Sean Astin's Portland Marathon Race Report

Submitted by Sean Astin, @SeanAstin

Finished my 12th full Marathon. The weather in Portland was Perfectly Portland...Rainy and Chilly with occasional Wind. Loved it!!!

At the expo yesterday, I made the point that, "you can't fake a Marathon." It's so true. 26.2 miles is a no joke distance. You can suck in your gut for a selfie, but today, the Marathon knew exactly how much I weigh. It's one thing to know that I'm carrying an extra 30+ pounds. The road is...unforgiving. I've been a long distance runner for most of my life. Today, I had to pay the piper :-)))

Tracy Burwell's 2nd Run3rd 5K Race Report

Submitted by Tracy Burwell, @ATurtlesPace

Tracy Burwell and Sean Astin

It was no surprise that the #Run3rd 5k was once again such a huge success!

As I stood on the field on race day just as the sun came up, it was clear that #Run3rd was no longer just an idea. #Run3rd had become a living, growing, breathing thing, flourishing with every step and dedication. Hundreds of people of all ages traveled from miles around to the 2nd Annual #Run3rd 5k. Inspiration and dedications were everywhere! The #Run3rd message was ringing out loud and clear, from the very first runner to the final finisher! It was such an honor to be even a small part of such an incredibly special day.

Dawnley Raices 2nd Run3rd 5K Race Report

Submitted by Dawnley Burwell Raices, @Hipster_Runner

No sleep, two overnight shifts at work and quite a few hours of driving… #RUN3RD 5K, LETS DO THIS!!!

We arrived a day early to help with packet pickup, which is one of my favorite parts! It's wonderful meeting the participants, especially the younger ones who have so much enthusiasm when sharing the message of #Run3rd! I met some incredible pint-sized athletes as well as heard stories of how they encouraged their parents to run, or people that have lost large amounts of weight because they started running. I could make this whole report about them, just know they are amazing humans and I’m so lucky to have been able to chat with them for a few moments while grabbing their race bib.

Brandy Placencia's 2nd Run3rd 5K Race Report

Submitted by Brandy Placencia, @anjenaca

Brandy & Gabriel Placencia at finish line!

I almost didn’t go to the 2nd #run3rd 5k in Arizona. I was extremely burnt out from Girl Scouts and just did not have much energy. When I heard of Anna "Patty Duke" Pearce’s passing I knew I needed to be there. She meant so much to all of us. I have been a fan of hers for as long as I can remember and read her book “Call Me Anna” a few times. Suffering from Severe Social Anxiety that also causes bouts of depression, her book helped me feel like I wasn’t alone back before the explosion on the internet.

After getting to Mesa and seeing everyone, I was so happy that I had made the trip. This was the first time getting to see the other #run3rd Captains that I didn’t have an anxiety attack. I am so happy that my sister Cheyanne got me into this a few years back.

Race morning was perfect weather although I would have preferred some clouds to block the sun. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw that our fearless leader Sean Astin had made it to the race that morning. After a bunch of picture taking and a speech from Sean, the race was on.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since last year I had walked the entire race with my sister, but I had brought my Jeff Galloway Run/Walk timer, and with the flat course was excited to get a good time. Unfortunately, thanks to 3 months of Girl Scout Cookie Hell, lack of training and a higher altitude than I’m used to, I felt exhausted from the start. In the last mile I almost quit to a slow walk when I realized I was actually about to catch up with Sean so I pushed harder.

I finished with a time of 45:49 which wasn’t my best but also wasn’t my worst. Overall even though it was the worst I felt during a race, I had a great time and look forward to the next one.

Brandy Placencia
April 19, 2016

Mindy Przeor's 2nd Run3rd 5K race report

Submitted by Mindy Przeor, @RaceEveryStep

Any time I take a moment to reflect on our 2nd annual #RUN3rd 5k, I am overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude, love and pride.  When we decided to make this an annual event, I was worried about how our 2nd year would compare to the first. There were so many special things about the inaugural event that we wouldn't be able to duplicate or compare to. We knew our challenge this year would be to keep the momentum going and grow our local #RUN3rd community with the help of our amazing Captains and Loyals from around the world.

Sean Astin and the Brinton families

David Hearn's 2nd Run3rd 5K race report

Submitted by David Hearn, @davidhearncsi

David Hearn and Sean Astin

The sun was up the sky was blue the drive was long.

As we pulled up to Red Mountain High School for the 2nd Annual #Run3rd 5k on April 2, 2016, you could feel the energy of the crowd who had come out to participate in this wonderful event. As we worked our way onto the field to pick up our race packet, we were greeted with happy smiling faces, vendor booths, raffle prizes, and most importantly, the school kids. The kids all had their Run3rd shirts on; many had their Run3rd dedications pinned to their backs. You could see their anxious, nervous faces filling with excitement as we got closer to the start of the race.

Laura Lawson's 2nd #Run3rd 5K Race Report

Submitted by Laura Lawson, @gamma_laura

Two and 1/2 years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. Prior to that I had started walking 5ks on a regular basis, but my surgery, chemo treatments and ongoing recovery put an end to that. I have struggled to get back into walking, but have felt discouraged by not being able to make much progress either in speed or distance.

I decided to attend the 2nd annual #Run3rd5K in Mesa, AZ, April 2, 2016, with the idea of supporting others, and walking what I could. I was at peace with this and very happy just to be there. Sharing the event with friends, old and new, is one of the great pleasures of Run3rd!

Race day was warm with a clear sky with a light breeze. Participants wrote down or in some way assembled the dedications that they would carry. Green ribbons worn in memory of Anna "Patty Duke" Astin and Mental Health Awareness were pinned on.

Sean Astin's Ironman World Championship Triathlon Race Report

Submitted by Sean Astin @SeanAstin

Beyond Victory: The DNA of an Endurance Everyman.
A tough look at the guts, gristle and mechanics of my drive to do more.

Ok, that's a bit of a heavy opener, but I've been dragging my heels on posting a race report for my epic Ironman Championship Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii on October 10th, 2015.

Why? Well, I've been incredibly focused on the minutia and often esoteric athletic details in my mind and spirit. It will seem silly to many that the impression I give focuses on my feelings about the physical stuff, when I should be happy with having achieved something wonderful regardless of where I "stack up" in the 2000+ field of participants (for the record, at the very bottom—no matter, I FINISHED yaaayyy!!!), or anyone in the sport for that matter. But in a real way, I want to honor the fact that I've earned my way into a legitimate conversation on the topic, and therefore it does matter to me.

So, for those of you interested in wading into the deep recesses of my post race analysis, please understand that I am forever grateful for all of the joy, health and success that I experienced. My desire to offer encouragement to others, particularly those who don't have athletic ambitions beyond perhaps common sense fitness is in no way diminished. In fact, I hope that people at any phase of health in their life can appreciate that I wish to explore my "failings" (of course they aren't actual failures). I shudder to think that sharing any of my "harsh" self analysis might be construed as anything other that a celebration of my limitations and my earnest desire to understand them better. In the final analysis, I will triumphantly return to my more enlightened modality. I trust that I will gracefully transition into a perspective that understands the context of my experience within a broader social and cultural reality. Meaning, most people don't and won't do Triathlons, and I have much more in common with "normal" exercisers than I do with disciplined and regular endurance athletes. It's all relative, and I promise I have no intention of going too far down the rabbit hole and obsessing needlessly about my performance or consigning my future to a more ludicrous ambition than I or my supportive wife and children think is healthy.

Without further ado, I hereby stream some consciousness flowing from the first few weeks after becoming an Ironman!

Sean Astin's Bolder Boulder 10K Report

Submitted by Sean Astin, @SeanAstin
May 25, 2015 - Memorial Day

Today, I ran the Bolder Boulder 10k. It was the best produced event of that length that I've ever participated in. Congratulations to the event organizers!!! Thanks to Colorado University Boulder for your hospitality. To the dedicated community (including those handing out beer to daring slip and sliders on your lawns, the several people handing out bacon {weird}, all of the volunteers and the many many bands and musical acts: 2 belly dancing troupes, a Operatic performance (Magic Flute?), an Aerosmith cover band with-musta been an 11 year old girl playing Steven Tyler, the animal frat looking house screamers and on and on… WICKED COOL FUN BLAST!!!

Folsom Field, Colorado University Boulder

Sean Astin's Boston Marathon Report

Submitted by Sean Astin, @SeanAstin

Boston Marathon 2015. Finish Line.

Denise and Jane Richard are cheering and smiling as each of the 73 members of their Team MR8 come across.

I did what I said, and tried to honor young Martin Richard (8yrs old) as I passed the site of the tragedy by reflecting on everything that happened that day and since. After 4 hours and 49 minutes of cold and rainy 26.2 mile crowd fueled, leg demolishing awesomeness, I had prepared myself to end the run on a note of reverence.

Then there they were, Jane (9 years old), standing, jumping up and down with her prosthetic leg, courtesy of that awful day, and Martin's mom, Denise with a huge smile of, can you believe it, gratitude of all things. A smile back and a kiss on the hand later, I turned and lost it.

Sean Astin's Inaugural Run3rd 5K Report

Photo by Bert Jones Photography

Submitted by Sean Astin, @SeanAstin

Oh, What a day. Our Run3rd 5k on April 11 was a bona fide, legit, 100% success. Race Directors Mindy & Kris Przeor have shown their quality, and it is the very highest. Industry leaders take notice, these two rookies delivered a world class event right out of the chute!

Now, if you forced me to pick from the dozens of life memories we created this morning, this would have to be the moment of the day for me. Kaleb is a very special boy with special needs.

Halfway through 5k run along the nicely appointed desert scape surrounding Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona, young Kaleb (9 years old), was running in the wrong direction.

We got to know each other a little before the run, when I was chatting with a bunch of the elementary school students who'd come out to run. He was always the first to raise his hand and his answers were razor sharp and imaginative. In a word, Kaleb was memorable. I did not however, expect to see him running the wrong way, well over a mile into the race. He had to have run the 1st mile in under 8 minutes.

"What's wrong Kaleb?" I am terrible with remembering people's names, but for some reason, not with his.

Disneyland Half Marathon race report by Tracy

Tracy Burwell gives Sean Astin #run3rd wristbands.

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Report
Submitted by Tracy Burwell @ATurtlesPace

Half marathon weekend was an awesome #Run3rd event! For me, it began on Friday afternoon when I arrived at the expo with fellow Captain Dawnley Burwell.  Together we explored the expo, picked up our bibs and headed over to see Sean Astin’s presentation. We got there a bit early to see another speaker, and to our surprise, Sean was sitting in the front row waiting to help another presenter! I sat in the empty seat next to him and when he turned around I got a huge smile and hug! We had an opportunity to talk for a few minutes about #Run3rd meet-ups, his training, my training, and his goals. It was pretty cool to just chat about running and ‘stuff’ with the founder of the organization that has changed my life and encouraged so many others.

Disneyland 10K Race Report by Dawnley

Disneyland 10K Report
Submitted by Dawnley Burwell @hipster_runner

When the alarm goes off at 3:30am, jumping out of bed to throw on a running costume isn't generally the norm… But when you have a group of #Run3rd-ers meeting in an hour and a 10k through Disneyland, you want to get to get up as quickly a possible! (At least I know I did!)

Mom (Tracy Burwell) and I got to our meeting spot to be greeted by a few team members and friends. Every time we started a conversation with one new member, a new one showed up! We had never seen this before and couldn't have been more pleased! It was so awesome to make so many new friends and have everybody encouraging each other before the race.

Stephanie Harris's SoCal Diva Half race report

Submitted by Stephanie Harris @Steph_Harris12

I signed up for this race in February, the second month into my twelve half marathons for my 2013 race goal year. You see, I was going to be turning 40 in 2013 and I decided this was going to be my big year. I began calling it my midlife crisis year. I recruited a not so happy husband, Jason, to come along with me on my journey.

The exact location was not set yet, the only thing we knew was that the race was going to be in Southern California. The only other thing I knew was, I had to have this medal. The bling was awesome!! Plus, as a bonus, we received a tiara, boa, and glass of bubbly at the finish line. Who wouldn't want those things?  Oh yea, my husband!! He signed up with me anyways! That's true love!!

Read the rest of the report at Stephanie's Collecting My Bling! blog here.

Stephanie Harris's Wine & Dine Half race report

Submitted by Stephanie Harris @Steph_Harris12

Last year was my first experience with the Walt Disney World Wine & Dine 1/2 Marathon. My husband and I made a trip out of it with no kids, just us!! All my friends were like, "You're going to Disney World alone?" YES!!! Being at Disney World with no kids was great, except we found ourselves saying, “The kids would really like this!” So, while we were there, we decided that we would definitely come back next year for the race and bring the kids.

A year in planning and the excitement was full throughout the year. I couldn’t wait to get back to Disney World for the Wine & Dine ½ marathon, but also to experience the parks with our kids.

Read the rest of Stephanie's race report on her Collecting My Bling! blog here.

Stephanie Harris's Tinker Bell 10K & Half race report

Submitted by Stephanie Harris @Steph_Harris12

The inaugural Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon in 2012 was what I'm calling my "gateway" race. It's the race that started it all for me and my running journey. My motivation began in 2011, when I saw my childhood friend, Heather, training for races and then Disney released the photograph of the Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon medal. I was in!! I didn't care what I had to do, but I needed that medal and I WANTED it bad! I emailed Heather for some get going pointers and printed the photo of the medal and taped it to the wall in front of my treadmill. My training was off!

I already knew that I'd be doing the 2014 Tink, but the added bonus was the new Tinker Bell 10K. Of course, Disney has to tempt me with a new race and new medal. I've got to learn some self control!! The bummer was there was no bonus medal like the Dumbo Double Dare. Oh well! I love the bling. This race was also a family race, which it seems like most of my races are now involving my family. This is awesome!! Not only is it a great way to spend time together, but it's healthy!

Read the rest of the report here.

Team #Run3rd: Shannon Coleman, Stephanie Harris, Tracy Burwell, Linda Iroff, Joy Iroff,
Lupe Steele, Cheyanne Witte, Sarah Diamond and (front) Dawnley Burwell

Heather's Santa to the Sea race report

Submitted by Heather Stewart @captainstewie

Guess Who's Back?

Who knew running would be my greatest teacher?  (NOBODY!!!!)
Who knew I would be too stubborn to learn? (EVERYBODY!!!! )
Look, if you know me at all (and most of you do… but if you don’t read my other blogs then you will), then you will know that patience is not a virtue I possess when it comes to myself.

Find a parking space, don’t worry I’ll drive around.
Wait in line, I can do it patiently.
Get over an injury – HELL TO THE NO!

Read the rest on Heather's stRUNg out blog here.

Joe's Jingle Bell 5K race report

Submitted by Joe Passarelli @Joe85963835

OK, so the Jingle Bell 5k Run/Walk for Arthritis is a huge success!! From November 2 in Marshall, MN to December 24th in Kuwait City it has or is being run at over 100 cities with over 150,000 participants! So far the Jingle Bell  Run for Arthritis Foundation, the largest fundraising run/walk campaign ever has raised $7,309,021 to find a cure!

Stephanie's National Nurses race report

Submitted by Stephanie Harris @Steph_Harris12

Inaugural National Nurses 1/2 Marathon, October 13, 2013

In keeping with my 2013 goal of completing one half marathon per month, I needed a race for October. The race I had originally chosen was out of the question according to my husband. We had ran a different race earlier in the year who's course was very similar to the October one. So, here I was in search of a new October race when I had already mapped out my year of races.

I came across the Inaugural National Nurses Half Marathon and 5K series that was going to take place in Las Vegas. I thought this sounded perfect since it was local for me and no traveling was involved. This has been a year full of traveling for many different races. Initially wasn't too excited about this race when I saw how hilly it was. I'm a chicken when it comes to hilly races. So, my search of an October race continued.

Heather's Nike Women's Marathon race report

Submitted by Heather Stewart @captainstewie

It's Not You, It's Me.

Dear Running,

We need to take a break.  Believe me this is not what I want, but I have to look at a couple of very important lessons that you taught me.

1. Be a little bit selfish
2. Take care of yourself

So, that’s what I’m going to do.

I want to thank you for our last Hurrah! The Nike Women’s Marathon was AWESOME!

Read the rest of Heather's report here!