Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Take out the trash Tuesday!



Ok. I have received many E-Mails asking if I could talk about different things. Here is a list of just a few.

1) Q: Have you found a way to get that "Nasty" smell out of my husband's workout clothes. STU: My wife complains about this too. I would love to find the answer to this. P.S. I do a lot of the laundry (just for the record).

2) Q: Why does his shoes stink so much the day after a run? STU: I find that anytime you run and shoes get wet, just put newspaper in them and that will keep them from smelling.

3) Q: Why can't my spouse put on a NON "Dry fit" shirt when we go to the movies or out to dinner? STU: I love the feel of those shirts. I will try and do better on this.

4) Q: Can I get a spouses guide to Triathlon lingo? For example, my husband was on the phone last night and the conversation went like this. "I'm doing a tempo run today followed by some spin-ups on the bike." What the heck is he talking about? I will make an attempt to learn, but need some help. If I do this he better stop complaining about my trips to the mall. STU: Good idea. I know some newbies that might like to see this as well. I also make the attempt to get the lingo down from my wife and her job.

5) Q: My wife says she gets a runners high all the time. I have tried but feel like a "hangover" when I run. What's the deal? STU: Hmmmm. I get the "high" about 90% of all workouts. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. Hard to explain this one.

6) Q: I would love to know what other spouses do for a living. Will you let me know? I do research on Cancer research for a major drug company. It would be interesting to see the demographics of triathlete spouses. STU: Ok, I can tell you that my wife is an awesome science teacher for 8th graders. How cool is that! And you?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. I have answers to all of those....

1) Nasty smell:
Just do the laundry, as Stu says. My BF is the triathlete and he hand-washes all his wicking wardrobe, and hangs everything up to dry. It's a minefield in his bathroom - hanging clothes and all - but it smells fine and he likes to train. So be it - no problem from me! Of course, I think he smells great even when he sweats.

2) Nasty smell shoes:
Try Stu's answer or use Febreeze. It really rocks.

3) Dri-fit shirt:
Why is one spouse trying to get the other spouse to do something OTHER than he/she wants to do? If he/she wants to wear dri-fit, let him/her. It's a joy thing, perhaps it's an identification with the sport, but ultimately, it's not hurting anything. Live and let live... by getting frustrated by trying to 'change' your spouse into dressing the way YOU like, you are taking away HIS individuality. However, if you find a certain way of dressing very sexy, simply say, "Honey, I can guarantee you good lovins' if you wear this type of outfit..." In this way, you aren't changing him but instead, giving him a choice on what to wear ;)

4) Tri lingo:
Just ask... say, "What's that?" if he uses sport-talk. He'll be excited you were listening! He'll be happy to tell you about it if you ask. You can ask more questions based on his answers each time - he'll be VERY excited that he's got a partner who wants to understand!! Other than that, you can pick up any tri training book sitting around the house and look in the glossary for the lingo.

"Tempo run" = running at the pace he'd run in a race, which is pretty fast (and usually difficult). "Long slow distance" (LSD) run: just like it sounds - usually long runs, often on weekends so the next day can be for recovery. "Speed workout" = can be a few things, but usually it involves doing short distances very fast, and taking quick breaks in-between (can also include 'intervals'), which are similar; this helps build strength by forcing the legs to work extra hard on those days. "Spinning" = easy pedaling on the bike, often in front of TV. these are just a few - hope they help.

5) Runner's high:
Is this a trick question? ;) 'Runner's high' is one (or both) of two things: endorphins from the exercise, and dopamine from the brain (natural drugs!) from doing a pleasing event. These 'brain drugs' are what keeps an athlete going, in a similar way any addict gets a joy from his/her addiction: it's just that the endorphins are also natural painkillers (mental and physical) also... People who aren't yet conditioned don't get the high because the brain is usually starved for oxygen and/or focusing on any pain. Start slow and work up to greater workouts and you won't get any 'hangover' (btw, often a hangover is less oxygen and/or less hydration and electrolytes - even in training situations).

6) I'm a wellness and fitness coach... and a professional entertainer. I fit each business in around the other one, plus I combine them when I coach professional actors and stuntpeople in their fitness.

Comm's said...

my wife says that baking soda and white wine vinager directly to the clothes will not only make them smell good but keep colors brigther.

Laughing Anne said...

try this Sport Wash!

LBTEPA said...

Spray the especially smelly bits of the clothes with pre-wash stain remover, and if possible, line dry the clothes in the fresh air. If they really reek then throw them out.
Good luck and thanks to all the 'widows' - I know I appreciate my DH even more since I took up distance events

ShesAlwaysWrite said...

Re: the demographics of spouses...
Mine's a software developer/software project manager for Motorola.