Appreciating indoor greatness

I have a confession to make:

Sometimes...especially during the summer...I exercise outside, rather inside at the Y.

When the weather is nice, it is hard to beat a nice bike ride to Culbertson for breakfast.

There is the joy of a run on the trail through Kelley Park and spotting deer or turkey among the trees.

And the other night after a swim at Red Willow SRA, my friends and I sat around and watched the sunset over the lake.

It was the perfect way to end the day.

But Mother Nature must be cooperating and she’s not always that nice.

When the wind is howling, the rain is pouring or the snow is blowing, that is when you truly value the Y.

And sometimes, it’s even things we wish for such as sun and warmth, which can make you dream of being inside.

A couple weeks ago, I participated in a triathlon in Boulder.

Leading up to the event, my friends and I had two primary concerns: the lack of oxygen and the mountainous terrain.

After all, we more than double the altitude from training in McCook to swimming in the Boulder Reservoir.

And a 15-percent-grade hill seven miles into the bike ride forced some participants to walk to the top.

But it was a third element which really took its toll: the heat and sun.

As we embarked on the 6-mile run, the sun was beating down in all its’ glory.

While organizers tried to be prepared at aid stations, they quickly ran out of the most coveted item: ice cubes.

We finished but were not sure if we were dehydrated from sweating so much or water-logged because we tried to drink so much.

With people are outside more during the summer, they may not immediately notice the changes when they return to the Y.

But hop on a treadmill or a rowing machine and you will notice a difference.

Dozens of new pieces of exercise equipment arrived earlier this week, either replacing older models or adding to the units already in place.

All the bikes for the rYde class - the indoor spinning class - were replaced with the most current models available.

The excuse for going so slow because of the bike has been removed; now, it’s all on the rider.

Several of the treadmills were replaced with new models, including two with distinct features.

In addition to one already in the Y’s line-up, one of the new treadmills will both incline and decline.

Many people assume running downhill is easy.

It is at first.

But do it for awhile and parts you didn’t know exist will start to hurt.

Another treadmill is going retro - partially. It needs no electrical hook-up because it is manual.

However fast the runner or walker is going, that is how fast the treadmill will turn.

It still has a display to measure distance and speed, but if you want the treadmill to move, you must get moving.

And for those fond of the rowing machine, the Y has doubled the fun.

The original rowing machine was actually a used model, donated to the Y.

It has been replaced with a new unit with a second rowing machine added because of the its’ popularity.

So even if the sun is shining, stop by to try out the new equipment.

I’ll even provide the ice.