WHAT IS THE “BEHIND THE SCENES” LINK UP?
Social media and online relationships can make us feel like everyone else has it all together. We’re edited, proof-read, Pinterest-perfect versions of ourselves (or so some might think!) when – in reality? There is an unfinished pile of laundry around the corner. That cute toddler smiling for the camera just had a massive meltdown seconds ago. That yummy breakfast-for-dinner you just showed us on Instagram? It’s because the cat licked the chicken that was supposed to be for dinner. “Behind the Scenes” is a fun link up where we show those photos – but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it. Read more here!
They call it the “happiest 5k on the planet.” And you know, for a girl who wants to cry at the thought of running (oh that’s not an exaggeration!), it really was pretty fun. You might be wondering how I ended up at the Color Run, doing a 5k – an un-timed, more walking than running, covered in colored cornstarch – 5k when I hate running.
Here’s something I learned from my sister about community. When no one will commit, sign them up anyway! Kat had done a similar color run in Philly earlier this year and loved it – she also knows how much I hate running (and the thought of coming in last) and thought it would be really fun for me to do one with her. And hey – when you put me in a crowd of 10,000 and we’re in the first wave? It’s going to be PRETTY hard for me to come in last.
Especially after seeing some of the costumes.
Ahem.
So the behind the scenes of this photo? We had crossed the finish line. I jog/walked the 5k in a white tutu & pink legwarmers, fighting a crazy pain in my right ear, a combination of sinus issues and some girl blasting my ear early on with pink color. We survived super tight quarters in the cattle shoot at the start, stuck behind a dude with personal space issues and pants that kept falling down. We did the “We Are! Penn State!” cheer with the 10,000 other runners – after spending some time doing Zumba with them earlier (by far my favorite part. Mama loves some Zumba). I survived.
My sister pushed me to run the last hill (side note: I can’t actually move my legs as I type this) and I didn’t think I could do it. I did, though. And I got to give high-fives to the cutest kids lining the finish area. And though my legs nearly gave out (ahem…Kat…had we not gotten water when we did you might have been peeling me off the ground), I did it.
And then? We joined the rest of the crowd, tore open our own packs of color and celebrated 🙂 And you know what? Compared to the other 5ks I’ve done…this one definitely counts as the happiest. I might even say I’d do it again next year.
As long as they Zumba before the run 😉
oh julie, you are not boring 🙂
oh I love that team name! so fun! It took me 3 days to recover, but I “think” I would probably do the color run again next year with slightly less arm twisting 😉
I love this! I just did the color run in Toronto a month ago! And by run, I mean walk… hah! Our team was called “The Travelling Turtles” and I decided to represent the “turtle” side of things… You’re right, it was a lot of fun. Dressing up and dancing around in corn starch is quite possibly the only thing that will get me to run 🙂
I am also one of those people that cries at the thought of running… I guess if I had someone dragging me, I could do something fun like this although I really prefer to be a boring person, hiding in the shadows
Oh that sounds fun! I mean…I like the part where I could blog for them and get a cute fleece. And the chocolate. And I would “barely” meet their 15 minute mile pace at this point (I seriously can’t walk. I feel like I’m 90 years old today)
🙂 This makes me smile…I haven’t done a color run yet, but I think it’s getting added to my bucket list. Everyone says they’re so much fun! Have you heard of the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k? I’ve done it the last 3 years in Chicago, but they hold it in cities all over the U.S. It’s a fun one…of course, any race that ends with hot chocolate and fondue has to be a winner, right? 😉 Have a great day, friend!