The Color Run 2013

Back in December 2012, I had mentioned here that some friends and I had signed up for "The Happiest 5k On The Planet" aka The Color Run!  I had every intention to train for this event and actually try to run the whole thing, which would've been a first...but one slight...ok major  detail changed that.  Fast forward to May 19, 2013 and the day had come!  The only thing that had changed between December and May was the fact that I got pregnant and was having bad sciatic pain already.  I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to actually run the 5k with my girls, but very luckily, two of my other good friends and had signed up and were planning on walking!  So YAY!  Built in walking buddies!

Fawn, Takia, Christina and I all woke up at the butt crack of dawn, hopped into one car and headed down to Washington D.C. for the day as we were PUMPED to get to do our first Color Run...and do it together!  I was a little apprehensive at how well my back would hold up, because at 10 weeks pregnant, I had done a 5k (with my mom and daughter to help benefit Breast Cancer Research) two weekends before and I was in pain for about a week from it.

Here's a quick shot from that day!

Anyway...at 12 weeks pregnant and just peeking into my 2nd trimester after a very rough 1st trimester, I was ready to take on the challenge and have a BLAST while doing it!

L to R: Me, Christina, Takia, Fawn - Before the race

We arrived about an hour before race time, got to pick up our packets with our Color Run Tshirt, a packet of color powder to throw at someone at your convenience, 2 removable tattoos, your Color Run race number, a sweat band...how thoughtful!  We were ready!  :)

Our plan was to meet my two walking buddies around the start line.  We headed to the there only to find out that you couldn't get any where near it because  you had to wait in line through thousands of people to even see it!  It was insane!  We probably waited in line for about 40-50 minutes.  Met a very nice unicorn who offered to get his picture with us while we waited. :)

We also decided to snap a good bit of "before" shots since we were still nice and clean.

We finally arrived at the start line, I met up with my two walking buddies, Kat and Emily, and Fawn, Takia and Christina took off running and we agreed we would meet up at the finish line!

Here's a picture of Kat and I, before we got to any color

Kat, Emily and I after getting hit with a little orange

We tried to snap some pictures as we went along the course, but no one really wanted to take out our cell phones, because our hands were covered in colored powder and we didn't want to take the chance if it ruining our phones.

Each kilometer you run through you get sprayed with a different color (5 colors total).  By the end of the race, we looked like this:

It was SO MUCH FUN!  The only thing that was not fun to say the least was that my sciatica back pain was beyond throbbing and beyond painful.  I just wanted nothing but Tylenol, a bunch of water, something to eat, and to lay down.  It hurt so bad to get through that race and cross that finish line.  But I needed to.  I came that far, it was planned 5 months in advance, and I had nothing but support from my friends who were there with me!  Just as we came around the last turn and the finish line was in sight, I kicked up my pace and actually managed to jog across the finish line!  Despite my immense pain, I kept a smile on my face.  Fawn snapped a great picture of me as I finished!

Even though my head is half cut off, I still love this picture!

We all had a very busy, fun and personally rewarding day!  So glad I got to share it with some of the girls I love!  I can't wait to do it again and maybe next time with my family of four!  :)