One of the things I always find hardest when trying to squeeze in a run comes, well, in the aftermath of the run.
In my younger and less-dictated-by-Tiny-Overlord years, I could spring from bed at 6, go for a run for 30 or 40 minutes, looping to end back at my apartment where I could get a quick shower, put on some makeup and something more work-appropriate, and even enjoy a coffee before heading out. Now, I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually showered alone in the past two and half year (and it takes more than one hand to count all the times I have jumped out mid-shampoo to drip bubbles all over the floor in response to some shouted “MAMA!!!!”).
I am dripping in privilege in many ways as a runner — such as the fact that I don’t need to fear outdoor running because of my skin color. Another one of those is that both where I live and very near where I work, there are options for safe running — something too few communities in our country , especially when we look at safe and accessible green spaces. At home, I have my pick of at least four trails I can get to with the jogging stroller in 5-10 minutes; and, at work, I discovered a cute little county park situated ideally between Tiny Overlord’s daycare and my campus.
That’s lucky AF. And you have to recognize that privilege first.
Recognizing all that privilege, I am so thankful to be able to squeeze in the pre-work runs ... but I still struggled with how to make it work with my most limited resource right now: time. Usually, I have only 5 or 10 minutes from finishing a run to needing to be in my office conferring with a student or planning a lesson or one of the elventy-billion administrative tasks that teachers face.
And, I am also an official Sweaty Betty: some folks can do a short run with barely a drip, even on a warm day. Me? Five minutes in even in a winter run, I got a good sheen on me. That’s to say nothing of the full on swamp thing look I start to take on in the DMV’s infamous humid season (which apparently starts in like March now … thanks climate change).
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has struggled with trying to make that quick change, and while I have not perfected it (see me running into a class in a dress with wildly-un-coordinating running shoes when I forgot to pack a swap out), I do have five tips for making it a bit easier:
1. Find things that do double-duty
I am NOT a fan of spending a lot on clothes. (In fact, after giving away an embarrassing amount of barely-worn items when my husband and I bought our first home recently, I’m on a mission to go a year without buying anything new to make my little dent in the fast-fashion mess). And I am especially not a fan of spending a lot on clothes to sweat in.
This is why I am all about the anything I can run in and then pass off as workwear in the same day. There’s no magic to this: a lot of this comes from choosing fabrics and colors that don’t show sweat. A good pair of thick high waisted leggings in black or navy? You’re covered to sprint, then pass them off as tights under your dress or skirt. Joggers without too many zips and a sleek, deep color? Switch your running top for a dry one, throw a blazer over it, and you’re set. Those cute running dresses that are all the rage? Just make sure it’s long enough to cover your assets when you bend down, then a cardigan or sweater thrown over top with a scarf = boss lady.
2. Check the weather, then check your fabrics.
I mean, duh — we always do that when we run, right? But if you’re going to try to pass your workout clothes off as work ones, it’s all the more important.
This is also true of whatever you pack to change into: we know we often are still a bit sweaty 10, 15 minutes or longer after a run — is the light silky blouse really the best option if it’s going to be a sweat stained mess one you put it on?
shhh... we joggers are gonna pretend to be "work pants" later
Case in point: earlier this week, I woke up and could feel the air was really cool — and I was about to put on my trusty black leggings and then grab a dress for later, but my phone’s weather app predicted drizzle all morning. I’m one that actually likes a light drizzle for a run sometimes (see: me being a Sweaty Betty), but I realized the thick leggings would suck that water right up and I’d be soggy all day. So, I switched to a pair of very quick-dry joggers in navy blue: the light material was indeed fully wet after the 30 minute run, but I was high and dry in about 10 minutes.
3. Have something sweet to spritz, then let the air on in
Yup. You might be a bit smelly if you can’t shower. My go-to for this is a quick spritz of lavender water: I get lavender essential oil, then mix it into water in a little travel spray bottle. This offers a refreshing, but not overpowering scent.
Before I change clothes, I give it a quick spray, then a few minutes of fresh air — whether that is opening all the windows while I make the 5-minute drive to work, or just pausing a few minutes to take some deep breaths outside in the park before I get back in. A quick face wipe also helps a lot.
OK, so it's not actually a shower, but it's enough not to scare students off of office hours
4. Get a scarf
European women have figured out SO much more than we U.S. women have: paid maternity leave for MONTHS, at least a month of vacation time, day drinking that is classy rather than sloppy — and the scarf.
I became a big scarf fan when teaching in Budapest more than a decade ago, because it was one way to make my very limited wardrobe feel diverse. Scarves are inexpensive, and they make packing light easy. When you’re doing a quick change from workout to work, these can make you look pulled together and it takes up next to no space to throw one in your work bag.
a fave scarf handed down from my beloved suegra
(because no, even in DMV, teachers don't make enough for Cartier)
Here, you can see my picks for taking those joggers from werk it to work it: a cotton short-sleeved sweater (a thicker fabric that doesn’t show sweat, and washes easily to not trap odor), flats, and I recently inherited a lot of vintage scarves from my late mother-in-law which are gorgeous, so I picked on of my favorites to add a burst of color. My suegra was also a woman who desperately wanted to get higher education, but was forbidden to do so by her extremely traditional father, so wearing it to teach at an open-access college always makes me feel a boost for all those who fight for education for all.
5. Pack it all the night before
We know this: no matter what you do, how early you get your kiddo to bed, how simple you make breakfast, if you are a working mom, you’re running late in the morning. To avoid having to host a large meeting in your sweaty technical top or finding yourself missing another key item of clothing, keep a dedicated run-work bag. I keep my extra face wipes and lavender water spray in there, as well as one plain black T shirt (JUST IN CASE!), and fill it with my change of clothes before I head to bed, hanging it on the doorknob.
See, I look like a trustworthy educator, not a Sweat Monster, right?
Do I win any work fashion contests? Well, I work in higher education, so we’re a casual bunch, and as long as I am wearing clothes that are unstained, sure : )
But unless you are in one of the suits-only industries, hopefully these tips can work for you, too.
