Color Me Rad 5K

This morning I got up super-early to be ready to walk at the Color Me Rad 5k.  My friends Ani, Di, and I have been looking forward to this race since I first found out about it in the summer.

For the longest time, 5Ks were something that I liked the idea of better than I liked  the actual participation of.  When I was heavier and much more out of shape, I actually had a couple of breakdowns while on the 5K course.  I hated it when I was physically unable to keep up with most everyone else.  I couldn’t take it when people passed me, and literally started crying more than once when I the numbness/pain in my legs/feet was caused me to need a break after just a mile or so.  I actually stopped participating in 5Ks for a few years because I just couldn’t take that feeling of being “less than.”

Well, I’ve come a long way, baby! Today’s 5K was totally fun, completely RAD, and left me with a strong sense of accomplishment.  But I’m getting ahead of myself…

I’m a girl who loves her accessories, and these turquoise sunglasses that came in the race packet make me smile.  They also came in handy to block my eyes from the crazy color bombs!

Who doesn’t love temporary tattoos?  I love the photo on the right, with Ani and me donning our tats.

This is one of the many signs at the pre-race area.  I love the entire vibe of this 5K, especially since “rad” is a word that my friends and I actually used back in high school.

Ani and I shortly after we started the 5K – you can tell it’s early on because our shirts are still relatively white.  That was about to change…

Right after I passed through the first of many color bomb areas.  The kids who were doling out the colored powder were really aggressive with it, but I’m glad they were, because that was really the fun of this 5K.

This is my favorite photo of the day.  Di, Ani, and I.  I love that we each chose different colored sunglasses at registration.  I also love that we’ve been friends since high school!  Love these girls so much!

As we walked, we caught up on what’s been going on in each other’s lives, which was fun.  Every so often, we’d pass a color bomb area to get doused by the newest color.  One thing that was surprising was that some of the color bomb spots were actually wet – they mixed the colored powder with water and were hosing us off.  It was COLD, and I didn’t love that it got in my ears (among other places).  LOL.  But it was all really fun.

Seeing how much easier this 5K was than any other I’ve ever done really boosted my confidence in all that I’ve achieved.  I completely enjoyed myself the entire time, and I was really content with walking it.  If I never get to the point of walk/run status, I’m fine with it, because I can look forward to pushing myself and my pace with each new event.

The FINISH line was in sight before we knew it.  I was actually really proud of our 57-minute finish, especially considering that Ani was suffering through a plantar fasciitis incident.  I definitely could’ve gone even faster than we were, but I wasn’t trying to walk this race for a PR.  Endomundo told me that our average speed was 3.5 miles per hour, which is really good, considering.  I really can’t say enough about how happy I was that the entire 5K was as much fun as I hoped it would be.  It was a true milestone and an NSV that I had such an easy time doing this event.  And the fact that I did it with two of my BFFs made it all the sweeter.

Here we are right after we crossed the finish line.  We decided to finish strong, and together, so we ran the last little bit, holding hands as we crossed.  It was the BEST day!

A last-minute selfie in the parking lot before we headed out to get some much-needed Starbucks.  My smile says it all – I’m so proud of myself!

To give you an idea of just how COLORFUL the morning was, here’s a before and after shot:

One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that the color gets everywhere…I mean EVERYwhere!  I had color between my boobs, on my back right above my butt, and even in my nostrils.  I have no idea how it got under my clothes, but it did.

My shower looked like a Starburst factory had exploded.  I’m just glad it all washed out.

All in all the 5K couldn’t have been better.  I had a great time with two of my best friends, and I was so proud of myself as I was completing it.  I’ve come so far from where I was pre-surgery.   Even when I wasn’t at my highest weight, I was out of shape and physically unable to enjoy myself at events like this.  Now I love doing 5Ks and I can’t wait for my next race, which is coming up in just a few weeks. (But more on that one after I do it).

Advertisement