Wardrobe malfunctions

The winner of the Manduka giveaway is I'm the Mom. Email me at hlthystrides at gmail dot com.

I wouldn't call myself a pro at the ole "go for a run and return to work" thing but I've done it enough times that I should know how it works.

And by know how it works, I mean that I should know what to pack.Yet twice this week, I have found myself in compromising positions because I obviously don't know how to pack.

On Monday, I had planned a 3- or 4-mile recovery run in the afternoon - just something to refresh my legs and minds during the awkward time before my meetings. My stomach was starting to feel a bit off but I decided to give it a go and see how things went. I grabbed my tote bag and headed to the ladies room to get ready.

I shed work clothes and slipped on a sports bra and shirt. I slid on a pair of capris and put on my watch. I grabbed my shoes and sock.

Yes. Sock. Singular.

It seems that I only had the forethought to bring one with me (the other, as I later discovered, was in the center console of my car - obviously where it belonged). I could have used the stomach + sock combo to skip but I already told someone I was running and, well, yeah.

I was a bit surprised to discover how not bothersome it was to run with one sock. I didn't even notice a difference until mile 2.5 and it was near my big toe, where the tongue hits the top of the foot - not the heel as I expected. It was a bit uncomfortable but no big deal.

Not like going sans bra to work.

This morning, in an effort to sleep and run, I decided to pull my favorite mother runner trick: drop off Miles a bit early and show up to work 15 minutes late. I took the beast - and I can call him that because he said his friend at daycare loves him more than I do - to my mother-in-law's house about 9. He was decked out in IPFW fanware, and I was in lululemon capris and an Under Armour turtleneck.

After a few attempts at a hug, I said my goodbyes and headed out for a 5-mile run. The run itself, if you're interested, was nothing special but I was glad to be able to run after feeling so terrible for most of the week and teaching two classes last night. I finished in 47 minutes, got in the car and headed to work - where I would clean up and change.

And I did clean up, thanks to the baby wipes and deodorant I always keep in my tote bag. I did change, too, in the sense that I took off my running clothes and put on the things I packed.

The things I packed: Denim trousers, a belt, long-sleeve Kelly green T-shirt, plaid button-up, cream scarf and boots.

Did you notice something missing? Go back. Look. Now tell me.

Yep, that would be a bra. I did not bring a bra to work. I felt a bit troubled when I made the discovery. I certainly didn't want to drive home to retrieve one nor did I want to go to the nearby Salvation Army to buy a thrifted one. My support tank that I wore running was soaking and definitely not an option.

So ...

So ...

So ...

I decided not to wear one at all. Before you get all skeeved out, let's be honest about my situation. Wearing a bra is just a formality as nursing + weight loss has left little to support. I'm also wearing two shirts plus a scarf that hides it all and, well, there you have it. I've apparently transported myself back to the 1970s where undergarments are optional and shaving is discouraged. (It is, just ask my legs.)

Question of the day: What would you do? Bonus points for saying you'd buy a super cute gym bag stocked with essentials to store at your desk.

Lessons on the run

I had just spent 15 minutes on hold with the doctor's office to schedule my, ahem, annual appointment and the mid-afternoon lull was hitting. I knew the best thing for me would be to grab my bag, change and head out for a run but I didn't really feel like it.

I could run tomorrow, I reasoned. I ran yesterday, I reminded myself. I don't have to run four days a week.

And then my friend tweeted that she had worked out on her lunch break despite having a blister and forgetting her socks. Damn, if she didn't get me down to the bathroom and into my running clothes from a 1,000 miles away. I told myself that I could do "just" 3 miles and call it an afternoon.

What was supposed to be a leisurely, lazy 3-mile run ended up being more - it was farther, faster and chock full of lessons that I wasn't anticipating to learn.

1. I had planned an out-and-back course that would take me from downtown to a river trail that I used to frequent before we bought our house and moved to a different neighborhood. The beauty of an out-and-back is that if you run 1.5 miles out, you have to run 1.5 miles back. Of course, if you run 1.5 miles out, you have to run 1.5 miles back - even if you don't want to or, even worse, can't.

2. Eating pumpkin chili at 11:30 a.m. is not the best idea if you want to have an event-free run at 1:30 p.m.

3. It's always best to know where you are running, especially where the gas stations are where you are running. Even if it means tacking on a half-mile to your out and back.

4. Crosswalks are a blessing and a curse. If you are going at a good clip, the signal might interrupt your rhythm. If you want to keel over, it's a great chance to catch your breath. Of course, it's all in the timing.

5. Bargaining does wonderful things. "Stop at this crosswalk but you have to gun it the last half-mile and avoid stopping at all costs."

6. I could run faster than I think I can/do if I wasn't scared or more motivated. About a half-mile in, I noticed the legs and lungs seemed to be working in harmony, and I decided to throw in some intervals. I did a quarter-mile hard with a quarter-mile recovery ... until I had to make a pit stop, at which point I decided not to stress the body more than it was. Anyway, all four miles were under 9:00 and my average pace was 8:31.

7. Runching does help you go faster, especially when you have to tack on a mile and still get back to work in an hour.

8. I am not sure if this is a lesson but I decided that it would be really nice to find a running buddy who works downtown. I know having a running date would help keep me motivated throughout the winter, and he/she might push me to go faster. I'm not sure how to go about that. Do you think I could put up fliers or advertise on Craigslist?