Welcome to another installment of the Oregon Brewery Running Series Podcast; Inspiring Oregonians to Be Active, Have Fun, and Give Back. We host family-friendly, 5K fun runs that start and end at some of Oregon’s best breweries. If you’re looking for an un-timed 5K in Portland or around the state, click the link below and join us!
Our 5k running and walking events are on hold right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and finding ways to tend to your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
If you’re like us, the extreme social distancing is starting to take a toll. We’re ALL for following the guidelines as long as we need to, but it doesn’t mean we like it. We miss you!
In order to ease some of those social distancing frustrations, we have been hosting virtual running and walking challenges. We ask our community members to set a specific goal for themselves then run or walk their tails off to hit that number. It’s just one way that we can stay active right now, while we have fun and give back to local non-profits. (We’ve actually raised over a thousand dollars and that number is climbing every day.)
I think we’ve run and walked something like 20,000 miles. It’s crazy and amazing and super cool, but what has been really fun is our Saturday happy hour chats we’re hosting on zoom.
This week on the podcast, you get to hear another one of those Zoom calls (at least the exciting parts). In this one, we get to hear from our community about how their running is going this month and how they are dealing with the disappointments of other events being canceled. We also get to talk with Dave Harking, co-owner of Portland Running Company, who shares some tips and ideas about making the most of running during a pandemic.
Portland Running Company is still open and taking great steps to ensure proper social distancing. Stop in one of their locations (in Slabtown and Beaverton locations) and treat yourself to some new running gear!
About Dave Harkin
Dave has a wonderful energy, charisma, and positivity about him that really draws you in. I ALWAYS enjoy talking with him and can’t thank he and his wife Paula for the may ways they’ve helped us over the past five years with the Brewery Running Series.
Dave has been a runner since he was 11 years old. He ran in college at the University of Oregon, where he graduated and went on to have a short career as a teacher. He kept trying to get hired at a running store but failed. Mistakenly, he thought they would be impressed by how fast he was but later realized that the skills he learned as a teacher would be his greatest asset in life.
Fast forward to the year 2000/2001 he and wife Paula, took over Portland Running Company (PRC) and the rest is history. Dave and the team at PRC love helping motivated runners, regardless of skill, to achieve their goals.
RELATED: All About Dave Harkin!
Things we Mention:
- The Run Pub – they are open!
- Portland Running Company – they are open!
- Virtual Running Challenges.
- Running with a mask – do or do not.
- Finding motivation when your race has been canceled.
About Portland Running Company
I’ve said this a lot, but Portland Running Company has a special place in my heart. Because when we moved to Portland in 2013, PRC was the first place I found community. For a long time, those people I ran with on a weekly basis were kinda my only friends here in Portland. I’ve since branched out, but their group runs and race team continue to be a source of encouragement, excitement, and an inclusive group of people who care about each other beyond the miles.
So whether your out for a run, commuting to work, doing the dishes, or walking your dog, enjoy this conversation today with Dave Harkin, co-owner of Portland Running Company, lifelong teacher and amateur kayakeer.
About Portland Running Co.
When you visit Portland Running Company for new shoes, expect a small workout. We don’t mind if you do it in a business suit but you may be more comfortable in workout clothes. We do a field gait evaluation. The technique draws from foot mechanical analysis, and it also connects the dots from your toes, to your ankles, to your knees, to your hips, and so on.
All are Welcome!
We don’t care if you’re a runner, walker, or something else. We just care that you’re active! While most of our participants are running, MANY are walking, pushing strollers, or finding other ways to participate.
About Us
The Oregon Brewery Running Series is about inspiring Oregonians to Be Active, Have Fun, and Give Back. We host family-friendly, 5K fun runs that start and end at some of Oregon’s best breweries. Register for our next run here! Our theme music, the Oregon Song, is written and performed by James Hoffman.
