Jammin’ at the Gerbil Gym
Posted by Mark Faram on June 2nd, 2008 filed in USS Kitty Hawk
Onboard Kitty Hawk, there are three official gyms – the Gerbil Gym located all the way aft in the ceiling of the hangar bay, a weight room below the forecastle all the way forward and an officers’ gym in the island — complete with a view of the flight deck for those on the treadmills — or so I’m told.
There’s assorted other workout gear tucked in other places. For example, in the executive officers’ passageway on the second deck, there’s a treadmill and some more gear outside the Morale, Welfare and Recreation office.
But even though there are workout facilities within walking distance, that doesn’t mean getting to workout is easy. Depending on when you go, you can end up waiting for a treadmill to run on. Oh, if you go in the middle of the night it’s easier, but during the day it can be standing room only.
That’s partially because there are more people looking to work out than there are machines to accommodate them. Navy officials say that in a six-month deployment, a Navy treadmill will rack up 20,000 miles or more. This causes the Navy to replace their machines every two years. Civilian gyms replace theirs every five years.
Not only is the number of miles tough on the machines, the movement of the ship while someone is running causes additional wear on the machine — and on the sailor working out on it. It can take some time to get used to: One minute you are flying like you are walking on air, the next it feels like your legs are made of lead — but you get used to it.
Ah, but if you are lucky enough to get a machine close to the starboard-most side of the gym, you can get a look at the Pacific Ocean going by outside the hangar bay — and that makes it all worthwhile.
