OK, here we go. Weekend preview time and while I’ve already run 40 marathons since January 1, this is definitely going to be my toughest one so far this year. I have a variation of my contest for this week, but it’s still an opportunity for you to get some Operation Jack gear.

Real quick, just in case you’ve never been before, click here to see why I’m running 61 marathons this year for Train 4 Autism!

I have two races this weekend — a marathon and an ultra in back-to-back days. Thank goodness I have Monday off of work for Labor Day!

First things first, though — news concerning my grandpa!

This Is Wonderful News!
I’ve been talking a lot about my grandma lately and she’s doing very well with her new pacemaker. But today, I have GREAT news to share about my grandpa!

He had In-N-Out Burger yesterday for the first time ever! It’s never too late, even if you’re 87 years old! Awesome!

Speaking of In-N-Out, I dug out this picture of me and Jack right after he was born. You see that Hawaiian shirt I’m wearing? Yeah, it’s an In-N-Out shirt with flying burgers and fries!

Marathon 41: Pocatello Marathon
I’m REALLY starting to get excited about this race. I’m feeling good and mentally ready to run hard. For those of you who have been following along, you know I’m chasing sub-3, which is running a marathon quicker than three hours. My fastest ever is 3:00:05, just six seconds too slow! I’m going to try to get that monkey off my back on Saturday.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I always try to run my fastest. But I know going in what I’m capable of this time, I think I have a legitimate shot at it. The course is a downhill course, which can be fast, but it can also wreck you if you run it wrong. No matter what I do on it, I’ll be in a world of pain. Downhill courses pound the heck out of your quads, especially if you’re heavy. I’m 200 pounds, which is a lot of weight slamming down on those hills.

I’ll be walking funny afterwards, no question. But I think I can run it quick. I feel like I’m in good shape, I’ve had good speed workouts lately, I’ve been happy with my paces at key points during recent races and I know I can do this. More importantly, I’m in this mentally. I want this and I’m feeling good physically right now. I’m ready to go out and give it absolutely everything I have, and I think that might well be enough. I might come back with a 3:20 with my luck, but I’m not holding back at all. Check back Saturday for a race report!

Contest (more like, promotion) details are coming up right after I talk about my race on Sunday.

Sunday’s Race: Operation Jack 7-Hour Challenge
This is a race that was put together by Operation Jack supporter Deb Bosilevac and it should be fun. I’m not exactly sure how many folks will be running in this race — I think somewhere between 10 and 20 — but we’ll be running loops around a one-mile course for seven hours. That’s exactly what I want to do the day after thrashing myself on a downhill course! Well, not really.

But it’s for a great cause (Operation Jack!) so I’ll be there. I’m aiming for 45 miles. I think I can go out and hold 30 miles at a pace somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 a mile. I’ll keep going as long as I can, but at that point, I’ll probably incorporate a run/walk mix. If I can average 9:00/mile for the first 30, which I really think I can do, I’d need 15 miles over the last 2 1/2 hours (10:00/mile) to hit 45. So that’s my goal, although talk to me 5 hours into this thing!

Now, one thing about Deb … she’s a marathon runner, but she’s a graduate of the University of Kansas. And I’m a proud graduate of Kansas State University. I’m supposed to hate her. I don’t, but I’m going to beat her and probably sing the K-State fight song every time I pass her. She’s expecting to run about 35 miles, so I’m thinking I’ll sing 10 times.

And that leads me into what I’m doing in lieu of this week’s contest …

Who Wants To Give me Motivation To Run Myself Into The Ground?
First, last week’s contest winners were Sarah Reade and Tracy Ricker. I did a random drawing of everybody who contributed in honor of my grandma. OK, moving along …

I’m trying to collect pledges for every mile I beat Deb by. It’s a K-State/KU thing, and this Wildcat is ready to stick it to a Jayhawk! So, here’s the deal: If you pledge at least $1/mile that I beat her by, I’ll send you an Operation Jack t-shirt. If you pledge at least $1.75/mile that I beat her by, I’ll send you an Operation Jack tech shirt. And if you pledge at least $2/mile that I beat her by, I’ll send you one of each.

I might only beat her by three miles, and in that case, you’ll be getting off cheap. But I might find some special gear and beat her by 15 miles. A bet’s a bet, though, so either way, I’ll send you the stuff. I’m just looking for some motivation. I’m running for seven hours the day after running a pounding marathon to support Operation Jack and Train 4 Autism. Can you pledge $1 for every mile I beat Deb by?

If you want to participate, just send me an email and let me know your pledge! Thank you so much for your participation!

EDIT: Deb and I created a side bet as to whether a Wildcat or a Jayhawk can do a better job raising money. The loser has to donate $20 to the other school’s alumni association. K-STATERS: PLEASE don’t make me send any of my hard-earned Wildcat money to Lawrence!!!

OK, that’s all I have for today. Have a great weekend and take it easy! I should practice what I preach, huh?

Well, here we are again. It’s Thursday, time to start getting ready for the weekend and thinking about my race. I’ve got my weekly contest, a few deep thoughts, a lemonade stand and a photo shoot. You know, typical random stuff.

First real quick, in case you’ve never been here, click here to see why I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year for Train 4 Autism.

Also, I just started with something new this week called Race 4 Free. As part of what I’m doing, I’m always trying to figure out ways to get people involved, so this is my latest attempt.

Summer’s Winding Down
Benjamin starts soccer practice tonight, so last night I was starting to think about the end of the year really coming up. I keep thinking about how the epitaph on Operation Jack isn’t written yet, but I know I’m starting to run out of days. I still think everything is going to end up OK with this, that it’s going to be a success. Realistically, I think Train 4 Autism is going to be better off than if I didn’t do this, and it’s going to be up to me to keep doing my part to keep things rolling.

Sometimes, I think I’ll have done a good enough job. Sometimes, I think it won’t be much of a success. I’ve had successes and lots and lots of failures all year long. But last night, I had a different thought for the first time. When all is said and done, I’ll know deep, deep down that I put my all into it. I’ll know that I came up with an idea that might have seemed overwhelming if I really sat back and thought about it, but I went after it and gave it my best shot. I was driving and I thought if nothing else, all I did was try really hard to tackle something really big. I’ll never feel bad about stepping up and trying to making something happen.

I still have 23 marathons to go, though. Including one this weekend. What a weak transition …

Park City Marathon
I’d heard that the Park City Marathon was tough, but I never looked at the course map until Tuesday. And then I saw a huge task cut out for me. This race starts at 6200 feet and climbs! I guess it’s no Leadville or Pike’s Peak, but it’s surely not a fast course! It goes up to 7400 feet by about mile 17 and then finishes back down around 6200.

I think I’m going to be lucky to crack 3:40 in this one. And that brings me to my weekly contest. Every week, I have a contest where you make a small donation and try to guess my time. So, for instance, if you think I’m going to run a 3:42, you’d donate $3.42. If you think I’m going to run a 3:34, you donate $3.34. It’s an easy contest, it barely costs anything, and it benefits a great cause. So, give me that pat on the back I’m craving and play along this week!

Last week, I went 3:17 and Sharla Wipplinger won with a guess of 3:18.

OJ In RW!
Operation Jack is going to get coverage in the November issue of Runner’s World! I forget if I’ve mentioned it here or just on Twitter and Facebook, but we’re going to be in the “What It Takes” section. It’s not like an eight-page cover article, but still, it’s Runner’s World, so that should be good exposure. I’ll certainly remind y’all when the issue comes out.

On Monday night, we spent about 2 1/2 hours with a photographer. I couldn’t imagine being a model.

When Life Gives You An Open Spot On A Sidewalk, Make Lemonade!
Tiff and the kids are setting up a lemonade stand this afternoon in an area that should have high foot traffic in our hometown. She’s got the lemonade and she baked a bunch of her famed snickerdoodle cookies. I’m sure we’ll make some money and get a few donations, but the really cool thing is that we’ll be spreading the word to a lot of people who live nearby.

I’m going to work hard at building up my chapter of Train 4 Autism next year. Hopefully, this brings in some people!

Speak Of Next Year And Train 4 Autism, …
We’re trying to have a really good presence at the L.A. Marathon. For those of you out here in California, I’m going to lead training runs in South Orange County and we have other folks leading runs in other areas. We don’t have any fundraising minimums, but if you raise at least $300, we’ll cover your entry fee and include a training program. And of course, it’s money going to a great cause.

If you’re interested in running the L.A. Marathon, email me and let me know!

And that’s all for today. Please don’t forget to enter the contest! Have a great couple of days and I’ll have a race report posted here on Saturday!

Well, it’s already Thursday, so it’s time for another weekend preview, another announcement and another contest.

First, just in case you haven’t been here before, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle son, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. And if you click here, you can see why I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year for Train 4 Autism.

Quick Jack Update
A couple of months ago, we took Jack to a new D.A.N. doctor. It was an extremely traumatic experience for me and Jack. But it was the start of quite a bit of testing and a new routine. Tiff is going back for a return visit today, so we’re anxious to get feedback on test results and his dietary routine going forward.

I won’t be there, but I’ll be nervously awaiting Tiff’s call to find out how things go. I hope to hear good news about the tests, but I also hope to hear the visit goes well for Jack. I’ll never forget how upset he was on the ride back last time. Totally heartbreaking.

Helping Operation Jack Brings You Good Luck!
Yesterday, I announced a special fundraising event involving two members of the St. Louis Cardinals, Skip Schumaker and Adam Wainwright. And yesterday, in their game against the Reds, Schumaker went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Wainwright pitched seven innings, allowing no runs and only two hits to drop his ERA to 1.99 and improve his record to 17-6. With the win, the Cardinals took sole possession of first place. Surely this all happened yesterday because they’re going to help Operation Jack. Right? Right?

New Race On The Schedule
Well, it’s not actually on the schedule, but I’ll be running it. It’s a seven-hour timed race in Portland on September 5th and it’s going to be called the Operation Jack 7-Hour Challenge. Should be fun to do the day after a marathon, right?

About a month ago, Operation Jack supporter Deb Bosilevac approached me about the idea of a timed 7-hour race as a possible fundraiser. I told her that if she could put it together and make it happen, I’d do my best to make it happen. Well, she got it done, and we’re going to do it. We’re getting runners and it should be a good time.

Here’s the fun thing about it, though. Deb is a graduate of the University of Kansas. Me, I’m a proud K-Stater. So, this gives me an opportunity to compete against a rival Jayhawk. I’m going to work on collecting pledges for how much I beat her by. She’s expecting to cover about 35 miles. Even though it’s going to be the day after I run my 41st marathon of the year, I’m aiming for 45 miles. I’m curious to see what I can do in this race. It should be good training for the Tahoe Triple I’m running in late September (three marathons in three days).

Weekly Contest
Every week I have a contest where people try to guess my time in my race by making a small donation and the person who comes the closest without underbidding wins their choice of an Operation Jack t-shirt, tech shirt or sweatshirt. If you think I’m going to run a 3:17, you make a donation of $3.17. If you think it’s going to be a 3:12, you donate $3.12, etc. I haven’t done this contest in a few weeks, but those of you who have been around are familiar with it.

To make a donation, click on the “Donate Now!” link at the top of any page on this site. But first, read on and get my opinions on the course.

This Weekend’s Race
I’ll be running in Anchorage, Alaska on Sunday. It’s a race I’ve really been looking forward to, because I’m definitely more into open space and wilderness than big cities. And in this country, does it get any more open than Alaska?

The course doesn’t look terrible on paper. There are some moderate hills, but nothing that looks too tough. It’s down at sea level and gets up as high as about 100 feet. I don’t think the climbs are too punishing, but I won’t know until I run them. I don’t have any recent performances to really judge my current fitness.

I went 3:33 last week in a run that I treated as a fun run. I stood still for about four minutes and I inadvertently ran an extra quarter mile. The week before, I felt sluggish and went 3:35 on a course that started at 3800 feet and went up from there. 22 of the miles were on a gravel road, which also made things tough. The week before was the San Francisco Marathon, which was very punishing with the hills and ran long by a good 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile according to just about everybody who ran the race. I went 3:21.

Before that, I went 3:42 in the humid Iowa heat. Temps reached about 87 or so, it was humid, and I was exposed for most of the run. Prior to that, a 3:49:40 while pacing the 3:50 group in Missoula. Going back, there was a completely uninspired 3:17 in Portland and a decent 3:12 in Seattle.

I feel good right now. I did well with my spadework this week, I’m recovering well from last weekend and I’m in a good spot mentally. I’m ready to run and I’m ready to run fast. I’m sick of this funk and I have a long flight back from Alaska. I don’t want to be dwelling on a poor time. So, if I had to guess, I’d go with 3:11 this week. I’m going to be ready to run and I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.

Now go ahead, win something! And help a great cause at the same time!

What Does It Mean?
Last night, I went to In-N-Out for dinner with some friends of mine. Our order number was 38. I’m running my 38th marathon of the year this week. What does it mean? Probably nothing.

OK, that’s all for today. I’ll try to post a race recap at some point on Sunday. I’m pretty sure that won’t be problem. Thanks for following along and participating in the contest!

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for a weekend preview. I’m going with a different format than I typically do, because I’m not having a contest and I have a few random things I want to talk about. I hope you guys are OK with the way I wrote this.

Normally on Thursdays, I talk about my weekend race and I have a fundraising contest. I didn’t have the contest last week and I’m not having it again this week. The reason is I want to re-focus the way I do a couple of things. I have a new concept I want to promote, but I’m still refining it so I’m just going to hang loose for a week or two.

For now, the best way I can ask you to help is to spread the word. I’ve been focused on fundraising for a little while, but I really want to get working on spreading the word. I know that a lot of you read this, but I want to bring in some new folks. Think about people you know who are impacted by autism. You all know somebody. Just tell one new person about Operation Jack this weekend and get them to the site. I’m running my 37th marathon of the year on Saturday to do my part. All I need you to do is tell one new person!

If you’re here for the first time and you’re impacted by autism somehow, please send me an e-mail because I want to tell you how Train 4 Autism can help you make a difference! Also, click here to see why I’m running 61 full marathons this year.

Anyways, moving on to this weekend’s race, it’s No. 2 in the three-race Train 4 Autism series I’m putting on with local race promoter Charlie Alewine. I’m really excited about this race. Not only will there be a fair amount of people there that I know in a fun, low-key race, but I DON’T HAVE TO TRAVEL! I’ll be home and on my weekend by noon on Saturday. I love it!

The race itself is a flat, loop course in Long Beach, Calif. I didn’t realize until yesterday that last week’s race started above 3,800 feet and climbed past 4,250 on those gravel roads. This week’s flat course at sea level should be a big breath of fresh air. Actually, it’ll be a big breath of oxygen, which will be nice. I’ll go out and run my best and I won’t worry about the race afterwards, no matter how I do.

Forget about the racee, though. The best parts of my weekend will be Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday night, me and Tiff are going down to San Diego to watch Trace Adkins and Toby Keith. We’ve already seen Toby Keith, and even if we hadn’t, I’d be more excited about Trace Adkins. Tiff is more excited about Toby Keith and I’ll enjoy watching him, too.

On Sunday afternoon, the whole family is getting together to celebrate my grandpa’s 87th birthday. The awesome thing is that it’s going to be right around the corner from my house, because my grandparents moved into their new assisted-living facility on Tuesday. They used to live 45 minutes away, but now they’re just five minutes from my work and 15 from my house.

It took until yesterday at 11:59 a.m. for them to call me for a favor and I happily obliged. This is like a really cool treat in the middle of a hot summer. Speaking of really cool treats, I stopped by yesterday for lunch and in their dining center, they have a menu my grandparents can order off of. My grandma had a tuna sandwich on wheat bread. My grandpa? All he wanted was ice cream.

I guess that’s where I get it from.

So anyways, before we can get to this weekend, we have to get through today. Jack is going to the dentist and he has to be sedated. We’re extremely nervous about this, although I know he’ll be fine. Ahhh, the joys of children who can’t communicate. Another downside of autism. I hate what Jack goes through and that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing this year. I want to make it better for other kids. He’s getting robbed of his childhood.

Well, I don’t have much else to talk about today. I probably do, but I wrote this last night and I was too tired to think so I had to call it quits. Have a great weekend, everybody. I’ll post a race report on Saturday. Let me know what you think of me rambling on like this. Is it OK?

I know I mention every week how the weeks fly by so quickly, but this time, it has been such a quick, quick week. My legs are still pretty wrecked from the hills of San Francisco, yet it’s time to write another weekend preview blog. That’s the blur that is Operation Jack. I’ll be glad when I’m done, but I know I’ll miss it, too. Whatever the case, I’ve got the Grizzly Marathon in Choteau, Montana on Saturday.

If you’ve never been here before, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I tend to recover fairly quickly from my marathons, so I decided (well, after consulting with my wife) to try to run 61 marathons this year to raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. This is my first crack at really trying to make a difference. So far, so good. 35 down, 26 to go.

So anyways, moving on to this weekend, I’m super tired this week and have no idea what to write. And thinking about my weekend, I’m getting more tired by the minute. I have an early-morning flight out, a late-night flight landing for my return, I’ll be driving about 500 miles this weekend and there’s the requisite marathon. And to think, I’m already tired. Awesome!

This race should be interesting. It’s in a small town (population 1,700) called Choteau, Montana, and they advertise that like the local residents, the race is tough and charming with plenty of character. It’s an out-and-back measured by an F-150. Sounds like a race by runners for runners. I’m expecting a tough go just because I know I’ll be tired, I’m still pretty banged up from San Francisco and I’ve been nothing but slow lately.

This long, hot summer continues, but that’s OK. The tougher it gets, the better the memories will be. Kind of. Speaking of the Grizzly Marathon, I saw this article online yesterday. I’ll just remember that I don’t need to be able to outrun a bear. I just need to be able to outrun three people.

Anyways, what I’m really looking forward to is Sunday afternoon, because I’ll be going to the Rangers-Angels game with my son Benjamin and my dad. After the game, they have a “Kids Run The Bases” promotion and he’ll get to run the bases. Can’t complain about Benjamin having a blast!

Oh, and my weekly contest … I normally have a weekly contest, where people guess what my time is going to be and then make a donation in that amount to win a prize (for instance, a 3:15 guess requires a $3.15 donation). Well, it’s been slow lately and participation has been really low, so I’m not going to do that this week.

Anyways, I expect to post a race report on Saturday. Have a great weekend everybody!