Atletika

I joined a gym this week (called Atletika), since as I said previously, I am planning to attempt to run the half marathon in Riga. Its right down the street from my house and despite the fact that their are only two treadmills it seems like a good decision. From walking around in Riga you can tell that the women here are very fashionable, well this hold true at the gym as well. I wore a UW t-shirt and exercise pants and listened to my i pod. I thought since they all know I am foreign anyway why try to hide it. I not only got looked up and down by every designer wearing stick thin Latvian I got looks like what the heck are you doing here. Lets just put it this way people here don't join gyms to lose weight they join gyms as a status thing. I saw girls walking on treadmills with faces full of makeup and bright white tennis shoes that have never touched the pavement.....as I am sitting there next to them sweating up a storm, with pit stains in my non-designer shirt. It was absolutely a circus show as people pretended to work out while staring at themselves in the mirror. I mean I know gyms in the US are probably like this as well, its just sometimes living in a society where everyone judges you on how you dress I would like for once not be thought of a frumpy unstylish foreigner. But I figure at least I am getting my money's worth..by getting a work out and hopefully being able to run the half marathon in May.