The fun, fun Color Run!

On Saturday, November 17th I ran 3.10686 miles. I had hiked 30 miles in recent weeks, but I hadn't run in months. And I never have run more than 2 miles...ever. Shh, don't tell anyone, especially Rachel.   Hi Rachel. :)

Needless to say, I had a bit of anxiety about the November 17th run. I would dream (even have nightmares) about running. Honestly, I could have trained, but I didn't. Papers, Vito's shifts, scrubbing toilets, pooping the dog, rinsing dishes pre putting them in the dishwasher, hiking, plucking my eyebrows, and a long list of other things were the priority. Anything, anything at all, but running.

Deep down, I want to be that person running down the sidewalk in twenty degree weather. I want to have that level of devotion. But hell, I'm still the kid that replaces meals with Dairy Queen blizzards. I'm skinnier than I've been in years and healthy by default.

I am now more motivated than ever to start running. JK, I just said that because it's cliche. I hate running with passion. But I love the post-running feel and the status of being a runner.

Me: "Oh, yeah. I just went for a run."
Someone else: "But, Aimee! It's the snowpocalypse outside. It's thunder-snowing!!"
Me: "And?"
Someone else: "Wow, you're really cool."
Me, in a nonchalant voice: "Eh, just another day in the life of a runner."

I want to be able to have that conversation. Maybe I'll start running. Sure, I'll start running? Running would serve Rex a wealth of good, so I should probably stop being selfish and throw on those running shoes. And some spandex...definitely some spandex. And maybe a cute headband, too. After all, running at or around JMU is a fashion statement and so is The Color Run. I wish I was the one wearing a tu-tu and funky aqua glasses, but I'm not. I did sport a beanie with a sweatband over top, though.

But, honestly, no run around the Friendly City (including one which occurs during the fictional snowpocalypse accompied by thunder-snow) will ever be more fun than The Color Run. At every K interval, I had 6-8 people throwing colored corn starch at me.

It looked something like this:

At one point, I even laid on my back and made a color angel.

Attractive, right?

And at the finish line, everyone threw up packets of color.

Yay color!

The run was fun, especially because of the company...old friends, new friends, some guy in zebra-print high heels, and 19,994 others.

I also raised some money for a great cause--Habitat for Humanity--and so did the people in the picture above, so no complaints there!!

I learned this lesson, though: Running through colored corn starch after recovering from a virus produced very violent coughing fits and very colorful snot (ewwwwwww). Lucky, for you I have no videos or pictures documenting that.