Today I woke up to gray skies and light rain. Not the ideal weather for my first 5K of the year, but it goes hand in hand with the events that lead up to the fun run this week.
The hubs and I were supposed to do this run today, but my mom ended up going to Aruba and my FIL was attending my nieces dance recital. (This is what happens when you buy a Groupon and register months in advance, right?!) We thought about leaving my daughter in charge for the few hours that we would be gone, but then my husband opted to stay home with them (she's old enough to babysit - they just don't always get along), so I went ahead alone. Thankfully I knew someone else who was going to be there, because I couldn't find anyone willing to takes the hubs' race bib.
After sitting in crazy ass traffic to get into the parking lot at PNC Arts Center, I met up with Maria (@mariacmelendez) and we headed up to the Start Gate. We had amazingly epic timing, because our 9am wave was just getting ready to start when we arrived. They just so happened to have everyone turn around to begin, which put us only 5 people back from the starting point.
#JerseyStrong
Today's Color Me Rad was being help in partnership with Jersey Strong, to help raise money for the rebuilding of the Jersey Shore after Sandy destroyed so much of it this past October.
With music pumping, people cheering and the rain falling, we were off!
The course was not as nice as The Color Run, at all. This one had some steep hills which became dangerously slick with the rain falling and the amount of people running. We also had some sections that looped into the grass, which also became slick and muddy, not to mention some really narrow parts where we would bottle neck because it was uphill and people were opting to walk instead of run. Overall it was a fun time!
We finished the run in 33 minutes which leads me to believe the course was not a full 5K - but closer to 2.6 miles. We were held up too many times to have finished a full 3.1 in that time. I wish I would have had my RunKeeper on, but I opted to put my phone away to keep it safe from the elements. Either way, we did awesome and had fun!
The weather was gray, but were rainbows, dammit!
I was wondering if there would be a difference between Color Me Rad and The Color Run, and the answer is yes! Color Me Rad uses powdered colors much like The Color Run, however, they also had two color stations that were liquid color, and I thought that was pretty cool. I actually thought that the color from this race would be harder to remove from my body, hair and clothing, since they use the liquid color as well, but I was wrong. Showering was super easy and there was no trace of color on my shirt after one washing. (This might not be a good thing if you WANT the color to stay in your shirt as a keepsake/trophy. In that case, simply spray your shirt with vinegar and iron it, to set the color.) I'm not sure if weather conditions play a role in this or if it is just a difference in product. Either way, Color Me Rad wins in the color removal process.
The other difference, was that Color Me Rad actually had photographers throughout the course taking photos, as well as photo areas at the end of the race. The Color Run only offered the photo area at the end of the race,where you could have professional photos done. In all honesty, I don't know what Color Me Rad is going to charge for the photos taken on race day yet. With The Color Run, I paid a $5 flat fee for the photos and that covered my entire team! I was able to download the digital files and print them at my local photo processing studio. For now, Color Me Rad wins in the photo department because of the on-course photographers, but that could very well change once I hear what it will cost me to purchase these photos.
I ran these at two different venues, but I preferred the course from The Color Run better. It was much wider, which was nicer for those who were running it like a race. It gave enough room for runners to pass those who wanted to walk or just goof-off and it was primarily black top, which was nice and stable. A win for The Color Run!
The other thing liked about Color Me Rad, was that they were giving away prizes at there Finish Line Celebration. I heard them giving away hoodies, t-shirts and 1 year memberships to WOW! (Work Out World) who was a sponsor of this event.
Jersey Shore themed cars in the parking lot - sponsored by WOW
Thank you Red Bull, for the sample of your new Cranberry flavor!
Overall, Color Me Rad received more "wins" in this post, but I still preferred The Color Run's set up! Would I do the Color Me Rad again? Absolutely! I think 5K's like these are a ton of fun and I'm looking forward to doing The Color Run again in August! Care to join us in August - contact me! Do you have a favorite fun run? I'd love to know which one you think I should keep an eye for!
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