I used to work for a Fortune 500 company and was an entry-level manager. I used to dress for success every single day.
I have decided that “dress for success” also applies to walking a 1/2 marathon. That may not strike you as odd, but I am a plus sized woman. Not a little big, very big. I haven’t shopped in the regular sized section of a store since I was in the 3rd grade. OK, it hasn’t been that long, but I have struggled with my weight since about that time.
I am within two weeks of my first half-marathon, and I know finishing it is a reality, not just a possibility. I can even imagine that I might finish with 19 minute miles. The one thing that I have struggled with in all of this is what to wear. I struggled because my thighs rub together when I walk. I am aware of how hot it can get even in Montana in the summer. I know the importance of sweat-wicking fabric. But I am also self-conscious of my fat deposits in places that no woman wants. Sweats were what I wanted to wear but they sure were not working for me.
I gave up the fight, or maybe I started to think like a winner. I order plus sized compression running Capri pants from New Balance, and a sleeveless top. When they came I put them and looked in the mirror. OMG they show even the ripples of my cellulite! My bat winged arms were seeing sunlight and not hidden in long-sleeved tops. I could not imagine wearing these in public. Then I thought I spent good money and decided that I bought them for function not fashion. I was going to wear them for me and what someone else thought be damned.
After wearing them for my walks, I can say without a doubt they were a great purchase. There were worth every penny I spent. I don’t even realize my thighs rub together anymore, that slick compression fabric was the prefect answer. The outfit wicks away the sweat and moisture better than I could have imagined. The little pocket for my MP3 player in the small of my back I thought was stupid is great! I walk on the frontage road, and can’t imagine what I look like from behind, but you know what I don’t care.
I am about to walk a 1/2 marathon. I am about to cross something off my life list. I am dressing for success, and sized doesn’t matter.
