Run, Girl, Run

One of my favorite past times in college is making the age-old trip to the Colvin Recreation Center. It is something that I dread doing, but it is a necessary evil. My biggest issue with the Colvin is the traffic that accumulates. Being fit is totally hip right now for college students. I feel like the only time I don't have to wait for a machine is on Game Day and Thursday nights.

There are a few people you run into at the Colvin. The most frequent visitors are the 'gazelles.' Those are more likely to be women, but a guy sneaks in every now and then. Basically a 'gazelle' is the person beside you on the elliptical/treadmill/stair stepper/bike who is going so fast, you are concerned they will fly off the machine. It is literally like watching a gazelle run from a pack of lions. Personally, I work out at the pace of an extinct do-do bird, meandering along at a 2.5 on a 0 incline. I can't help but wonder how someone is able to keep this up for 45 minutes. I am winded and ready for a nap after only 20 minutes of my workout... But gazelles.... Well the gazelles live for the hour of running with the lions.

Another character you might see at the Colvin is the busy-body. This person usually has head phones in one ear, a book out studying, and their iPhone cranked up on loud so they can take that super important phone call. I am completely fine with the multi-tasking until the actual phone call comes through. Side note: I hate extra noise when I am working out. Conversations, phone calls, extra music that is playing over the sound system, etc. With that being said, when that phone call comes through and the busy body answers, my skin crawls. There is nothing worse than trying to work out and listen to Dr. Phil on the TV with the extra noise from your Chatty Cathy neighbor. They never have a quiet voice, and always find a need to talk to the person on the other line for the next 15 minutes. I would like to make the friendly recommendation to leave the phone in the car. If you must bring it in, please keep it on vibrate... Only converse using texts. And if something can't wait, exit the building to avoid annoying your fellow work-outers. This might be the only time they can watch Dr. Phil! Think about it.

The final person I would like to discuss is the wishy-washy-work-outer. They are truly harmless, but might cause a distraction if you naturally watch people as a hobby. I am a self-proclaimed people watcher thanks to Joe Jones. Basically this is the scenario... I am watching Dr. Phil and working out at a moderate pace. I notice the person in front of me get on a machine. They have an odd color of workout pants, so I make a note and carry on with the "Cheaters" edition of Dr. Phil. About 3 minutes later, odd pants is getting off the machine... And moving to a different one. They start working out again. I begin to wonder if that was their plan or if they got bored or perhaps they decided biking was more efficient then running... Then about 3 minutes later they are on the stair stepper next to you. At this point Dr. Phil has lost all significance and your sole concentration is on this flippy flopper who can’t make up their mind!

Top 5 Cons about the Colvin Center

5. Too much to do, not enough time. The Colvin is a three story building crammed with almost anything you need. Indoor pool, outdoor pool, simulation golf, cardio, dance studio rooms, basketball/volleyball courts, racquetballs courts, weightlifting, track, ping pong, table pool, and I am sure I missed some. It is incredible the endless possibilities in that building… But I have only utilized maybe three things in the above list. I just don’t find time to go over and use the recreation part… I only do fitness. This is not good seeing as my fees are being used generously to make sure the volleyballs are aired and the pools have chemicals!

4. TV stations. I have never had a problem with the TV stations until about two weeks ago. Back in the separated room with cardio equipment, there used to be great generic stations. Now one of the TVs is set to TV Land. Black and white, old shows. Not exactly the motivating show I need. Shows either need to pump me up or distract me from the constant motto running through my brain while in the Colvin—“Am I done yet?” TV Land shows don’t motivate me; in fact, they are the exact opposite. They make me want to leave, so hopefully the Colvin will change that soon!

3. Spin Class. AKA boot camp on a bike. I have never actually partaken in this class, but I sometimes work out while the class is going on. Let me tell you, they aren’t playing over there. I bet Lance Armstrong would have trouble keeping up on the stationary bike. You know it’s bad when you are cranking up the levels on your treadmill because her screams are just terrifying that you forget you are not on a bike OR in the class… You don’t have to follow her instructions.

2. Germ Prevention. I know you might judge me for this, but it’s the truth. I don’t clean my machine off with the wipes. Before you exit out of my blog and deem me as an unfit person who has no respect for a clean and healthy lifestyle, let me explain. I believe the wipes are a great thing for those who sweat profusely, or sneeze on their machine, or touch it constantly while working out… BUT I do none of the above. I push the buttons to start it, and then walk. I don’t sweat very much, and when I do, I don’t wipe it off onto the machine. There is no more going on between the machine and I then what I would do with a door knob or even the keyboard I am typing with in a computer lab. You don’t see wipes around every public place where common germs are spread… So in MY case, I don’t believe wasting a wipe (go green) is necessary. The rumor is that the Colvin Center cleans the machines on the hour, and that is good enough for me!

1. No Diet Coke allowed. Diet Coke is my water, so working out leaves me really parched with nothing to extinguish it with until I’ve exited the building. Thank goodness Quench Buds is only a few minutes away! Jumbo Diet Coke, please!

You may be wondering, “Cameron, this is a Greek blog… Where the heck is the Greek in this post?!” Touché dedicated reader, but don’t fret… I have a Greek shout out. I can remember about three semesters back when one of my sisters proposed an interesting idea. In her opinion, the Colvin was the best place to do PR outreach. She thought it would be an awesome idea to make a t-shirt. (In Greek World, t-shirts are solutions to many of our dilemmas.) T-shirt Idea=[Greek House Here] <3 the Colvin. “Make it a frat tank!” she cried. The entire time I stare at her while mulling the idea in my head. My sister has a good point, the Colvin is a good place to rock your letters, BUT making a specific t-shirt may be overkill. The next time you go into the Colvin, look around at the shirts your peers wear. I am willing to bet at least a third of the people are wearing some kind of letters. Greeks love wearing letters because that is all they have in their t-shirt wardrobe. This is painfully obvious at the Colvin when a t-shirt is a must. I think IFC and Panhellenic should consider incorporating the Colvin into Greek Week… We could all use a little ‘healthy competition.’ =)

PS- I completely support and endorse the use of the Colvin for both fitness and recreational uses. It is a wonderful facility with great staff. Live it, love it. Go health!