I don’t consider myself supremely girly. I like to shower and burn candles. But working at the gym, it’s almost counter intuitive to apply makeup and perfume.

So here’s my dirty filthy secret. I friggin love cosmetics. Namely nail polish, eyeliner, and perfumes. The other stuff, I could take or leave. I don’t care if I’m running 5k or a full marathon, the thought of being photographed without at least one coat of colorful nail polish and just a spritz of the parfum du jour makes me want to throw up.

So before every race (and sometimes before I teach), I get up a little earlier, throw some eyeliner on, and make sure my nails aren’t chipped, as I’m convinced that my decent racing times are not due to my training, but rather, my choice of nail color. At least if I’m going to be sweating buckets, my nails will be looking fly, right?

(If you find yourself shocked or offended by the sheer volume of polish and perfume I have, consider this. I lost my original collection a few years ago in a tornado that destroyed mine and my roommate’s home. So this collection is what I’ve managed to build back, and not nearly as glorious as the original).