The Color Run

Yesterday Nick, Aimee, Kevin, and I did the Color Run and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

The Color Run is a 5K where at everyone wears white shirts and then at every kilometer they have a group of people throwing colored powder on the runners (a different color at each station) so that by the end of the run everyone is covered in color.  They also give all the runners their own packets of color to celebrate with at the finish line.  It's basically amazing.

Aimee and Kev came to pick Nick and I up at 8 am and out of almost 10,000 runners at City Park, we got in the line early enough to actually be in the first group of runners to hit the course.

 Even before the race started, I was so excited I could barely contain myself.

You were supposed to save your color packet for a big party at the end, but some people just couldn't contain themselves

and I got a little splash of color before we even crossed the start line.

Then only a couple minutes into the run, we found a yellow color packet on the ground and Kevin let it rip! He completely covered Nick's legs, it was awesome.

Pretty much from the get-go it was clear that this was the most non-competitive 5K I have ever done. We were probably running a 12 minute mile, but we didn't care we we having a blast. As we approached the first color station, my enthusiasm level was through the roof, I skipped through the orange color station yelling "color me!! color me!!" and they did! 

This is Nick running and me skipping through the first color zone

One K down and 4 to go! We were on a roll

The second station was blue

and then came yellow

and then green

 Kev was rockin' out his first 5K ever

After the green color station it was off to the finish line and I was on a runners high like I've never been before!

But you have to admit that even by the end of the entire race... we still weren't really THAT covered in color. I was a bit surprised by it, I have to say.

Not to worry though, because we still had our color packets! It started tame at first, Aimee and Kev asked me to take a picture of them throwing the color up into the air.

Then it was our turn and Nick and I got ready for our picture. We grabbed a handful of our yellow color and I was about to throw mine up into the air when....

Nick threw it RIGHT in my FACE!!

 And let me tell you... that stuff (while edible) does not taste good!

So I got Nick back...

 At which point Kevin completely NAILED me.

By this time people were getting really excited and before we knew it the entire place exploded into the best color party EVER.

It was freaking AWESOME. Thankfully, Kevin is a fantastic photographer and got some great shots capturing the celebration!

 By the end of the color party - we were completely covered!

But thankfully, they had leaf blowers to help us get the loose pigment off our bodies and clothes before we got into our cars, it was pretty fun!

 I was on cloud nine! It was seriously one of the best days ever!

On our way back to the car, we stopped by the start line which had been completely transformed from a couple hours earlier. There were obviously a lot of runners in the later groups that just couldn't wait for the race to start. Of course we took the opportunity to snap a couple more pictures!

 Our last group shot of the day

We ended the morning with bottomless mimosas (only $7!!) at Las Margaritas and topped the afternoon off with a bicycle brewery tour and a BBQ at a friend's house. It was an amazing Saturday! There will definitely be more Color Runs in my future, I'm hoping to make it an annual event!!!