It was a day like any other at Auburn’s Planet Fitness.. except it totally wasn’t. I was on the elliptical, pushing through that initial terrorizing pain you get before you finally start to find your groove and your body stops aching.

You know, the point where you can actually feel like you’re doing something positive for your health instead of just actively questioning your life choices? You get it.

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And then, it happened.

A noise. That kind of loud, soul-crushing horn alarm you only hear in disaster movies when a tornado is coming. And no, it wasn’t the lunk alarm.

I am not lying when I tell you, my ears were ringing for at least an hour afterwards. It was so loud that every single person on the floor froze.

You could practically hear the collective thought: Did I just accidentally set off a fire alarm because I’m smokin’ hot? But no, this was bigger. Much bigger.

What happened after the alarm went off?

The employee screamed, “EVERYONE EVACUATE THE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY!”

In true “Elizabeth survival instinct mode” I jumped off the elliptical and ran outside.. like, I ran fast. If an alarm is blaring and someone is yelling LEAVE, you betcha I’m going to run for the nearest exit.

But, of course, I wasn’t exactly dressed for this emergency situation. My workout clothes were a tiny tank top and spandex shorts, so I was basically naked. My outfit was definitely not meant to be in 18-degree.

It was all very, Hunger Games.

Did I mention it was 18 degrees? Yeah..18.

My skin immediately regretted every decision it had ever made, ever. It was so cold, I’m pretty sure my body was considering just giving up entirely. I managed to snap a shot of me freezing, but it was so cold I could barely hold my phone up.

But I had bigger issues at the moment, why were people carrying their bags outside and had there jackets on?

As the rest of the gym followed outside with there stuff into this frozen parking lot wasteland and I looked like I was about to get off a plane in the Bahamas.

Once everyone was outside, I decided I had to make a choice.. run back in and face whatever was going on inside, or freeze. So.. I made a break for it.

I darted past the employee, who, bless her heart, politely told me that I could not go back inside.

Without skipping a beat, I shot her a look that said, “Catch me if you can.” 

It was survival.

And catch me, she did not. I was in the locker room faster than anyone could say “carbon monoxide leak” (or was it a gas leak? I didn’t know).I still don’t know what was happening.

I grabbed my coat and pants like a pro.

As I made it back outside, I overheard the employees discussing it could have been a gas leak?

But, honestly, at this point, I would have preferred a gas leak to another second of being half-naked in sub-zero temperatures.

So, when it came down to it, my logic was clear: Either I’d be poisoned and die a peaceful death, or I’d die from hypothermia.

In conclusion, if there’s ever an emergency at Planet Fitness in Auburn, just remember: dress for survival.

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