My Sanctuary in Tartu

Since we have been in Tartu for a month and a half, my restaurant exploits have been reduced and eventually replaced by a much more amusing activity. Now, I am a proud member of Tartu University's gym. The gym has a full indoor track, the usual weight rooms, a room of row machines, several basketball courts, a table tennis room, a badminton court and indoor football court. I would move in there in a heart beat. My favorite place is the track. It has places to practice discs, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and hurdles. It's a full track... but inside!

In this gym, athletes train in hopes of representing Estonia in the Olympics. I can't think of better motivation than that. This is one of the many differences between the American gyms I have attended and the Tartu gym. In America there seems to be three groups: the big guys who everyone suspects are pumping steroids, the people who just want to be fit, and then the people who are trying to lose massive amounts of weight. This being said, one hardly sees Lycra or Spandex as an outfit in America, but here everyone wears it. Okay, okay, it is not the bright leotards from the 80's, but they are just as intimidating. When running, I sometimes feel so out of place wearing my cotton tee shirt and pants.

During the first two weeks of my membership, I attended several workout classes. Not surprisingly, the classes were taught in Estonian. The first class was equivalent to Body Pump, which is one of my favorite classes back home so I didn't really need to listen to the instructor. I just had to mimic what she did. Then I went to a dance and step class. I have never had trouble with those classes back in the US; however, I was fumbling about in the sea of Lycra. The step class was traumatizing.

Therefore, I have not gone to a class since. I appreciate my indoor track all the more since it doesn't make me look clumsy.

While running one day I saw this old man and little boy running ahead of him. In my mind I was gushing over the pair. "Oh, how cute! I want to bring my children to the gym when I get older. Not only does it promote healthy living, but they also run out all their energy. He's so smart!" Somehow I lost track of them for a few laps until I saw the small boy doing curl ups on a pole and the old man angrily scowling at him. Then it hit me. This guy wasn't his father, it was his coach. I felt so ridiculous.