Exercise is better with Friends

Running a marathon is definitely better with friends.  In fact, I don't think I would have finished training for a marathon without friends- it's just so far to run with nothing but some music!  But every day exercise is much easier to get through with friends, too (especially if you find the right kind of friends.)  What are the right kind of friends?  They are the consistent ones, the ones who make you work harder, the ones that don't slow you down, the ones that are willing to try new things, the ones that are fun and outgoing!   I am not that outgoing, especially at a gym.  Rob, however, talks to all kinds of people.  He's not a chatty Cathy or anything and he has a strict rule about not interrupting people when they are exercising.  He'll talk to someone that helps spot him for a minute or he'll talk to someone while running on the treadmill next to them.  That is how I met at least one friend at the gym- he talked to her.  We saw her all the time, running her little heart out, but I never talked to her, just put in my headphones and started running.  Once Rob talked to her a couple times, though, she had to talk with me.  She actually is very outgoing.  She seems to know everyone at the gym and everyone knows her.  Since getting to know her, she has encouraged me to run longer and faster!  She cheers for me when I get my times down!
I started being more consistent with my weight training, because her and another friend I met there (she knew about soccer clubs in the area and when I was talking about it to someone, she piped up and offered me some info.) started weight training as well.  Now I make sure and get it in with them.
I started making sure I was cross training with the bike and I talked to them about it.  They decided we all needed to try out the spinning class.  I have yet to try a spinning class- they look so intimidating.  I finally went with them, Tuesday.  It was a great work out and not too hard.  You control your own resistance.  There was one lady there who has dying every time we would get up and pedal.  She would plop back down within seconds and look like she was dying.  I couldn't understand that, because  sitting was much harder on me.  When you are standing, your whole body weight is pushing down on those pedals- so, so much easier to pedal!
Today I went in late to the gym.  My two friends were just finishing up.  I sat down and talked to them for a minute and one of them told me that the spinning lady had told her that she didn't like people talking during her class.  She said, "didn't you see the looks she was throwing us?"  Personally, I think she's crazy.  I wasn't talking like crazy, because it was a hard workout, but there was some times when it wasn't that bad and I wanted to talk.  Doesn't she know that working out is easier with friends?