Color Me Rad

It was about 20 minutes to 9am when we arrived at Canada Olympic Park to run in the 9am start wave in the 2014 Color Me Rad 5km Race. It was cloudy, it was windy, and we were all freezing our asses off in shorts and t-shirts waiting for the race to start.

Brrrr!!!!

About five minutes to the start and the glorious, glorious sun came out. We followed the hoard of people up the hill to the start gate, so we could have our chance to run the most challenging 5km course I have ever encountered! Mind you, I've really only encountered ten or so race courses, so it's not like I am overflowing with experience, but even so it was challenging.

Race course.

If you are at all familiar with Canada Olympic Park, then you know it was created for the 1988 Winter Olympics and it is perched on a steep hill to accommodate ski jumps and a bobsled track. Us runners-- we got to run UP the hill! And since it had rained heavily the night before, we got to run through fresh, slick mud on our way UP the hill!

Over the course of the race there were color bomb stations. Orange, yellow, blue, purple and pink! The paint bombs were delivered via coloured cornstarch powder. Essentially there were people along the race course hurling handfuls of powder at you. You spent a lot of time trying to avert your face so it didn't get in your eyes, and trying to hold your breath so that you didn't breathe the powder in.

Running up the hill under (what now felt like) the burning sun was a slow slog, and ended up being more of a run/hike. I cramped up on the downhill portion which made the "easy" part considerably less enjoyable.  The last 1.5km were a bit of a torture because you could see the finish line, but the course kept winding back and forth away and towards it-- taunting you. But at the end you were greeted with a bottle of water, and your choice of color bomb packet.

Joel and Jasmine after crossing the finish line.

My paint-speckled self.

Jeff, Ashley and  I.

We made friends with some policemen that were on site, as well as with Simon the Safety bear. Ashley then threw some green paint at them (they were okay with it).

Ashley, Jeff, Julie and I with the Police.

RAD-ioactive Runners, post race.

Overall, it was a beautiful morning and a great way to spend some time with friends. I won't speculate for now as to whether we'll run again next year... That killer hill is still too fresh in my memory! :)