A Not So Color Run and the Color Run

Koen and I are trying to run together and he is a great partner. We were excited to participate in a Color Run on the Air Force base. There was a 1/2 mile kids run and a 5K run. The 1/2 mile seemed like a good first race for Koen. The race was scheduled to start 45mins after school gets out, and we live 30 mins away. So to make sure we'd make it on time, I picked Koen up from school 20mins early. (Trying to go through our village at pick up time would guarantee a delay.)

So we headed out with excitement when during our drive I decided to see if I could confirm my thoughts as to where we were meeting on the base to register. I then realized we were plenty early for this race... by a week!  I felt bad and a bit embarrassed. I felt really silly for taking Koen out of school early and super embarrassed about doing it again next week.

Despite the hiccup of arriving on the wrong date for the race, we decided to practice and run anyhow. It turned out to be quite fun and I imagine, helped Koen feel more comfortable with knowing what his race setting would be like. Hadley joined in with doing a lap herself too.

Stretching

Koen's showing me the impressions the track surface put on his hand while he was stretching.

Photo finish... but it looks like Koen came in the lead.

 We ran a short stretch again to get him in front for the picture.

After Koen and I ran a couple laps, Hadley wanted to do a girl's race. She ran a whole lap in her rain boots! I was proud of her self for going the whole way without walking. This girl hates walking, so I imagined she would hate running.

Last stretch of the race.

 

 I started cheering Macie on for running, in which she immediately got upset at me for.

Koen decided to run some more on his own.

He found himself quite fun over lifting up his shirt.

 

 The REAL Color Run

A week later we did it again... but this time it came with added fun.

The kids especially loved getting free Gatorade.

Before the race began.

Koen was so pleased to find his old school buddy at the race too.

Hadley making Macie laugh.

 

Macie was being camera shy with me.

Koen was signed up to do the 1/2 mile, but went an extra two laps, going 1 mile.

His motivation: MORE COLOR!
I'm proud of him for pushing himself and doing it with a smile.

Showing his blue hands.

I missed my running buddy during my 5K and could tell I also missed the energy from the days that I am much more consistent about running too. Thankfully, I didn't have to run a 5K on the track (running on a treadmill or a track is awful to me!). I took a couple of short walking breaks... which remembering I've ran through 13miles without walking before, is a sign to me that I need to be more active. Koen's helping me out with that though. :)

I was so pleased to see that some of the helpers let Hadley join in with throwing some of the colored powder. She was completely covered in green powder and eventually reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West. She even got to throw some powder right at me.