Operation Jack

Fighting autism, one mile at a time.

Lil' Jack Likes Country Music! Yes!

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Well, Jack doesn’t necessarily like country music, but he likes a country singer. Definitely a good start. The explanation is in the “Talkin’ Jack” section.

MLB All-Star Game
It had been about 10-12 years since I had been as interested in the MLB All-Star Game as I was last night. I was able to sit myself on the couch with my laptop by about the 4th inning. My wife made me a couple of Nathan’s hot dogs with cheese on top — perfect baseball food. The game went quick, but I enjoyed watching it. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but it was a decent game. I guess when you’re facing Papelbon, Nathan and Rivera in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, you’d better have a nice lead. The Howard-Nathan at bat was fun to watch. Nice rob by Carl Crawford in left. And the American League wins, again. Wait … I’m supposed to write about running.

Today’s Run
The plan this morning was for about 10 miles, because I needed to get back in time for my wife to run. I got up, got ready to go. My knee was bugging a little bit and I couldn’t find my house key. I took that as a sign. But I blew through that stop sign and kept rolling. I found my wife’s keys, did a couple of light stretches and got rolling. While I was running, my thoughts were about how much work I need to get done right now, especially with my looming August 1 deadline. So at the 0.51 mile mark, I did the turnaround. 1.03 miles today. Wow, I feel like a distance runner … a distance runner with a lot of code to write.

I just need to keep telling myself that all this work I have is coming at a perfect time, because it’s allowing me to somewhat rest my knee while I wait to see the doctor next Monday. Yeah, I need to tell myself that, because if I don’t, I’m going to go crazy (crazier). This is so frustrating, words can’t really explain it. I’m looking forward to getting my life back, where I wake up, go for a run, have breakfast with the wife and kids, work all day, spend the evening with the kids before they go to bed and then hang out with the wife for a little while and relax. Right now, I guess I’m settling for work, sleep 6 hours, repeat. August, where are you? Are you getting close?

Does Anybody Read This?
If so, please post a comment or send me a question or something like that! I keep wondering if anybody is actually reading this, other than my wife (Tiff, you’re reading this, right?) …

HUGE Shout To Gundy!
A running acquaintance of mine, Jonathan Gunderson, finished 11th overall yesterday in the Badwater Ultramarathon. If you don’t know what that race is, it’s a 135-miler, starting at 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley, California, and climbing up to Mt. Whitney. Oh, and temps are above 115. I can’t imagine finishing that race. I ran (and I use the term “ran” loosely) a 50-mile race in 85-degree temps and no marathon I’ve ever run was anywhere near as thrashing on my body as that one. If it would have been 30 degrees warmer, I would have only had to run 85 more miles after I crossed the finish line. No way. I don’t know how he does it. And I don’t know why he does it, either. But he does it for a good cause, and he’s amazing.

Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. In this spot in each blog, I’ll talk about Jack a little bit.

Yesterday, he discovered the TV show “Wipeout” and apparently it’s a big hit. Anything that makes my little guy happy is a hit with me, too! It looks like we found his Leapster, too (it had been missing for a few days). That’s a hand-held video game system that has educational games. He doesn’t get the same educational value out of it that Benjamin did, but he likes it. And again, anything that Jack likes, I like. Apparently, during “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch last night, that included Sara Evans. He started laughing and smiling when she sang. I’ve been a fan of hers for years.

Ice Cream Update
I went with chocolate chip cookie dough last night, making it 21 straight days with ice cream or frozen yogurt. I originally reached for the mint chocolate chip, but I had just eaten a cookie that was kind of like a Thin Mint (Girl Scout cookie) so I went with the chocolate chip cookie dough instead.

Country Music Song of the Day
This song is several years old, but I’ve heard it on the radio twice in the past couple of days, plus when I used to run with an iPod, it was always the song I closed out every run and race with. So, I figured I might as well post it for all your enjoyment (well, at least mine).

That’s All I Have For Today
I appreciate you reading this, and I’ll probably remind you with every blog that this isn’t just a blog — it’s a daily rambling by a guy working hard for a good cause. It’s all about getting out there and making a difference for a great charity, Train 4 Autism. Register at the site, pick a race (even if it’s just a 5K), and spread the word. Try to send one person here today that hasn’t been here yet. Thank you! Have a great day!

Yeah! It's Taco Tuesday!

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OK, so I’m not writing anything in here about tacos or taco Tuesday, but I couldn’t think of a headline so I just went with that.

All-Star Tuesday
I’m pulling for the National League tonight. In the name of political correctness, I won’t get into my favorite or least-favorite teams here. But my favorite team is certainly in the running. Oh, and since I’m in Southern California, I’ll clarify that it’s NOT the Dodgers!

Running Update
I went out for 10 miles this morning. Nothing special, nothing particularly quick or slow. Just 10 miles. After two days off due to too much work and a flare-up in my right knee, it felt good to get out there and get a workout. The knee was a little iffy last night, but it was OK for the run and it’s pretty decent now. If time is on my side tomorrow morning, I’ll try to head out for a few more miles than I went today.

This week, I’m just trying to log some miles and keep the wheels turning while I wait for my appointment next Monday with a sports medicine specialist. The doctor I’m going to see specializes in knees and shoulders and has worked for professional sports teams, so I’m sure I’ll get the low-down and get on the right track.

Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. He had a fairly uneventful day yesterday, which is a good thing. Is it bad that my pet name for him is “homeboy”?

Dance Your –$ Off
Entertaining show, but I just can’t believe they can name it that way. It’s pretty fun to watch, though. I can honestly say that before last night, I’d never seen a 300-pound man in a pinstriped-suit pole dance. That dude needs to sign up for Operation Jack and train for a marathon!

Ice Cream Update
Last night, I had a cake batter-flavored frozen yogurt with crushed Snickers and Butterfingers as a topping. That ran my streak to 20 consecutive days with an ice cream or frozen yogurt. I have mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in the freezer, so I’m pretty sure I’ll extend that tonight. But until I eat the ice cream, it’s not a done deal, so I won’t call it 21 quite yet.

Cha Cha ChaCha
So yesterday, I found out about something called “Cha Cha” — a service that answers questions via text mail. You send a text to 242242 with a question and you get an answer. It’s like that KGB service I’ve seen commercials for, except it’s free. So, I gave it a shot.

My first question was to get an answer to something I haven’t been able to figure out with a Linux server I’ve been running out of necessity.

So I asked my first Cha Cha, “What needs to be done to enable outgoing html emails on a linux server using postfix? Something to enable mime types?”

I got my first answer: “Configure postfix by changing the following in /etc/postfix/main.cf myhostname = myorigin = $mydomain inet_ineterfaces = Maildir.” Interesting. I’m not going to blindly configure a server based on Cha Cha, but it gave me something to explore.

My next question was “Is there a limit to how many questions I can ask for free?” Once I sent that, I instantly started thinking, “What if it’s only three? Will that question bring me up to two? And if I ask if that counted, would that be my third?” The answer was pleasing. “There is no limit to how many free questions you can ask ChaCha, so ask away! ChaCha again!”

YES!

So I asked another. “What is he bench press equivalent of a 120-pound dumbell incline press?” I’m a runner, not a muscle guy, but I do reps of incline presses with a pair of 60-pound dumbbells and I’ve wondered how that converts into the bench press. “1/2 As incline decreases you will be able to lift more. There is no exact formula to determine how much extra Experiment and see” & “2/2 what works. Be careful! Cha Cha!”

OK, they’ve almost got me hooked.

And then, I moved in for the finale, the moment of truth. Let’s see if ChaCha can seal the deal.

“What is Operation Jack?”

“Hey! Sorry, but ur temporarily out of Qs. U can ask LuLu if she knows. Txt LuLu to have her try to Ans your last Q. Or txt like this: LuLu How old is Miley?”

NO NO NO!!! So close, but yet so far. But my wife has a phone, so I texted with hers, asking, again, “What is Operation Jack?”

“Operation Jack will be an attempt by Sam Felsenfeld to race at least one marathon a week in 2010 (60 total for the year) to MORE?”

Oh yeah, we have a winner. Cha Cha!

Why I Prefer To Run Outside

OK, Time To Get To Work
That’s all I have today. As always, thanks for stopping by. Remember, this site isn’t just a blog — it’s a factory for a great cause, Operation Jack. It’s my hope that with my legs and Jack’s struggles, we can make a difference. So, keep coming back. Leave a comment. Register with the site (free, no obligation, and your information will not be sold or given away). I’m just trying to drive participation, because I figure the more people that know about Operation Jack, the more people will know about Train 4 Autism. So again, thanks for reading down this far. If you liked this blog (or even if you only hated it a little), PLEASE do me a favor and register for the site and/or tell one new person about the site! It’s for a GREAT cause!

Another Day, Another Day Off

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Today, I’ll finally do it. I’m calling the doctor. I got a good recommendation to a doctor (I don’t know what kind — I just know it’s a doctor that takes care of your knees). I have tendinitis in my right knee and it just … won’t … go … away. I had the same exact thing in March 2008, and four days off along with some kind of a prescription did the trick. This time, it flared up after my 50-miler May 9, and while it’s died down 99% at times, it just won’t go away.

If I need to take time off, now is the time. I have to be good to go next year. I get concerned about losing fitness, but my wife just took 9 weeks off due to injury and after being back on for just 9 weeks, she’s already back to where it was. I have more experience than her and I should be able to handle time off even better than her, but it’s tough to look at yourself objectively. I go back and forth between wanting to run and wanting to take time off and get better. Actually, I take that back — I go back and forth between being willing to risk injury and knowing to be smart and take the day of.

But I need to get this done right, so I’m calling the doctor today. I’m a computer guy … why should I be following my plan to make my knee better ? I’ll leave that up to the experts.

So yeah, no run today, not that I could have, considering I was up 2 1/2 hours past my bedtime working last night. That makes two days off in a row, three out of four. I’m doing a lot of perfect pushups, but I don’t think those are helping me much with my running! Better July than December, though. It’s kind of convenient, because I have a ton of work to do and a big project due August 1. I’m just looking forward to next month, when I should be able to get back on track.

Badwater starts today
Anybody who thinks I’m crazy should check out Badwater (or twitter.com/adventurecorps), which started today. A friend of mine, Jonathan Gunderson is running it. Nothing like running 135 miles in 115+ temps from 282 feet below sea level up to Mt. Whitney. The toughest race I did was a 50-miler with moderate elevation gains (varied between about 4,000 feet and 6,000 feet) in 85-degree temps. It was a miserable day for me, but it was 85 miles shorter and 30 degrees cooler than what Gundy will be doing. It’s mind-boggling and something I will never, ever do.

Site changes, Operation Jack update
I made a change to the way this site functions. You don’t totally need to go through the registration process to leave a commeunt. Well, you kind of do, but it’s part of leaving a comment. When you post a comment, name & email are required, but putting those in will automatically register you. You can add a URL if you want to. Also, you can subscribe to the blog via RSS feed now.

I’m getting some positive feedback from various groups around the country. Several organizations are thinking of coming on board to try to help make a difference. It’s a win-win … Train 4 Autism gains awareness, and those organizations raise funds they wouldn’t have raised.

Thought I had …
I love ice cream and frozen yogurt. Right now, I’m on a streak of 19 consecutive days of having one or the other. A friend of mine, knowing this, told me she received two certificates for a free pint of ice cream at Baskin Robbins for donating blood that she wasn’t going to use. She’s going to give them to me, but it gave me an idea. I’m so focused on doing what I can to help the Autism community, but there’s no reason to only help in that area.

I was thinking (which is when I always get myself in trouble) that we can do various things that are easy to do that will make a difference. The blood donation idea was a no-brainer. Right now, there aren’t enough people following, so I want to save the first blood-drive attempt for later. But I’d love it if at some point we had people all over the country donating blood as part of this. I hate needles, but I’d do it. I think it would be cool if 100 or 200 people went out and donated blood on a designated day at some point in the future.

Jack, my super star!
I’m doing Operation Jack in honor of my son, and I talk a lot about Train 4 Autism and running and all sorts of things in between, but I realized I never really talk about Jack. So, I figured I’d throw in a happy Jack story.

Jack is off in his own world quite a bit. He’s oblivious, he doesn’t communicate too well … he just kind of does his own thing. As parents, it’s like Tiff and I have two sets of kids — Ben and Ava, the older brother and little sister, and then Jack, the only child. Last night, we were at Lucille’s, a BBQ restaurant, and he was playing with Ben and Ava, getting wild and having a blast. All three of them were having blast with each other, which is something we never see. Ordinarily, I don’t let the kids run around and make noise in a restaurant. But fortunately, we were in a back room and nobody else was in there (smart hostess!) and it was loud anyways. Ahhhh, the joys of parenthood!

Randomness: I heard this song today and I hadn’t heard it in a while
Big and Rich, Lost In This Moment. I love country music and I listen to it all day long. For whatever reason, I can’t stand Big and Rich. But I love this song. Anything that makes me pause and think of my wife is a good song. This one qualifies.

That’s all I’ve got for today
Thanks for reading. Don’t hesitate to sign up for Operation Jack! Register for a team — there’s no obligation! There are no fundraising minimums and you don’t have to run a marathon. I’m just trying to drive participation and awareness, so please — sign up and tell a friend! You can follow me at twitter.com/operationjack.

All I Need Is a 27-Hour Day!

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I need to train, no question. But I also need to work, sleep, hang out with the kids, spend time with my wife … the list goes on and on, but the days don’t. They come and they go, the weeks fly by, and the one thing that seems to be missing is the training.

Is it bad if I’m just training vicariously through my wife? I’m training for 60 marathons and she’s training for her first. But since June 1, I’ve probably taken about 20 days off, while she’s nailed every workout. I didn’t run today, but I did have ice cream and a double-double at In-N-Out. She’s getting excited about her 17-miler in the morning. Mentally, I’m taking a little time off. I went through an emotional roller coaster late in the spring, with a great run at Boston on April 20, a slip in Orange County on May 3 and then a disaster of a 50-miler on May 9 and an even worse outing at the Rock N Roll Marathon in San Diego on May 21.

Mentally, I haven’t been the same since May 9. Physically, I’ve been battling tendinitis and fatigue. There’s no question that whole work and life thing is getting in the way. I have a huge project that needs to be finished by August 1. I’m expecting to get my life back then, so in the meantime, I’m just trying to hold on to my fitness by maintaining a small base. I’m running about half the miles I’m used to, but I’ll ramp it up for four months starting in August. For now, though, it’s just a lot of time in front of the computer, a daily dose of ice cream, and a lot of push-up breaks while I’m working.

I have no worries about Operation Jack, though. This is the break I’ve needed. I really haven’t been out of training mode since I started training for my first marathon in February of 2006. It’s time to rest and recharge (or so I’m telling myself), because there sure won’t be an opportunity for that next year.

FIVE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ME
1. I once ate 100 fried shrimp at Sizzler.
2. I spent a year as a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas.
3. I never ran a mile faster than 8:30 before my 31st birthday.
4. I once did the YMCA in a mascot costume in front of more than 16,000 people.
5. I was looking for the office on my first day of high school, but I accidentally walked into the girls locker room.

ICE CREAM
I had a nice bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream tonight, running my streak to 17 consecutive days having ice cream or frozen yogurt (18 of 19).

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND?
I’m hoping to get a 10-mile run in tomorrow. My wife is going out early for a 17-miler, and I didn’t run today. I hate not running, and I get antsy when I build up a streak of not getting out there. Sunday, I’m hoping to get up early and get out for a long run. At least 20, hopefully at least 27. No idea, though. I’ve got work to do in the morning, then I’m going to volunteer at the Train 4 Autism booth at the USAAA show in Los Angeles, then I’m gonna come home, hang out with the kids for a bit, and get some work done after they go to sleep. More work looms on Sunday. Ahhhhh, work. Oh well — it keeps the roof over our heads! And at least I can do it from home!

ASK ME QUESTIONS!
It can be about running, baseball, fixing cars … if it’s about fixing cars, though, you’re probably going to want to do the opposite of what I recommend! I took auto shop in high school, but I wasn’t raised on fixing cars, so it’s not really my thing. But somebody ask me a question! Contact Us on the site goes straight to me.

REGISTER AT OPERATIONJACK.COM
I have to shamelessly plug the site every time. Register! Please?!?!? No cost, no obligation, not going to sell your info or give it away or anything like that. I just want to be able to nicely ask you every here than there to join me on Operation Jack! I have to run 26.2-mile marathons, but you can run a 5K and make a difference! Participation is the key and there are no fundraising obligations.

TALK TO ME!
Yeah, I know, you have to register here to post a comment. But it’s easy and you can save your login with a cookie. So do it! You can also follow me at twitter.com/operationjack or just send me an email at sam dot felsenfeld at gmail dot com. You can subscribe to my blog via RSS now. You know how they say you learn something every day? Well, I learned how to write that code today. Looking forward to tomorrow!

OK, that’s all I’ve got for now. Been on the computer since 5 a.m. — time to rest my weary eyes!

Operation Jack, Week 1: What a Long, Quick Week!

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Week one post-launch is in the books, and wow — what a week! The days fly by so fast, and at the same time, they’re so long and busy. I knew what I was getting myself into … well, to be exact, I knew that I would have no idea what I would be getting myself into. And I was right.

There’s work, more work, and then a little bit of work on top of that. Oh, and there’s the regular work that pays the bills, the training (I should probably stay in shape) and when there’s nothing else to do, it’s nice to spend time with the kids. Yeah, so I’m still trying to figure out what I got myself into! I love a challenge, though, and it’s for a great cause. It’s for an opportunity to help countless people afflicted with Autism, and, selfishly, it’s an opportunity for my superstar Jack to have a big impact and purpose.

Operation Jack is starting to remind me of my first marathon. It started with some talk, it turned into action, and the next thing I knew, I was right in the middle of it. When I crossed the start line in San Diego on June 4, 2006, I thought to myself, “I can’t believe I’m in the middle of a marathon!” But I was, and a little more than four hours later, I crossed the finish line. Somehow, I pulled off the unthinkable. I pray that God will get me to the finish line of Operation Jack and I don’t end up with a DNF (for those of you non-runners, that’s “Did Not Finish”, the official result for entrants who start a race and have to drop out midway through).

I’ve been overwhelmed by the support so far. Good folks all over the place are coming out of the woodwork and offering to help. It’s totally surreal. I’m not big on attention or asking for help, but several people have reminded me that I’d better get used to it. I can do without the attention and I’ll do my best to deflect that to Operation Jack and Train 4 Autism, but yeah, I’ll take the help!

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Well, the goal of Operation Jack is to raise funds and awareness for Train 4 Autism. So, I’m trying to boost participation and raise money.

There’s an easy way to participate: Register on this site! If you’re reading this, and you’re not registered on the site, please do! I’m never going to give your information to anybody, and when I get the time to start sending the occasional email, you’ll have the opportunity to very easily opt-out from any message I send. I promise, a great way to make friends is to not make enemies! So sign up!

Once you register, you should join a team. If I can plan on running 60 marathons, you can sign up for at least one race, right? There’s a pretty good chance I’ll be in your area! I have to run 26.2 miles, but most races also have a 5K or a 1/2 marathon. If I can do it, you can do it!

Also, one big help would be if you could refer just one person to Operation Jack this week. Just one — that’s all I ask! You get one, I’ll find two!

Now, with the fundraising. We’re working fast and furiously to improve our pledge site at Kintera.com. It’s going to be easy for you to use and it’s going to have the Operation Jack look-and-feel. It’ll be one of many tools we give you to help make a difference! I’m working on a project (real-life work!) that’s going to keep me busy through July, but in August, I’ll be developing tools on operationjack.com that will make it easier for you to get people to the site and get to your fundraising pages. Patience for now, though, please — I still have to get some work done and pay the bills!

The other fundraising option we have is a unique approach through Apriori Beauty™, a new beauty company. Apriori Beauty™ is a multi-level marketing company, and my goal is to build a downline for Train 4 Autism to benefit from for years to come. In a nutshell, if you try the products, not only will you like them, but Operation Jack and Train 4 Autism will directly benefit. If you like them so much that you recommend them to your friends, you’ll make a little money for yourself while making money for Operation Jack and Train 4 Autism. When they recommend them to their friends, … well, you understand. Every dollar raised this way is going directly to Train 4 Autism, aside from funds used to offset the costs of the endeavor. Don’t worry — I’m flying coach, renting compacts and sleeping on couches when possible, Motel 6s when I have to pay. It’s not a first-class/limousine/Hyatt kind of journey.

Of course, if you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation to Operation Jack, our Sponsors page has information and we’ll certainly list you there! If you know of any company that would be interested in supporting Operation Jack, don’t hesitate to send them in this direction!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
I can’t believe how supportive everybody has been. I’ll start with my wife, Tiffany. I’ve been so busy with everything this week, and she hasn’t complained. I’m up early in the morning working or training, up late at night working, and in between I’m working. No complaints from her. I think she knows it’s for a good cause. And I’ve already promised that we’re going on a trip on January 2, 2011!

Tara Larivee, Deirdre Edwards, Danica Kooiman and Kathy Ting-Ting Yu, thank you for your efforts and for truly wanting to help. Same thing to all the good folks from Train 4 Autism — Molly, Ben, Shelly, Chris and others I’m probably not mentioning!

I’ve also received great responses from several marathons. Jackson (Mississippi), Mobile, Carlsbad, Virginia Beach, Catalina, Pasadena, Portland, Lakefront, Oklahoma City, Grandma’s, Kansas City, Pocatello … there’s a lot that are helping me out and I’m sure I’m forgetting some. But I’m getting positive feedback by the hour. No turning back now!

RUN OF THE WEEK
Without a question, my run of the week was early in the morning on July 4. A good friend of mine lost her father last year on July 4. He was only 65. As a tribute to him, she planned a 65-mile run. She mapped the course, she trained for it, she fought through injuries.

Life got in the way last week and she almost canceled the run. But I told her she’d never get July 4, 2009 back, and dropping the run was not an option. I’m sure other friends told her the same thing. Wisely, she gave it a go, starting at 7 p.m. on July 3.

I told her I’d help her wherever she needed me to. She asked me to pace her through the last 25 miles and meet her at about 1:30 a.m. Without hesitation, and with 100% support from Tiff, I accepted her invitation to join her. I was up at 12:30 a.m., starting my Saturday on two hours of sleep when most folks were still up celebrating Friday. I was fortunate enough to catch up with her and spend about four hours with her in the middle of the night.

She was 40 miles into the run when I caught up with her, so she was a little fatigued. But she kept on fighting, and it was great to get to know her better than I ever had before. I had to leave a little early, because Tiff had a 5K in Ladera Ranch and I needed to watch the kids while she ran. But she was fine, and she finished the 65 to meet her goal!

Tiff ran a PR and earned a 2nd-place finish in her age group. After her race, I ran the 10K. I can truly say that this was the first time I’d ever had a 20.5-mile warmup run before a 10K! I was only 14 seconds slower in the race than I was on the same course last year, so I was fine with how I ran. And I viewed it as a perfect first race during my Operation Jack Era: I ran more before the race than I typically would have to help somebody else, and when all was said and done, everything worked out fine and everybody had a great day. If I can say the same thing about my weekends next year, I’ll be thrilled.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
OK, that’s all I have for now! Thank you for your support and participation!