A Life Fortuitous: Jess Goes Running: The Color Run, Milwaukee--August 2013

I figured that it was finally time for another race report! I still have a few more 5Ks to write about from 2013, so hopefully I can catch up on those sooner rather than later. I think it's really important for me to document these events, for posterity's sake, and so I can see how I have improved from one experience to the next.

So in 2013, I ran The Color Run in Chicago as my first organized race. I ran with two of my longtime friends and we had a great time! I wasn't able to run as much as I would have liked, due to a slight injury I obtained a week and a half before the race, but it was an invigorating experience, one I was looking forward to finding again in the future. On July 4, I ran in the Lincolnshire 4th of July 5K, which was my second 5K and my first timed race. I finished in a time of 35:10 and even though it was a tough race (it was hot and humid and I had a slightly difficult time finding a good pace), I was proud of myself and my performance.

This brings us to August, and another race. This time, I was doing The Color Run again, but in Milwaukee with my family! My sister, parents, and aunt all joined me for the race at Miller Park. I was so very excited to both be running another race AND sharing a passion of mine with my family. My sister and I listened to dance party tunes to pump ourselves up as we took foggy Interstate 43 up to the lakeshore. Once we got there, we parked and walked quite a way to the As I experienced with the first race, the atmosphere was electric. We watched the Zumba party going on, did some stretching, and finally got to line up for the race.

My sister and I were planning on running ahead, while my parents and aunt were going to walk the course. We were all incredibly excited! There were storm clouds on the horizon, which added an extra layer of urgency to our waiting period, but soon enough we had all gathered right at the front of the starting lot. The course was all around the exterior of Miller Park, and it had a few unexpected sharp inclines and declines! Wrigley Field will always be my favorite ball park, but I can definitely appreciate the functionality and modernity of Miller Park, too!

My sister and I ran half and walked the other half. It was so fun to go through all of the color zones with her, and run together, too! We also had ample time to catch up with one another (we live hundreds of miles apart so we have to take advantage of the time we do have together!) and we enjoyed the course together. My favorite part came near the end, though--we decided to wait for our mom, dad, and aunt, so we could all go through the last color zone together. Definitely a highlight of the race for me.

We made it through the finish line and headed to the post-race party. We weren't able to stay too long, due to the rain that had finally started, but we had enough time to recover from the 5K and rest our muscles before getting in the car and heading to lunch. It was such a fantastic experience, and I'm so happy that I was able to share it with some of my favorite people. It means a lot to me that they were there doing something I love with me. I'll always call this one of my favorite races.

Now, the best part... photos!