Things I Hate about the Gym

* Locker rooms. No matter how old I get, nor how many years I continue to have a gym membership, I don't think I'll ever feel truly comfortable using a locker room. I really, really hate changing in "public". I know there are some out there who think that this is some flaw in my personality and that I should just get over it. But I don't like it, I feel incredibly self-conscious. Always have, always will. Everyone has their thing. This is one of mine. I also hate the constant running of blow dryers and the way some women feel that they have to spread their crap all over the place.
* LOUD and BAD music. I mean, comeon. I am at the gym at work. I work for a conservative financial company. Do you REALLY think most people want to listen to horrible disco or (worse) mind-numbing techno music? Besides, most people have iPods at this point anyway. Now, because of the loud pounding horrible music, we all just have to crank them up and risk permanent deafness. The alternative is to run screaming from the gym -- that's what this music makes me want to do.
* People who invade personal space. Like the guy who absolutely MUST use that the treadmill next to me, when all the other remaining 8 are free. Or the woman who decides that the locker right next to mine is ideal, even though the rest of the room is empty. WTF???
* Self-congratulatory pompous asses who want to make sure everyone in the room knows great they run, or how much they work out. I listened to this guy today tell three different, completely unrelated, people (at different times) that he ran 10 miles yesterday and that "Heineken" he had afterwards was the best he's ever had. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're all so freaking impressed.

blah.