Color Vibe Ogden 2012

Sometimes you just gotta let loose, get together with some good friends, and have fun!  That was the whole point of this run for me.  I really wasn't sure what to expect going into a The Color Vibe Run.  When I was describing it to people I felt a little stupid by saying that you dress in white and then people throw colored cornstarch at you.  Doesn't that sound like fun?  We decided to make some tutus to make it even more fun.  Last minute Heather texted me and said that she had a blond wig she was thinking about wearing.  It sounded like a riot to me so I ran to Shop Ko about 8 the night before and picked one up.  Good thing it's Halloween time.  I texted the other girls and it was set.  

Cyn, Heather, me, Mel, Jodi, and Audrey

It was chilly Saturday morning, but not too bad.  The autumn leaves were gorgeous on the mountainside behind us.  We got our sunglasses that were included with our t-shirt and readied ourselves for the start.  We went in waves to space out the runners a bit.  We were in the first wave and although we said we were running for fun, it still felt like we were moving along at a good pace. Especially considering the hills.  Man were there some hills.  We came upon the color stations one at a time, spread throughout the 3.1 miles and got blasted with color at each one.

The real fun began after the race was over.  There was a DJ and some great music for the big dance party that was happening.  We were covered with color but because it was layered it didn't have a well balanced look anymore.  Not to worry. At the end each person got a small packet of color and gathered into the crowd and on the count of 3 everyone released their color packet.  There were also big boxes of color that you could grab a handful or two of and let go into the air.  

my wig started having wardrobe malfunctions at this point.  My roots were really showing.  Side note:  I do not look good as a blond.  But I see how they really do have more fun!

I am pretty sure that I burned just as many calories dancing around at the after party as I did during the run.  My kids would have died from embarrassment at the way their mother was acting.  Which was exactly what I needed.

We hung around dancing for about an hour afterwards and had a blast!

My favorite picture of the whole day!

I would do this again in a heart beat!  One great thing about the Color Vibe series is that they give you free photo downloads that they take at the race.  Of course we needed to have more pictures than just that, but still, I think it's a nice touch.  Also, all kids under 7 were allowed to run for free.  It also benefits a local charity.  In this case they were giving money to an elementary school for their physical education program!

So what are you waiting for?!!  Click on that link and find one near you!  Check out their Facebook page too for more photos!

My tips for doing a color run would be:

1.  As you go through the color stations get as close to the people throwing as possible.  It was surprising how much color blew off just by running.  A direct hit produced the best color.

2.  Hold your breath or at least close your mouth when they throw it at you.  I didn't do this once and had a colorful mouth for a bit.  It's just cornstarch so it won't hurt you, but it doesn't taste really good.

3.  The sunglasses that were included were a great idea.  Protected the eyes and just looked cool.

4.  I noticed that the parts of my shirt that were sweaty kept the color on longer.  So if it was warm and not October, I'd consider spraying down parts of my shirt right before the run so that it would stick better.

5.  Bring a towel to put on your seats for on the way home.

Not knowing what to expect, I would have to say that it was so much more fun than I thought it would be.  I had been looking forward to it, but I had no idea what a great time I would have.  I'm sure it had something to do with the company I was with, but the music and the vibrant colors and acting like a kid again had to be the best part!

Anyone else done a color run? 

TWhat tips would you add to mine?