Jogging to work - logistics of it

[jennipurrr]

As I posted a couple years ago, I live less than 4 miles from my office. At that time there was an slice of area between my office and home that I considered far too dangerous to bike or walk through. While its probably ok around 7 am, the folks selling drugs on the corners and the prostitutes were out by 5 pm when I am coming home. Out of that conversation here it ended up where DH and I occasionally load the bike rack and bikes up, drive past the bad area, park and ride the two miles in and two miles back at the end of the day. Its a nice ride, but we don't do it as often as we should

I do NOT want to seem callous here, I am devastated by the loss of property and life my city has sustained...after the tornado came through this part of the city was destroyed. The tornado basically took out the worst parts of the scary area entirely. Cleanup has begun and many of the buildings are already leveled or in the process, and have left empty lots of the time being. The city plan calls for affordable, but nice housing to be built in this area...the target markets are students and working class families, so I do not believe we will see anything like the former environment.

So, the past couple weeks I have seen a resurgence in runners and recreational walkers through the area. As for biking, I feel the area still may be a bit iffy...there is a lot of traffic and not all the signals are installed yet, plus we got a nail in our tire last week driving through there. All the sidewalks are still in great shape though! This year, I decided to try the whole train for a 5K thing and completed my first one in May. When the weather is nice I run in the park, when it is too hot (like now, high 90s - 100s during the day) I go to the track in the gym. I really enjoy being outside and it is easily cool enough to jog to work in the morning. DH works a few buildings over from me, so I can ride home with him...not sure I am up for nearly 8 miles in a day (yet!) plus at 5 the heat is killer right now.

So...does anyone do this? What are the logistics? I have a shower at the gym (near my office) and I can rent a locker for the year...so I guess, leave the house dirty, jog to the gym, take a shower at the gym, change clothes and then go to work. But, what about my clothes? I guess I would need to take a back pack? Or should I stop by in the evening and leave my work clothes for the next day? I have walked and hiked with a backpack, but never tried jogging. Or then I was thinking I guess I could scrap the whole speed thing and just walk to work, not get super sweaty, bypass the gym, and just change, wipe down if needed at my office. But, also that would take me longer to actually get to work and I really wouldn't be getting the workout I want.

Trying to wrap my brain around the logistics...so instead of reinventing the wheel, what do you do? Bikers feel free to share too if you have a similar issue.

[Zoebird]

I don't know what you need to wear in your office -- ours is pretty casual but I also do well with very simple clothing items. I have pencil skirts and a-line skirts from american apparel that i pair with their tank tops and a cardigan, wrap, or pull-over sweater. then accessorize with basic jewelry and ballet flats. It is professional enough for most office work, unless you work in full-on suit offices (like lawyers).

So, because i choose these items of clothing, they fold up easily. I could -- very easily -- pack up 5 outfits into a small bag and store them in a locker. I could also put my small toiletries bag in there, and a sport towel (they dry quickly).

I would then run to the gym, shower and dress, and then have a bag for my dirty clothes. Don't forget to toss a sachet in that bag -- it will help. I would then take that bag to the office and stuff it somewhere under my desk. Work my day, go home with DH.

On Thursday evening, I would pack my 5-outfit bag for the next week, and put it in DH's trunk. Then, on Friday when he picks you up, you can just take the clothes into the locker, bring the towel home, and voila! you're set for the following week.

Does this make sense?

I used to do triathlons while in law school. I drove (45 minutes) to the law school and gym, then swam (or biked or ran), then showered, then went to law school, then did the second work out, then taught, assisted, or took yoga classes, then went home. left the house at 7 am, got home around 10:30 pm M-Th, and home by 8 on Fridays. Yoga on Sats and Suns.

So, i rented a spot for my bike at the gym (they put it into lock up for me), but I used my car as my "mobile office." I had one under-bed-sweater box (found for free!) with my law books, notebooks, and a small shoebox of pens, highlighers, and what not (my friend's son's infant shoebox. so cute!). I had a second one that held my law school clothes -- i dressing pretty much the same as i describe above, except when it was cold and I would wear boots and have perhaps a heavier layer (coat). and then two more smaller ones -- one that housed clean work out and yoga clothes, and one that housed dirty work out and yoga clothes (that one had a lid AND a sachet).

Each day, I would take the dirties home and put them in that day's wash. On sunday, I would refresh my "clean clothes" containers in my car, and of course declutter my books, notebooks, pens, etc.

I also carried a massive lunch box.

Man, funny to remember those times. :)

[jennipurrr]

Thank you for the reply! Its good to get ideas to see how other people think to do things. I definitely think I could plan and do it, for some reason I wasn't even thinking about packing all the weeks outfits. That would make me actually go too...if my clothes were at the gym!

Unfortunately the local track club recently made a warning about jogging alone through these areas, so I am going to heed that for now. DH thought I was nuts when I told him...he says maybe in a couple years, but right now, the people who are still in that area are even more desperate than before, so I may make an easy target. This is probably true, so right now I am sticking to the gym.

[fidgiegirl]

Too bad. If it weren't for the crappy environment, it would be super. I was just thinking about this in the shower this morning. It's not that I hate working out, because I don't. I enjoy it a lot. It's the time just to run around that gets me. If I were combining it with arriving at work, or biking to errands (could be doing this now . . . just don't . . .:|(), or whatever, but using the workout as a way to get to the next place, that would feel so much more natural to me.

Well, here's hopin' you can do it in the future, anyway.

[jennipurrr]

Yeah fidgiegirl, I would definitely be more likely to work out more if I were getting somewhere...right now I do go to the gym frequently, but its a huge time vacuum. It would take longer to get to work, but it would cut out the whole extra gym trip. Oh well...I guess I'll just have to see how things work out with the area. I don't want to sound like one of those insensitive people who wanted the 9th ward in New Orleans turned into a golf course, but I would love this area to turn into somewhere safe and walkable.

[fidgiegirl]

You inspired me, jennipurrr! DH and I went biking on errands today. It was fun . . .

[jennipurrr]

Hey Fidgie! I haven't checked this thread recently...I am glad I inspired someone!!! I'm still at the gym for now and with the temps this summer, its probably good I am indoors. Our city has released plans for making the rebuilt areas more walkable, so I am optimistic about the future.