I have never been much of a runner. I prefer elliptical workouts at the gym, but I have opted for running outdoors whenever I lack a treadmill. Several years ago, I injured my ankle while running (a twist injury in a break in the sidewalk) and after the melon-sized swelling went down, my ankle was never the same. It limited by running ability because of ankle pain and terrible shin splints. After finishing residency, I finally was able to go to consistent physical therapy sessions. I must say I wish I had found the time years ago, because they did wonders with very simple maneuvers! I learned that simple strengthening moves using a resistance band helped immensely. Since then, I have enjoyed running much more because it is no longer painful. When I learned that the Color Me Rad 5K was coming to my town, I signed up immediately as a motivation to keep running and help get into better shape.

The race is not a typical 5K in that it is not competitive and anyone, including young children, are welcome to participate. One can walk, jog, or run the course. It was fun to see everyone dressed in white and amped up at 7am on a Saturday! Knowing people are so energetic and motivated to be healthy always gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. The funnest part of running this 5K was being pelted with “color bombs” — corn starch dyed with various colors — as you go through the route. For anyone familiar with the Indian celebration of Holi, this would be familiar!

I know many people who have run multiple 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons, marathons, and even one person who ran an ultra-marathon. I know a 5K is just a small accomplishment, but for someone who has not been able to run for so long, this was a personal victory, albeit a small one. I doubt I would ever want to run an actual marathon (because I really don’t want to end up needing a knee replacement in the future), but perhaps a 10K is not such an unreachable goal now.

For information on the Color Me Rad 5K and to find out if it will be near you soon, check out their totally rad website! They’ve also got a blog that features recipes, running and fitness tips, and Color Me Rad updates.