Archives for 2010

I'm Going To Stick With The Plan And See What Happens

July 21, 2010 by operationjack 4 Comments

So when I originally created this site, I planned on writing a blog so everybody could kind of follow along with me as I go through the process of running 61 marathons for charity this year. In a way, I don’t really do that. I have a format (weekend recap on Monday, 10 random things on Tuesday, etc.) and I don’t really blog about what I’m going through. So today, I’m going to stray from the format and stick with the purpose.

I’m kind of conducting this as an experiment. I’m not going to plug it or promote it. I’m just going to post it and see what kind of feedback and traffic I get. NOTE: I changed my mind on that and promoted it in the afternoon.

Anyways, just in case you’ve never been here, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. To try to make a difference in the autism world, and to try to help him have an impact on the world, I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year to raise money and awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. So far, I’m through 34 of the 61, I’m raising money and I’m bringing people in. So I think it’s working.

Right now, I’m kind of going through one of my infamous funks. I’m a little bit heavy, weighing 205 when I’m typically 200 and could be 195. It’s not that big of a deal, and physically I’m in good shape, but it weighs on me mentally because I know it’s slowing me down. Nobody really cares about my times but me, but when I don’t run to my potential, I feel like I’m not holding up my end of the bargain.

A lot of people tell me I must be glad I can eat whatever I want to this year, but in all reality, I can’t. My miles are way down (I think I’m averaging less than 50 per week, but I typically run 80+ when I’m in training), so I have to keep a careful eye on what I eat. I say that and I’m notorious for eating a lot of ice cream and cheeseburgers, but in reality, I keep my diet fairly healthy. That being said, I’m going to In-N-Out today, although I haven’t been in two weeks.

I’ve been a little slow lately, and I blame that partly on the heat and partly on the fact that I haven’t done speedwork in a little while. I struggled with inflammation in the IT band in my right leg, so I toned things down. That went away, but so did my speed. I was excited about hitting a track workout yesterday, but I went to both high schools within reasonable distance of my home and they were both locked. I was so bummed that I didn’t run. Then I couldn’t go to the gym after work because I had to pick my oldest son up from tae kwon do, so I planned on getting up early this morning and having a nice, hard workout.

But a funny thing happened … I got upset this morning because in reflecting back to last night, I was multi-tasking while playing with the kids. I was searching for travel arrangements for Alaska the weekend of August 14, because I’m running out of time, and some of the costs were pretty startling. I’m looking like I might not run that race, which really has me bummed, because I was really looking forward to seeing Alaska. So like I said, I spent some time searching last night while playing with the kids and I felt terrible about that this morning. I didn’t have the heart to run. So that’s three times since yesterday morning I had a workout I wanted to hit, but I didn’t. I’ll try again tonight after work.

One quick thing about Jack, while I’m talking about last night and the kids. He’s learned how to play Sesame Street games on the computer and he has a lot of fun. Even if he’s not talking, those games bring out learning and he has a good time. For all he goes through, I’m glad there’s something he can enjoy for a good 30 minutes or so at a time. If he finds something that makes him happy, it normally only lasts for a few minutes before he gets frustrated and wants to move on. I installed a new game for him last night and he had a good time playing it for a while. Later, he was hanging out on the couch and was more happy and calm that I can remember seeing him in a long time. It was nice to see him like that. He deserves it.

OK, that’s it for today. I’ll probably return to my regular format tomorrow with a weekend preview.

Ten Random Things For Tuesday

July 20, 2010 by operationjack 1 Comment

It’s Tuesday, time for 10 random things. I could spend some time trying to write a catchy intro to get you read the rest of this, but let’s be real. It’s 10 random things. Either you want to read it or you don’t. If you don’t want to read it, I suggest you change your mind. And hey, Justin Bieber made my blog today!

Just in case this is your first time here, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I want to try to have Jack have an impact on others in this world, and I wanted to put my legs to good use, so I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year to raise money and awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. So far, I’m on track, bringing in money and people.

I’m through 34 of the 61 marathons for the year. Now, it’s time to get through 10 of 10 random things for today.

1. I’ve reached the point where I’m going to get serious about my weight. For the most part, I haven’t really cared, because I know I’m fit and I know I’m in good health. But my weight has been hovering for most of this year at around 203 to 205, and I know I can get down to 195. There’s no reason I can’t get the pounds off, plus it will help with the running. And on days like Sunday, when I went to the pool with the family, I don’t want to look flabby with my shirt off! So I’m going to drop weight, period. 195, I’m coming for you.

2. Almost contradictory to write this after that first item, but it’s National Ice Cream Month. I feel responsible to inform you of this. Even though I eat ice cream rather frequently, I consume fairly small portions and I eat low fat/low calorie offerings.

3. If you’re going to be in San Francisco for the marathon this weekend and you have no plans for dinner Saturday, check this out and let me know if you want to go. I’d love to see you there!

4. I got at least 20 mosquito bites at the start line of the University of Okoboji Marathon in Okoboji, Iowa last Saturday. I thought you should know.

5. Two weeks from today and my grandparents are moving! I see them maybe 8-10 times a year right now. They’ll be close enough for me to visit them at least once or twice a week. I can’t wait!

6. I liked hearing Michael Jordan say he wouldn’t have called up Magic and Bird back in the day. I’m no LeBron James fan, in case you couldn’t guess.

7. Water with lemon and Splenda makes lemonade. Keep that in mind the next time you’re at a restaurant and you don’t feel like paying $3 for a soft drink. Then send Operation Jack a dollar.

8. I was struggling coming up with ideas for random items, so I asked for help on Twitter. Somebody suggested running in the rain … I LOVE running in the rain. You know how it’s totally refreshing to take a swim after a run? To me, running in the rain feels like taking a swim while I’m running. While I love running in the rain, I can safely say from my experiences this year that I do NOT love running in sub-20 temperatures, hail, 30 mph wind, heat higher than 85 degrees or high humidity.

9. I’m a numbers geek, so I’m all excited about hitting mile 21 on Sunday. I have 27 marathons to go right with Operation Jack as of right now, so when I get to mile 21, I’ll have 26.2 x 26.2 left to go. I’m a geek and that’s how I see the world.

10. I don’t get Justin Bieber. I didn’t like Backstreet Boys or N’Sync back in the day, but I could understand why teenage girls liked them. Same with New Kids On The Block. But Justin Bieber? I just don’t get it.

Bonus item: I posted this news article on my Facebook wall. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

That’s all for today, everybody. Have a great Tuesday!

Weekend Recap: I Like This Path

July 19, 2010 by operationjack 6 Comments

Oh, what a weekend — exhausting and HOT. But I had a great family day yesterday and through it all, I had wonderful experiences and witnessed more proof (not that I needed it) that I’m being led down a wonderful path. The Operation Jack train is still headed down the track and I got to spend a full day with my four favorite people in the world. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Just in case this is your first time here, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. To try to make a difference in his honor and help him have an impact on the world, I’m attempting to run 61 marathons to raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. I named the endeavor Operation Jack

So far, I’m through 34, I’ve raised a fair amount of money and I’ve introduced a lot of people to Train 4 Autism. That doesn’t mean I’m not trying to raise more money or reach more people, but it does mean that so far, I’d call this a success. Only 27 more marathons and I can take a nap!

This past weekend, I ran the University of Okoboji Marathon in Okoboji, Iowa. There’s really no University, but that’s an inside joke with the locals. The race was absolutely miserable to run in because of the weather, not that I expected a marathon in Iowa in the middle of July to be cold and overcast. It was very humid, in the 70s at the start and in the high 80s by the finish. I don’t know the exact temperature when I was done, but when I got to my hotel, it was 96 and it didn’t feel significantly warmer.

If you want to read about misery, check out my recap.

Why I say The Running Is The Easiest Part Of This
When I was walking to my car after flying home Saturday night, I started doing the math in my head. In the previous 14 days, I had driven about 1,200 miles in rental cars. I’d spent four nights in four hotels in four different states. I’d spent about 12 hours sitting in airports on layovers. And I spent three days as Mr. Mom. That’s why I say that the running is the easiest part of all of this. The three marathons in those 14 days were nothing!

But of course, in those 14 days, we also won $20,000 for Train 4 Autism. So it was all worth it.

How I Know My Race Was Truly Humid
I knew it was going to be humid, because I could feel it when I got into town and it’s humid in that part of the country. I can truly tell during a race by how soaked my clothes get from the sweat. If it’s not too bad, my clothing wicks sweat and will actually be pretty dry in the front.

But on Saturday, I was drenched from head to toe about 5 miles in. My shoes and socks were totally soaked, too. At one point, at about mile 22, I looked down and noticed I was leaving light footprints where I was running because my shoes were so soaked. I think it was humid.

Not Much Weekend-ness To Report On From Iowa
I flew in Friday, drove 3+ hours to where I was going, got some Taco Bell for dinner, then went to sleep about 30 minutes after getting my stuff ready for Saturday and calling home. On Saturday, after getting up at 3:45 (Central time) and running the race, I drove back to my hotel, spent about 20 minutes getting showered and checking out, then drove back to the airport.

I stopped for 15 minutes to eat at Taco John’s on the way back and eventually got to the airport 55 minutes before my flight. I flew home and walked through the front door at about 9:15 p.m. Exciting stuff, huh?

One thing about Taco John’s … I see that chain in a lot in my travels, but I had never eaten there. I never thought I’d utter these words, but I should have had McDonald’s instead. With my chicken burrito, which was mediocre at best, I got a big cup of tater tots that were the size of lifesavers. Seriously, tater tots with Mexican food?

At least they had Diet Mountain Dew. Side note: I don’t recommend drinking three 44-ounce cups of Diet Mountain Dew if you still have 2 1/2 hours to go to get to the airport. Just sayin’.

Sunday Fun Day!
Slept in until 8, lazy breakfast (Tiff’s homemade banana bread!), church with the family and then the five of us went to the community pool for a couple of hours. I dozed on the couch for a bit, watched a little ESPN while Ava took a nap laying on me, then had a mellow evening. The kids had fun playing in the backyard, they were good at dinner, Tiff made some really good salmon for dinner and I celebrated National Ice Cream Day with a bowl of peanut butter fudge swirl.

I’ve been longing for a day like that for a long time. It was nice to get it.

See that smile on my face? That’s because I was incredibly happy spending time with my four favorite people!

Speaking Of Ice Cream, …
For those of you who didn’t see on Facebook or Twitter, I totally forgot to eat ice cream last Thursday and my streak snapped at 165 consecutive days eating ice cream or frozen yogurt. Oh well. Please don’t hate me!

Fun Jack Story
Last night at dinner, we had fun playing a clapping game with him. He was clapping on and off, so me, Tiff, Ben and Ava started clapping when he was clapping and stopping when he stopped clapping. He figured out what we were doing pretty quickly and had fun being in charge and leading us. We did this for several minutes, and it’s a good thing for his development — it’s good reinforcement that there can be positive results from his actions.

After a few minutes, Tiff made him start saying “clap” and “stop” to get us to start and stop with him, so we added language into the equation. He had a lot of fun with it. He’s getting there. Slowly, but surely.

Grandparents Watch
15 days until they move to 20 minutes away from my house and 10 minutes away from my work. I … can’t … wait! I’m going to be super sad when their house sells, though. They’ve been in it since 1968, which was before I was born. I’m going up there on August 1. Might be the last time I’ll be there. I’m betting that I’m gonna cry.

That’s All For Today
I’ll see you back here tomorrow! Have a great Monday, everybody!

Race Report: University of Okoboji Marathon

July 17, 2010 by operationjack 2 Comments

The dog days of summer continued for me Saturday at the University of Okoboji Marathon in Okoboji, Iowa. With high humidity and temps crawling from the low 70s at the start to the high 80s by the finish, I had a rough day on a rough day.

Mentally, I wanted to run well. When I woke up, I knew it was going to be a long, miserable day, but I still wanted to turn in a respectable effort. I suspected the weather would be similar to when I ran the Med-City Marathon in late May, and I wanted to do considerably better than I did that day when I struggled to a 3:57.

My plan for today was to keep things fairly under control early and hopefully have enough left to keep moving through the later miles. In the Med-City Marathon, I tried to take everything I could get early, then hang on as well as I could while it heated up. That didn’t work, and I ended up taking six walk breaks (the first six I had ever taken in 55 marathons to that point).

Today, I stayed fairly under control, moving well and not panicking when I couldn’t go as fast as I typically do. It was not a PR day, so I didn’t try to PR. There weren’t a lot of aid stations early, so I was concerned I was going to overheat too early. I can always tell how humid it is by how much I sweat. Sometimes, my clothing stays fairly dry. But I was completely soaked by about mile 5.

The sun started to come out fairly early, and after mile 7 or 8, we were exposed for the majority of the time. It got warmer and warmer, so I got slower and slower because I kept running by heart rate. I hit the half in 1:42, which is probably the slowest first 13.1 I’ve done this year, aside from Catalina and the three times I’ve been an official pacer.

By about mile 14, I just wanted the race to be over. I don’t normally hit that point until well past 20. It was hot, I was breaking down and I knew the second half was going to take forever, because I knew my miles were going to slow down considerably. I was so hot and sweating so bad that my shoes were soaked. I checked at one point and I was leaving light footprints on the asphalt from my wet shoes.

I really don’t remember a ton about the race, other than it was hot and I was beating myself up pretty badly. I knew heading into the race it was going to be a miserable experience and I was right. I didn’t pay much attention to my time — only my heart rate — but I could feel my body taking a beating. I was feeling very warm, my arms were feeling pretty heavy and my legs were getting pretty stiff.

I could tell that I was out of energy. I kept thinking to myself that my time was going to be terrible, but I didn’t care — I knew in my heart that I wrecked myself out there. I feel like part of what makes people jump on the Operation Jack bandwagon is that what I’m doing isn’t easy — it’s supposed to be tough. Well, on days like today, I really feel like I earned my money (well, Train 4 Autism’s money, but you know what I mean). This was truly a marathon and I left it all out there in the Iowa sun.

My finish time was 3:42:33. I’m embarrassed by the time, but I’m not embarrassed by my effort. I’ve had some good races this year. This wasn’t one of them, but I certainly executed better than Med City. As for the course, it was OK, but not great. Okoboji is a lake area in Iowa that people go to as a getaway vacation. There’s cool lake houses and lots of docks and people on weekend vacations. The scenery is decent with the lake and plenty of green, but it’s not spectacular. The race itself was on an open course. I wouldn’t recommend traveling to this race just to run it, but if you went to Okoboji for a vacation at the time of the race, it’s pretty low-key and aside from the heat, it was a fairly nice run.

So there you have it. 34 down, 27 to go. Next up, San Francisco!

I accidentally my camera set to video, so I got a one-second video of me at the finish line, not a photo. The resolution on that obviously wasn’t very good.

I'm Not Running 60 Marathons This Year

July 15, 2010 by operationjack 6 Comments

You want your week to go by quickly? Miss a flight on Sunday and take a flight on Friday. Then, you’ll only have three days to get you work done. Throw in a few days of Mr. Mom and a $20,000 contest win for your charity and you have a complete blur. But here we are, Thursday. It’s time for a weekend preview blog, plus an announcement.

Just in case this is your first time here, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I wanted to use my ability to recover well from marathons to try to make a difference in the autism world. I was planning on running 60 marathons to raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. Train 4 Autism helps people raise money for the autism-related charity of their choice. I think it’s a great organization, which is why I’m excited to work towards helping it grow.

So far, I’ve run 33 marathons, brought a fair amount of people into the organization, and I’ve raised about $50,000 (including a $20,000 we just won in the Chase Community Giving contest.

Anyways, I said I was planning on running 60 marathons. Well, that plan changed. So now I’ll explain that.

I’m Not Running 60 Marathons In 2010
I’m going to make it 61. A couple of months ago, I got a request from an Operation Jack supporter in Alabama named Lance Haney to run the St. Jude Memphis Marathon with him. I told him I would if we could raise an additional $3,000. I hoped the possibility of adding a race would help raise money for Operation Jack. Then I started looking into the race and it really became something I wanted to do.

It’s a benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is a leader in children’s cancer research. I hate autism, but I have no love for children’s cancer, either. I’ve heard that the race is put on really well and I think we’ll see patients when we’re there. How could anybody with a heart not want to be a part of that race?

Well, when we locked up that $20,000, I decided I’d officially add this one to the schedule. I’m already registered for Las Vegas the following day, so it’ll be an extra race — 61 now.

San Francisco Marathon Runners?
If you’re going to be in San Francisco, there’s going to be a dinner the night before. Not a fundraiser, just a get-together for a bunch of runners. It’s going to be at Gordon Biersch at 5:30 and we’ll all just order off the menu. A good chunk of the people there will be from a group of runners I’m a part of, but it was the same kind of makeup at my dinner in February and everybody seemed to mix pretty well.

I have information here. If you’d like to go, just e-mail me by July 22 because I need to call in a head count.

Weekly Contest
I have a contest every week where you guys guess my time in the form of a small donation. If you think I’m going to run a 3:15, you donate $3.15. Whoever guesses the closest without underbidding wins. Last week, I didn’t have the contest. Two weeks ago, the winner was Dina Williams, who plays every week and has won a couple of times now.

A lot of you still need us to ship you shirts. They’re coming … we’re just incredibly overloaded and not doing a good job shipping them out. Believe me, it bothers me a whole lot more than it bothers you and they’re coming. They really, really are. 🙁

Weekend Preview
I’m going to Okojobi, Iowa. A big part of that is that there’s not a lot on the schedule. Welcome to the lean, hot summer months. High of 91 on Saturday, low of 68. Possible isolated thunderstorms. Good thing the race starts at 6. Wait, that’s 4 a.m. body time. Oh well.

I have no idea of the elevation profile o the course, but it’s around a lake and it looks like it starts and finishes at the same spot. So, I’ll get any uphills back, and I can’t imagine it’ll be too hilly in Iowa. But I’m thinking the heat and humidity are going to make it a long day. I bet I won’t get to stop running until 3:22 after I start. We’ll see. So go ahead, make your guesses. What’s $3 and some change to a great cause? I know we just won $20,000, but let’s not quit now! To make your bet, just click here or click on the Donate Now! link at the top of any page on this site.

OK, That’s All For Today
Have a great weekend everybody! I’ll post a race report at some point Saturday.