The downside of the gym: The STARING

Most people have the same icky feeling about the gym, "It'd be better if there weren't all those people there, with their eyes."  In my case there typically aren't many people there, outside of a few specific times throughout the day/week.  9:00am on Saturday and Sunday used to be my time.  Unfortunately, one person ruined that for me.  This man, I call him the mountain goat, comes in every Saturday/Sunday at about 9:00, and I recently had to start waiting until 10 or 11 to go to the gym because of him.

The mountain goat used to just be funny.  In the last year of working out, I've probably seen him down there 10-15 times.  He is a short little man with a noticeable Napoleon complex.  Every time he's in the gym he does the same thing.  He gets on the treadmill for I think 30 or 60 minutes, cranks up the speed and the incline, and then holds on to the top of the machine for dear life as his legs flail about like a cartoon.  As he struggles up his mountain (see, the mountain goat), sweat pours off of him so profusely that the bottom of the treadmill is permanently stained with huge drops of sweat.  To make things worse, when he gets off he goes over to the trashcan, takes off his sticky tank-top, and rings it out. 

You might be wondering two things: why do I sound so hateful about this seemingly innocent behavior, and why do I know so much about his habits?  Well like I said, it used to just be funny, until it became personal.  The structure of our gym is important here.  We have two treadmills that are next to each other, facing a wall-sized mirror.  As I run on one, the mountain goat repeatedly looks over and just stares at me (see image above for a visual).  Here I am, self-conscious, sweaty, trying to zone in on my workout, when this creepy little man is looking me up and down.  There is literally nothing but a blank wall beyond me, so there is no reason for his head to be turned my way.

Doesn't he know that as I stare ahead at the mirror, I can see exactly what he's doing?  I try to glare back at him, but every time I do, he's not looking at me anymore and I worry that he thinks I'm staring as well.  It makes my blood boil.  I get so worked up thinking about what to say.  Do I tell him to knock it off?  Do I ask him what his problem is?  Do I just tell him it makes me uncomfortable?  No, I just avoid going when I think he's there.

And then that feeling of being violated escalates as he takes off his shirt IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR, so I can't help but notice and want to barf.  I mean, do that when no one's around, there's a bathroom, a bathroom with privacy and a door!  You don't do stuff like that with a woman around!

I can't be the only one who experiences this.  I went too early last weekend and unfortunately had to leave when he walked in.  Now I know not to go between 8:30 and 10:30.