Valerie's Adventures

Color Run on Base

Last Friday was a 5k Color Run on base to support the Air Force Sergeants Association.  Since I had one 5k under my belt already, naturally I signed up for this one too!  Thankfully my running partner was there to help me again.<br />
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For those of you unfamiliar with color runs, they basically get you wet before the race starts (in our case, the fire department came and hosed us down) and then throw powdered paint at you while you run.<br />
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We had about 200 people from the base show up to run including kids.  The energy level was high and we had so much fun!  It was the first time I had run the 5k trail on base, which went around part of the base perimeter in a forest area.<br />
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My good friend Chris ran with Steve and me, so the three of us kept a moderate pace...just difficult enough to push me, but easy enough to somewhat hold a conversation.  Here we are together as a team crossing the finish line (and the final paint-throwers!):<br />
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Not everyone stayed for the group photo, but there was still a lot of color!  Can you spot us in the crowd?<br />
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I will definitely be doing one of these color runs again!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BEFORE                                    AFTER</b></span></td></tr>
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Color Run on Base

Last Friday was a 5k Color Run on base to support the Air Force Sergeants Association. Since I had one 5k under my belt already, naturally ...

First 5k Run

So because I am preparing for an 18k Mud Masters obstacle run next month and I am dating someone who apparently likes to run, a 5k city run was bound to happen...<br />
<br />
Steve has been helping me train and is pretty much the sole source of my motivation for running.  Because let's face it...I hate running.  But running with him is actually fun.  Although he could run at a much faster pace for a longer time and leave me in the dust, he doesn't.  He lets me set the pace, but still pushes me just enough to improve.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OuK7y8sF_hc95FkqGZvbUDDo6hOGzv5CeXP0-vWpkpB1pvPr8OAGv4of3mSY9yxwYrLu67LrEkMiND3Jv8HkiMF2PSOHxP0QWB7oFfCpUHPfW8XzRhnKmwlHr5nbGjbbx4vbsM7DWFgz/s1600/IMG_2076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OuK7y8sF_hc95FkqGZvbUDDo6hOGzv5CeXP0-vWpkpB1pvPr8OAGv4of3mSY9yxwYrLu67LrEkMiND3Jv8HkiMF2PSOHxP0QWB7oFfCpUHPfW8XzRhnKmwlHr5nbGjbbx4vbsM7DWFgz/s1600/IMG_2076.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Steve in Venlo</td></tr>
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Two weeks ago, I officially completed my first 5k run EVER!  It was in the city of Venlo, the Netherlands, about a 40-minute drive from where I live.  Besides the 5k, they also had a 10k and a half-marathon.  There were almost 13,000 runners total between the three races and many thousand more volunteers, supporters, and cheerleaders.  Random strangers were lined up on the street cheering for us the whole way.  There were even small bands playing on the sidewalks.<br />
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One thing I did not anticipate was all the extra energy needed to pass people.  When I practiced running, I always stayed at a steady pace throughout the run.  But having to slow down and speed up again over a long period of time is exhausting.  By 3.5km I was so tired!  I had to slow my pace down a little, but Steve stuck with me.  By the time we hit the 4km mark, he started encouraging me.  And once we were within 250 meters, I kicked it into high gear.  First there were thousands of people cheering for me to keep going,  second Steve was telling me it was almost over, and third I wanted to finish strong.  After crossing the finish line, I was completely exhausted and could 
barely even walk straight.  But I made my goal of under 30 minutes and 
finished with a time of 29:04!<br />
<br />
<br />

First 5k Run

So because I am preparing for an 18k Mud Masters obstacle run next month and I am dating someone who apparently likes to run, a 5k city run ...

Color Run on Base

First 5k Run

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