Gym Dating

I’ve been going to the gym every other day (if not more, yay!) recently, and whenever I’m on the treadmill, I like to be able to see myself across the room in the mirror. I’m not sure what it is, I think I remember reading somewhere that if you can see yourself at the gym you work harder or burn more calories or something. All I know is that I like to watch my hair swish rhythmically in the mirror and see that as I get sore and tired, it looks that way! There’s a satisfaction in seeing a visual of my hard work (regardless that the evidence is nothing more than a sweaty face and flushed cheeks).

Between the row of treadmills are three rows of weight machines and free weight stations, so there are a number of people that wander in and out of my eye line during my workout.

Today, I realized a tall, fairly good looking guy kept glancing back at me. It took me 10 minutes, and just over a mile, to realize that it wasn’t him checking me out, so much as him trying to figure out who the girl was that kept staring at him. For as I focused on myself in the mirror, where he was lifting weights made it seem as though I was staring at him.

And that got me thinking about people who find dates at the gym. This has never crossed my mind. I always go fairly focused on what I’m doing, and as I leave, I’m most focused on getting home to get a shower. And I always assume that is the case for everyone else there.

I had one guy ask me if he could use the weight machine next to me in the circuit area. I gave him a slightly annoyed glance, and said, “Sure, no problem” with what I fear was a fairly brusque tone, thinking I have my headphones on and am trying to get in shape here, why are you bothering me? So was he trying to hit on me? My friends said yes, but I'm pretty sure they were trying to stoke the fires of my feeble ego. I was not convinced.

Does it happen? Is the gym really a place to meet people? Can you really catch someone's eye as you finish up the last few paces on the treadmill, gasping for breath, face as red as an albino after a day at the beach, sweat dripping from your elbows? Is that a sexy time?

I'm completely lacking all of the normal accoutrement that I normally employ in my siren attempts – made-up face, push-up bra, no visible sweat, an odor that leans towards middle-range perfume as compared to unwashed hippie, etc.

To be fair, my luck in love has proven about equal in and out of the gym, so it’s hard to tell if there’s really a cause and effect.