#run3rd

'scuse me for a moment while I let my freak flag fly.

See, I'm a nerd.  Like, hardcore nerd.  Well, maybe I"m a geek.  I'm unsure what the proper terminology might be. I mean, let's go to the list of Things That Make Me Nerdy, shall we?

1. Loves math.  Not just any math ... statistics.
2. Loves fantasy football for NCAA.  See #1 for the reason.
3. Loves Star Wars.  As in: I know all of the stupid little ancillary characters too.
4. Loves Disney.  I love The House Of Mouse so much that I took a second job selling it!
5. Loves a good cosplay.  I've never gotten the nerve to cosplay anything ... but hey.  I guess there's always a market for a Jessica Rabbit ...
6. Loves LoTR.  In my dreams, I fancy myself an Arwen.  And really, I married myself a Hobbit.  My husband (the Sad Panda) is short, has nine fingers, and is always rummaging for food.  

And the last one?  That led me to Sean Astin's blog.  I read that he ran the Tinkerbell Half, and through the magic of The Interwebs, I landed on his #run3rd site.  

And finally ... that's when it all made sense.  Something in my head just clicked.

Here's Sean's Team #run3rd Mission:

Why Do I Run?
I’ve been long distance running for 25 years. It is one of the most rewarding physical activities imaginable. It is hard. It is painful and it is fun. It confers legitimacy on my day. It makes me feel alive. Simply stated, I love running and I love running far. Above all else, running is selfish. Therefore…
1st I run for me
My family waits for me. My family listens to my stories from the road. My family has faith in me. My family loves me, trusts me and depends on me. My family is patient. My family is strong. Therefore…
2nd I run for my family
While running is in many ways about solitude, I rarely run alone. My thoughts are always with me. My hopes, my fears, my dreams, they come along too. From start to stop I yearn to understand the greater meaning of my journey. With every beat of a runner’s heart, with every pounding step, life itself is affirmed. And so, it costs nothing, yet can mean everything for any runner, for me, to make a simple dedication, to say that these steps I am taking are not mine to own. It means something to me to declare that because I am alive and I care for others…
3rd I run for YOU

This really made me think.  It spoke the words in my head so eloquently, and it clearly has inspired hundreds of others.  So ... I've joined the #run3rd team.  

I #run3rd for the Human Rights Campaign, so that every human being has the right to love whomever they choose.

I #run3rd for Give Kids The World, so that seriously ill children and their families can experience the magic of Walt Disney World at no cost.

This is why I run.