If running and I were in a relationship on Facebook, our status would be “it’s complicated.” Why? Well, running has always been challenging for me. I always feel good once I do it, but during the process, I battle with thoughts like “Oh boy, my legs feel heavy!” or “I’m pretty sure my lungs are on fire!” or “Geez Louise, is this over yet?!”
Despite those thoughts, I do genuinely want to get better at running. I like to challenge myself in general, and I also want to attempt something I haven’t tried before–perhaps like running a half marathon.
I think there’s beauty in getting out of your comfort zone, even if the process isn’t always the easiest.
Welcome to the Color Run
But, listen close, what if I told you that something exists that makes running the most fun thing ever? You’re probably thinking something like, “Jera, you are cuckoo bananas!” But I’m about to turn your world upside down.
Have you heard of The Color Run? It’s the happiest 5k on the planet. It’s something that has been on my radar for the past few years, but it wasn’t until ONE Brands invited me to join them on June 1 in NYC that I got to actually attend it. All I knew was that it involved running and lots of color–the rest I would have to experience for myself in person. Bonus points: ONE gave me a few extra tickets to invite to my meet-up group, Bean Team, so that some people from my community could join me in the fun.
The day of the event, my Bean Team crew and I made our way to Citi Field in Queens and met up with ONE team at their tent. They were giving away some of the most popular ONE Bar flavors to attendees: Birthday Cake, Peanut Butter Cup, and Almond Bliss. One of my personal faves, Blueberry Cobbler, wasn’t present–but HEY, maybe that just means more for me, eh?!
The energy was high right away while walking in: music was bumping, people were decked out in rainbow tutus, and everyone was smiling and in good spirits!
Side note: I took an insta story with a unicorn, which officially made my day.
After checking in and getting our race IDs and t-shirts, we made our way into the stadium towards the starting line. There were lots and lots of people, so to keep things organized they strategically let people begin the race in staggered groups.
Finally it was our turn! 3, 2, 1… GO!
The run started inside the stadium (we got to run on the baseball field!), and then once outside, we ran through different stations and got covered in COLOR! Green, blue, purple, pink, orange…
We ran a lil. We walked a lil. We talked, we laughed. And we got COVERED in so much color. It was quite the experience! We had such a blast. And of course, we refueled with a ONE Bar once we reached the finish line!
Once I got home and washed the rainbow off of me, I reflected on the day and realized there were a few takeaways:
- Doing things (like running through puffs of color) that make you feel like a kid again is so important for just letting go and being in the present moment.
- Meeting new people can be a little scary, but it’s so important to make new connections and to put yourself out there.
- Getting out of your comfort zone is necessary in order to grow.
And lastly, running can be both challenging and fun!
