Showering at Work

So I have an after-work commitment this afternoon, and I was too lazy to get up and run this morning. What did I do? I became resourceful. I remembered that there is in fact a shower in my office - even though the sales dudes who bike to work are the only ones who ever use it.

I pondered the idea of running over lunch and using the shower - thinking it might be kind of gross, but I have to run, so oh well. I packed my gym bag to take to the office, and at 11:50, I went to the ladies' room and changed into my athletic garb.

Despite the odd looks I received from some co-workers and the stench I knew I'd bring with me back to the office, off I went for a nice little jaunt - over to the lake, down the path, around the Shedd Aquarium and back. I even put my debit card in my shorts so I could stop at Subway and pickup lunch on my way back.

After my little four-mile route, I promptly grabbed my bag and went in the shower room - and much to my surprise it was totally clean and fine. It smelled slightly of mildew and the shower was quite short, but otherwise it was a completely pleasant experience.

While this isn't something I care to make a daily occurrence by any means, I am glad to know it's an easy possibility if I need to get a run in and I'm short on time.

Inside vs. Outside: Why the Treadmill Loses at Life

Anyone who has ever run on a treadmill has an opinion about whether running inside on the treadmill is better, or if running outside with nature (or with cars, either way) is better.

I personally cannot run more than three miles on a treadmill without wanting to kill myself - or falling off because I'm just THAT awesome.

Here is a list of some reasons why running on a treadmill is better or worse than running outside:

Treadmill Pros:

• Keeps pace
• Can watch TV
• Can stop and go to the bathroom as needed
• Don't have to hold anything (towel, waterbottle, iPod, etc.)

Treadmill Cons:

• Can't spit
• Can easily fall off
• Get tired sooner
• Time crawls by
• No scenery
• Monotonous
  

Outside Pros:

• Scenery
• Fresh air
• Feels like your accomplishing something because you're actually moving
• Can spit at will
• Wind to cool down (wind can also be a big time Con)
• Get a tan
• Get inspired by other people running too

Outside Cons:

• Cold weather
• Hot weather
• Excessive wind - causes resistance, frostbite
• No accessible toilet if you need it

It's easy to see that being outside is far superior to being inside when running - but I'll let you go ahead and make that call on your own.