Ever since stepping foot on the UMass campus over two months ago, I have subconsciously learned the first rule of the 8 a.m. Pilates class: do not talk about it. I am by no means a pilates princess; however, I do enjoy the occasional 3 p.m. class at the Rec center, in chatting before class with my fellow pilate-ites, our legs stretched long across our mats, our hands propped up, I could never find an alleged princess who had attended the early morning workout. Its elusiveness intrigued me; an 8 a.m. Pilates class seems like the antithesis of what college would entail, but its loyal fan base just made me wonder: what is all the hype about?
After practically coercing my friend and roommate, Charlotte, over text to join me, we set our alarms for an ungodly 7 a.m. We prayed we would wake up at the sound of them. One thing about me and Charlotte: we love to sleep in, so purposely choosing to wake up three hours earlier for a workout class seemed almost masochistic. Lounging around has become something of a religion for us. Sex and the City has become our soundtrack as the sun sets, the covers pulled up to our chins on our beds. We laugh at Miranda’s facial expressions and recount what each episode is about before the other can guess.
One thing about Charlotte is that she is game for just about anything. So, when I mentioned my idea for this article, she agreed before I had a chance to even ask. And frankly, she was the only reason I got out of bed for the 8 a.m. Tuesday class.
It is my first New England fall, and I am completely confused. Where has fall gone? Fall has seemed to pay us a terribly short visit, and now all that remains is rotting leaves on the ground and wind tunnels… which is precisely what occurred the morning of the class. Our leggings were hidden underneath layers of sweats and jackets as we hustled our way to the Rec, because of the cold and my perpetual fear of being late.
It is worth mentioning that I have already (accidentally!) skipped two classes, meaning that if I skip another, I would be banned from taking classes at the Rec. Oh well! I am treading on fragile ice over here.
Anyway, as we made it to the second-floor landing of the Rec with time to spare, we were met by a sea of Lululemon-clad girls, mats in hand, a subtle look of determination set on their faces. And while this wasn’t my first pilates class, I was still itching with the anticipation of what was to come.
With Charlotte and my mats splayed out on the floor (in the second-to-last row), we began quietly stretching, letting the music wash over us.
After a brief introduction from our instructor, Nicole, we were off. After our first set of exercises was over, she announced that the warmup was complete. That’s when I glanced over at Charlotte, and we came to the same conclusion at the exact moment: we were in for it.
About 50 minutes of crunching, curling, and kicking later, it was safe to say that all 50 people in the eight a.m. class were wiped.
But after the class closed out with a final sun salutation, each of us bringing our hands to our hearts, the energy remained lively. Girls taking selfies in the mirror, promising to catch up over lunch or later that weekend, lacing their sneakers back up, and saying their goodbyes.
Following the class, I only had one thing on my mind: breakfast at Frank.
Due to our love for sleeping in, Charlotte and I rarely catch up by getting breakfast together. We arrived in time to snag an elusive bowl of berries and piled their plates high with cherry pastries and breakfast potatoes.
Maybe it’s because we didn’t have school, or perhaps breakfast is a holiday that’s not observed here at UMass, but I have never seen Frank so dead. It made Charlotte and me feel that much more accomplished.
Overall, I see the general appeal of a morning class; it starts your day early and on the right foot with a workout. But there is still something I love about the awkwardly timed three p.m. class in the middle of the day.
And while I am certainly not a pilates princess like most of the girls in the morning class, maybe one day I’ll achieve that status.
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