If you’ve never been here before, you have to click here to see what Operation Jack is. In a nutshell, I’m a typical guy, father of 3, my middle child (he’s 9-1/2) is severely autistic and I wanted to find a way to make the world a better place in his honor. So in 2010, I ran 61 full marathons to raise money, plus I created the Operation Jack Marathon that year, which will have it’s fourth-annual running on December 26.
Operation Jack and the Operation Jack Marathon have grossed about $180,000, and while I’m pretty confident my best charity days are behind me, I’m still kind of clinging to this belief that I have the ability to make something happen.
If a blog falls in the woods and only three people read it, does it make a sound? We’ll see.
Anyways, here goes, five quick things for Monday:
AUTISM: IT STILL SUCKS
As if Jack doesn’t have it bad enough (he’s six weeks from turning 10, yet he’s still in diapers, not really talking, has meltdowns every day, doesn’t have friends and is probably unhappy more often than he’s happy), we discovered a couple of months ago that he has ulcers. Little man just can’t catch a break. It’s heartbreaking looking into his eyes when he’s sitting on the couch or laying in bed, wondering what’s going on in his mind, trying to imagine how jaded his view on his day-to-day is, knowing he didn’t get a fair crack in this world.
That’s why I fight autism. Because he does so without a choice. And because I want there to be a purpose for all of the crap he goes through.
NEW HOUSE
I was living the dream a few weeks ago. I had just ordered a tractor mower and I bought flame decals to put on it. What little boy doesn’t grow up wanting a tractor mower with flame decals, even if he’s like me and grew up with a back yard so small you couldn’t put a Smart Car back there?
My back yard in Pennsylvania is flat, barely sloped and a nice, rectangular half-acre. But my front is too steep. I got second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth opinions. And it’s just too steep for a tractor mower. So I cancelled the order, since I knew I’d need a push mower anyways. Not only do I not have my tractor mower with super-awesome flame decals, I push-mow the yard, which takes a good 90 minutes for front and back.
OPERATION JACK MARATHON
The fourth-annual Operation Jack Marathon is right around the corner! Well, not really right around the corner, but it’s less than five months away. December 26 in California and we’re expecting 700 runners out there.
Operation Jack super-supporter Jake Rome came up with this fundraising idea at indiegogo, and I’ll be honest, it’s kind of embarrassing to me, but I’m not above doing embarrassing things to raise money. Operation Jack is my baby — I love raising money through running to fight autism — so hopefully this helps the cause. And apparently, I’m for sale.
For more info on the race (which is ONLY $60 FOR A FULL MARATHON ALONG THE BEACH IN DECEMBER WITH A KILLER MEDAL!), head to operationjack.org/marathon or bit.ly/OJM2013
TEXT OF THE DAY
A friend of mine emailed me a verse yesterday, Matthew 5:16, and I loved it. So I’m posting it here, because it applies to Operation Jack, in my opinion.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Not a bad way to try to live.
RUNNING
I guess no matter how low I put it on the totem pole and how little I do it, I still like running. It’s my quiet time. It’s my way to push myself. It’s my way to justify all the ice cream I eat. It’s the one sport I’ve ever been good at. I’m making a last-ditch effort to qualify for my seventh-consecutive Boston Marathon. I love that race. But I’m out of shape and have a long ways to go before I give 26.2 a whirl on September 8.
I ran 13.1 with 12×100 meter strides yesterday and felt good logging some miles. Today, I did the same run and was eight minutes faster. It felt pretty good running like that. I know it’s only two days of pushing myself, but I can feel my body responding a little bit and I like that.
OK, that’s it, y’all. Should I put the flame decals on my push mower? Do I look good in pink? Have a rad Tuesday. I’ll catch you back here … tomorrow? Maybe?[subscribe2]
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