The Color Run: Tips, Likes & Dislikes

As you all know, last Saturday morning, I ran my first 5K ever!

Most people have some idea as to how a 5K usually goes, whether they ran cross-country in high school, or have at least attended a race like this. Having done neither of those, when I jumped in the car on Saturday morning ready to go run, I had no idea what to expect! 

Here are my tips, likes and dislikes about The Color Run 2013:

Tips

-Get to the race location early! 

This is probably a given, but we left in time to get there 30 minutes early, and still barely made it because of the crazy traffic.

-Eat a little something

I need to have something on my stomach before I try to run three miles, but I forgot about this the morning before the race. With only Pop Tarts and Honey Buns laying around the house, I was forced to run on a few bites of a not-so-tasty protein bar. 

-Wear sunglasses!

I knew I was going to being showered with color throughout the race, but I had no idea it would cover every part of my body. I grabbed a pair of fun heart sunglasses as we ran out the door, and they truly saved my eyes. There were times that I couldn't even see through a cloud of color!

Likes

-Getting a t-shirt

I know this is standard with most races, but I loved being able to wear my Color Run t-shirt to personal training the next day, and be proud of what I had accomplished!

-The pre-race excitement

For this race, everyone was wearing crazy socks, tutus, & glasses. Some people got really creative! This, paired with the high-energy announcers and music at the starting line got my adrenaline pumping. I was bursting with excitement by the time we started.

Dislikes

-No mile markers

The Color Run is a 100% fun environment, so they choose not to time the race at all, but it would've been helpful to see a 1, 2, and 3-mile marker. Without these, you had no idea how far you'd gone and how much distance you had left.

-Designated areas for walkers/runner

When we made it to what seemed like the half-way point of the race, the majority of the participants were walking. Some had strollers, others were taking pictures or stopping to enjoy water breaks. For Samantha and I, who had planned to run the whole time, this was difficult to navigate around. I would've liked for The Color Run to have designated areas or sides for walkers/runners. This would really help those planning on running the whole course.

-An exciting finish

Crossing the finish line of my first 5K race was a huge moment for me! If you'd told me four months ago that I'd be running a 3.1 mile race, I would've said you were crazy! It was a bit of a let down to have no one cheering or anything at the finish. I remember crossing the finish line, and then walking into a crowd of people just standing there. Next time, I hope this will be organized a little better.

All in all, I had the most fabulous time at my first 5K race! There are always going to be things that you wish were a little different, which gives me the perfect amount of fuel I need to run my next one, a 10K in Oak Island, North Carolina.

I would definitely run The Color Run again, and recommend it to anyone!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!