The best color in the whole world,

is the one that looks good, on you!

―Coco Chanel

 

We did it! And it was tons of fun. Jake’s video proof:

 

 

Last Sunday we got up at the crack of dawn and drove to Philly, battling traffic and jockeying for a parking spot, to join 23,000 other people dressed in their morning whites to run the 2012 Philadelphia Color Run.

 

People say I look like these children.

 

Runners and walkers were sent off in waves from the Philadelphia Art Museum from 7:00- 8:00. We managed to meet up by some small miracle with some other members of our team and we were off somewhere in the middle of the hour.

 

 

The color throws were strategically placed for maximum visibility, for either the runners (for a little boost to get to the next color) or from the road (drivers enthusiastically honking in support). It was full of awesome.

The others jackrabbitted ahead and I jogged/walked with Mav and Cass.

We rejoined at the finish line, and tossed our packets of color with everyone else. It was something. The kids loved it, and I loved it like a kid.

 

 

Except when Lauren offered to take my picture with Kristin, and then pelted us in the face while our guards were down. Five days later and I’m STILL pulling pink out of my ears. Bloody hell, Lauren. Rude. Watch your back.

 

 

A dude with a lawnmower blew the majority of the color off us before we ventured back to the car. That was a mistake; Cass was upset about losing her badge of color.

 

 

We took advantage of a few photo opps. I know, you’re shocked. I thought about staging some more photos (grocery shopping, the library etc) but we were all frankly exhausted.

 

 

It was so worth the early morning, the long drive, the stress over parking (which was the hardest part of the day, and I’ve experienced far worse on a normal Saturday in Philly).

The perfect first run for my younger kids. So much energy, so much to look at, an incredible payoff at the end.

A bonding moment as a family, as friends, as a city.

 

 

Color Run tips and tricks for you:

 

• Bring water. There was just one water station during the run; they were generous with the water bottles after but I was grateful we packed our own. The color gets in your mouth as you smile and laugh your way through.

• The color really is non-toxic. It’s cornstarch, and while it did sting when Lauren ruthlessly bombarded us with it, it was just the fact of having something thrown at your eyeball. It teared out in moments, no big deal. Let the kids go wild. (And my phone was fine in spite of being absolutely covered. I had it in a Ziploc for a while but it was too hard to take pictures.)

• The pink does stain a little if  you’re wearing an older shirt. I had to buy new ones for me and Cass and those were fine. Mav wore one of Jeff’s old shirts and that stayed vaguely pink. To get it off your skin, first slather some lotion on, then shower and use a scrub. We had apricot scrub; olive oil & brown sugar will do in a pinch.

• Bring washcloths, some soap and a little extra water. While I didn’t mind the color staying on my face and body for the ride home, I didn’t like it being on my hands. I was glad we were able to scrub those down a bit.

• A bandana is a good idea for coloring your nose/mouth while running through the color, especially if you plan to linger long enough for a larger dose. It got to be a little much at times.

• Towels for the car = a must do.

• Don’t sweat if you don’t think you can run 5K. I didn’t, I walked almost the whole way, as did a huge number of people. Sightsee. Enjoy.

• Don’t miss out on this run if at all possible. Check here to see if there’s a location near you.

 

This Sunday it’s the Merrell Down & Dirty Mud Run for Jake and me; Cass is doing the 1 mile Adventure Run. Wish us luck! I’m a little nervous about this one.