As The Treadmill Turns...

Chapter 1.
Tumultuous. Treacherous. Turbulent. Words that describe the toxic relationship with the big, gray Mr. T. He can be cold. Distant. Unyielding. Matter-of-fact and rigid; a total machine. For as many buttons as he has, he likes to push mine. But then he can be so deceptive; his big, strong arms outstretched for me to come closer: "Come on up here, Karen, I've been waiting for you. I knew you'd come back."

That's what I hear underneath the whirring and hum of his torso. I hate him. I need him; the frigid temperatures outside keep me coming back for more. What to do?

Confession. These days when I'm spending most of my time with Mr. T, I'm afraid to admit...I close my eyes and think of other machines. There, I said it. I shouldn't do it, but I can't help it. For so long I had this relationship with Mr. Elliptical - Eli I call him for short. I know he's mad at me for leaving him so suddenly, with no explanation, hardly even a good-bye. He tries to be a sly about it, but I see him looking at me from across the commercial-grade carpet.

"I thought we had a good thing going, Karen?," Eli silently mouths to me so Mr. T doesn't hear.

"I did too," I whisper under my breath, "But sometimes your goals change, you know? You have to get out there and get out of your comfort zone, stretch your legs, push yourself."

I thought it would be less painful with a clean break, at least for now. I told him we could be friends, and that didn't go over well.

"It just hurts because I see you everyday...you have to walk right past me to get to...him. What's he got that I don't have, huh? What!?!"

Snap, snap.
Ok, so clearly you can see the treadmill begets boredom for me and you're getting a peek into my efforts to self-entertain. Silly, I know. My mind drifts, as my legs are moving, but I'm going nowhere. Well, call it a lack of sunshine, or the spandex-overload cutting off the circulation to my brain.

I have been wearing a lot of spandex.

Well, I hope to add Triumphant to my list of descriptors. All this can only mean one thing - it's time I get a new iPod playlist, don't you think?