Thoughts from a cycle bike

I taught at Van Ness last night (note: I wrote this right after the class and didn't post it until now) and for some reason in the middle of the class there was a moment that kind of overtook me with emotion. Most of the time when I teach, I face the door to the room and I often find myself looking out into the gym periodically during class. Ever since working at Gold's I have tried to keep my cycling seperate from my position in marketing. By doing this, I am able to keep a consumer perspective and I find that I am able to relate to the members on a more personal level. I think that is one of the things that makes me "good" at my job - is that I am in touch with the gym on a consumer level in addition to a professional marketing level.


Anyway, the cycle room in Van Ness doesn't have much of a view - it sits in the back of the gym and it there is a small stretching area, and the only wall you really see it the wall of fame. In South Arlington, I can see most of the floor (which can be VERY entertaining at times), and in Ballston I am able to see other classes that are going on. So last week, I was teaching and I looked up and saw a guy looking at the Wall of Fame.


On this particular wall, it had the pictures and success stories of our Get Fit Challengers and even though he didn't stand there and intimately read each of the stories, you could see him move from picture to picture and take in the change that these particular people had made in the time they were working out. It was that movement from picture to picture that made me realize/remember how much I love what I do and who I work for.


Obviously the GFC is a very personal endevor for me and this particular moment was so tiny and short, but it really made me realize the span of how many people we touch, not only with the GFC but with everything we do at Gold's.  I think what caught me off guard is something that I don't often think about - I know that this challenge changes the lives of the six contestants that are participating in it - but it also influences so many others. We will never be able to measure how many people are influenced or motivated by this challenge or the impact it may have but the fact that this guy took two minutes to look at each of their stories just made me happy.

(I wrote this last week right after the class, but didn't post it until today)