As if this year hasn’t been tough enough on everyone and incredibly hard on small business, gyms are more than likely to see another shutdown before year’s end. I can’t even! Literally, I can’t even process the impact this is having on the fitness community. When I think of the blood, sweat, and tears that have made many a fitness enterprise and the community they serve, it breaks my heart to see their efforts reduced to what we face today. Covid-19 has hit the fitness community as many others where it hurts the most. It has forced many into insolation, abandonment, evacuation, migration, and that’s only the physical effects. God help us, we still have to struggle with the affects of any and all of those decisions. I’m not one for lamenting or crying over spilt milk but man this is a doozy of a year. I’m ready to fly away somewhere, anywhere, where there’s just ordinary people living ordinary lives in a natural setting somewhere. I’m not even fussy, only let me have the ocean nearby please.
🧡VACCINES🧡
Before the calm must come the storm so while we might be in for a tough few weeks heading into the new year, there’s a silver lining out there with the vaccines that are due out next month on a limited basis. Who would have ever thought that word would elicit excitement much less two orange hearts! How times have changed. I know some are wary, and for sure many have their own opinions about it, but I encourage you to do your research in order to be armed with the best information to empower your choices. While you do so the facts remain that we need to mask up and follow proper social distancing and hand washing protocols to remain safe and to provide that same benefit to others. All things considered, and there remains a lot to be considered, that’s not such a bad deal after all. We are blessed to be here.
🧡GYMS🧡
On another note, and I’m all over the place with all that’s going on, I’ve been so perturbed about the gyms because I’m an avid gym goer, or at least I was up to March of this year, and I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back in there safely. I’ve also had my reservations about wearing a mask and working out. I’m sure that’s not on anyone’s list of ten things to do, but I really have to just get over it already. Some people have bigger issues and here I am stressing over masking up to exercise. Some people have no sense of priorities! I should be so grateful that I even have that choice and, the truth is I really am so enough with my whining. Of more import is another issue I’ve been grappling with, where shall I go? With all the restrictions in place and the changes to gym schedules and basic programming, I’m suddenly at a loss as to what to do. In fact, I’m not even sure if crossfit is an option right now. But I figure it’s more important to get back in at some level and figure out the rest after. These are different and challenging times, it’s certainly expected that I’d be a bit confused. That said, I’m in the process of working out a location that’s easily accessible and a bit versatile. No surprise that the pickings are rather few. We’ll just have to see how that goes.
🧡NEW YORK🧡
In the past 10 years, I’ve never been away from the gym for more than a week, two max when it was for a vacation. Y’all, it’s been eight months! The human spirit is resilient as heck and we often don’t give ourselves enough credit for bouncing back from incredible setbacks and difficult and trying situations. This year has certainly been all that and it remains to be seen how things progress here on. I remain hopeful though. New Yorkers are a tough bunch and while each city and state, and certainly every country, has had its own unique challenges to face in this pandemic, New York City has kicked some serious Covid ass. I’m praying that when the dust settles, amidst all the loss and grief of those we lost, we fill find that most of us are still standing, running, working, eating and drinking, gyming—my own word, busy living life and fighting for every part of this big apple we call home.
runningwithfaith 