Why?

For the workout...let's continue Kelly's wise advice of staying within ourselves when we do our intervals.  If you cannot do the final one at a very similar to pace to what you started out at, then you've pushed too hard and should adjust your strategy the next week.

AND, if you are pushing moderately hard on your intervals (which is recommended), then you should plan your week with an easy day on either side of your Tuesday night.  Intervals are a hard workout, so plan you workouts accordingly for either cross training or lighter running on the days around it.

Before shot:

Now on to WHY?  As in why are gimmick races so darn popular?  Five TRYers volunteered at the Color Me Rad run in Liverpool on Saturday morning and we walked away still not knowing why.  It's not a race.  They don't even time it.  At it's core, participants paid good money to get up early, get bused to the event, to be pelted in various body parts by colored corn starch.  Yet, for the most part, people seemed to love it.  I see several Facebook friends who did the event and posted all sorts of before, during, and after photos.  (Just like obstacle course events...this one looks really good as a Facebook update.)  At least one of my friends is already posting excited comments about doing the "Run or Dye" event that is coming up.  Another acquaintance said she "loved the vibe" of the event and would probably do it again in a future year.  So, they've been hooked...or dyed in the wool?

From our perspective, the "experienced" runners who volunteered still don't quite get it.  But I suppose that is irrelevant.  These events aren't targeted at runners.  They are meant to be fun.  They are meant to be for anyone.  And they appear to be here to last, at least for a while, as business appears to be booming.  7000 people were in Saturday's event and two more "color" runs are coming through Syracuse this summer.

During shot (not a shot of life on Mars):


And a final takeaway from this weekend: Be nice to race volunteers.  I know you pay to get into the event and you expect the event to be spot on.  But the people providing most race amenities to you are just volunteers...who probably had to get up earlier than you did that morning.  So, be courteous and be patient.  And if you want to see the other side of a race, there is no better way to do so than to volunteer.  You give back a little to the running community and you learn a lot about life.