I would just like to thank all the gyms out there who offer 1-day trial memberships. Specifically all of the gyms where I have used those one day passes...
Laura: "Hi, I recently moved to the area and was looking for a gym to join; can I come in and try out your gym?"
Gym Employee: "Of course, come in, try it out & we'll sit down and talk about rates, your goals and your level of committment."
(I get my workout in and make a speedy exit.)

Hopefully this is an instance where small lies can be forgiven. My other option would be to actually tell the truth and say something like, "Hi, I'm a professional skier and I'm going to be in town for a couple days and would like to get into a gym to lift once. I was hoping you could help me out and let me come in and use your facilities." Which might work. BUT, I object more to asking for favors just because I'm an athlete. It's a moral dilema between lying and acting like I deserve special treatment.

I also disagree with the fast=cool correlation that a lot of people express. Fast people might be cool, but being fast doesn't make you cool or better than slower people. Unfortunately, we live in a results oriented society and it's easy to use results list to determine someone's personal value. Which is crazy.

Maybe I'll turn that thought into a longer rant in the future when my thoughts are more coherent.