. Or a cute minion to follow us around and lug our gear. I'm not sure that furry guy in the picture would be much use!

Marlene said...

I have a hard enough time packing my gym bag for one workout in the evening when I am NOT going straight to work after. Kudos to you!

Unknown said...

Which gym bag? My bike pannier? My swim bag? My "gym" gym bag?

I have bags-o-plenty each with different stuff...

IronWaddler said...

I am with Lisa--Which bag??

Lily on the Road said...

OMG Vickie, you made me laugh!

You do pack a lot of stuff!

jeanne said...

good god i'm exhausted just reading that!

i used to drag everything with me, and then i hit on the bright idea of going to the gym earlier...and coming home to shower and dress and eat! it helps that my gym is only 5 min from home.

I still manage to forget stuff though.