One of the things I was thinking and dreaming about was to locate a gym where I might able to get back into my personal groove and regain a certain level of fitness I'd lost over the last year or two.
My life had become pretty discombobulated there for a time and I'm afraid I had more or less lost my way.
Maybe you think I was kidding about staring into space, but I wasn't. Thank God for my friend Kathy who pretty much listened to me bounce between various plans on a daily basis...if this... then I could do a, b or c... if that, then I could maybe do a but definitely not b or c, possibly e, f or g...
You get my drift.
I wasn't sure what end was up most of the time.
So. I just could not find the time to get my weary body over to the gym. I know... I know... I know. The picture would have seemed brighter with a few endorphins rolling around in my brain... And I know from personal experience that for me there is no better medicine for stress than some cardio time. So, it is possibly more excuse than reason, but, I just had to give myself permission to work on the various tasks at hand which at first was to find work and get relocated and then it simply became a mad push to just get out of the house.
Anyway, I googled gyms in Henley. Got a couple hits and checked out the first one. Seemed nice, and smallish, which was very appealing to me as I really liked that atmosphere in my "used to be" gym in St. Albans, Dukes Fitness Center http://www.dukesfitnesscenter.com/. I just discovered that there's even a picture of me in the changing banner on the home page! The picture where you see all the legs on stationary bikes? That is a spinning class, something I dearly love and miss! I'm wearing black pants and have the pink shirt. Evidence of where I was fitness-wise not too long ago and hope to be again.
I sent off an email to the address that was listed and was pleasantly surprised to get a return email very soon from Ruth, at reception for Expert Fitness Studio http://www.expertfitnessstudio.com/. I visited them soon after my arrival in Henley and had the pleasure of meeting Ruth in person. I met with one of the trainers, Richard the following Monday to help me put together a program. Since then, I've been going on a regular basis and it feels great to get to back into the swing of things, it really does. A little hard work and I hope to find myself spinning regularly again!!
Hopefully, this will be a link to a google map of the area:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Lovell+Close,+Henley-on-Thames&daddr=Expert+Fitness,+Bell+Street,+Henley-on-Thames&hl=en&sll=51.533042,-0.911307&sspn=0.014496,0.042272&geocode=FWc_EgMdW_vx_ymPDXIHlI92SDH0YRsWSzwzWQ%3BFXBqEgMdnDLy_yGCLGNaXfjDESm9OpTFpo92SDGzh7AeKBLTtg&vpsrc=0&gl=uk&dirflg=w
&mra=ltm&t=m&z=15
It is a 1.2 mile walk down the hill to get to the gym, which is in the center of town. Usually I take either Greys Road or St. Andrews Road. Going down is sort of like flying in an airplane with a tailwind... you can imagine then what coming up is like.
To get to the gym you have to go through a little tunnel/alleyway that has cobbles down the middle and marble pavers along the sides!
The entrance to Expert Fitness Studio.
the "tunnel"... the marble pavers are shiny!!
This leads to a little courtyard area... the bathroom/locker rooms are in a seperate building to the left (where the big "expert fitness studio" sign is on the wall) and the rest of the gym is straight ahead and to my right (out of the picture). It is small but cozy-and oddly, they are doing some renovations too... opening up two smaller rooms into one bigger one.
the entrance courtyard
Richard recommended using the Butcher on the main market place as a good source of free range-grass fed meats and poultry. Melissa and Stuart are getting the Thanksgiving turkey from Gabriel Machin too! We are having Thanksgiving next Saturday...
THE BUTCHER...
(That's Melissa, Stuart and the girls posing in front for me.)
TWO BAKERS...
A CHOCOLATE MAKER
My favorite little coffee shop has enough temptations for me for the time being! More on that, next time!
love and hugs-
susie
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