Saturday, September 25

A Thousand Words Paint a Picture

The worst news is that I didn't get a picture. The best news is that I am going to do my very best to "paint the picture" in your brain of what I witnessed at the gym this past week. Ready.

Go.

It is 7:07 on a Wednesday morning.
I have found "my" treadmill at the gym and have begun my run...am about 3/4 of a mile in.
When out of nowhere...a woman appears.
Wearing purple.
ALL purple.
Purple in layers...tank top, shirt, cardigan, stretchy pants, socks, etc. (NOT typical gym clothes).
She walks towards me and I know she's going to choose the treadmill next to me.
(I am a magnet for this kind of thing...to be explained next post).
Madame Purple is a very, very large woman both in height (6 ft?) and girth.
(I am only saying that because you need the picture.
I am not mocking and would never as I am well-acquainted with obesity.)
Her warm-up is benign enough...typical.
Then in go her (purple) earphones.
And the madness begins.
She puts her treadmill at an incline of about a bazillion.
Then turns around and is walking backward...up the steep incline.
I have seen incline. I have seen backwards. I don't typically see backward incline.
I especially don't see PURPLE backward incline.
So while I'm marveling at just this...
I catch out of the corner of my eye...some kind of hand motions...
Sign language.
Of course.
I look to see if she happens to have a friend who is deaf on a treadmill that would be facing her, as she is still walking backwards.
Nope.
Signing to herself.
Of course.
Purple backward incline with Sign.
My genius kicks in and I think: "Wait, she's not deaf or she wouldn't have headphones...this is just an extra talent"
I then wonder how "subtle" my staring has been to this point.
I decide, on a scale of 1-10, NOT subtle. Sorry lady. You chose my row.
I do my best to lose myself in the catchy lyrics my beautiful iPod sings to me.
I am running, I am strong. I am not distrac....
Ms. Purple has turned around.
Lowered the treadmill incline from a bazillion to zero.
Her hands are still moving.
But it is not sign language.
I happen to notice she's walking at a 24:19 min/mile pace.
It is then than I notice that her hands/arms and torso are dancing at an impressive 6:14. At least.
Of course.
Mama Purple got moves.
She is a dancin' MA-SHEEN!
I briefly (but quite seriously) consider stating the previous 2 sentences out loud. To her.
I decide against it.
I attempt to not look.
I feel angry that I'm losing the "I will NOT look" battle.
Mama Madame Purple is winning.
I decided I am "allowed" to look once every 2 minutes. With subtlety, of course.
I end up looking every 20 seconds. Or more.
I realize I am not the only Treadmillist thrown by this violet display of personal victory.
I start to wonder if I could get away with it.
We could start something, me and Mama.
Like that Josh Turner
Flashmob thing.
(ps,
this is not that video, but it will make you smile, starting at 2:27)
(pps-the 2nd video is proof that youtube is for everyone)
I get lost in that possibility for a few miles. A flashmob at the gym. Brilliant.
The possibilities...
But I am shaken from the depth of my future flashmob fantasies to see that...
The incline is again at bazillion.
And the cycle continues. For the rest of my entire run.
I ran an extra mile just to see if i could "out run" this behavior.
Near the end of that mile, Mama smiled and dismounted her treadmill.
As did I.
Goodbye my purple friend. Until next week?


PPPS-i really can't get enough of
these. Admit it...look at the faces of the people watching...it's beautiful...I love that people watching can't help but smile and that most everyone is affected in a positive way.

6 comments:

Michelle said...

I LOVE people watching at the gym. I also love flash mobs!! LOVE THEM
Have you heard of improve everywhere? http://improveverywhere.com/
They are just as enjoyable :)

Linn said...

No words.

Just absolute awe.

And a bit of jealousness that I didn't get to see such awesomeness.

Mom B said...

You painted a great picture... but I still want to see her. Maybe you can get a picture like you did of the Tai Chi man on the beach in Cabo?

red said...

that was beautiful. Seriously backward WITH hand motions? I think the purple cardigan tops it off...who wears a sweater to the gym? apparently a purple lady who dances on the treadmill.

Last time I went to the gym the girl on the treadmill in front of me who had either obviously fake or obviously awesome boobs was wearing a very tight baseball T and stretch/sweat pants that said juicy on the butt. She also had perfect hair and her work out clothes were all matchy. I counted at least ten ripped (and some very un-ripped) dudes walk past and stare at her. It helped pass the miles :)

red said...

I still think about purple pants running lady ALL the time!!!

Kim said...

I wish you got a picture.