Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2003
Dear Diary:

The trainer at my gym is in the first delirious throes of love and who amongst us does not get just a tad wistful thinking about that phase, eh?

The problem is that she's fallen for a member of the gym and whenever he shows up to workout she hovers around him to the exclusion of everyone else. They also disappear from time to time into the stretch room for some quality pressybody kissyface. Monday when I went to do some stretching I almost walked in on them. If sneakers could squeal like car tires, mine would have as I backpedaled out of that doorway as fast as I could.

And lest you think we're talking teenagers here, these are two people in their late 20's, early 30's.

Wednesday is her day off, so our paths didn't cross today, but they will again on Friday. I would like some advice.

The thing is, I count on my trainer to get me through a few segments of my workout. If my friend Glen's not there, I need for her to be my spotter, my safety net as I handle heavy weights. I have my skull crushers up to 45 pounds now and I'm benchpressing 80 pounds. These are substantial weights and if I lose control of them, I will give myself such an owie.

But the thing with strength training is that you have to push yourself to muscle exhaustion, to failure, if you hope to gain strength. The only way you can do that is if you have someone you trust to catch the bar that final time when you just can't move it any more.

I can back off on my workouts, but if I do I won't get nearly the payoff I get now and that frustrates me.

I'm thinking there are several ways to handle this.

Door Number One. I can confront her, just tell her that while her behaviour would have been entirely appropriate in oh, say, Grade Nine, it's pretty unprofessional. I can try to do this with humour, but I know the odds are good I will end up antagonizing her. I flinch thinking about that.

Door Number Two. I can just switch my workout time -- Romeo usually shows up mid-morning when I do, so I can shift to a time when he's not around, come in earlier. That avoids the need to call her on her behaviour, but it inconveniences me. Maybe inconvenience is a small price to pay for continued goodwill between us and a safe workout for me.

Door Number Three. I could complain to the management that she's not doing her job for the two hours or so he's hanging around. This isn't an option I would ever use because I know how much she needs this job. I'm not sure, though, that everyone at my gym feels the same way. She may end up getting ratted out and she could very well lose her job. Hrm.

Advice. What's I'm looking for here is advice.

First off, am I over-reacting? Should I just avert my eyes and hope in a few weeks the lust in the dust settles down?

If you don't think I am over-reacting, have you been in a similar situation before, say, at work? Have you used Door Number One (confrontation) or Door Number Two (avoidance) and has it worked out?

Do you have suggestions I have not thought of, new, improved doors?

Help me out here. I'd really 'preciate it.

--Marn

Mileage on the Marnometer: 379.21 miles (610.3 kilometers) Ten percent there rubber duck.Ten percent there rubber duck.Ten percent there rubber duck.Ten percent there rubber duck. Half way smoochTen percent there rubber duck.Ten percent there rubber duck.
Goal for 2003: 500 miles - 804.5 kilometers

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