Stylin'

When I walked on Town Lake the other morning, for the first time in forever, I noticed something.  All the women were wearing the same kind of shorts – the solid-colored ones with a stripe on either side, sort of scalloped at the outer thigh.  A few were wearing the knee-length black spandex thing.

What was I wearing?  Well, in all fairness, it was dark when I got dressed and I grabbed the first pair of faux yoga pants that my hand touched.  It wasn’t until the sun started rising that I noticed I was wearing the ones I used to paint my kitchen and living room a while back.  The ones with angry green and yellow streaks all over them.  The ones that are now too big for me, bag uncomfortably and threaten to fall down if I put so much as an iphone in the pocket. 

And then there were my shoes.  There is a lot of construction going on around my house, and dust is everywhere.  I noticed that my pink and white shoes were brown – covered in a thin layer of dust and dirt.  Good God, I thought, do you ever look at yourself before you leave the house?  I think I’ve gotten into the habit of thinking of my walks as “work” and I dress accordingly.  Maybe I should adjust that to “recreation.”  Or “fun.”  Or “there are actually some cute guys out here who wouldn’t look at you twice in that get-up.”

So that night, I threw both pairs of shoes into the laundry.  After work I went straight to Academy.  The shoes will have to wait (I want those cute neon green ones!) but I bought myself three pairs of shorts.  And though I had totally planned to go to the gym afterwards, you're going to have to trust me on this:  just driving through semi-rush hour traffic in 100+ weather, about 5 miles each way, took so  much out of me that I had to make Monday my day off.  Just came home and fizzled.

But that was yesterday.  Today I brought my gym bag to work, loaded with my new pink soccer shorts, my clean shoes and socks, a running bra, a towel, a t-shirt and my iphone.  And just as I was about to head out to the gym after work, I realized I had forgotten my ear buds.  Honestly, I need a checklist; it appears I am incapable of remembering every item for every walk.  Unable to face the treadmill without music or NPR, I changed course and headed straight for the trail.  That was close to two hour ago.  Today it was 105.  It feels good to know I can walk five miles in 105 degree heat.  And it felt GREAT to wear lightweight shorts instead of cut-off sweat pants!  But, oh, the water.  Not lukewarm at that hour, not warm, but HOT.  Seriously.  No relief whatsoever. 

I feel like a big, take-out Greek salad from the Athenian Grill.  And I'm going to type up and print out a list of "walking" items for my gym bag.  And I'm going to have it laminated.