Saturday morning it was finally time to hit the 2013 Dirty Girl Mud Run in Indianapolis. I had everything you’d usually need for a 5k- shoes, socks, sports bra…and my senior prom dress.
Emily and I were on my friend’s team, “Cathy’s Bachelorette Brigade”, and you guessed it, we were instructed to look like bridesmaids. Most of the team went thrifting. Cathy pulled out her gown from her first wedding in 1987. I pulled out my senior prom dress from 1991.
The most puzzling thing about this dress was the sleeves. They look reasonably sized in the front, but in the back, they were frilly, frilly, frilly. WOW. 1991, you were something.
I wore my dress to the race, I figured it would just be easier that way. We meet up just past registration, and we were a SIGHT to behold. (Can you spot Emily in the maroon loveliness on the right?)
We trekked through the course, hitting the obstacles one by one. There were walls, there were mud pits, there were FOUR creek crossings and one trek across a pond. The most challenging thing for me was the rope wall- climbing has never been a strength. Sure enough though, with the momentum and some adrenaline, I made it up and over.
We laughed and splashed and slipped and slid all 5 kilometers. Do you see the lady in the yellow? She’s 80 years old and did a good portion of the race with us. She’s nothing short of amazing. I felt good when we were done- accomplished and ready for the free beer that came with my race bib.
When we were done, we hit the rinse off tent. I decided to pitch my dress- it was obviously too far gone to use for anything in the future. It goes without saying that a lot has changed in my life since 1991. The dress still fit, but I think I’m in better shape now than the first time I wore it. I don’t know that I would have done something like the Dirty Girl in 1991. I may in fact be game for more fun as I approach my fortieth birthday. There’s certainly no way I could have anticipated where I’d be in five years, never mind 22 years the first time I wore that dress. Putting it through the Dirty Girl seemed appropriate, and I was good with saying goodbye to it. Cathy had no qualms about throwing her dress out either- she’s getting married (in new dress) on June 15th!
Thanks to the Dirty Girl run series for inviting me to participate in this fantastic event!