What a day at the gym

Most visits to the gym are very uneventful, but not today. There were a few unusual occurrences....

#1: For the first time in my 12 years as a gym rat, I saw someone sort of fall off the treadmill. I was on an elliptical behind him (the row of ellipticals is behind the treadmills) when I suddenly saw this guy basically half off of the treadmill and (seemingly) trying to climb back on despite the fact that the treadmill was still going at a pretty fast pace. So a whole group of us were kind of stopped in shock for the first moments as we all started to notice that something was going on -- all of us on the ellipticals and people on neighboring treadmills. At some point he let go, essentially, and then got up and jogged to the end of the row like "I meant to do that" which of course, none of us bought. The lady on the treadmill next to him pressed the pause or stop button close to the time he "got off" the treadmill and was very concerned for him. But when he finished his jog to the end of the row he came back smiling, at which point the rest of us relaxed because he was ok. In the end he got back on and finished his run, but that's seriously the first time EVER I've seen that in real life. I mean, we've all seen youtube videos of that (I love the one where the guy sort of falls off but then starts doing pushups like that was his intended circuit training), but IRL? Knowing that he was smiling and running 7mph within about 3 minutes time, I think I can safely say it was HILARIOUS.

#2: I saw two (yes, TWO) people working out in/near the weights/TRX section BAREFOOT. I had also never really seen that before. I have seen the "barefoot" shoes. I have maybe once seen someone in socks with the personal trainer guiding them. But completely barefoot? Nope. And TWO people on the SAME NIGHT at the SAMT TIME who are NOT together? Never. I must say I find that strange. First, I do believe that the official gym rules require closed-toe shoes on the "floor" (read: cardio & weights are + probably the basketball court). Second, even if they didn't that seems risky, as people may accidentally bump you & make you drop your weights or may drop heavy weights or medicine balls that can land or roll onto your foot. Plus, people sweat all over the gym floors and I've seen people (read: men) spit on the floor before (yes, in the gym. That's SO gross, guys. Swallow like a normal person when you're inside please), and you're just going to hang out barefoot on it? Yuck. Seems to me that that is how foot fungus spreads. Yes, I suppose on that note many people will put their hands on the floor to do push-ups & things, but I personally don't much like to do that.  I use a mat (& am typically wearing weight training gloves too). Somehow using the mat makes me feel better. And I wash my hands immediately after I work out too. I may be a junior germaphobe...