She woke up early that day, her heart pounding for fear and excitement. She wasn’t completely ready for what she was doing, she didn’t train, but she knew it wouldn’t be that hard. Her heart was beating slower now, as she started to get ready, pulling her shirt on. Once she knew she was ready to walk out of the door, pictures were taken. Her heart was beating faster now, nerves were settling in.

It only took about a half hour to arrive at her destination. Once she was at the starting line, her nerves were gone and excitement settled in. She was going to be in a Color Run.

As soon as her feet were past the starting line, she grasped her father’s hand. They agreed to walk together. She was glad she decided to walk, running always hurt her legs, constricted her breathing and made her heart pound furiously, and not in a good way.

Only fifteen minutes in, her legs were throbbing from pain. This terrain wasn’t as easy as the neighborhood behind her house. That terrain was smoother, and she didn’t have to worry about going blind.

Her father loosened his grip on her hand, telling her it was time to run through the first color spray: blue. She nodded her head, excitement flowing through her veins. As she ran through the misty air, allowing strangers to coat her body in blue-colored cornstarch, her heart was beating faster, her legs burned, this was not good, she thought. I should’ve never done this.

She slowed down as her breath came out in short gasps, her heart was beating fast. She would have to do this multiple times that morning, and she knew that it would hurt her physically.

At least, she thought, this is exercise. I can do this; I can finally tell my mom I walked a public 5K for the first time ever.

For the next hour, she ran through three more different color mists, spending more time in the pink mist than all the others, and walking through the beautiful city with her father.

Before she knew it, she noticed the finish line, decorated in huge white balloon, ahead of her. She smiled, knowing that she would walk through those in a matter of minutes. Even though her whole body was sore, she let go of her father’s hand and ran towards the finish line.

She reunited with her two sisters, her friends, and her sister’s boyfriend after passing the finish line ten minutes prior. After a while, grabbing another breakfast, most of them headed home, to take showers and wash of the blue, pink, yellow and purple died cornstarch of their clothes and bodies.

For more information on The Color Run, click here.