Gym math

Today's six-minute "minimalist" run workout is done, but it wasn't very satisfying, and I think I know why. It's not because I miss spending two hours pounding my feet to oblivion, or because I have some emotional need to rack up a bunch of miles or because I'm worried I didn't run long enough to burn any calories. No, it's because it throws off the ratio.

See, I've whined mentioned before how long it takes me to get ready for a workout. But when you've got to be at the gym for two or three hours, those 20 minutes aren't that big a deal. Even when you throw in the blogging time afterward, it's generally at least a 3:1 workout-to-associated-crap ratio.

Compare that to today:

• Get dressed for running: 4 minutes
• Pack gym bag/fill water bottle: 3 minutes
• Discuss with husband merits of driving to gym for 6-minute workout: 7 minutes
• Find keys: 5 minutes
• Drive to gym: 4 minutes
• Put stuff in locker: 2 minutes
• Work out: 6 minutes
• Shower and change: 7 minutes*
• Drive home: 4 minutes
• Whine Blog about experience: 23 minutes
• Unpack gym bag (which I'll definitely get to right after this): 1 minute

So that's 6 minutes of working out and 60 minutes of associated crap, and now instead of 3:1, my ratio is 1:10. I'm terrible at being a minimalist.

* To be fair, I might have done this anyway.