More Random Thoughts

Here are some more random thoughts while on the run or ski slope...

Frank Zappa Lives: There has been a lot of snow in Garmisch this winter, especially over the last month. People here take their dogs out for walks, even in the winter. When the dogs "answer the call of nature," they leave yellow spots in the snow. Whenever I see one of those yellow blots in the snow, the first thing that comes to mind is the classic line, "Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow" from Frank Zappa's "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow."

Murphy's Law of Late Winter/Early Spring Running: If there is a puddle or thin ice with water underneath, you will end up stepping in it and getting your feet soaked. This usually happens in the early part of a run. There's nothing like the feeling of wet, soggy socks when it's still fairly cold out. I do my best to put a positive spin on cold, wet feet by telling myself that it's good preparation for if it rains on race day. The whole idea of training is to prepare myself for anything that will come up on race day.

Looking Good for that Athletic Endeavor: I don't understand why women put on full makeup before doing something athletic. It's just going to be sweated off and will look worse than no makeup at all. Maybe I can understand having makeup on for skiing because some women are more into looking good than skiing well. They spend more time hanging out in the lodge than actually skiing. But why would anyone in their right mind put on full makeup before a running race? A runner is practically guaranteed to sweat. I can't imagine running with mascara dripping into my eyes. I run and ski with my face au naturel and leave the makeup for work or going out. I actually prefer the natural color that I get in my cheeks from the exercise, sun, and fresh air over the artificial color of makeup.

Fragrance and Exercise Don't Mix: Along with makeup, I don't get why people put on heavy perfume or cologne before exercising. It's not like the perfume/cologne will hide the sweat smell. In fact, there's almost nothing worse than a mixture of body odor and fragrance. The very worst thing is riding in a closed gondola with someone who bathed in fragrance just before heading up to the ski hill.

Eau de B.O.: For the record, I shower every day. But there are still many Europeans who don't believe in daily showers or bathing. Some of these folks seem to shower once a week or even monthly. They're the ones I usually end up nose-to-armpit with in the starting area of a race (one of the disadvantages of being short). I realize that I don't exactly smell like a bouquet of roses after running a long race, especially one in warm weather. But at least I don't stink beforehand. I can only imagine how the people with pre-race B.O. (body odor) smell after a race. I definitely wouldn't want to be in a closed space with them! A shower the night before race day would be a real kindness to the other runners.

Where's Miss Manners When You Need Her: There are certain unwritten rules about riding on a chair lift. One is to keep your hands and other body parts to yourself. For most people there is plenty of space. But I seem to end up sitting next to people who obviously don't understand these rules. Today I was on the 6-man chair at my local ski area. On my right was a British man who was into gesticulating wildly with his left hand. I lost count of the number of times I got poked with his elbow. He was totally oblivious to the fact that he was poking another person. Not only that, he was sitting partway in my seat. I was getting squished between him and my husband. At least he didn't have body odor or wear cologne.