Heather's SF Marathon Race Report

Submitted by Heather Stewart @captainstewie

Running for the Hills!

When I was training for the marathon, I didn’t want to sign up for a race. I was worried that I would be too exhausted. Then I won an entry to the Hollywood Half and then someone talked me into San Francisco.

San Francisco was a race I really wanted to do for a variety of reasons.

1. I was born there.
2. You can run the full marathon, the first half of the marathon or the second half of the marathon.
3. If you run the first half you get to run over the Golden Gate Bridge.

So I signed up for the first half of the marathon. I signed up and made a plan to go visit my Nonnie and run with some lovely folks from my gym…

Read the rest at Heather's stRUNg Out blog!

Lupe's San Francisco Marathon race report

Submitted by Lupe Steele @LupeSteele

My thoughts on the San Francisco Marathon

Each run has its own special experience and meaning.  It is common to feel a little queasy about each race.  That has been the way most of my races have played out over the past 6 years. This race was different. This time it was about the experience and I was going to be open to whatever came my way. To my surprise, I had an absolutely perfect morning in the City by the Bay.

I was particularly tickled by the realization that Sean Astin would be participating in the race. This was my event; it was in my area and I wanted my fellow #Run3rders to have a wonderful time. For our fearless leader, it was a 26.2 race against the hills of San Francisco. While I didn’t want to admit it, I was a bit nervous. I wanted him to enjoy his time in San Francisco as much as I’ve always enjoyed SF growing up.

Linda's Park 2 Park 5K race report

Why You Shouldn't Let a Little Rain Stop You

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

The Park 2 Park 5K is a race I almost didn't run. The weather had been looking iffy for a few days, so the first things I did when I got up early that Sunday morning was check the radar. What I saw was not encouraging. The leading edge of the rain had not yet reached my house, but some pretty widespread yellows and reds were making a bee-line for the race location. I had done some training in light rain before, but never anything like this. And at 5:30 in the morning, there was a strong temptation to just crawl back under the covers.

If it had been just me to consider, I would have done so. But I'd made a commitment: I was running for my fellow #Run3rd Team Captains who would be shortly heading out for the San Francisco Marathon, and for all dads on Fathers Day. I thought of Sean Astin, determined to run a full marathon in hilly San Francisco despite his problematic IT band. I thought of Christina Boulard, who quit smoking over a year ago and started running. I thought of MaryEllen Long, for whom even a few steps is a trial, but she is doing her best. I thought of all the other runners and walkers I've met through #Run3rd, who keep going despite health issues, injuries and a multitude of other obstacles. This is just a little rain.

What do I do when I don't know what to do?: #RUN3rd

Submitted by Cynthia Changyit Levin

I'm a woman of action. You can see it in my blog posts as I urge people to take meaningful action to fight against poverty. Every day, reach out to Congress or help others to do the same. Every year, I raise money to provide vaccines or  education or meals or other ways to change the world for the better. When shots rang out in Newtown, I was in my senator's office the next morning talking about gun control. I advocate, I educate, I write, I organize. I fundraise. I don't like to write or talk to people publicly about a problem without offering a way to DO something to about it.

But what do I do when I don't know what to do?

What if I'm too upset or confused to see a clear path? Or, what about those times when I've already done everything I can and it just doesn't seem like enough?

That's where a virtual running club I found comes to the rescue. #RUN3rd is a running group inspired by actor Sean Astin (my favorite Lord of the Rings Ring Bearer!). In this group, people from all over the country inspire each other with messages and motivational images, quotes, etc. We choose to run not only for ourselves and our health, but we choose to dedicate every race and training run to reasons meaningful to us. #RUN3rd lives on Facebook and Twitter where you can post a dedication you care about for your run.

Read the rest of Cynthia's article on her blog "Anti-Poverty Mom."

Linda's Fur Fun 5K race report

On  April 28, I participated in my 3rd #run3rd event in for the 3rd weekend in a row, the Love-a-Stray Fur Fun 5K. As seems to have become customary for my races, the weather was overcast, chilly and damp. In fact, there was a good bit of drizzle and light rain, though the heavy rain held off until nearly all the awards were given out after the race!

There was a pre-race expo with dogs of all sizes to pet and doggie products to buy. (I have no dogs, just a ferret!) I unexpectedly ran into a colleague from work, and we hung out and wandered around together until time for the race to start.

Summer's Diva Half Marathon SF race report

Submitted by Summer Irby @SummerRunDisney

#Run3rd Diva Style

This was my very first official, unofficial #run3rd race. As I mentioned in my Princess Half recap I have done #run3rd dedications before, but this was the first time I asked for others to give me dedications and got them!! Each request was so personal and so inspirational so I really wanted to help share their stories and that is what I hope to do here.

I set my alarm for 5:35, which was a nice change from the 2:30 I usually set it for runDisney races, and woke up just before it went off. I got up and dressed and with my #run3rd post-it in hand I was ready to head out to the start line.

Read the dedication for each mile at Summer's blog, Running with Pixies…

Kelli's Cap City Half Marathon race report

Submitted by Kelli Shrewsberry @Connect2TLC

All I Really Need to Know About Running a Half Marathon I Learned in Kindergarten

1. Play Dress Up

This was only my second half marathon. My first was the Disney Princess, which now has set the bar of “dress up” for races. I must fully admit that I am not typically a Princess-type of gal—but I think I can now officially say that I have harnessed my inner princess! The outfit I choose seems to have new meaning with each race I am running. While I wasn’t in full creative princess dress up mode this race, I was very excited about my new blinged up #Run3rd skirt! So, yes… I play dress up (and I LOVE it!).

2. Wait patiently in line…

Read #2-13 at Kelli's wonderful new blog, "Run with TLC"

Linda's Earth Day 5K Race Report

Snow pellets caught in spider web.

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

Boy I sure know how to pick ‘em—the days for 5Ks that is! If anything, the weather was even colder for the Oberlin Earth Day 5K on April 20 than it was for the Run for the Red the previous Saturday. In fact, two hours before the race started there was a bout of snow flurries and snow pellets!

By race time, it looked like the sun was going to come out, but the wind blew a fresh set of dark clouds overhead, making it a darned chilly run. Still, I had home-court advantage: the race started at Tappan Square, a 13 acre park in the center of town with an approximately 1 km circumference, and my favorite place for training. The course itself wound through a quiet residential neighborhood, a nice easy trip with no hills.

Click for supersize panoramic view!

Linda's Run for the Red Race Report

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

It was one of those cloudy, cold, dreary, damp days when you just want to stay in bed. But with a sheet full of #run3rd dedications to put in my back pocket, I was motivated to get up, get dressed, get a photo and head out for the Run for the Red 5K in support of the local Red Cross chapter.
Now when I say it was damp, I mean VERY damp. Recent downpours caused flooding near the original start location for the race, so it was moved further north along the Black River to the appropriately named Steel Mill Trail. (The race was sponsored by US Steel.)

That's not a pond, that's standing water in the woods!

The turnout was small, about 150 runners, and those who weren’t jogging to warm up waited in their cars until near to start up time. The path followed the river, crossing it twice before the turn-around and return trip. I’d recently been adding a bit of jogging to my walking, and during training was rather disappointed in how short a distance I could go before running out of breath. I found though that during the race, I seemed to be able to go a little further. I tried experimenting with how I held my body and how I breathed to try to increase my stamina. I kept my eye on the young woman a couple hundred yards ahead of me. I never did catch up to her, but I made sure she didn’t get so far ahead that I lost sight of her!

Brandie's Santa Cruz Half Marathon Report

Submitted by Brandie Garcia @BrandieCakez

Santa Cruz Half Marathon, Sunday April 7th, 2013

I’m woken up by my boyfriend Mike bright and early at 5 am and the first thing he does is kiss me and say “Happy Birthday-Eve,” roll over and cuddle him for “just FIVE MORE minutes,” like I begged of him until he pushed me out of bed and urged me to get a move on it. I hadn’t had a chance to get to packet pick up before the race, so we had to head to Santa Cruz early in order to make sure I had enough time to get my packet. Happy Birthday Eve to MEEEEE

Cheyanne's Hollywood Half Marathon race report

Submitted by Cheyanne Witte @cheygirl1

I decided to run the 5k at the Hollywood Half Marathon awhile ago. I am originally from Southern California and I go back there on occasion. Back when I decided to start running my father told me that running a 5k was on his bucket list and wanted to come out to Colorado to run one with me. I decided to pick the Hollywood Half and make a family vacation out of it. About a month before the race my dad found out that the stent he had put in after his heart attack had to be replaced. He went in to the hospital but the artery was too far closed to put one in. But the doctor told him he was doing much better than expected and gave him the okay to still run!

After spending a night in Las Vegas and a couple nights with family we checked in to our hotel. We decided to stay at the Sheraton because I wanted to be close to the Expo and they gave me a better discount than the Hilton! After checking in my oldest daughter and I decided to go check out the Expo while my husband and my other 2 girls went to the pool.  It was fun walking around looking at everything and my daughter got so excited about the race she decided to sign up right then. I was so excited that we would have 3 generations all running together! I let my daughter wear my Sean Astin signed #Run3rd hat! We decided to walk over to Universal City Walk for some food and fun!

Heather's Hollywood Half Marathon race report

Captains Cheyanne Witte, Lupe Steele,
Heather Stewart and Leah Gutierrez before race.

Submitted by Heather Stewart @captainstewie

Last Minute Races: A stRUNg out Confession

Okay, I’ll admit it. After the LA Marathon I was jubilant. I was proud. I was, let’s face it, a bit of a braggart. I ran an EFFING MARATHON people!

But, like every addict, there comes a point where you come down from the high. I needed to know where my next fix was coming from. I gave in and signed up for a half marathon this June, but that didn’t seem soon enough.

Then through the magic of Social Media, the answer came to me in the form of a post…

Read the rest of the story here!