Not even a week after joining World Gym, I pulled a muscle on a treadmill trying to complete a 5K. I thought I had been going easy on my running legs this past week and tried to do an easy 5k today, not pushing anything.

But on the third mile, I started feel a twinge that should have signaled me to ease off or stop, but I tried to push through it and not .05 miles from the end, I full-blown pulled the muscle.

I think "pulling a muscle" is a nice way to describe a torn muscle, and that's more of what it was. Something felt like it tore, same as last year when I tried to run. Riiiiip. Limp, limp, limp. I knew no more running or jogging or anything leggy for about a week. I bought an ice pack.

When I first walked into World Gym to see what it had to offer me, from their point of view it's what they consider a "consultation". When they asked me about my exercise activity history and told them I'd pretty much been a runner or cyclist since high school, they exclaimed I might come in every day!

I laughed at that. Who goes to the gym every day? Turns out they know the type, and I might be totally comfortable going in five days a week with self-imposed rest days to not hurt myself, since I do know that I tend to over-extend myself.

I'd never even been in a commercial gym before, but given the current circumstances here in Taipei, I have to say I'm loving it. My primary goal is to maintain a fitness level whereby when the weather allows me to ride, I won't have to start with 30-mile default, flat fitness rides along the riversides.

But as long as the facilities are available, I hope to get my running back.

I tried last year after Sadie's visit, but recall only able to get to woefully slow paces (more than 9:30 miles) before ultimately injuring myself and giving up by summer. 9:30 miles, mind you, are not acceptable. Running 9:30 miles means give it up, fuggedaboutit. Running at a 9:30 pace is not worth it, it's not running.

So I'm hoping the treadmills will allow me a controlled build up back up to a decent pace. Ultimately 7:30 miles or under, but I have to allow for my age and alcoholism, so I'm not going to be too hard on myself. I'll be happy if I can ultimately complete a 10k run at any pace without hurting myself.

Otherwise there are the other cardio machines, as well as resistance weight machines which I know how to use from high school track, and punching bags that take me back to college Tae Kwon Do. But I have to remember my age. I'm middle age. I shouldn't be pathetic and think I'm young like that. Otherwise I'm loving the gym.

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Well, today didn't go as planned. I ended up joining a World Gym – the new Taipei Nanjing branch that opened in March a block away from me.

I'd been really good this season about riding just about every day the weather has permitted. I'd gotten comfortable with 50+ mile rides and was set to start tackling Taipei's bigger climbs for the first time in over 3 years (with trepidation, mind you, as my health may have returned, but I'm not so confident about my strength).

Then May came. Pretty much solid rain. There were a total of two days that the weather was OK but I was sick on both of those days, and anyway the forecast surrounded those days with entire weeks of rain. Not worth going out on single nice days, only to be off bike for the next week.

So I was lured by World Gym advertising of "free trial" period until the end of May. That's a total lie, mind you, there is no "free trial" period. They explained the "free trial" period when I asked, and for the life of me and I couldn't relay how they purportedly explained it.

Bottom lining it, if you were going to be using their facilities, you would be paying for it some way or another. There is NO "free trial" period. Just discount or no discount. No discount if you ask for the "free trial" period. You still have to sign up, apparently, is my guess.

But I was leaning towards joining anyway. People who aren't should be prepared to walk and not succumb to the pressure they put on you (pressure that's put on them by the company, no doubt). And they do put pressure on you. They're basically corporate hookers, despite being very nice and personable.

They did have to accommodate the fact that I don't have a credit card, which was a bit funny. The monthly fees are only payable by credit card, and I don't have one and wasn't open to getting one just to join a gym. That was an out for me to walk, but they offered to accept if I pay the entire two-year contract up front in cash (and ultimately involved another discount, I think).

So at that point I had to decide, and I asked for a few minutes to think about it (commitment issues) and ultimately favored joining. Paying upfront was a little over a thousand dollars US for two years with the discount that they only told me about after I accepted (go fig).

I'm alright with the decision. Would just like to emphasize that their offer of "free trial" period is totally bogus. I thought it was a free trial period to see if it's really what I want, but it's just a lure to get you in to put pressure on you to join immediately.