I’ve never been a big one for New Year’s resolutions. They carry a certain stigma, namely that they will be largely unobserved after a few weeks or months. What I’m concerned about is that I may inadvertently appear to be following the herd when in fact my activities have nothing to do with the new year.

Let’s face it, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, many people overindulge in the holiday festivities and gain a few pounds. Then they resolve to lose weight and join a gym in January. Within a month or two they remember why they stopped going to the gym the previous time, and give up. Those of us who are more regular in our exercise patterns (“gym snobs”) scoff at these amateurs when they crowd OUR exercise facilities in the winter months. We give each other knowing glances, mocking these Nike-clad neophytes in their attempts to fit in.

This year, it’s not so simple. A series of injuries combined with an intense period of work responsibilities has kept me out of the gym for the past several weeks. Now that the schedule has cleared up and my injuries are at least stable, I’m ready to head back in. Unfortunately, the timing is such that my return will coincide with the seasonal migration of the unwashed masses.

I am faced with a dilemma: do I wait it out, sacrificing my own health and fitness so I can return unnoticed later in the season, or do I risk being mistaken for one of THEM.

Oh, the humanity…