Drip Dry

on October 17, 2012

Poor Kristien didnâ€™t get home until very late. I felt a little bad doing it, but I did the old hello-kiss, hereâ€™s-the-baby-monitor-handoff and immediately headed out the door. I was planning to run; however, it was far too dark and cold for me! So to the heated pool I drove.

Dang, pool. I havenâ€™t seen you in two weeks? Maybe two and a half?

I swam for 20 minutes â€“ until they shut the place down â€“ and had my mind on so many other things that I forgot to count laps. Ah, well. Maybe 1000 yards? It felt nice to use my arms instead of my legs. I fall very easily into the running-all-the-time trap. It was good to do something different.

Guess who also forgot her towel?

Cue the awkward public shimmy-shimmy-shake to remove as much water as possible. Better than forgetting to bring a sports bra or sneakers to the gym, right?

{ 26 comments }

Katie @ Talk Less, Say More October 17, 2012, 9:27 pm
That is TOTALLY something that I would do! But at least you got in a good workout with the time you had. 🙂
Lauren J @ The Barn October 17, 2012, 9:38 pm
I forgot my towel once when showering at the gym. I totally dried off paper towels…and then felt guilty for the rest of the day for hurting the Earth. At least I got my workout in!
Katie @ Soulshine and Sassafras October 17, 2012, 9:41 pm
The pool doesn’t have towels for guests? Laaame.
- Caitlin October 17, 2012, 10:31 pm
  you have to pay extra!!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats October 17, 2012, 9:55 pm
At least you got those 20 min in! Too bad they close early!
Helena October 17, 2012, 10:02 pm
Do you work out every day? I’m trying to find a way to ask this without coming across as really rude or hateful, which I’m not trying to be! It’s just that there seems to be such an emphasis on losing your baby weight and getting back in shape of late that I find it kind of hard to reconcile with your previous awesome emphasis on good self-esteem and finding your sense of worth beyond your physical appearance. I’ve several times read a few of your blog posts to young female relatives and I think in general your blog has a great message. However, I have to admit that I always wondered a little if it’s easier to promote self-love and no fat talk, etc, when you’re a very attractive, slender young woman with no real appearance issues to overcome. And you *still* are attractive and slender, but I’m wondering if this is the first time in a long while that you’ve really had to deal with any significant body changes. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to feel and look the best that you can, but there seems to be a very strong emphasis on exercise and frequent diet restrictions on your blog at the moment. It comes across as being quite hard on yourself, which I hope you’re not, because you look great and you have a healthy, happy baby, which is obviously the most important thing.
- Caitlin October 17, 2012, 10:30 pm
  Hi there! I’m not sure how long you’ve been reading HTP, but it’s always been about fitness and healthy eating, as well as self-esteem and feminist issues. I sure hope I don’t come across as too hard on myself because fitness is the one area that I’m not 🙂 Perhaps it seems like I’m being hard on myself because I have to struggle to find time to fit it in now that I have a baby but TRUST ME, I want to fit it in for mental purposes more than anything. I would flip out without exercise to release some stress! I have a pretty good attitude about post-baby body, if you read the first Mind and Body After Baby post, I kind of talk about how I’m addressing post-baby weight loss, etc, when I don’t normally talk about weight loss specifically on this blog.
  
  Re: diet restrictions, unfortunately, with the exception of being a vegetarian, none of them are by choice but by health necessity. I’ve tested positive for gluten sensitivity, Henry poops blood when I eat dairy, and apparently I also have epic blood sugar problems according to my recent lab work. It blows! Trust me… when I stop breastfeeding and my food sensitives only impact me, I am going to order a large papa john’s pizza and eat a pint of real ice cream. LOL
  
  Oh, and no way do I work out every day. I aim for four days a week.
  - Jessica October 17, 2012, 11:00 pm
    I am a mom of two, and I think your approach is awesome. The reality is, that after you have a baby, and you are breastfeeding, you have to put more thought into what you eat and drink–there is no way of getting around it!! There are so many physical and emotional changes that come as well, and I think exercise is so important for balancing life and keeping a healthy mental state. ALSO, I think that girls and women need to see a healthy example from REAL women. Real women go through physical changes, and yes, we have insecurities–changes are hard! But you are modeling how to deal with these changes in a healthy, positive way. So keep it up. It would be much worse to pretend that everything is always perfect–that’s not life, and that’s not life after baby. Our bodies go through SO much during pregnancy, labor, and post-partum. But it’s SO worth it. The pictures of you and Henry speak volumes to that account. And I think that your blog is very real, and very healthy in that regard.
    - Caitlin October 18, 2012, 7:40 am
      Thank you 🙂
      - Erin October 18, 2012, 8:00 am
        I agree, your approach is so healthy. And it is clear from reading your blog that you find exercise great for your mental health as well. And you rarely mention the ‘baby weight’. I am inspired that you drive to the gym for a 20 minute swim. With a 16 week old, I get into the trap of thinking its not worth the effort for a 20 minute workout, but it totally is!
      - Caitlin October 18, 2012, 10:19 am
        The way I feel about 20 minute workouts is this… If working out for 20 minutes will make me feel better, than I do it. But if it will just stress me out and the time should really be spent relaxing on the couch, then I skip it!
Patty October 17, 2012, 10:26 pm
Caitlin, I like to swim at my gym too, but I don’t like smelling like chlorine the rest of the day.
Even after showering. My hair is an issue as well. I wear a cap after putting hair oil
On liberally but feel the highly chlorinated water does a number on my color and makes
It very dry. Do you have any suggestions? Do you do anything special to avoid
These issues?
Thanks, Patty
- Caitlin October 17, 2012, 10:33 pm
  Me too!!! I wish I had a solution to offer you, but alas – I reek of chlorine right now. 🙁
- CJ @ Fill the Well October 17, 2012, 11:39 pm
  Hi Patty! I swim pretty often and used to have the same trouble with my hair (and also very dry skin). I am a big fan of Ultra Swim Shampoo. Use it right after you get out of the pool. It’s technically just a shampoo but I use it on my whole body, and it works really well. I get mine at Walgreens but I think I’ve seen it at other drugstores and maybe Wal-Mart as well. Hope it helps!
  - Patty October 18, 2012, 1:45 pm
    Thanks C.J. I will give that product a try!
- Shallin October 18, 2012, 4:54 pm
  I have long hair, and completely wet it before I put my swim cap on. That way, my hair soaks up some water, and doesn’t have as much room for any sneak chlorinated water than may makes its way past the swim cap barrier. I then use Kenra Clairfying shampoo, and have no chlorine smell and silky, smooth hair. I’m a little obsessed with the silky, smooth feeling. I hope this helps!
theresa @ aspoonfulofsunshine October 17, 2012, 10:26 pm
I totally forgot a towel when I went swimming on Monday. It was so awkward drying off with my sweatshirt, but you said it, much better than forgetting shoes or a sports bra!
colleen October 17, 2012, 11:00 pm
Where is a warm air dryer when you need it? Great job at getting your move even though it was late. I tend to say ‘forget it’ when it gets too late, dark, and colder outside.
Katie October 17, 2012, 11:10 pm
I hate when I forget my towel! Thats the worst…or forgetting goggles. Done that a few times.
Kristen L October 17, 2012, 11:30 pm
Oooo, the awkward drip dry shake is always rough! But at least you made it for swim workout today.
CJ @ Fill the Well October 17, 2012, 11:32 pm
I have also forgotten a towel…and a sports bra, and pretty much everything you could possibly forget for the gym. I once forgot to pack shorts AND a t-shirt when heading straight from work to the gym. I had already made it all the way there when I realized I had only a pair of sneakers and a sports bra…and the work clothes I was wearing. I did some awesome weightlifting in business casual (with sneakers), let me tell you. 🙂
Leslie October 17, 2012, 11:59 pm
Forgetting to bring socks to the gym sucks too! I decided to wing it and just wore my shoes sans socks. After 20 minutes on the treadmill I had a nasty blister. Wish I could say that taught me a lesson but I’ve done it more than once with similar outcome. Glad you got to swim!
My colorist gave me a tip on the swimmer hair issue. She said wetting your hair thourghly before swimming will help your hair to not soak up the chemicals. She even suggested putting on conditioner first and wearing your swim cap if possible.
Nicole October 18, 2012, 7:15 am
haha! I forgot my towel yesterday and realized in the gym shower after my 6 am spin class. I had to use my fleece to dry off and was covered in black fuzzies all day… DERP.
Beks October 18, 2012, 9:47 am
I forgot my work shoes at home, so I had to wear my Asics to work. Luckily no one actually sees me (I work in an office). Gonna be so ready to wear flip flops tonight!
Alexandra October 18, 2012, 10:29 am
I forgot my work out shorts when I went to the gym yesterday. LUCKILY i was wearing yoga pant, and figured, heck, I don’t really care if I have somewhat sweating pant in my 3 hours class. Made it work 😉
Lisa October 18, 2012, 5:44 pm
Thankfully I’ve never forgotten a towel. I am always super paranoid that I will forget something important like my SUIT! 🙂

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