Friday, February 27, 2009

Winter Will Not Leave!

Photo Courtesy of KARE-11
Wednesday's Workout: 3 miles on TM, 3/15 Abductors and Adductors

We had a mess of a snow storm yesterday. Between 4-8" were dropped in just a matter of hours. I decided to skip the gym yesterday in an attempt to get home before it got worse. It took me about 2 hours to get home but I figure that was good compared to what it could have been.

This morning I woke up and it was 2 degrees outside. Winter really seems to be overstaying its welcome this year. We are supposed to be in the 20s this weekend so at least a little bit of a warm up...but still below average. I'm hoping I'll at least get a gym workout in this weekend with class and everything.
I've also decided to give up pop (coke, soda, soda pop, whatever you call it) for Lent. This has created the return of some horrible migraines. I used to get rid of them via a nice Diet Coke. Now...I've got nothin. I tried a chocolate bar today and that just made me feel guilty instead of relieved of the pain. I don't usually carry tylenol on me but I may have to for the next 40 or so days.

Also going to pass on this message from my NF marathon coordinator:

Always wanted to run the Boston marathon? Know someone affected by NF? Willing to fundraise a little? Contact debbi@run4nf.org Only 5 spots available. Transportation and lodging will be responsibility of runner.Know someone who might be interested, pass it on.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Salt in the Wound

Run Distance: 3 miles, Run Time: 30 minutes, Eliptical Distance: 2 miles, Eliptical Time : 20 minutes, 150 crunches

Just want to give a quick Thank YOU to all of you who have been supporting me lately. I appreciate it!!

Anyways...yesterday I aimed for 6 miles and ended up chopping that in half and adding the eliptical. I was doing well in the beginning but I have a lame excuse this time as to why I didn't complete. The gym was warm and I was sweating up a storm. Actually it involves a little more than that...let me explain. Living up here in the North Land has torn my skin up. This weekend I was outside in 11 degree temps that really felt like the negatives because of a slicing wind. I wasn't just out there a few minutes either, it was almost the whole day. So...my legs are really really chapped and sweat makes them sting like you are pouring salt into an open wound. I made it to 3 miles before the sweat dripping in my eyes and stinging my legs was enough. I hopped off, wiped off, and got on the eliptical. For some reason the eliptical doesn't make me sweat near as much as running so I was a little better off there.

I am starting to lean towards completing that goal of running the Twin Cities Marathon this fall. I realized that my class load won't be horribly bad during the training months and I think I will miss it otherwise. I still have a few months to decide though.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Another 6 for the record

Run Distance: 6 miles Run Time : 59 minutes

Yes...I ran another 6 last night and it felt amazing. I think that my running groove is finally coming back. Actually I think it will really kick in once the nice weather returns. Yesterday it was 2 degrees when I woke up. That is just not right. Anyways, it is supposed to get into the upper 30s early next week. Just have to blast through this weekend with the 20s. Actually the weather I'm really looking for is near the 50s or 60s so I can at least run outside!! I've seen way too many ice accidents to actually dare run out there right now.

I will be travelling to Colorado in a couple of weeks...yay! I was thinking about doing a race out there but it appears that the only one I can find is in Fort Collins which is a little too far from where we will be staying. Maybe I will at least a few nice runs in anyways.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Rant on Anytime Fitness-Roseville

Okay, so I was convinced. After reading Chris's blog Gym Rant today, I decided to cave and do my ranting. (By the way, Chris your comments aren't working!)

So where do I even begin?

I had been a member of Anytime Fitness-Roseville for 18 months. For the most part, I was getting what I paid for. During peak times you usually had to deal with small annoyances like dirty bathrooms and/or broken equipment. They got a new manager and those things started to lighten up even more. Well, then I needed to sign a new contract because my 18 months were up. Here is where I went from a somewhat satisfied customer to an angry customer.

When I approached the manager, I told her that I wanted to sign my boyfriend up along with me. I told her that he would be going to the Anytime Fitness in Rogers (45-55 min away) and asked her if it was possible or if we should sign up there. She told me that I could sign both of us up at Roseville and that Andy would be $25. She told me that I would just need his credit card info, address, and all that. I got the credit card info from Andy and went in to sign up on January 8th (this date will become important).

I was suprised when I went into her office and she had two contracts laid out but figured maybe Andy's was just an addendum to mine (I was under the assumption that he was supposed to go onto my contract). Anyways, she filled mine out, charging me for a 39.00 fee for the access card that I had already paid when I became a new member. I asked her about it and she said that they moved over to a "deposit" system and that I would get it back when I was done with my contract. I said, "ok", still confused and went on. She never gave me another access card so this whole process was confusing to me. Technically, I should have either not been charged this fee or I should have received another access card. We will discuss my debate over this with her later...

Anyways, so then she says "okay well you can just go...I will fill Andy's contract out later". I left all of Andy's information with her and left. It wasn't until after I left that it dawned on me that Andy would probably need a copy of his contract. And he would probably want to know how much he was charged. I told him I would get this from her the next week (as I had class the next day).

Andy checked his account that weekend and discovered that Anytime Fitness had charged him the same amount that they charged me. This was wrong on mulitple levels. First, he should have been charged $25.00 plus the extra admin fees which would still come under the amount I was charged. Second, if they charged him the same amount as me thinking that they were charging him full rates, then I was charged a rate that would coincide with a brand new member. I would think as an existing member I wouldn't be charged the extra fees. What is the point of an existing member staying with the club then?

Anyways, that weekend we went to Rogers Anytime to work out. The manager there was really friendly and told us that we really should be signed under his club because between the two of us we would be there more. I transferred my membership but Andy's was still pending. (She had told me that she would call Anytime-Rogers to activate his access card but never did so). Another thing that the manager at Rogers told us was that she lied to us about the fact that our insurance would still credit other Anytime locations. That is not true. If you go to an Anytime Fitness that is not your own, it does not count towards your insurance rebate. The manager at Rogers told us to get Andy's contract and transfer him over.

Anyways, so I went back to Roseville to get a copy of Andy's contract. I brought it home to Andy and he immediately realized that his signature had been forged. She had actually signed his contract! I had wondered how she was going to start a new membership without him actually being there...and now I figured out what she had in mind. Not only that, but she had signed the date as 1/9/09. The day that Andy's brother died and also not the day that I was in Anytime Fitness.

Andy was pretty peeved. He decided that he just wanted to go on to my contract. He called up the Rogers Manager and asked him how he should go about that. The Rogers Manager told him that he needed to cancel his contract at Roseville and start new at Rogers. So, Andy sent me back in to talk to Roseville.

The manager at Roseville told me that I should just have Andy transfer to Rogers and deal with it there. I told Andy this and he decided to call Corporate. Corporate told him that they would get in touch with the owners of Anytime Roseville and have them call Andy. Instead of the owners calling Andy, the manager called him. She told him that I had signed his contract and that I was in there on the 9th! This part really boils my skin. I mean if you are going to lie, why did she have to lie about that date?! This caused Andy to call me in the middle of the day to question whether I was lying or whether she was. Obviously he sided with me but still needed my validation. Anyways, the whole thing just furiates me because she lied about a date that is very sensitive. I wasn't at Andy's side until late that night because I had to deal with class matters (it was the first weekend of class and I needed to discuss the matter with the teacher). I was not at the gym and DEFINETLY not forging his signature!!

Anyways, she eventually cancelled his contract. But the fact of the matter is that she continued to lie to him through the whole thing. That and she told me that she couldn't deal with my mischarge of the access card thing because I had transferred. And she tried to tell me that she gave me an access card when she clearly didn't. Actually, she almost didn't give me one for Andy and I had to ask for it before I left. She told me that the deposit was only for members of their club and that I would not get it back even if I turned my access card in to her. So basically you have to leave their club at the end of your contract or you lose money.


Anyways, I will still use the Anytime Roseville location because they are close to my work. BUT...I refuse to give them my money. My money will reside with Anytime Rogers, at least for the next 18 months. Then I may be leaving Anytime Fitness entirely.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

6 mile Excitement

Distance: 6 miles Time: Somewhere just under 60 minutes

I never thought I'd say this...but I'm so excited that I finished 6 miles yesterday! I'm still trying to face the reality that somehow I let go of the 26.2 mileage base I had behind me in October. But it is best to focus on the positive...I finished 6 miles yesterday!! Anyways, I set out to do the usual 3 I've been doing. Then midway through I decided that I was getting real sick of those 3 milers. I decided I was going to run 6, despite the fact that the treadmill cuts off at 45 minutes. I stopped it at 4 miles and then restarted it so that I could avoid the "dreadmill jolt" (the jolt you experience when the treadmill decides to suddenly stop for a cool down without you telling it to).

You may also see a "venting" post soon about Anytime Fitness-Roseville. I'm debating on whether this is a good idea or not. I could just highly suggest any Minnesotans who read this to avoid becoming a member there if at all possible. Their business practices are not only highly illegal but very inconsiderate.

Anyways, yay for 6 miles!!! Hopefully this will help start the running season around the corner!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Decisions, Decisions

Yesterday's workout went well. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and then hopped on the eliptical for an additional 20 minutes. I would have been on the eliptical longer but an old stinky guy kept tooting next to me and I couldn't handle the smell any longer.

I've been thinking a lot about my New Years Goal of running the Twin Cities Marathon this summer. I'm starting to think I should maybe revise that goal for the sake of sanity. I really want to finish my Masters degree as soon as possible. The only way to do that is to double up on classes while still keeping my full time job. Well, if I decide to continue to run TCM, I could find myself with no sleeping time when I need to run 18 miles.

That and I'm kind of wishing I could just run a bunch of 5ks and 10Ks and maybe a half marathon here and there this summer. I think that would really be the best to help heal this tendonitis in my knee.

However, registration for the Twin Cities Marathon isn't until April. I have some time to think about this. I have realized that if I don't sign up for it, I might really regret it as well. I get this wierd jealousy when I see other people training for the marathon I want to run. Kansas City was a good marathon to run, but I was still bummed that I had missed out on the Twin Cities. But I could always run it next year when classes start to sizzle out a little more. I don't know. Two months to decide.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

I Feel Great

Or at least that is what I keep telling myself. I am trying to keep a cold at bay but I don't know whether my psychological experiment is working. I have yet to get the snifflies but I do have a horrid sore throat.

Yesterday I had an amazing workout despite the throat soreness. I did 3 miles on the eliptical and then hit another 3 on the treadmill, followed up by a little big of abductor/adductor weightlifting. This may have helped to keep my sinuses empty and my throat sore.

Anyways, I am cruising along hoping for another good workout tonight. We'll see how it goes :-)

Monday, February 9, 2009

Rain!

This is how odd Minnesota is sometimes. We were in the negatives just weeks ago and today...rain! Now it hasn't downpoured or anything yet...but I was sprinkled on. I am quite happy with the temps these days. Although, I have yet to run outside.

Andy arrived home on Saturday after a week long trip in Florida. He brought evil germs back here with him. So I have a sore throat today.

But on with the GOOD running news!! I got two runs in this weekend! I ran on Friday for 4.5 miles and on Saturday for 3 miles. Woohoo!

Anyways, I'm hoping that maybe a good workout at the gym tonight might help fight the cold that Andy tried to pass off to me. We'll see.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Hello Sunshine!

Get this...it is almost 40 degrees here today in Minnesota. It's a miracle. Although, sadly, I haven't ran outside for the following reasons a) There is still ice on the roads and sidewalks and b) My knee isn't quite up to it.

I got some eliptical action in this week. Nothing really exciting. I haven't had a whole lot of time to spend in the gym because I'm watching Andy's dog, Duke. Duke is a mix between German Shepherd and Husky and so it is best not to leave him too long in the house by himself.

Anyways, I'm hoping that I get some better runs in next week. I still say "hoping".