Before: Pristine + Clean
After: Dirty + Badass
On Sunday April 22 I ran The Color Run 5k down in Irvine. Can you tell it was awesome? Ill admit, I signed up for the race as something I could train for and get a good time. It was only the night before when I read the race packet and found out it was less of a run and more of an event. For example, it wasn’t even timed. I was super bummed, but tried to rally and make the most of it. It turned out to be a really fun event that I’m so glad I participated in.
We arrived crazy late because of all the traffic, but it was so casual it didn’t matter. The race began in waves, so being late just meant you went in a later wave. After we got our starter packets (which included a tee shirt, headband, temp tattoo, number, and color pouch) we took some before pictures and made our way to the start. You can see in the picture below, some people couldn’t wait to start throwing their color pouches. Technically you’re supposed to run with the pouch and once you finish, join in the party area where on a count down everyone throws their color pouches into the air.. more on that later.
The race began and at every “k” was a different color station. The paint was more like colored dust, so it created color clouds around the paint stations. Since the landscape was flat, you could see the next station in the distance as just a cloud of color. It was awesome. The paint was thrown at you from the sidelines, so if you wanted less color you stuck to the inside track, and for more color, to the outside track.
Despite my frustrations with the race not really being a race, I still ran/jogged the whole thing. Not many people were actually running, which wasn’t much of a motivation for me. Normally in 5k’s I use the people running around me to help keep my speed up. That was a definite challenge here. Oh yeah, I also got covered in color.
I’m pretty certain that the track was not a full 5k. As someone who runs 5ks at the gym all the time, it could not have been a 5k, but it’s all about the fun, right?
Color Mayhem! The ground had such thick layers of the colored powder.
The below picture is a great example of the clouds of color that are created when you throw the color packets into the air. Once we crossed the finish line, we joined the crowd by the dj booth and stage for dancing color fun.
Every 10(?) minutes the dj would do a countdown and everyone would get their color pouches ready… 3… 2…
1… COLOR!!
We were so coated in color, it was great. The powder only really stuck to wet areas (aka. sweat) so when it came to clean-up, the best method wasn’t washing down, but rather blowing it off. Leaf-blowers were blowing people down at the end of the event. We also got “blown” and then made our way through the massive parking lot to change clothes for the drive home. Check the Color Run website to see when this traveling race is coming to your town. And keep these tips in mind: bring a towel and change of clothes (to leave in the car), if you bring your phone put it in a plastic bag, they give you a shirt but know that even your undershirt, socks, toes, and every layer of your body will get discolored temporarily.
I need to thank my good friend Lindsey for ALL of these images. She risked life and well, cell phone.. okay just cell phone, to take these images.
