I cancelled my gym membership yesterday.

It’s not that I’ve decided to go back to a larger size in pants, start watching TV all night long, and eating nothing but those oh-so-delicious mashed potatoes with the spicy gravy from Popeyes. No siree.

After Monday’s workout, I walked toward the gym’s back exit. On the bulletin board where there are usually articles from Shape Magazine saying how much those featured fitness models love working out, a single sheet of paper was posted:

“After nine years, we’re sorry to report that our Marina City location is closing on July 31st.”

The note goes on to say that they will happily transfer our memberships to other locations, the closest being a quarter mile away.

I really love my gym and the company that runs it, but it’s time to part ways.

I’m fortunate enough to have a senior manager who understands that I need to get away from my desk in the middle of the day. She trusts that I perform the work assigned and make up the hours as needed. Right now I’m away from my desk for 90 minutes each afternoon, and I fully recognize that this pushes the leniency given. Moving the gym even a little bit will push those 90 minutes into the inappropriate two-hour range, and that’s just not going to work.

For those of you in normal cities, I don’t expect you to understand how moving a measly quarter of a mile can affect things that much. Liken this to your gym moving from a strip mall shared with a Dollar General to one next to a Super Wal-Mart. Wouldn’t that quarter-mile move change your ability to get in and out of the gym in a timely manner?

I’ve already taken a quick peek online at the gyms around here. Initiation fees. Monthly initiation charges that are double my current amount. Inadequate facilities. No free towels. Plans where I can only come in on designated days per week. On and on and on.

Couple all of that with me knowing that I won’t be living here for that much longer, and there’s little reason for me to even mess with paying more to get into the swing at a new location.

So long, Crunch at Marina City. The past year and a half has been a good one.