A Color(ful) Run

 

The 5K Crew (minus Leigh Anne)

When the 5k Crew started back on September 1st, we weren't sure when we'd run our first 5k together, but wanted to look around and find something fun. We all agreed that the "official" Color Run was too far for all of us (it was taking place about 1.5 hours from here), but we were delighted to find a local Color Run here in Suwanee. We all signed up and started preparing for our 1st 5k together.

When I got up Saturday morning, it was not only cold, but raining. YAY!! I got in the shower and put extra conditioner in my hair (as suggested by another Color Runner's blog) so that it'd be easier to get any color out after. We left here at 6:55 and arrived at Peachtree Ridge High School at 7:15.

I met Ann and Lesley in the parking lot and then we connected with Stacey and her family. We all walked to the field together and checked in.

We stood there for about 45 minutes and tried to figure our what the plan was. There had not been ay route posted online, and we were praying that we wouldn't be running the whole thing on the track. It was the 1st time that PRHS was hosting this, and of course, there were snafus to be expected.

Jo and Jackie arrived and the group was all there. We took a few "before" shots and then it was time for the warm up exercises.

They had us walk to the track and immediately people were wondering what was going on. To say it was unorganized is an understatement. We were all just standing on the track waiting for directions.

 
All of a sudden, someone comes on the speaker and tells us that we're going to run two laps and then start the route. Instantly, people started running. This goes against how I've been training. I'm used to walking for 5 to warm up and then run. I'm on week 6 day 3 of C25K and I was going to use Saturday as another training day.

As people started to run and pass us, I said I wanted to do my 5 minute warm up. We got around the track and then about to head onto the course and Ann and I had to use the bathroom (BAD timing). We hurried into the porta potties and then quickly tried to get caught up, but by that point, we were waaaaaaaaay behind the crowd.

There were some areas that were uphill and it made it more tiring to complete... but I did it. As we continued through the course, I kept thinking, "WHERE'S THE COLOR?!?!?"

When we got to the first color station, it had started to rain.

I was tired at the first mile. I told Lesley, "Maybe I'm not cut out for 5ks..." I just wanted to stop, but I knew we had to keep going. My knee had been hurting a few days before the race, and it was really throbbing as I was running. We ended up walking a lot.

We made it around the course one time and I saw my dad, Steve, and Gus and then Lesley saw Jason and Logan. It was hard to know that we still had so far to go, but it was a great feeling to know that we were over 1/2 way done.

In fact, they had us run the track for a 1/2 mile for nothing. When the whole thing was over, instead of being 3.1 miles, it was 3.44. The lap around the track could have been eliminated.

Anyway... they had a lot of water stations which was nice, and it was fun to go through the color stations. Being hit with color while running was more enjoyable than I had expected. It was fun to see everyone else running with their bodies covered in various colors.

 They gave everyone sunglasses... good thing! They helped protect the eyes from the color!

My dad captured the color explosion at the finish line!!

Jo, Jackie, and Stacey

Coming out of the first lap

I can't say enough about Lesley. She stuck by me through the entire thing and every time I was discouraged or complaining, she helped get me refocused and positive. She totally could have left me in the dust, but she didn't. :-)

We met back up with Ann and she ran the last lap with us and we all crossed the finish line together. We didn't come in 1st, but we didn't come in last either. 

When we finally did finish, it was an amazing feeling to be DONE!!!

Stacey, Jackie, and Jo coming into the finish

Crossing the finish line and getting their color

Us coming into the finish

Ready for an explosion

YAHOO!!!

We did it!!

We finished under an hour! I had wanted to finish faster than the 5k on the 5th and I did. My official finish time was 57 minutes!

I am so happy to have made the friends that I've made. I don't LOVE running (yet) and I still don't consider myself a runner. I'd like to build up enough endurance to actually RUN an entire 5k and not run/walk like I've had to do. I just don't have it yet, but I'm doing better than I ever have. 

I'm so happy that Steve and the boys came to watch me finish, and it was even more awesome to have my dad there. He's been such a big supporter since I started running last year. I am glad that he was able to come to see me actually run a 5k and he took a ton of pictures. I hope I made him proud.

I was not emotional at all when finishing. I'm glad I ran the Emory 5k and had that first experience to draw upon. I think I was so emotional with that one because it was the first, and I did something that I didn't think I'd ever do. While I didn't run the entire thing, I did run a lot of it, and I finished and didn't give up.

I had a great time running the Color Run and look forward to running the Turkey Trot with my cousin, my older brother, and my dad. Should be very memorable and even more awesome because I'm running with family.

For everyone that's been reading and supporting me, I can't thank you enough. There are plenty of times when I feel like giving up and I feel like a failure, but your words of encouragement keep me going and help get me back to a good place.

I'm a Turkey Trotter!

When I was younger, we would get up on Thanksgiving morning and turn on the television. We were always excited to watch the parade. No, not the Macy's (which I actually wrote a letter to complain one year and boycotted each year after), but the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade (also known as "America's Thanksgiving Day Parade).

There was nothing like watching the parade, sipping cocoa, and breathing in the aromas of my mom's cooking and baking. It really made me love Thanksgiving and I consider it one of my favorite holidays.

While watching the pre-parade programming, they'd show the runners on the parade route. I asked my dad what they were doing one year, and he told me about the Turkey Trot. He said that people that go down to watch the parade get there really early (like 6am). While the parade watchers are gathering, there's a lot of pre-parade festivities and one of the things is a race called the Turkey Trot. 

I was amazed and loved the costumes that the runners would wear while running. They always had a Christmas theme to them and it was fun to see.

When I was older, but still living in MI, I started going down to watch the parade. The first few times I went with my cousin Brandon, and then once I went down with a guy that I had just started dating, and then the last time I went was the best. It was my dad, Steve, myself, and my twin brother's best friend, Dan. 

We went down and had breakfast at Comerica Park and had Grand Stand seats to watch the parade. We took the bus from Fairlane Mall and it was all free because my mom worked with someone who was a Macy's VIP shopper. Apparently, Macy's rewards their top shoppers with passes to a special breakfast and special seating to watch the parade.

 The Turkey Trot float

 Santa

I had always thought it would be so awesome to run in the Turkey Trot, but I wasn't a runner and it never crossed my mind that I could be one. We moved in June of 2007, and the above pictures are of my last Thanksgiving in Michigan.

I honestly thought that we'd never be back north for Thanksgiving ever again. Steve's dad got married in December of 2007, so we headed north for his wedding and we were there for Christmas. We had just moved to NC and I was homesick and so going home for Christmas and his dad's wedding was perfect timing.

I was teaching and couldn't take off time to head north for major holidays, so we just never went back. When Gus arrived, I stayed home with him and we had more flexibility, but wanted to be in our own home for the holidays. We had Steve's dad and Sue Ann come for Thanksgiving a couple years while we lived in NC, but we never went north.

So my dreams of ever running in the Detroit Turkey Trot just didn't seem like something that would ever happen.

Fast-forward to present day. I've started running and I'm building up endurance and I was looking at local 5ks. Then it hit me. This year, we ARE going back home for Thanksgiving. My oldest brother and his family are making the trek from AZ to MI and we'll all be together for Thanksgiving.

It'll be the first time that we've all been together for Thanksgiving in years and years. Like... easily 20 years. It will be so incredible and awesome and I'm so excited.

I thought to myself, hey, maybe we could run the Turkey Trot together! I sent an email to everyone in my family (mom, dad, Scott, Christie, Dave, Heather, Jessica, and Steve) and asked if anyone was interested. 

My cousin Jessica was the first to respond and she was immediately a yes. She rocks and is amazing and so supportive. The chance to run such an awesome race with her is a dream come true. Then my SIL said that she and/or Dave are interested. I asked my dad and he's considering it, but leaning toward yes. Steve is not interested, but he's going to take the boys and cheer us on and then we'll meet up after to watch the parade together.

I cannot wait. I mean, I can, because I'm not ready for it yet, but I am beyond excited.

I am going to be a Turkey Trotter. 

I am going to be running with family and will have my husband and children to cheer for me on the side as I make a dream a reality.

I'm going to get my first running medal (all finishers get a medal).

I am so emotional about it. I officially paid for my registration yesterday and then sent Jessica an email copy of it... it's official. She registered too and sent me an email copy of hers. We are for sure running and hopefully, my oldest brother and SIL and my dad will be joining us.