Color Me Rad: The Aftermath, aka What I Didn't Know

I will post a detailed account of my awesome Color Me Rad experience later today or tomorrow, but here is the Aftermath first.

I ran in the Color Me Rad 5K this past Saturday in Raleigh.  This was the first race I'd ever run in, and there were already lots of things I didn't know.  But in addition, there were things that I thought future runners in this particular race might want to know before they take the colorful plunge.

The online and in-person registration process was very straight-forward and probably doesn't need to be explained.  So, let's just get to the CMR race-specific stuff.

• The shirt.  You receive an official CMR T-shirt when you participate in this race.  When you register online, you are given the option to choose sizes for the shirt.  If you choose women's sizes, the shirt will have a V-neck.  If this bothers you, order a men's shirt or a unisex shirt instead.

Not the shirt that comes with registration; this one is available in the CMR shop.

• A note about the Color Bombs.  Color Bombs are not free.  As you may or may not know, the major selling point that differentiates this race from other 5Ks is the colored corn starch that is thrown on you as you run.  That's all you know going in, is that you have colored powder thrown on you while you run 3 miles.  This isn't necessarily true.  I had imagined this setup where every person who walks through the door gets a Color Bomb (the packets of cornstarch), and they can throw them at their own leisure as there are people lined up along the race course.  The pictures I had seen never depicted otherwise, nor did any other write-ups of this race that I had read.  Here's how the whole color part works: No one is given Color Bombs upfront.  The only way you can get Color Bombs prior to the actual race is to purchase them.  They run for $3 each or 4 for $10.  As you run the course, there are 5 color stations (not sure if there's always 5 in every race, but there was in this one) where volunteers douse you with either cornstarch like the regular Color Bombs, or liquid color through sprayers.  This is how most people get their first dose of color.  As you go through each of the color stations and finally reach the end, you are handed your own Color Bomb (singular) as you cross the Finish Line.  These are generally saved for the big color explosion that happens every 5 minutes, where the runner gather in a huge group and throw the color in the air.  We of course used mine to its full potential on just me and didn't bother with the color explosion.  So, short and sweet answer, you only get one Color Bomb.  The part where you get color thrown at you as you run is only pertinent to the color stations, unless you purchase additional Color Bombs prior to the race and have someone else color you rad separately from the race.

Taken from here.

• Your skin gets a big helping of color, too.  I figured that since I had obviously had on a white shirt and that you could pull up my sleeves and see my still-colorless arms after my family pelted me with Color Bombs, that my skin under the shirt was also colorless.  Never been more wrong.  You might could wear thicker layers to help this point if your race falls on a cold morning, but you will be running, so keep that in mind.  I only realized this 8 Color Bombs, 5 color stations, and the Finish Line Color Bomb later, once we were already home and all begging for the shower.  I stood in the shower and undressed, to avoid spilling any loose powder still on the shirt in the floor of the bathroom.  When I finally peeled off my shirt, my skin was an identical match to it!  I couldn't believe it, my skin almost looked painted!  (Please note, if you run this race in the future, and don't have an enthusiastic family who pelts you with color beforehand on top of the color from the color stations, your case may not be as bad as mine was.  But to those who are running alongside an enthusiastic posse, be warned!)  Also, the liquid color that was mentioned in the last bullet will most definitely stain your skin, no question.  In my excitement, whenever I passed a color station, I would stand with my arms up and turn in a circle, to get color wherever I could.  This led to the green liquid color going into the armholes of my shirt, which resulted in my still-green armpits.  No lie, that was the only color I just could NOT get rid of in my shower.  Here's your best chance for color survival: If you get any liquid color on you, try and aim for your front.  If you get the liquid color on your back, you will need a good friend in the shower with you to scrub it off!  Once you are through with the race and have colored yourself rad as much as you want to, jump.  Like, jump-up-jump-up-to-get-down kind of jumping.  Get as much loose powder off of you as you can.  Have someone beat you like a rug if you wish.  Once you are in the shower in hopes of seeing a rainbow going down the drain at your feet, use a wash cloth!  I had hopes, that even though my skin was a tie-dye mess, that maybe it was just powder residue and would come off with water alone.  Wrong!  Once I finally asked for a wash cloth, it helped tremendously.  If you already use a wash cloth as part of your shower regimen, good for you.  I don't, I use a loofa, so it didn't automatically occur to me to use one.

Also from here.

• Your hair will feel like straw.  Your hair is the next most popular place for color to go aside from your white shirt.  If you're a male runner with short hair, or a female runner with super short hair, this bullet won't be nearly as bad for you.  If you have hair around shoulder length like mine, or longer, you're in for a treat.  The liquid color won't get your hair nearly as bad as your skin, although it will stain your scalp.  Again, bend over and head bang.  Shake out as much loose powder as you can.  Run your fingers through your hair to help the powder stuck on your scalp to get loose or fall out.  Once you are in the shower, you'll want to wash your hair (along with your face, etc) more than once.  The first time, you will see lots of color falling down your legs and down the drain.  The second time, you may not see any, but wash it at least a second time anyway.  It'll help your hair to not feel so scarecrow-y.  The CMR site also recommends using leave-in conditioner for this same reason.

Taken from here.

• Bring some kind of seat/phone/camera cover.  It may not be a first thought so close to race day, but remember that this colored powder gets on everything.  If you plan to run with an mp3 player or phone, or even if you're just a bystander with one, put it in a baggie and seal it up!  Same goes for any cameras.  Tell anyone coming to cheer you on this same thing.  Everyone who came to see me on Saturday left with color on their phones, cameras, clothes, and hair, just like me.  Also remember to cover your car seat(s) with something; a blanket, towels, cellophane, whatever you want to use.

This, too, is from here.

I think that's all the Aftermath stuff I wanted to mention.  If this list comes across as cynical, I'm very sorry for that.  This was such a fun race to participate in, and I feel like any other races I run will only shimmer in comparison to the shine of Color Me Rad.  I would definitely recommend it; it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to be sure.  These are just the things that nobody told me, and I wanted to make sure they were printed somewhere for someone to find who might want to know them!  If there's anything else you'd like to know, here is CMR's official FAQ page.  You can also feel free to leave a comment below and I'll be glad to answer any additional questions you have here as well.