As I mentioned, my sister is now obsessed with the idea of us doing the Goofy Challenge. While I was visiting Ohio, we went to the gym together.
Side note: I’ve daydreamed about a gym with a huge theater full of quiet workout machines where people could view a movie (as though they were in a normal movie theater) and work out at the same time.
Urban Active has that! It’s real. It exists in this world, and not just my head!
One more side note: I’m going to extremely lovingly make fun of my sister in this post. But, I asked her ahead of time if I could share this wonderful story. So, it’s printed with her permission.
Before I came to visit, Caylan sent me a picture of a workout machine’s little stats area, saying she had done 5 miles. Wow. For someone who’s not a runner, starting at 5 miles is pretty darn impressive, right?
When we talked on the phone about it, she had said she did her 5 miles in an hour.
“Wow. What an incredible first-timer run. Were you tired afterward?”
“No, I felt great!”
Are you kidding me? How is my sister in such incredible shape for a brand new runner? I know she plays softball. But come on, man! It ended up coming out in our conversation that she was doing her workout on a fancy elliptical machine.
“Oh. Yeah, so that’s not the same.”
“Yeah it is, Aurora! In fact, it’s harder, because you have to push and pull the arm things.”
“Nope. It’s way easier. You’ve gotta go for a real run.”
“I did! 5 miles.”
“On the elliptical?”
“Yeah, but it’s like the same thing. Only harder.”
“Not true.”
“Completely true.”
“I’ve been on an elliptical machine before, Caylan.”
“No. This is a fancy one. It simulates running. It’s exactly the same, just easier on your joints.”
“Anything that’s ‘exactly the same, just with a qualifier’ is not exactly the same.”
“Totally the same. You’ll see.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll see. I can’t wait to visit your gym in Ohio.”
“Oh, I can’t wait either!”
Fast forward. We’re in Ohio, at the gym, meandering a little, checking it out since it’s my first time at her gym. As we’re looking around, we see this sign on the wall that says 12 times around the track equals a mile. She decides she should do a mile.
I lazily watched her go as I tried the fancy stretching machines.
She goes around and around. She gets to the end of her mile.
Her face is bright red. She’s sweating like crazy. I tell her she’s only got about 460 laps left before she’s done the Goofy Challenge.
Caylan: “I’m so tired!”
Aurora: “Huh. You mean actually running wasn’t the same as the elliptical machine? If only someone would’ve warned you…”
Caylan: “I really thought it would be the same!”
She told me later that it was two days before her legs weren’t tired anymore from that mile.
Now the progress reports she gives me are often from treadmills or the track. I like elliptical machines. I think they can be really important and a great change of pace, but they are certainly not the same as pounding that pavement!
In conclusion: My sister is hilarious.