MY FIRST & HAPPIEST 5K "RUN": THE COLOR RUN
Well, well, well... isn't this something different? There is something you should know about me- I am not a runner. Never was. But now, I may possibly be one in the not so distant future. The Color Run was the funniest and sweatiest event I have partaken in in a while. I found out about it from a friend of mine several months ago on Facebook. And after chatting to a few other friends about the run and hearing stories from people who had done it the year before, it did not take long for me to sign up. You would think that the fact that I have not been able to run more than 10 m before I start clutching my chest for fear of my heart giving out as I desperately try to take in oxygen would push me to start training consistently for the 5k run but it didn't...
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We got up reasonably early to get ready and make our way to the Etihad stadium on the 5th of July (Yes, I have taken my sweet time in publishing this post. I do apologise) which was where the event was to be held. I had never seen so many people on the tram before dressed up in their running gear with tutus on and full of energy. We all fell out of the tram and made our way to the warm-up zone to get our bodies better prepared for what was to be the happiest 5k of our lives... this year. Once we were all pumped and had faces with smiles on, we made our way to the start line.
The fact that I do workout 6 days a week for 45-60 mins and started running 2-3 times a week for 15 mins (i.e. a little more than 10 m) did help somewhat. Although my friends and I already decided as a group to run, jog, skip, crawl and walk as much as we want; no one was planning to run the whole thing.
And man oh maan is 5K loong. Jeez! After starting the "race" with a light jog I wanted to try and maintain this pace for at least half the time. And as much as I was happy at the fact that I could walk the whole thing, I did want to at least try to put the run in The Colour Run haha. The colour stations were definitely good motivators. Although I was a bit worried about my asthma, my excitement at being completely doused in different colours with my friends by my side trumped my fear of having to pull out due to an asthma attack. I had way too much fun!
Once we all crossed the finish line - an hour later I might add - and were given our own sachet of colour goodness we made our way to the "after party". The DJ and the MC were actually really good. They had as all jumping, dancing, singing and laughing in the sun despite being covered in a mixture of sweat and powdered colour after our morning workout. When our energy levels were successfully raised again, we got to make a beautiful cloud of different colours (I am quite pleased with that photo) to celebrate our victory- finishing a colourful 5K run with smiles all round.
Dulux and Save the Children were the main sponsors of the event. By making a donation and picking a number, you had the chance to help finish the painting you can see above. I obviously could not pass up the chance to grab a paint brush and channel my inner Picasso. Shortly after this, unfortunately, tiredness quickly set in and our feet needed a well deserved rest. So, we made our way back home to get washed, fed and take a nap. Surprisingly, we still managed to go out for dinner at Bella Italia once everyone looked and felt remotely human again. I had my usual which is a pepperoni pizza with a twist - I swap the tomato sauce for BBQ ;) - and it was delicious! As this is now the 5th of September, I can unashamedly admit to you all that I have not gone running since...but I am still doing my Pilates workouts most mornings so it is not too bad :D
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I totally recommend taking part in The Colour Run if it pops up in a location near you. Grab your family, friends and trainers and prepare to have an eventful day! You can make it a charity run or just something different to do with your Saturday morning with your loved ones or by yourself. Either way, I reckon you will have a great time.
Will you be running any marathons lately?
Mo x