I usually do a couple of 10K races a year sponsored by Go St. Louis. The spring race includes a marathon, and a half marathon (I used to do the half marathon, but I’ve decided the 10K distance suits me better), and the fall is a Halloween race (which a few years ago I did dressed). I’ve done three of the 10K races the last two years, and won my age group twice and placed second once. Accordingly, I wanted to keep my streak of placing in the race alive for 2025.
Because it’s a big race (there were about 6,000 in total for the four main distances) they require you pick up your race packet (with your race number, which has your timing chip) the day before. Last year, I decided to do the pickup dressed, and I didn’t have any issues, and I decided I should do it again this year.
My dress choice was a Princess Highway dress I bought during my most recent trip to Australia, a fun colorful summer dress with a floral pattern. I hadn’t worn it yet, so this was a good opportunity.
The year before I went to a favorite thrift store, Refresh, after picking up my packet. This year, I decided to reverse the order and go to Refresh first, and then do the pickup, as the timing worked better.
Refresh is an interesting thrift store; it’s a normal thrift on the first floor, and formal dresses (tons of them) on the second floor. I have no current need for a formal dress, but I enjoy trying them on and daydreaming about having an opportunity to wear a formal.
The last time I had been to Refresh it was a Satur-Dee afternoon in the middle of prom season, so there were lots of high school girls there looking for dresses. I decided that probably wasn’t the best time for me to be trying on formals. This time it was a Fri-Dee afternoon, so only a couple of others looking for formals.
Usually even though the labels say the dress is a size that normally fits me, with formal dresses I have found the labels tend to lie (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it), and they don’t. Finding dresses that do fit (with many of them targeting a high school girl, which I’m not) is often a task.
I found a few, although in some cases I will take pictures even though the dress is too small (that daydreaming thing again). There is something elegant about wearing a formal dress; I particularly like the picture of the white/ivory full length dress. The short blue rhinestone dress was definitely fun–and definitely didn’t fit, or otherwise I would have been severely tempted.
I also tried on a few things from the main floor, and with the encouragement of Ms. Dee-ism, I bought the short black dress and the green denim dress, because they looked pretty good and were priced right ($19 for the two of them).
Feeling thus inspired, I drove to receive my race packet (yes, my ID did not match my appearance, but not an issue), and headed home. Up early the next morning, with mid-50’s temperatures suitable for running, I managed to place in the top three again, and claim my award–a small rectangle of milk chocolate from a local institution, Crown Candy (yes, I ate my award, and yes it was good).
I am fortunate to be able to both train for races and compete in them, and I plan to do both for the foreseeable future, and hopefully for as long as I can. I get both satisfaction AND a fitter body to fit into fun dresses like the black one I bought (never can have too many LBDs).
I hope to avoid Running on Empty for a long time to come.
