Day 166: Dirty, Dirty

I'm blown away by the amount of laundry I'm able to generate with running; and it seems to increase exponentially by the month. Back in the winter, I really only had one pair of warm running tights; so every time I wore them outside, I had to soak them and rinse them out immediately afterwards. I could let my other garments (socks, T-shirts) go in the basic laundry pile for weeks without any trouble. They didn't require a special load.

But now, I'm running for literally hours and hours a week, and everything touching my body has to be high performance: anti-chafe, anti-stink, breathable, cushioned, and snugly fitting. I can't just rinse these things out and hang them to dry. I slather sun screen and Body Glide all over myself and this eventually runs into the fabric. Whites get a rusty cast to them. Darks are smeared with snot, spit, blood, running gels and unidentifiable streaks. Left to marinate in the hamper, they develop a real, longstanding odor that defies description. "Teen boy" is all that comes to mind; but really, it's worse. The clothes I run in today need to spin, in an industrial machine, with warm water, and a special sports clothes detergent, for over 30 minutes. There are germs in there that I know wouldn't die in my Tide alone!

I think a lot now about what I want from my next apartment. It's time for me to buy. Sunshine, position, and safety have always been the key priorities, but new qualifications arise... Proximity to the Park, or some park I should say, and having my own washing machine and dryer have moved to the top of the list, bumping "position" to the side. Amazing the way one's perception and needs can shift in a relatively short time period.