Color Me Happy and Month Old Recaps

If you knew anything about me, you would know that I'm typically very good at finding opportunities to look like an idiot in public. Usually, this is involuntary and cannot be helped. Occasionally, however, I put myself in these situations willingly and with enthusiasm. Such was the case last month when I participated in the Color Run.

Maddy, Hannah, and me before the race

The Color Run, benefiting the American Heart Association, is a 5k that focuses much less on running and much more on being silly (so right up my alley). At each kilometer, runners go through color zones where volunteers throw fistfuls of color powder at passersby. In addition, everyone receives a packet of color with their registration (with the opportunity to purchase more) for use in the Finish Line Color Explosions (I was originally given a red packet, which I successfully traded with a friend for a pink one, because as we all know, pink is way better).

It worked well for me that the Color Run put very little emphasis on actually running, because between running the Hot Chocolate Run eight days before and helping Maddy pack up for her move into Hannah's duplex, I was pretty exhausted. It didn't bother me that everyone started cutting corners (at one point, everyone disregarded the confusingly spaced cones altogether and bypassed part of the route), and I didn't mind that it wasn't event a timed event [I did try timing it myself - according to my watch, we finished the race in 48:12 (that's making the unlikely assumption that I managed to start and stop the timer accurately)]. In fact, I think that everyone was a little relieved that it was a very informal event. Otherwise, keeping seven of us together for a 3.1 mile run would have been a little difficult.

Team: Color Me Happy
From left to right: Liz, Maddy, Hannah, Brian,
Jenny (me), Jeff, and Lauren

  

After making it through the treacherous course (of even pavement), we rewarded ourselves with a delicious and colorful brunch at Ozona's!

I want this picture of Maddy's hand to become next year's ad.

Have you ever participated in any of these color events? Do you also suffer from looking ridiculous in public? Do you also think it strange that they hosted a color-themed event on a Sunday? I mean, it wouldn't be a problem except that there was no way I would have been able to get all the residual color out of my skin/hair before work the next morning.