I stopped lifting weights last year because, well, my arm was hurting. Then I started the process of finding out just what was wrong with my arm and then deciding what to do about it. What I decided to do was have surgery, so I did. Part of the process of recovery was doing physical therapy, in which I stretched and held up my arm and experienced the joy of having someone bend my arm in all sorts of unnatural ways. Unnatural, that is, until I looked at my other arm, which could do all of those wonderful things without assistance.

A month or so ago the physical therapy place (located in Club Swanky) called and said, “Oh hey, our bad, but…your insurance doesn’t cover PT with us. Wanna pay retail?” I said, “Heh, no.” I could go through the process of finding another PT place (and then finding some place to put the kids while I did that, or only doing it in the middle of the day, or…). Or I could do it on my own.

Anyone who knows me knows which one I chose.

So I decided: “Self, you’re going to have to go into the gym anyhow, it’s time to get back to lifting weights.” And so I have. I’m doing weights three days a week, and if I miss a day of running with the buds I get in there and get on the elliptical for 30 minutes of sprints.

And once again I discover, like it’s the very first goddamn time (only it’s the thousandth), that I freakin’ love using weights. Cardio I could live without: I have trouble breathing and I’m slow even at my fastest. But weights? I’m thinking of going to four days a week, I love doing these so much. I’m checking out the personal trainers as they work out with other people, not just because the personal trainers are hot (many of them are), but because I want to know which ones like working out with weights as a big part of the routine.

I never see female personal trainers in the heavy-duty free weights/squat cage/Smith machine area. Just sayin’.

My question is: Why do I ever stop working out? I’m not even going to say that it’s because my arm hurt so bad last year, because I could have continued. Do I have a mental block when it comes to exercise, that exercise is for other people or something?

I feel better when I lift. I look better when I lift. While I can’t do any shoulder exercises yet, my arm is already 10 times better than it was when I started two weeks ago. (Doing squats in the squat cage is a challenge, mostly because lifting my left arm to grip the bar is a trial. But that’s already easier than it was the first time I tried it.)

Anyone know Dan Peterson? He was the personal trainer I used when I was at Apple. He was excellent. He was wonderful. If you have his phone number, drop me a line.