First of all, I'd like to offer an un-sponsored commercial warning: do not apply spray-on sunscreen on a windy beach. It does not have the promised sun blocking effect, mainly because it's not on your body. It's scattered in tiny molecules all over other beach-goers, your towel, and probably your sunglasses. Also, maybe your husband who is dutifully spraying you with sunblock.
And then if you do apply the spray variety of sunblock while standing on a windy beach (and apply is a relative term here), it is probably not wise for you, if you are one of the fair skinned varieties of humans, especially those who are still (in July) whiter than said sunblock in its lotion form, to wear your smallest bikini.
Because I found out for myself just this past Sunday that these conditions taken together result in a sunburn of a furious, hotter-than-fire nature. It hurts to sleep (back or stomach). It hurts to take a shower. It hurts to move because my shirt rubs against my flaming skin. It really hurts to lie on my stomach and type this, but it hurts even more when my two year old climbs on my back, gleefully shouting "Horsie!" and bouncing up and down.
So I really don't know why I decided to go for a run tonight.
I'm a newby to the running field. But when my husband picked it up--and I mean literally PICKED IT UP, as in, "Hmm, I think I'll try running" so he goes out for a two mile run and does it in 16 minutes and comes home not even breathing hard sort of picking it up--I thought, I've been bursting my lungs for two years now, 5 days a week on the elliptical, I can do 2 miles. No problem. I ran a total of 0.274 miles before I had to stop, bent in half, wheezing like crazy. It's taken me since April to get up to 2 straight miles, running at least 3 times per week. And I tend to avoid humid days like the plague, opting to exercise inside on those days with my weights.
So today (which is, of course, hot and humid), I decided to run. With a hideous sunburn. It was one of my more horrible 25 minutes of life so far. Not as bad as childbirth, not as bad as Freshman Speech class, and not as bad as the time I got a wart removed from the ball of my left foot (the shot was what killed me). But pretty high up there on my top 50 most painful moments list.
And then I was done. And after standing in the garage to sweat and drip off the worst of the sweat, I came inside and took a shower. And guess what: I feel great now. Isn't it weird? Never thought I'd say this, but running does make you feel better.
Next time, try it with a sunburn. The payoff is even greater.
9 comments:
Kir-I can empathize with your situation, because I have a painful sunburn myself. Mine was also the result of not applying enough sunscreen (I put on a thin layer hoping it would give me a tan while preventing a burn) and having pale skin that wasn't prepared for an entire day out in the blazing sun on Saturday. But, does your sunburn include some awesome raccoon eyes from where your sunglasses covered your face? Because I might have you beat there : )
tears streaming down my face...kids running in from all over the house to see why mom is laughing so hard she is crying....not that you don't have my sympathy... :-)
Glad I made you laugh, Ilona, and sorry Alli, but my nose could guide Santa's sleigh. Kir
I laugh at the people running. I laugh and point. It hurts my head to run. I mean thinking about running hurts my head.
Being a six foot two - 225 lbs - running to me is like pounding my soul into a hellish cavern of knee, neck, chest, and foot pain. "You aren't doing it right," some might say. And I say, "No, I am just not doing it."
What makes the humor work here is that it is two topics that most people have tried - sunbathing before establishing a base, and running. Nice job.
hum...sunburns...can't say you are lucky, and definitely not blessed. cursed is accurate i think. so sorry kir, not to say i told you so about 2 hours after we arrived a few hours before your loving husband applied more lotion to your white chocolate legs. so sweet of him; but thumbs up for running in humidity. that alone would stop me from doing that exact thing. of course it is very rare for me to have a sunburn. but i give you my sympathy and any aloe vera that interests you.
White chocolate legs?!?!?! What the heck kind of insult is that? I wouldn't take your aloe vera if it was the last AV in the world.
Hey you had mentioned something to that extent at 'da beach'. Just taking your words. But suit yourself on the AV, your son found it helpful I must say.
EVERYTIME we go camping or to the beach, I warn you -- remember last time, Kir? And you say you do, and you say you are good, and you never are. So next time, I'm in charge of your sunscreen... all 55 of the SPFs.
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