Girls, Glamour and being a runner.

Girls, it’s time to drag out your dresses and hunt for your heels, we’re well and truly into wedding season. As someone who lives her life in trainers, though, this is a bit of a problem. Dressing for my cousin’s wedding last week was tricky. Sandals showed off my black toenails no matter how much polish I slathered on, Bambi looked sturdy compared to me walking in heels and any dress I tried on revealed my fetching racerback tan lines.

Forget the magazine covers and shiny ads, running isn’t glamorous. You lace up stinky trainers to puff along a pavement whilst pulling bizarre faces and sweating enough you look like you’ve swum. Once home, the elegance doesn’t end. Blistered feet, frizzy hair and muddy legs are all part of the joy.

I don’t mind. In fact I like getting grubby, it’s the main reason I’m a trail runner. I feel most comfortable splattered in mud. So when it comes to dressing up, I feel a little odd. Should I be filling in my tan lines and covering up scratches and bruises from bombing through thorn bushes?

This time, I decided not to.

I yanked on a dress that clearly displayed my running tan lines and hobbled around in heels, trying to not anger the blisters from my long run. These were my war wounds from hours of training and I was proud of them. More importantly, though, these are features that are becoming who I am. I’m a runner and, like it or lump it, this is part of the package.

As in any race, it’s how you cross the finish line that matters. So show off your dodgy sock marks, be proud of your missing toenails and don’t hide your bruised legs. Do it with swagger and a smile and it will pass for glamour.