November 7, 1991 was the luckiest day of my life. It was the day I broke my neck in a swimming-pool accident. Suffering such a severe injury isn’t what I hoped for when I woke up that morning. But I was blessed to escape paralysis, and I celebrate November 7 every year as a birthday for my legs. I’ve always wanted to run a marathon on this date and I’m finally going to get my chance. [Read more…]
Happy Birthday To My Princess!
Four years ago today, my wife gave birth to our only daughter, Ava, completing our family. I know birthdays are about the kids, but to me, it’s about Tiff. She put her body through a lot growing our babies. A marathon — heck, 60 marathons — doesn’t come close to comparing on the difficulty scale to growing a human being!
So, I bought these for Tiff last night and surprised her with them this morning.
Chicks dig the flowers thing.
I always do that for the kids’ birthdays. It’s the least I can do!
I never really talk about Ava in here, but she totally owns me. Tiff says she looks like me, which is kind of a bummer. Who wants to look like me? But I guess it’s appropriate, because she’s a total daddy’s girl. She knows how to play me, and I think it’s going to get worse and worse as she gets older. She says the cutest little things and I just dig her.
Me and my princess at the happiest place on Earth … In-N-Out!
Poor little thing is sick today. If she gets a little better, we’re going to go out to Red Robin for dinner so she can have fun and have the waiters and waitresses sing Happy Birthday to her. At the end of the day, I’ll sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to her at bedtime. That’s our song. Maybe I should try to find a song called “Daddy I Promise I’ll Be 4 Forever And Never Grow Up And Date Anybody” to sing to her.
Standard introduction: If this is your first visit here, I’m a marathoner and a father of three — but not in that order. My middle child, 6-year-old Jack, is severely autistic and next year I’m planning on running 60 marathons in his honor to try to raise money and nationwide awareness for Train 4 Autism, a wonderful charity.
Operation Jack: Next Month!
On Sunday, I started realizing it’s November, and I can actually say that I’m flying out to my first Operation Jack race NEXT MONTH! It’s still about eight weeks away, because I head to Houston on December 31, but oh my goodness! I remember talking to Tiff about it in April and May, asking if she thought this whole Operation Jack thing was really going to happen. This was before I launched the site on July 1. It almost sounded too crazy to be true. I mean, who really does this?
But now, it looks like we really are. And when I say “we”, I mean me and Tiff. I was telling her over the weekend that our lives have been beyond what we can control since July, and that’s because we added Operation Jack into the equation. I feel completely overwhelmed and she does, too, and as I told her, the reason she feels that way is because this is a team effort and I can’t do any of this without her complete support. She’s picking up a lot of slack because I’m buried alive right now. I hear from a lot of you saying things like, “Wow Sam, it’s really cool what you’re trying to do.” But it’s something that Tiff is doing, too. It’s a team effort and I have a great teammate.
Chick-Fil-A Night!
If you live anywhere near me, come out to the Chick-Fil-A in Foothill Ranch on November 12 (next Thursday) between 5-8 p.m. for dinner! A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Operation Jack. They’ve been really nice to deal with, so I hope this works out well. I’ll mention this again. And again …
Great Marathon In Utah In June
I noticed some of the details about one of the races on my schedule in June that looks like it might really be a great race. It’s the Utah Valley Marathon in Provo, Utah, and it looks like it’s a combination of great scenery and a blazing course at a great price.
The race is in one of the most scenic areas in Utah, and look at the course profile. Run it smart, and you’ll be through the course in a hurry. Or, take your time and soak in the sights. The trees will be in full bloom and the waterfalls will be running full bore. No matter how much time you spend on the course, it’s an amazing bargain at only $60 for the full, $40 for the half and $19 (yeah, cheaper than lunch for two at Chili’s) for the 5K.
If you register, indicate that you heard about it from Operation Jack and we’ll beneft. And, it’s going to be a 2-for-1. Not only will you be helping Operation Jack and Train 4 Autism, you’ll be helping Children With Cancer Christmas Foundation, a Utah non-profit that helps children with cancer. If you’re an out-of-towner, you’d fly in and out of Salt Lake City. If you’re in town, help me build a team! Put this one in the back of your mind — it should be a really nice race! Now let’s get a big crew out there to start the summer!
Video Of The Day
Yeah, it’s my birthday princess, playing the Wii at my in-laws’ house about a year ago. Poor quality on the video, but it’s the only one of her I have on YouTube.
OK, That’s All For Today
I’ll be back either tomorrow or Friday. I’m running a race on Saturday that I really want to talk about. Have a great day!
I Got My Treat Three Days Before Halloween!
Jack has been showing good signs of improvement lately, but what I heard last Wednesday night really blew my mind.
First, though, I’ll talk briefly about my running.
Standard introduction: If this is your first visit here, I’m a marathoner and a father of three — but not in that order. My middle child, 6-year-old Jack, is severely autistic and next year I’m planning on running 60 marathons in his honor to try to raise money and nationwide awareness for Train 4 Autism, a wonderful charity.
Running Update
I had a pretty solid week last week, with a training run on Tuesday that was the best training run I’ve had in seven months. I went 16.3 at 158 bpm (I run with a heart rate monitor) on my hills at 7:48/mile. That’s pretty darn close to the output I was getting right before I went 3:01 in Boston this year, so it felt nice to have a good run for once.
On Saturday, I had a nice 30-miler to cap off a week that was a few football fields shy of 86 miles. The 30 was about 20 seconds a mile quicker than my 30 a couple of weeks ago and I’m probably only about 10-15 seconds/mile slower that where I was at my peak. This morning, I decided to actually “run” again, and I went for 20.2 at 7:51/mile.
So, while I struggled with that five-week layoff this summer, it’s nice to start feeling like my old self again. I think I’m going to run a marathon this weekend. It’s a small, low-key affair in Huntington Beach, but it’s going to be a big deal to me. I’ll explain all of that on Thursday.
Hyperbaric Chamber Update
Jack and I went in for our third session in the hyperbaric chamber on Saturday. He’s getting better at it every time. He had no fear at all on Saturday, and he was willing to hold his mask up to his face for a portion of the time. It’s working pretty well for me with my recovery from my running and we’ve seen some pretty exciting improvements from Jack lately. Wow, what a perfect transition into the next item!
Jack Knows His Phone Number!
I got in last Wednesday night and Tiff told me I had to see something amazing with Jack. And wow, was she right! She asked him, “Jack, what’s your phone number?” And he recited my cell phone number! Now, don’t get me wrong — he’s not quite in the same class as Barack Obama as an orator. It’s a little difficult to understand. But this is an incredible step.
To remember 10 digits correctly and recite them is something we’ve never seen from him. Also, as a safety precaution, this is wonderful. He’s an eloper, which means he darts off and tries to run away for no reason sometimes. We never let go of him and he’s never been lost, but you never know. It’s good to know that if somebody asked him his phone number, he’ll answer.
He’s been showing little signs of progress here and there. I’m really hopeful that as I look back at these blogs in a year, I’ll be able to see how he progressed.
Thank You Surf City Runners!
As of last night, we were up to 28 people on our Surf City team! We crossed the magical 25 threshold and the marathon will donate a portion of our entry fees back to the charity! As you know, I’m nickel-and-diming my way to a (hopefully) big 2010, and this is really going to help. Just because we’ve hit 28 doesn’t mean we need to stop, though. We’ll still benefit from every new registrant. So, if you know anybody who wants to run the full marathon, half marathon or 5K, send them here and tell them to pick Operation Jack/Train 4 Autism as their team.
That’s All For Today
Have a great day. I think I’m going to try to post a blog tomorrow. I have a really cool race in Utah I want to talk about.
All Bets Are ON!
It’s never too early to line up bets for January 1 and Super Bowl Sunday. That’s what I’m doing now. But my wagers have nothing to do with college bowl games or the NFL. They’re about my attempt at weight loss and my pacing battle with Operation Jack coach John Loftus, a national-champion marathoner.
First, though, a quick status report.
Standard introduction: If this is your first visit here, I’m a marathoner and a father of three — but not in that order. My middle child, 6-year-old Jack, is severely autistic and next year I’m planning on running 60 marathons to try to raise money and nationwide awareness for Train 4 Autism, a wonderful charity.
Running & Hyperbaric Chamber Update
I had another session scheduled for Saturday at Advanced Hyperbarics, so I planned my long run for that morning to beat myself up for fun. I didn’t have enough time to go 30+, but I got 28 in. I ran 19.5 of the miles with a friend of mine who took it a touch slower than I would have, but it was still a good enough pace that I’d consider it a fair workout to beat me up somewhat before my session.
I went in with Jack for the chamber session on Saturday afternoon. He was a little uneasy, but nothing like last week and he was fine within about a minute or so. We’re supposed to hold masks up to our faces during the process. It’s a little (OK, a lot) difficult to do that with Jack, but he let me hold it up a bit and things went well. I held my mask up for the full hour, plus I took a new anti-inflammatory supplement called Moxxor I was just introduced to, and about two hours after I was done, I felt a LOT better than I normally do after a 28-miler. I felt like I had run about 8 miles, not 28. Now, I don’t know if that was because of the slower pace, the oxygen or the Moxxor. But I’m going to pay very close attention and try to figure it out, because I like it when I don’t hurt! This morning, I felt great and ran quicker than I have lately on my 14-miler. I’m thinking it’s going to be a good week.
Surf City: Time For A Wager!
First of all, if you have any intention of registering for the Surf City Marathon/Half-Marathon/5K, don’t take too much time. I’ve been getting emails letting me know that it’s close to selling out. Sure, that’s marketing, but if you’re definitely going to run it, you might as well sign up. And on that note, when you do, PLEASE select Operation Jack/Train 4 Autism as your running club. It costs you nothing, but Surf City will donate a portion of your entry fee back to the charity. So, thanks in advance (or thank you if you’ve already registered).
Now, on to the wager. Operation Jack’s coach John Loftus is pacing the 3:10 group at Surf City. I’m pacing the 3:30 group at Surf City. It’s about even for each of us based on our abilities. His fastest time over the past 12 months is 2:41:19, 28:41 faster than his assignment. My fastest time over the past 12 months is 3:01:31, 28:29 faster than my assignment. I have to say, though, I’m money when it comes to pacing. I only paced once — Surf City this year — but it was the 3:30 group and it was on one hour of sleep (work emergency!) and I went 3:29:57.
So, I talked with John last week and told him that we’re going to have a wager over who paces closer to their target without going over while keeping a consistent pace (no running two minutes faster than the goal and then running a 9:30 final mile). We’ll talk a little smack in here as the race gets closer, but we need something to wager and something to get you guys involved. Any suggestions? And who do you think will win? Do you bet against me? You all say such nice things all the time and I couldn’t imagine you’d turn against me. Or do you bet against the guy who’s probably one of the best 2 or 3 runners in his age group in the country?
Speaking of wagers, …
My Weight-Loss Quest
On Thursday, I talked about how I really want to get from 203 down to 190 by January 1, even though I haven’t been below 195 since I started running marathons. I want some kind of penalty to drive me as motivation. A lot of you suggested I run a race in a dress. Heck, my mother-in-law suggested I run in a bikini, although I’d only do that if she watched, and I know that’s not something she wants to see. Anyways, I started thinking that I’d combine this dress thing with an attendance drive. Maybe I’d wear a dress and run the 5K in Cleveland the day before the marathon if I didn’t make weight and I got 25 people on my team. Or, maybe I’d run in a dress regardless of my weight if I got 50.
I’ve gotten mixed feedback. Some people think it would do a great job bringing attention to the charity. Others think it would make a mockery of what I’m doing and it’s not something I should do. What do you think? I’m kind of torn on the issue.
OK, That’s All For Today!
Have a great start to your week! May Friday come quicker than Monday did!
Does This Dress Make Me Look Fat?
OK, so I don’t wear dresses, but I need to drop a few pounds. I’m not out of shape, but I’ve never really minded carrying a little extra weight. I love to eat, and I just feel like eating whatever I want whenever I want is a reward for all the training I put in. But a couple of weeks ago, I came to the realization that I really should drop a few pounds. I’ve slow chasing a few time goals, and in all reality, I am carrying around some extra garbage.
I weigh about 203 pounds right now, and since I’ve been running marathons, I’ve never been less than about 195. But I’m 6-1 (6-2 with shoes on), and there’s no reason I can’t weigh 190 pounds. So, I’m pretty committed to getting down to 190 by January 1, the first race on the Operation Jack schedule. I say that and I’m going to In-N-Out today, but I really do think I can get down to 190.
I’m a competitive person, so I’m trying to think up a challenge. Maybe if I miss, for every pound I miss by, I don’t eat In-N-Out or ice cream for that many weeks. A friend of mine suggested I make a contribution to a political charity I don’t agree with if I miss, but I don’t think I should bring politics into Operation Jack.
Do any of you have any ideas? I need to think of something that I can set as a challenge to keep me on this. And on that note, …
Ice Cream Streak Update
It’s at 1. Yes, 1. I woke up on the morning of October 12 and the first thing I thought about was, “I didn’t have ice cream yesterday!” And as a result of that colossal mental lapse, my 109-day ice cream streak was OVER. I was so distraught, I went without ice cream on the 13th, too. But I got back into the swing of things on the 14th. I ran up a quick streak of six days, but I went without it on Tuesday. So, last night, after a bowl of some caramel pecan or something like that, I’m at 1. 108 days to tie my record, 109 to break it. And one more food topic …
Chick-Fil-A Night!
If you live anywhere near me, come out to the Chick-Fil-A in Foothill Ranch on November 12 between 5-8 p.m. for dinner! 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Operation Jack. They’ve been really nice to deal with, so I hope this works out well. I’ll mention this again. And again …
Surf City … SIGN UP NOW!
If you’re in Southern California, or if you’d rather be in sunny Southern California in early February, consider running the Surf City Marathon (or half marathon or 5K)! And, if you’re considering it, just take the plunge and get it done with — put your money down and you won’t turn back! The marathon is nearly filled, and while the two shorter distances have space available, they’ll fill, too. If/when you register, PLEASE select Operation Jack/Train 4 Autism as your running clubs. If we get enough team members, the race will donate a portion of the entry fees to the Operation Jack Autism Foundation. There’s no cost or obligation other than the standard race entry fee, so selecting us as your club is an easy way to help!
Cleveland Marathon, Anybody?
I know this won’t come as much of a surprise, but I’ve been talking with a lot of races and a lot of race directors to try to organize things for next year. Well, I have to say that the Cleveland Marathon has been about as pleasant as any of them. They have a very generous charity program and I’m really determined to build a good team there.
Cleveland is on May 16 next year (marathon, half marathon and 10K) and they have a 5K the day before. If you are anywhere near Cleveland, or if you know anybody near Cleveland, or if you have any interest at all in running Cleveland, PLEASE contact me or put your name on the list! I’ll have discounted entry fee codes shortly, plus I should be able to provide comped entries to team builders.
OK, That’s All For Today!
I won’t be writing a blog for tomorrow, because I have a meeting I’m going to tonight and I won’t have time. So, have a great Thursday, Friday and weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday!
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