Oh she's new? Send her to the treadmill.

I joined a gym in Lima, that's what's uuuup!

Yeah, I know, maybe I shouldn't be too proud of myself. It took me longer than two months to get around to it. But I'm so glad I did. I've been known to say I like the benefits of exercise, but not the actual act of exercising. Well never again! Ok, no, that's a lie. I'll definitely say it again. But you will know the truth.

Mostly, it's like any gym I've ever been too. Machines, weights, trainers.

But there were some things that seemed peculiar to me:

a) The trainer measured my muscles when we were doing the little weigh-in thing at the beginning. Is that normal? Am I expecting to be all butch in two months?

b) There was a few pictures on the wall with huge sweaty guys bulked up on steroids and non-muscley but equally sweaty women in tiny bikinis. What exactly are they trying to instill there? Intimidation? Low self-esteem? False hope? Actually, I personally find the incredible hulk look in guys a little repulsing. Where are the women who think that's attractive?

c) The trainer (Edwin) just threw me right in there, with no tour, no speech about safety, no spotting, and no breathing instruction. What if I hadn't already known to exhale with effort and inhale with release? Disaster!

d) They kept saying they'd see me tomorrow, even though I kept trying to explain that I definitely could not come tomorrow. And where did they get the idea that I could?

My knees hurt, and I felt very light-headed at one point, but it was good. A good life decision. (Yes! I do make them on occasion.)

And the gym was almost totally empty, so I was only hit on very briefly by one guy. Which had been a major concern I had about going there. Considering who I am (American girl) and where I was (Peruvian place where people usually wear tiny clothing) I didn't think once was that bad. I'm on the treadmill: "Are you just going at 5? " Me: "Yes. The trainer put it on for me." He says something about how he runs at 7 or 8. I respond a couple times, trying to look busy. "So you've never run at 16 then? That's the fastest it goes." Oh really, you've gone that? Take me now! He precedes to go up to to the machine in front of me, run at a moderate speed for about 2 minutes, and then get off. So impressive. Oh dear, silly boys.

Dani, you're all sweaty and gross in that picture up there, no one wants to see that!

Them's the breaks if you wanna read this blog, kiddos.

And also, that's nothing. I look way redder and worse than that when I'm actually exercising.