It was a whole new locker room adventure

I experienced a whole new locker room tonight. And I didn't like it.

Apparently they're replacing the flooring in the locker room I usually use at the YMCA, so I had two options. Use the "family locker room" where mom's can take their little kids or the "women's fitness center." Since I really didn't want to deal with little kids running around as I was changing, I headed down the hall by the rest of the women.

It's an odd locker room. All sorts of separate rooms. One of those places where if you're not comfortable with your body, you could do your entire workout and never leave the confines of the locker room. And the area where the lockers are? Tiny. The lockers are short. There's this crazy, sloping bench in the middle of the aisle. And the aisle itself? Not very wide.

Since there weren't many people in the locker room when I got to the gym, I didn't have to many problems. I changed. I headed upstairs, snagged a treadmill and logged 3 miles.

Afterwards? It was a problem.

I went back down to change and gather my stuff right around the same time a swim aerobics class was finishing up. So there were a ton of the people in the locker room. First it was me and two other girls my age fighting for room in the skinny aisle made skinner by that crazy bench. Then thrown in two older women who smelled like chlorine? It was tight. I just wanted to grab my gym bag, my clothes, my coat, hat and mittens and run. Run away and find a corner where I could change in peace.

Instead I picked up my bag and moved farther down the aisle to where no one else was. And waited. And waited some more, glancing at the clock, counting down the precious minutes I had to get my butt home and in my recliner before night two with Jack Bauer.

Eventually the first two girls left and the other two women headed towards the showers. Me? I grabbed my bag, dumped it on the curvy bench and threw on my clothes and coat as fast as I could.

I miss my old locker room. When can I go back?