As someone still lucky enough to operate in a profession where summers are more free and flexible *, I always anxiously await the season only to see it slip by so fast! It’s hard for my mind to believe it’s already edging on July…but my sweaty Betty body sure does! Last days of June heat and humidity are hanging over the DMV.
Throw in the fact that my “free and flexible” plan is not so much this year —as all the demoralization is the point policies mean I took on the max summer classes AND got a side job AND decided to quit preschool for my rising kindergartner to gird up finances and the only way I’m running regularly until late August is the "squeeze-it-in" method — meaning most runs are about 20 to 30 minutes, en route to some park where the Tiny Overlord can play. While my Ideal Runner Self would love to end right at the door of my house for a cold shower (or at a pool … or, dream of dreams, the ocean’s edge!) that’s about as likely as me falling below a 9 minute mile these days! Of course, Tiny Overlord is NOT so tiny anymore, so a nearly 40 pound stroller plus 50 pound preschooler plus 90 degree heat and a bajillion humidity means by the time we stop at said park, I’m literally dripping.
Now, I’ve never been one to worry too much what I look like at a park day (disapproving stares from the Millionaire Mummies be damned) so on a brisk fall or spring day, I let the sweat dry and feel just fine. But in our swampy summers, there’s no where for said sweat to go and I often find myself sitting on a bench as a sticky, squishy mess, counting the minutes until I can get in a shower.
I had originally tried a summer hack of carrying disposable body wipes or face wipes — I’d pop a pack in the freezer, letting them melt to a lovely coolness during the run. But then I noticed how most are not biodegradable, and kept reading how they end up in landfills and oceans, taking years on end to decompose. I was using 2 or 3 for a run wipe down too, so multiply that by a week and I felt even ickier about the waste than the sweat. Not to mention that even the off brands are not cheap.
I’d resigned myself to just be a sweat monster until I was packing up my Tiny Overlord’s goldfish crackers in a reusable plastic bag and had an idea I could repurpose one for a both cheapskate-friendly and eco-friendly alternative. I had just bought a pack of cheap cotton washcloths at Target, and I’m a huge fan of lavender essential oil, so I always have a bottle of that on hand. I dampen the washcloth slightly, then thrown on a few drops of lavender oil. I throw it in the reusable bag with a small handful of ice, then pop my little package under the stroller.
Today, by the time Tiny Overlord and I had finished a great 30-minute walk/run with Becs on our Peloton app, the ice had fully melted, leaving me with a lavender-y, icy-cold little homemade refresher: a few quick wipes over my face, arms, chest and hair …
… then a quick spritz of my favorite face spray ...
... and while I’m not exactly glowing and fresh (and will surely still not be gathering praise from the Millionaire Mommies) , I’m certainly feeling a lot more comfortable and able to enjoy all things park.
So: the make-your-own method ? It checks off
Refreshing
Environmentally conscious
Cheap
Hope it’s a summer run hack helpful for anyone else who can’t end their route right in a nice cold shower or pool plunge!
*so, I know I know -- if you AREN'T in teaching, you look at those of us who are and say we have "all summer off" and growl. And if you ARE in teaching, well, I don't need to tell you this. Just ... the next time you see a teacher this summer, ask them what their side hustle / summer gig is. Unless said teacher is partnered up to someone with a higher salary or started with family money, there's a pretty good chance they have some answer beyond just "sipping wine by the pool"
