The Color Run!

My family just completed our first 5K together, and it was amazing.

If you ever get the opportunity to take part in The Color Run, I 100% recommend that you do. With your family! And/or your friends!

It's not timed, so you don't have to be a committed runner - hell, you don't even have to be a runner - you could walk the whole thing, which is what we (and many other families) did.

With this particular event, the emphasis is on fun. So grab your favorite people and wear bright accessories like fun socks and/or tutus and/or crazy bandanas and DO IT.

You're blasted with a dusting of non-toxic, completely safe color after every kilometer so you look like a human rainbow at the end. Sheer awesomeness.

The best part was seeing how ecstatic Narls and Em were. I love that they're learning early how fun physical activity is. It really is. Especially when you do it together.

A couple tips: "conditioning" isn't necessary for the kiddos in your life to enjoy this run.  Clay & I did nothing more than continue our normal evening walk through the subdivision (which is about a mile), and Narls & Em did great.  Strollers and wagons are permitted, and our kids (5 & 3) did an even mixture of walking and riding.

Definitely bring a change of clothes (and a garbage bag to hold your colored clothes), baby wipes, towels to cover your vehicle's seats for the drive home, and sunglasses and a bandana to cover your (especially any kids') eyes and mouths through the color stops (although honestly, we didn't think the dust was bad; the people throwing the color are great at aiming low and throwing light).

I didn't bother wrapping my iphone (the website suggests putting it in a plastic baggie) and it was fine.  And I had it out a lot snapping pictures.  The only time color is a'flying is at the color stops, so as long as you have your phone/camera tucked away in your pocket (or fannypack or stroller basket, etc) during those short periods, you'll be good. 

My last final tip: just sign up and DO IT.

You won't regret it.