THE COLOR RUN

With all of the issues I have been having lately, I was almost disappointed that I signed our family up for the Color Run (www.thecolorrun.com) this past Saturday. I did not think I would be able to get as much as I wanted to out of my first 5K. I prayed a ton the week before the run for healing of the pain in my back (or at least that I would be able to walk the race and not be in agony). I considered not going to the event, but my kids were so excited, I just did not have it in me not to go.

So, I prayed Friday night before I went to bed, and hoped for the best for Saturday. Saturday morning I woke up and was so thankful that I was only having some stiffness in my back. The sharp pain seemed to be gone!

We went to the event and...it was one of the BEST things we have done as a family! It was so much fun to start off all clean and in mostly white clothing....

and run through blue....

and pink....

and orange...

and purple...

and yellow! 

At the end, we were COVERED from head to toe in a marbling of color.

The kids had a blast jumping through color clouds, rolling on the ground through color, taking handfuls of the powder paint and dumping it on themselves and each other....even Daddy attempted to make a "paint angel" (like a snow angel) at the "orange" station. 

We giggled. We danced. We were silly. We laughed. We smiled. We stayed together. And...we made great memories.

What about the running? Well, based on my back pain, I did not think I would run any of the race and would be happy to walk the event. However, I think my adrenaline kicked in (or I was delirious with excitement) because I felt good enough to run a bit in short stretches. It was a pretty warm day, so my youngest kids (both age 6) were not "into" the idea of running much anyway. Why run....when you can go slow and play in paint!?!? But, together as a family (holding hands through much of the event), we ran over a mile of the 5K! 

Considering all that I am going through physically....I call that a HUGE success!!!

It is now Monday. I have taken 3 showers and spent some time in the pool...and my skin is still not color-free. I am wearing my COLOR RUN stained skin with pride! Although, at this point, it looks more like I was beaten up...the blue-green "bruise" color from the race is the one that seems to be lingering the most! 

TANTRUM!

I don't know what happened to my body after completing the "Couch to 5K" program, but I have completely fallen apart! I came down with a terrible cough/cold/infection a few days after I finished the program. After doing my best to "tough it out" (if at all possible, I don't go to doctors or take any medications....read my previous posts on my stubbornness), I ended up going to the doctor and needed 5 days of antibiotics to get myself heading in the right direction again. Well, I was "better" for about a week (and got a few runs in), but have been fighting the cough again for almost 2 weeks! I just can't shake it. AND....to top it off, I tweaked my back a week ago and have not been able to bend without pain since. I have never "tweaked" my back like this. What the heck is happening to me?!?!

I am frustrated.

I am disappointed.

I am sad.

I put so much effort and energy...and consistency, into getting to a place where I could run 2-3 miles....and now I feel like I am losing it all.

I am wondering if I pushed myself too hard during the 8 weeks of the C25K program. Was it too much to go from not exercising regularly in 20 years and being very overweight, to running every other day and pushing myself to further and further distances on most runs? 

Is my body freaking out?!?! Does my body think we are doing a "5K to Couch" program???

I don't know. I just know that people have told me that "I need to listen to my body", and apparently right now my body is throwing a tantrum.

And I don't like it one bit!