The 5k

Today was the 5k color run.  I got there with my husband and 3 year old about half an hour before the run was to start.  I signed in, got my shirt, and walked around waiting for the start.  I had a slight shirt issue, and had gone into the bathroom to fix it.  When I came out everyone was walking to the start line.  As I headed over, I ran into a co-worker who was also participating.  We chatted for a bit as the run started.  I started out walking, because I had a difficult time getting to my playlist on my phone.  I had been walking around with the phone in my armband, and when it came time to run, and I looked at it, I could not see anything on the screen.  The plastic cover was causing a mad glare.  So, rather then running right at the start, I was fighting to take my phone off my arm, and starting my music.  Then putting the phone back on my arm.  As soon as I got the music started, I told my co-worker I would see him at the finish line, and I started to run.

The first mile went well.  The squirt guns were a shock of cold, that quickly felt good.  Although the hit of water got in my ear, and it knocked my ear bud out of my ear.  After a few tries, I gave up trying to get that one in, and tucked it into my shirt, and kept going.  I was passing quite a few people, even though I wasn't in it to be the fastest.  At the second water and color station I grabbed a drink of water, which was nice, but distracting because I don't know how one drinks water and run at the same time.

At the 1.5 mile mark the road started to go up a hill that started to kick my butt, and caused me to start slowing to a walk for a bit. It seemed to have that effect on everyone around me though.  There was a few of us that would play the passing game, but for the most part at this point in the run, we were mostly set in where in "line" we were.

The next station that had water to drink, I decided against getting a drink and kept going.  Then I went around a turn and I could see the finish.  Since I was not nearing any more hills, I kept running at a decent pace.  As I closed in on the final half a mile, there was another color station.  I lost my 2nd ear bud at this one.  If fell out, got covered in color, and I had so much color on me that I had no where to clean it off with.  So I tucked it into my shirt and kept going.

I'm not sure why I slowed down to a walk the final time.  It just happened, and I didn't argue it.  As the end came closer, I sped up and finished running.

Immediately following was the best tasting water and apple I have ever eaten.  I think between the hills, and the fact that the run was at 9am, which was 3 hours later then I run on the weekends, so the heat was more intense then I had been running in, it wore me out.  Now that last sentence wasn't a run on or anything.... My blog, my grammar.  ;-)

Anyway.  My first mile was my fastest.  9.7 minutes.  then it went up 10.7 for the 2nd and 11.3 for the 3rd.  My husband was impressed by how fast I ran it (even with my walking moments) I think for my first 5k I did really well.  Then we went to leave and I realized.  I forgot to take towels to put on the car seat.  I am covered in all kinds of color.

So we are looking for a hoodie, or something and my husband pops the trunk and hallelujah there is an emergency blanket I had forgotten about in there!  My car seats will not be a mixed shade of blue, yellow, and pink!

And then I discovered the hardest part of the color run.  Washing all the color off

(And that's just one hand)

What was interesting was that after it was over, and I had cooled off, I though, huh, that was fun.  I want to do it again.

What!?  Is this the same person who swore she would never run after making it out of the mandatory school classes that force you to run?

So, next Tuesday, I will be at it again.