Seize the Moment 5k Results & Manic Hair!

So the big Seize the Moment 5k race for the Epilepsy Foundation of Central and South Texas was a total success! There were so many people there, and it was just so much fun. Although I clocked in around 52 minutes, one member of my team, Arturo, won 1st place in our age group with a time around 18 minutes! I was totally blown away and honored to have a team member that won!


There was free breakfast and snacks that consisted of DELICIOUS bagels and cream cheese, bananas, oranges, lemonade, Powerade, ice cold water bottles, Honey Milk... it was great! I didn't eat anything but two orange slices before the race because I have a history of vomiting whatever I eat when I run long distances, so I made a smart choice!

When I first arrived I got a purple epilepsy ribbon painted on my face, and some glitter sprinkled on it too! I even got a FREE soft-tissue massage to loosen me up for the race! It was absolutely fantastic! They offerred so many free things to help us be as successful as possible.

Right before the race, a professional from Spectrum gym did a stretching session for all of the timed/competitive runners. My team was timed, so we participated in this session. It was really nice because I learned how to stretch properly before running. I knew about half of the things he instructed us to do from 1 mile runs in high school, but he shows me some really nice tricks that I had never done before. For example, jumping up and down in place to get the blood flowing.

Also, before the race, they asked all the people with Epilepsy and/or people who had lost a loved one to Epilepsy to step forward. It was interesting because only about 15 people came forward out of about 700! So we definitely had a lot of supporters there with us! The (approximately) 15 of us all had a purple lei (necklace of flowers) placed around our heads. It was very emotional for me to stand up in front of a crowd and be honored in that way. It was so amazing!

It was really cold outside, but I decided to wear shorts and I am SO glad that I did! After jogging a mile (on and off, of course) things started to heat up! Unfortunately, the air was cold and I was surrounded by cedar trees, in which I am allergic to, so I was wheezing so loud that people 12 feet in front of me could hear! Nonetheless, I kept on going thanks to my awesome teammate Jocy!

Although I did a Run-Jog-Walk-Jog-Run-Jog-Walk type of 5k, I still placed pretty good. The average person runs a 5k race in 30-40 minutes, so placing at 52 minutes isn't that bad. It definitely showed me how in shape I am and I am 100% positive I will be running more 5k's in the future! This was my VERY FIRST 5k so it was definitely a milestone.

I do want to note that there were little grandmas and grandpas that passed me up! For that, I have decided to get a gym membership!

After a majority of people had finished the race, ribbons and medals were given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of each age group. Music played and everyone danced. A drawing for a free seizure sleep monitor was done, and I have 4 entries thanks to my team members! T-Shirts, bracelets, pins, etc. were sold for the Epilepsy Foundation. It was a party! Such an amazing event, and I plan to be a part of the next one!

I know I said I would dye my hair purple, so here's some information about that...

11/3/2011

Went to Sally Beauty Supply. I was just about to pick up my usual Manic Panic hair color, but the hair stylist recommended the Beyond the Zone Bleach Kit, and Purple Grape Color Jamz Semi-Permanent hair dye. She said it's the best stuff so I figured I'd give it a try. It looked good to me.

Arrived at home, bleached my hair, and applied the Color Jamz. Left it in for the recommended amount of time... and when I washed it out MY HAIR WAS RED. Not purple... RED. Absolutely upset, so I went back to Sally Beauty Supply demanding a refund.

Didn't get a refund, because apparently it isn't their fault. They only gave me advice.

Went back again around 8:30pm, and finally talked to a woman who is as Dye-Hard as I am about Manic Panic. She told me how to fix my hair, what Manic Panic colors to use, and basically saved my life. It's funny because Manic Panic is what I usually used, and I should have used it to begin with!
11/4/2011

Spent the entire first half of the day simply removing the Color Jamz from my hair. It never fully came out, like the woman from Sally Beauty Supply said. It left my hair a little orangish and just yucky looking. But at least I got it out! If I knew what was good for me, I should have left my hair the way it was. The orange would have faded, but I just HAD to please my fans who have been e-mailing me begging me to do this!

Applied the Manic Panic Ultra-Violet Color Cream, and let it sit for 4 hours. Manic Panic contains no chemicals, and is made from concentrated vegetable oils, so you could leave it in for days and nothing bad would happen. It actually re-hydrates your hair, which is just great! This is one of the reasons I wanted to mention Manic Panic. It is the ultimate hair color for people with Epilepsy. Since most of us are on meds that practically kill our hair on their own, dying is the worst choice.

Manic Panic, created by Tish & Snooki, two original members of Blondie, takes away that risk of damage, and gives us the option to dye our hair virtually every color. There are even a few natural looking shades, like reds and a black that can remove gray colors, or fade to browns and make them appear more rich. To see their products, click here: http://www.manicpanic.com/classiccreamformula.html
It's so safe to use, even pregnant women can! You can even sleep in this stuff!

Anyway, I washed it out, and MOST of my hair was purple, but some sections were red like they were before. This was due to the Color Jamz being stuck in my hair. So I let my hair dry, and created a Manic Panic recipe of my own that would hopefully save the day.

1 tbsp pH balanced conditioner (No idea what the brand is. Very old bottle.)
2 tbsp Ultra-Violet Manic Panic
2 tbsp Shocking Blue Manic Panic
1 tbsp Virgin Snow Manic Panic (To lighten things up a little. The color was SO dark.)

Worked it into my hair for over 30 minutes. Letting it sit for another half an hour. Took it out to find a DEEP, DARK PURPLE! However, it was a little more on the blue side thanks to the issues with the Color Jamz. So I never really got my perfect purple hair...

Until I tried to remove it all with Color OOPS. Color OOPS is a hair color remover that is supposedly less damaging than bleach (which is probably a load of crap). When I "removed" the color, I was left with a light purple... a perfect purple! Well, a perfect purple with strands of green, red and blonde.

Now I just need to figure out how to get it all out! I had to actually bleach it again (I know, shame on me...) and now I have a VERY light greenish blonde hair. The green is hardly noticeable but it's there and it is really upsetting me. Oh well!

So all in all, even though my hair will probably be fried in a few weeks (surprised it isn't fried right now) I am still happy that I did this for Epilepsy. Epilepsy is what keeps me moving, motivates me, and I'm more than willing to do anything if it means I'm supporting the cause. However, I will NOT be dying my hair purple again. Just letting you all know! So cross your fingers and pray that my hair will be back to red like it used to be!

However, there was one lesson learned: DO NOT use Color Jamz. Stick to the good stuff!
God bless! Happy Epilepsy Awareness Month!