Run or Dye

 Last year I decided that one of my 2014 goals was to participate in a 5k.  I have never been and never will consider myself a runner.  Let us just say that the bouncing is bad for my…. Knees.  But walking, hiking and even a brisk jog are all enjoyable activates for me.  So in the Spring my best friend Diane & I decided to register for one of those “fun” runs.  We decided on the Rye or Dye Lake Stevens 5k.  Although about 20 people said they were interested in joining our fun run team come the July race day it was just Di, Tracy and I.  

The morning of the 5K we parked & walked to the event to line up and wait for the start time.  It was a sea of interesting people & decent music..at nine am.

Every Kilometer or so they're is a chalk station where volunteers toss different colors at you as you run by.  But honestly we had lots of fun reaching in and garbing our own handfuls to toss at each other and other participants.

Over all, my first 5K was a success.  We walked and talked and laughed and just enjoyed ourselves.  Next year, I will not bring my own water bottle and I will remember a towel to cover my car seat for the ride home!!!! 

 Don't get me wrong, we had a fabulous time. Although it was super hot. But I would be lying if  I didn't have a small laundry list of unpleasentries… Overall, the event was fun but the organization was a little disorganized.  Emails leading up to the event date contained confusing directions & unclear event information.  It also seemed everyone got a different number of color packets, I got 1, Tracy got 3 and Diane got 8!! Then some people got chalk packets in the mail & at the event without paying because they got bracelets in the mail. We arrived over an hour earlier than needed because we had our shirts mailed to us, there was no “check in” necessary. Then the event started late.

My final complaint I feel is the most valuable- This is a “fun run”.  At the finish line they don’t post times on a reader board or give a fancy red ribbon with a medallion for the first person to cross.  I personally enjoyed the variety of people along the route.  However, you got a few random jerks who are all serious, running past group yelling “OVER” in unkind tones.  To those people- GO SING UP FOR A LEGIT MARATHON!!!!