I was having our daily "workout" converstaion with MsPattey and we got to talking about....HAIR. Her concern today was (and I bust out hollerin) that her head was "perfectly round" and thus the head bands she was using to keep her hair outta her face was falling off. Bandana - a no go too! Everything was sliding of her "perfectly round" head. So, added to my assignments for my visit next week is not only to do some training runs with her, but to solve the dilema of the headband on a perfectly round head. I can't wait.I started talking about my hair as it relates to all this swimming and stuff I've been doing. In general, I honestly don't really think about my hair very much at all. I taught myself how to do my own hair MANY, MANY years ago (...think White mother, black hair and not about to send me to the hair dresser every week). So, working out regularly, doing Bikram Yoga etc. didn't really give me a moments angst about what to do with my hair. I just washed, blow dry, flat iron, style. Kept it movin.
To me...it is just hair.
However, when I added swimming to the mix after I signed up for an indoor triathalon, I had to start thinking about what was I gonna do with my hair after submitting it to chlorine a couple of days a week.
It was suggested by some to go au natural. Well, I considered my hair natural because I don't have a relaxer. Haven't had one in over 3 years. The only chemical I have on my hair is some color...done by my FABULOUS Master Redken Colorist, Amy at Victoria & Alberts. I thought because I don't have a relaxer that was natural. Well, I have been informed (...and by one or two hair nazi's) that I was wrong. NO HEAT. Ummm, okay.
So, I went ahead and tried to do the wash & wear, no heat route a couple of times. NEVER AGAIN. I tried twisting/braiding - followed by a twist out or whatever you call it. I've tried just going with my natural curl pattern with a little mousse/gel/curl master/blah blah blah. I've tried that with pinning it up, trying different hair styling options. I spent a small fortune trying different products and spent upwards of 2 hours twisting, braiding, squishing, fluffing, arranging my damn hair and I still ended up looking like.....
UmmFooFoo The Bush Byatch...PERIOD. Wild. Crazy. The FireMarshall even remarked "Well, that's okay for the weekend in the house, but when we go out together...will you be putting some heat on that?" DAMN. His preference is definitly NOT the no heat natural look. I'm not gonna knock him for that.
Thus, after all that fiddling with my hair (TOO TIME CONSUMING); after all of those products bought (TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE); after the confirmation from the FM that he would prefer I not go that route...I have given up the ghost. I asked him what he thought about me locking my hair and told me it's my hair, if I want to try locs then go for it but his preference is the way I've been doing my hair forever. Nuff said.
I whipped out that blow dryer and flat ironed my hair back to the way it was. DONE.
Now will I do that to my hair every day...after every time in the pool. NERP. I don't have a problem with H.I.B. (Hair I Bought) at all. I have a reciept, so it is my hair. On occassion I plan on whipping out a phonytail, hair piece or even a wig (I have plenty of HIB to choose from) so that I can keep it movin' in and out of the gym without so much as a care in the world.
I would rather spend 2 hours in the gym or with my family then 2 hours fiddling with my hair to try and get it to look fabulous. I just don't look fabulous like all my natural friends do; I don't care to spend a whole heap of time trying to get it that way - and I'm not ABOUT to go out the house looking crazy as I "work on it". Locking would be the only other alternative and that just isn't FM's preference.
So, to not look like UmmFooFoo The Bush Byatch - that crazy, crunchy haired woman who looks like she don't know what to do with all dat hair - you'll see me rocking my bandana, ponytail or headband at the gym and maybe some HIB later if I don't have time to do my hair myself. My hair WILL NOT EVER keep me from my workout or goals.
It is just hair...to me
