European Youth Hostel Shower

Today I celebrated the first day of February by going for a lunch run and then treating myself to a chocolate covered pretzel for a post-run snack. It is another unseasonably warm day here in Pittsburgh, 52 degrees and sunny. I was dressed for a 40 degree run so it got a little hot. My husband thinks it's gross that I go on runs in the middle of the work day since I don't have access to a shower. I admit that it is not an ideal situation but I do have a clean-up routine. I like to call it the "European Youth Hostel Shower System." Anyone who has stayed in a hostel in Europe (and perhaps other places, my experience is limited to Europe) may have a good idea of what this involves. Most youth hostels have showers but there are several problems in terms of using them. 1. Most shower facilities are co-ed. As a young woman backpacking through Europe with some other ladies, nothing was scarier than the thought of using a co-ed shower. Boys are disgusting. Boys that are strangers are creepy and disgusting. 2. Most facilities are dingy. Youth hostels are dirt cheap, that's why young people stay in them. There is not a lot of money invested in the upkeep of the bathtub that someone attached a shower hose to. Furthermore, getting a comfortable temperature for a consistent period of time is almost impossible. No youth hostel owner wants to pay for your hot water bill! 3. No towels. Again, youth hostels are cheap. They are not about absorb (WORD PLAY!) the cost of providing towel service. Thus, if you want to dry off, you must bring your own towel. Towels are a pain to travel with and therefore better left at home. Alas, showering in the conventional sense was problematic. The solution to this shower situation was simply to take a washcloth (the small size makes it travel-friendly) or a paper towel, get it wet and soapy, and wipe yourself down. After cleaning all the necessary parts, add baby powder to stay fresh, deodorant, and perhaps some kind of perfume/cologne. When I go for my runs at work I replicate this process except I substitute the washcloth with body wipes (they are basically baby butt wipes). Again, it's not ideal.. However, I don't sweat a ton and I only have to get through 4 hours of work and then I can go home and take a real shower! I wonder if my co-workers have an opinion on this...