I've Seen 6AM and it isn't Pretty

So a week ago Amo and I decided to try out our free gym membership, and attend a fitness class at Revolution Spinning and Fitness, our very local gym (right across the street). I get the membership from my office, Amo gets it because Paul works with me. So, in the interest of not wasting money, we sign up for Basic Training, a class that takes place at 6AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

You must understand what kind of crazy sacrifice this is for me. I don't have to be at work until 9AM, so getting to the gym at 6AM is crazy. But, I decide to try it. There are no other morning classes that will work.

Amo and I got to the first class. We are the fattest ones there. Amo and I are not fat people (as evidenced by the pictures from DC below), nor am I the type of girl who would call myself fat to draw attention to the fact that I am not really fat. However, we are, in fact, the fattest people in the class.

Monday I was setting up my station and the four other people who were already there were comparing their last few marathon times. Other than some hellos and marathon time comparison before class, the people don't talk much. It is 6AM and I am still asleep, so I don't blame them. Even during the class the participants remain silent. They have no body fat, and the really fit 50 year old woman in there works out in just a sports bra and shorts. They are all crazy fit. At least they were, until today.

Today Amo couldn't make it to class due to a work emergency, so I was solo. The room was abnormally packed. I took a spot directly behind the instructor. Heather. She's a hoss. Anyway, I am fully engaged in class and then the early morning silence is broken by a "whew, whew, whew" noise coming from the back row. I glance in the mirror and I swear this guy was working out in the back row.

This guy, we'll call him Grunter, was lifting an absurd amount of weight for high-repetition bicep curls. He's swinging his back each time to lift the weight, and I am sure that he is going to bring some serious harm upon himself.

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We switch sets. He continues to choose ridiculous amounts of weight for the exercises that we are doing. And, he continues to perform said exercises in a way that looks like he is going hurt himself or others.

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The breathing gets louder.

We continue.

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He starts to grunt.

We continue.

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He starts to gasp for air.

We continue.

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He makes a noise I know I've never heard before.

The whole class giggles.

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The man next to Grunter tells him, "you don't have to finish the class." I think for a minute that they are buddies. Maybe this guy is at class on a dare. Then, something happens that totally throws me for a loop. Heather calls Grunter by his proper name!!! Apparently, this guy is a regular. Amo and I just haven't seen him before.

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This brings up several questions, like:

Why hasn't Heather told him to lift less weights so that he can get his body under control?

Why isn't he a superhuman like the rest of the droids in the class?

And, what was HIS last marathon time?