Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

“We should all do the Electric Run together. I think it would be fun,” I said, to the car full of my sister, Stacey, my brother-in-law, Dan, my husband, Mike, and my boy, Sean. Mike asked, “Is that the run where they throw paint all over you?” I laugh. No, that’s the Color Run.

“What? Do they shoot you with paintballs?” Dan asked. I answered, “I don’t think so. I think it’s colored chalk or something.” Mike chuckled, “That’s all I need when I’m trying to run a 5K, inhale a lungful of chalk dust.”

The conversation has gotten away from me and I try to steer it back. “The Electric Run is different. It’s at night and you wear glow necklaces and fluorescent clothing. They have black lights and disco music while you run. It sounds like fun.”

“Sounds great! The only problem I have with it is the ‘running a 5K’ part,” Mike is firm. He doesn’t want to participate in any run, no matter how fun. Dan said, “I’m not interested in that.” I was dropping people left and right. “I want to do that Zombie Chase thing,” Stacey replied.

“We can do that, too.” Now, instead of doing one race, I’ve agreed to do two, one of which, I’m running from Zombies through obstacle courses. “That one we should bring the trailers and camp down there before the race so we don’t have to drive so far,” I suggest. Dan agrees wholeheartedly and suddenly, I have a reason to train and run every day. Our whole family has decided to rally behind Stacey and me for these two races and are planning fun times together for them.

My butt has been on the treadmill EVERY day since this conversation.