Defeated by old ladies

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre. The place where I´ve been humbled more than I can count. From the outside, it looks like a perfectly alright modern gym. It provides a pool, gym, studios for diverse sports classes, a climbing wall, and halls for collective sports. The membership will cost you £68 for three months with unlimited access, and it´s the most expensive option, so if you want to move on budget, you can pay for a different membership. But moving to the main point.

Since I´ve been an active child who attended various sports clubs and eventually stuck with volleyball, I thought I had a decent physique. My family is very active, so our weekends include cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, skiing, and more. You could say people like me are prepared for the public gym experience. You´re wrong.

Firstly, I got humbled in the gym. All the machines give you the option to work out with as many kilos as you want, and I ALWAYS have to reduce the weight. I´ll give you an example. I would go on a chess press, where I usually work out with 25 to 15 kilos. I would find it set at 40. Then I´m forced to embarrassingly put the peg all the way down to my 25 kilos. And it would happen ALL THE TIME, at EVERY machine.

Then, the old ladies' part kicks in. I go to the pool, and as I swim my one kilometre, I think to myself: Nice, I´m in good form! Only to be outswimmed by a 50-year-old woman in the next line. I would go to the spinning class, breathing like a mother in labour, just to see some chubby, likeable-looking old lady crushing the spinning choreography.

Long story short, never underestimate old people. They´re f*cking fit!

Love,

Book and Tea Girl