Operation Jack

Fighting autism, one mile at a time.

What's Up With OJ Friday

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Operation Jack supporter Sarah Emerson told me the other day she misses my WUWOJ blogs. So I said … what? What is woo-wojj? And then I realized she’s going back about six months, when I used to write a “What’s Up With Operation Jack Wednesday” blog. I told her I’d write one for her on Thursday. But I ran out of time. So I’m posting it for her today. And really, this begs the question: If a boring blog gets posted on a Friday, when social media is dead, does it really get posted?

I guess I’ll find out if anybody other than Sarah comments.

Real quick, just in case you’ve never been here before, welcome — we’re approaching last call! I’m a father of three and a marathon runner and my middle child, 7-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. He’s probably always going to struggle, but I still want him to make a difference in the world. To try to make some good out of what he goes through, I’m attempting to run 61 full marathons this year to raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism.

So far, I’m through 56 of them. There’s five to go in Operation Jack, the name I gave this endeavor as a tribute to my little guy. Sarah wants to know what’s up with Operation Jack. So here goes!

Operation Jack Marathon
I guess the first thing I should do is plug the Operation Jack Marathon, which will be the 61st and final marathon I run this year. Actually, it’s the Operation Jack Marathon presented by Apriori Beauty, a company I work for that generously kicked in a very healthy donation to Operation Jack.

Registrations are moving along pretty well and I’m excited about the turnout it looks like we’re going to have. I’m actually kind of nervous, because I’m putting this race on with the help of Operation Jack supporter Jake Rome and the good folks from Train 4 Autism, and I don’t want to let anybody down. We have things under control, though. It should be a nice day running along the beach, celebrating with everybody and continuing to promote Train 4 Autism.

Operation Jack Satellite Runs
A lot of people want to participate in the finale to support what I’ve tried to do this year, but it’s unrealistic considering it’s the morning after Christmas and it’s in the Los Angeles area. So, we have a satellite run option. Run 6.1 miles, wherever you are, and we’ll send you a race t-shirt and a finisher’s medal.

I want to get participants in all 50 states and we’re getting there. I want to do this for a couple of reasons. First, obviously, it’s one last fundraiser. But also, it’s one last attempt to spread the word about Train 4 Autism. So, check out the states that we have don’t have people in and if you know anybody there, would you be so kind as to drop them a line? That’s easier than running 61 marathons in a year, right?

The cost for this is $25, which, like I said, includes a race t-shirt and a finisher’s medal. Or, if you want, set up a fundraising page at operationjack.kintera.org/61 and raise just $30 and I’ll waive the entry fee for you.

Running On Empty
Sarah already knew about the Operation Jack Marathon and the Operation Jack Satellite Runs. She’s participating in Maine and is rounding up a pretty good-sized team. So now I need to come up with something about Operation Jack that’s going on that she doesn’t know. But I don’t really know that there is much going on.

Right now, I can sense the finish line for this long, long year. I visualize it when I run. I visualize it when I walk. I visualize it when I sleep. I visualize it when I wake up in a panic in the middle of the night. I’m trying hard to promote the marathon and satellite run. But beyond that, I’m pretty much cooked.

I try not to look back at what coulda/shoulda/woulda, because while I’m confident I’ve accomplished some good, it’s easy to look back at a ton of missed opportunities and things that didn’t work out as well as I would have hoped. I kept telling myself I’d pick it up here or there later, but later is now, and I’m 23 days from wrapping this thing up. I don’t want to say I’ve stopped trying, but really, aside from making sure we put on a good event on the 26th, there’s not a lot I can do.

I don’t foresee any new promotions or campaigns because there’s no time, and it’s time for the holiday season slowdown. I have my last double of the year this weekend, with Memphis Saturday and Las Vegas on Sunday. Then it’s Tucson, Jacksonville and the Operation Jack Marathon. I got a taste of freedom last weekend because my race was on Friday, so I got to spend Saturday and Sunday at home with the family. It was just a normal family weekend, but it’s been a year since I’ve had one of those and I really can’t wait to get back into that routine.

I don’t want to say I’m just mailing it in, because I’m not. I still follow up every lead, I still train and I still do my absolute best in every race I run. But I think it’s fair to say I’m running on empty.

Please Accept My Apology!
I’ve gotten really good at dropping the ball this year. I’ve really struggled to keep up with responding to all the feedback that comes in and I know I’m not getting to a ton of things I need to do. I read every email and tweet that comes in, but I just run out of time to respond. If any of you are waiting on a response from me for something, just keep bugging me. I don’t ignore people. I just get overwhelmed and I don’t know what to attack first. If you follow up with me on something I’ve failed to respond to, you’re not bugging me. You’ll actually probably get an apology!

Along those lines, if we owe you any Operation Jack clothing, PLEASE let me know. We’re not the most well-oiled machine when it comes to getting those out and I really want to get you all everything you’re supposed to get.

If you’re not listed on the Satellite Runs page, I’m about a day behind right now. If it’s been longer than that and you need to be up there, let me know and I’ll get you listed.

One Simple Request
If I could ask for just one thing, it would be to help spread the word about Operation Jack. If you’re on Twitter, tell your followers. If you’re on Facebook, post a link to the site or the satellite run or the marathon on your wall. I know y’all come here because you believe in what I’m trying to accomplish. Getting people here doesn’t cost you anything and it’s what makes what I’m doing a success. You never know who that one extra person who will benefit from Train 4 Autism is. It might well be somebody one of your friends knows!

Do The Right Thing
On my flight from Atlanta to Memphis this morning, there was one seat available in first class and it went to … me! It was next to a teenager whose dad was back in coach. I gave the seat to the dad. I figure that someday, somebody will return the favor. And if not, I’ll still live happily ever after.

That’s Pretty Much It
I think I’ve rambled on enough. Plus, my layover here in Atlanta is just about over and I need to catch my flight. Have a great Friday, everybody (even you, Sarah). I’ll post a race report tomorrow after Memphis.

Guest Blog: Step Up For The Operation Jack Marathon!

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I love guest blogs for a couple of reasons. First, it’s interesting to get somebody else’s perspective on the same things I normally write about. And of course, it’s awesome because I don’t have to write anything and I still have a blog to post! Today, I have a guest blog from Jake Rome, who’s been super-excited about Operation Jack all year and is working very hard behind the scenes on the Operation Jack Marathon. He wrote this unsolicited. If anybody else wants a guest blog here, don’t be shy!

Real quick, if this is your first time here, click here to see why I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year for Train 4 Autism.

Now, some words from Jake:

We need to step up for Sam & Jack. It’s been a long year for Sam & his family as he has worked tirelessly to raise money for Train 4 Autism while helping to establish the organization across the country. The marathons are the easy part. The travel is tough, obviously. The time away from Sam’s family is a challenge for all. Yet there he is blogging, tweeting & generally promoting the effort to build support across a dozen distinct communities. While Operation Jack has certainly been a success and looks set to meet expectations with over $70,000 raised so far, there’s still one more chance to put the effort over the top. I want to double that number.

This last, best opportunity is the Operation Jack Marathon & Half Marathon on December 26 right along the beach in Los Angeles. As part of Sam’s support network, you’ve been amazing, and now’s the time to dig deep one last time to put the effort over the top. Along with Sam & other Train 4 Autism members, I’ve spent dozens of hours this month to organize, fund & promote the Operation Jack Marathon. Sam has been working twice as hard for over a year without a break. So I’m asking everyone, right now to help Sam in one or more of the following ways, right now:

– For those living in Southern California, sign up to run the half marathon or the marathon.
– If you’re outside of Southern California, sign up for a satellite run that you can complete from your own front doorstep.
– All in Southern California are welcome to volunteer then hang around for the post-party. Contact Molly Rearick (mollyrearick@train4autism.org) at Train 4 Autism to volunteer on race day.
– Heck, there’s an organized run in Portland!
– Set up a fund raising page and ask your friends & family to sponsor you.
– Or just donate. I’m personally matching the first $5 of every donation made through my fund raising page.
– If you’ve got a small business & want to be a race sponsor for $100 (web) or $500 (t-shirt), send me an email right now! (jake@core4you.org)

Then after you’ve signed up to run, volunteer, fundraise or donate, there’s one more step. Send out an email or a Tweet, update your Facebook status or make a few phone calls, write a blog post or post the race fliers. Whatever it takes to get the word out. Sam has certainly honored his son, and the world will be richer for Jack because of all the hard work he has inspired among this community. Sam’s and Jack’s story is amazing, and it should be heard not for Sam’s benefits; rather, the story needs to be told because everyone that hears their tale is uplifted by it and moved to action in their own lives. Act now, for yourself, for Sam, and for everyone else that has yet to be touched by Sam and Jack.

By A Fence? Really?

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Over the weekend, I had some friends over for a small get-together, and one of them asked me if I ever blogged about the fun I had after my first marathon. I’m pretty sure I haven’t, and I’m absolutely certain it would be WRONG for me go through this entire year without relaying the story, so today, you’re in for a treat.

Real quick, just in case you’ve never been here before, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 7-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I want to try to make a difference, and I want Jack to have an impact on the world, so I’m attempting to run 61 full marathons this year and raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. I named this endeavor Operation Jack after him, because I wouldn’t be doing this if not for him.

Last Friday, I ran marathon No. 56 of the year, the Wishbone Run in Gig Harbor, Wash. It was a pretty challenging run on trails covered by snow, ice and mud. You can read my recap here.

That was my 84th lifetime marathon. But I’m going to talk about the aftermath of my first full. How’s that for a pretty weak transition?

I was looking forward to my first marathon, and like most people attacking their first full, I planned on making a big weekend out of it. It was the 2006 San Diego Rock ‘N Roll Marathon. June 4, 2006. That was my day, my weekend. I owned it!

I stayed with friends the night before the race in a fifth wheel (kind of like an RV) about 10 miles from the start line. My brother was with us and he drove me to the start. I ran to the finish. Since it was my first marathon, it was a big deal to everybody.

My wife and kids were there at the end. My parents were there. My in-laws were there, too. Several friends were there. As a group, we had several cars, although, as I mentioned, I ran to the finish after getting dropped off at the start. I didn’t know where in the parking lot those cars were. I was limping around and feeling pretty miserable. I certainly wasn’t used to that kind of pounding on my legs.

I had the opportunity to leave the finish area with my brother and friends, but I gave that spot in the car to my dad, because I wanted to ride back to the campground with the fifth wheel with my wife and kids in her Suburban. So, I was with my wife and kids, my in-laws and my stepmom. The parking lot was a huge dirt parking lot. HUGE. You could get lost in there for hours (Hint: That was foreshadowing!).— It all looked the same and it seemed to go on forever.

We started walking to the car. Apparently, it was in the second row, all the way to the right. The group was certain of that. We kept walking and walking and walking. No Suburban. After a while, somebody I was with was convinced we had gone too far so we turned around because we must have walked right by it. I really wanted to find the car, sit down and go back to the fifth wheel to take a shower and eat. We had a barbecue planned.

After about 30 minutes of aimless wandering, I called up my dad, since he rode down in the Suburban. He was on speakerphone via bluetooth, so my friends got to hear the conversation. I was extremely frustrated.

“Hey, do you remember where the car is?”

He nonchalantly told me he didn’t remember. I decided to ask again.

“OK, let me rephrase the question,” I calmly said. I was extremely irritated by the situation at this point, and this is when I exploded. “ACT LIKE YOUR LIFE (expletive) DEPENDS ON IT. WHERE IN THE (expletive) IS THE (expletive) CAR?”

That rattled him, and I felt bad, but I wanted to find the car!

“Uhhhh,” he said, just about trembling, “by a fence?”

My friends were laughing hysterically. I was not. For starters, there was no fence! Plus, I wanted to sit down, but I knew I couldn’t, because if I did, I wouldn’t get back up. So we kept looking at every car, right along where my wife, in-laws and stepmom said it would be. They said second row, but I looked at every car from the front to the back, in every row from the first to the fourth.

After about an hour had passed, we were right by a big sign with a letter B. I was beyond angry. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

So, I questioned the group.

“Does anybody remember one of these big signs with a letter on it when you parked? You know, like B, for boy?”

No response. Just silence. I think they were scared to talk to me.

“C? Cat?” Still, no response.

“D? DUMMIES?” Definitely no response, and no anger back towards me and my frustration.

They kept offering to let me sit down, but I knew I wouldn’t get up. And something chivalrous about me didn’t feel right letting my wife and stepmom and mother-in-law search for the car while I sat. My father-in-law, different story.

I broke away from the group (but had my phone), and kept searching for the car. After about an hour and 15 minutes, my sister-in-law, who was 80 miles away but knew what was going on, tried calling OnStar to get them to honk our horn. We had let our service expire, though, plus in a lot that size, I don’t think it would have helped.

About 10 minutes later, my wife asked one of the lot attendants where they might have parked if they showed up somewhere around 9:15 or 9:30. I wouldn’t have known this, because I was at around mile 17. But apparently, they were likely either in lot 4 or lot 5. Tiff called me and told me this.

I walked to lot 4, which was in the middle of the parking lot, not all the way over to the right, where everybody was certain the car was. But you know what? Lot 4 was … surrounded by a fence. As soon as I saw it, I knew, based on the ridiculous clue from my dad, that the Suburban was in there. I also knew, since everybody was so adamant about it being in these second row all the way over to the right, that all I had to do was walk in on the right side of the lot, turn down the second aisle and I’d find it.

That’s what I did, and sure enough, about 20 cars down was the one we’d spent 90 minutes searching for. Yeah, I’m the one who found it in that massive parking lot, even though I was the only one who wasn’t there when it was originally parked. Thanks to my dad for the clue, huh?

I called Tiff and told here where it was and I didn’t move an inch. I just waited. Within 10 minutes, I finally got to sit down. I’d been on my feet for a good six hours at that point if you count the 20 minutes before the race.

I knew even before we found the car that I’d be telling the story for years. But now, I also make very certain to text myself where I parked the car before a race so I don’t have a repeat of this episode.

Ask Me Anything!
I don’t really remember how, but I came upon a site called Formspring earlier this year. I got a few questions over the weekend out of nowhere, so I answered them. It’s kind of fun (well, at least for me), and if you’ve had any questions you ever wanted to ask me, you can do so anonymously and get your answer. Ask away at www.formspring.me/operationjack!

Operation Jack Marathon
We’re less than four weeks away from the Operation Jack Marathon! If you haven’t registered, or even seen what it is, take a look! If you’re not going to be in the area, take a look at our Satellite Run option. I have some Satellite Run registrants I need to put on that list. Sorry about the delay — I’ll get you up today.

And I think that’s all for today. Have a great Tuesday … I’ll be back here with a guest blog for tomorrow!

Weekend Recap: Living Like You!

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I hope you had a weekend that was half as good as mine. Because if you did, you had a great weekend. Is this how the rest of you live? I can’t wait until next year, when I get to spend two days a week with my family and not working! What a concept!

Real quick, just in case you’ve never been here before, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 7-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I want to try to make a difference, and I want Jack to have an impact on the world, so I’m attempting to run 61 full marathons this year and raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. I named this endeavor Operation Jack after him, because I wouldn’t be doing this if not for him.

On Friday, I ran marathon No. 56 of the year, the Wishbone Run in Gig Harbor, Wash. It was a pretty challenging run on trails covered by snow, ice and mud. You can read my recap here.

Anyways, I frequently run down my weekend adventures in my blog. Normally, I’m out of town somewhere and I have anecdotes to relay. This weekend, since it was the Thanksgiving holiday and I raced on Friday, I actually got to take two days off and spend time with my family — something I haven’t been able to do since I ran in Texas on Friday, January 1, then flew home that night.

Thanksgiving Day
I spent the day with my family, sleeping in and then eating pumpkin pancakes with my kids. I hate to brag, but my wife Tiffany makes some incredible pumpkin pancakes.

We hit Thanksgiving Dinner #1 at my in-laws’ house, where I loaded up on turkey and stuffing. My father-in-law is a big Cowboys fan, so it was nice watching his team fall down big in a hurry. When I ran my mouth about the score, he asked me if my Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders were on TV as much as his Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. I told him they had a much better chance of being on TV in January!

We headed over to Thanksgiving Dinner #2 at my parents’ house, which was about a mile away. I loaded up on my stepmom’s sweet potato dish, plus peanut m&ms and ice cream cake. I had to leave straight from there to go to the airport to fly to Seattle, but it wasn’t too terrible, because I knew I was going to be home and on weekend on Friday night.


Me and Ava at dinner #2.

The flight to Seattle was pretty empty, plus I had free wi-fi. I got a little bit of work done and posted some pictures to Facebook. My dad was amazed I could post pictures to Facebook from a plane. I was more amazed he was on Facebook.

Then I Ran A Race
I already mentioned it earlier in the blog. It was pretty darn tough for me. Oh well, five to go!

One Of The Benefits Of Operation Jack
Just about every week, I get to meet up with people who have been a part of Operation Jack. This week, it was Melissa Gillespie and her family. I met up with them in June when I was up in town for Seattle Rock ‘N Roll. They drove close to 80 miles to see me. This time, I figured I’d head over their way, especially since I had a considerable amount of time.

Melissa is awesome. She’s a mother of three, including a son with autism, so we have a lot in common. She’s always there as a voice of reason for me. I love to throw pity parties for myself, and she’ll always drop me a note behind the scenes that gets me back on the right track.

Her husband Quinton is in the Navy and I didn’t get to meet him in June, but I did on Friday. It was fascinating talking to him about his duties. I won’t get into details, but I’ll just say that I have huge respect for what he does to make sure we can enjoy peace and freedom. Melissa has to make sacrifices, too, and I have a ton of respect for her, too.

Anyways, I told Melissa I wanted to take a picture with him because I had a caption I wanted to write and I doubt I’ll ever have another opportunity to use it.


Sam Quinton

Cashing In My Birthday Present
Last Monday was my birthday. Tiff bought me a gift certificate for a massage and scheduled a 9 a.m. appointment for me to go in and get it. It was awesome and it came at a perfect time. I was in a ton of pain — much more than normal — after Friday’s race. It hurt for me to roll over in bed! So the massage was pretty nice. I had a sports massage once, but that was it. I had never had a relaxation massage before. The only problem was having to drive afterwards. I was totally groggy!

I Still Have Friends!
About a week ago, I coordinated having a barbecue at my house with a couple of my best friends and their families. Late Saturday morning, we were all on the fence about whether we should have the barbecue or make an In-N-Out run, so we combined the two and had everybody over and brought In-N-Out in! The food was great, the kids all played together, and the grown-ups had a great time hanging out. I’m somewhere in between a kid and a grown up, but I chilled with the big people.

Is this what you guys all do — have friends and spend time with them? It was awesome!

Date Night (Almost)
Tiff and I were going to go to the movies, but babysitting fell through at the last minute due to a family emergency. Everything is fine, but we stayed in. She rented Eat, Pray, Love from Redbox and I’m proud to say that we squashed that after about 20 minutes. What a boring flick!

We hung out, ate nachos for dinner and watched a special about Woodstock on the History Channel, then polished off some mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was nice to hang out with Tiff on a Saturday night. We haven’t done that very often this year.

I Managed Some Shopping On Saturday
From the comfort of my kitchen table, I purchased my airfare to Jacksonville on Saturday night. I now have ZERO airline tickets to purchase the rest of the year! Yeah!

Zinger Of The Week
We went to church as a family on Sunday morning. My race on Friday was on a trail course with tough conditions, so it was the slowest marathon I’ve ever run. We sat with some friends and we sat down, one of them told me, “Wow Sam, good to see you. I didn’t know if you’d still be here or if you were still finishing up that race in Washington.” OUCH!

I got my maple old-fashioned donuts I like and the message was good. This “good weekend” thing was still rolling and I was loving it!

Housecleaning Competition
Tiff took Jack to go grocery shopping and we had some housework to do. The playroom needed to be cleaned, as did the kids’ bedrooms. I had Ben and Ava competing against each other to see who could clean better. I took care of the staircase and then the kitchen. I also snuck in a little bit of the Green Bay-Atlanta game.

They both did pretty well and Tiff was pleasantly surprised when she came in. That’s all that really matters, right?

No Weekend Is Complete Without …
A trip to Home Depot, right? I didn’t do a ton of stuff around the house, but I did fix our front door handle, which was loose, plus I changed out a bad light switch. I also caught some of the Philadelphia-Chicago game.

After I got back from Home Depot and before I did the work, I had lunch with the kids. We had grilled chicken panini sandwiches. Those sandwiches Tiff makes are amazing. Absolutely my favorite sandwich. And she hooked me up with sweet potato fries!

No Weekend Is Complete Without …
A trip to the park, right? I took Ben and Ava yesterday afternoon for a little while. They had a good time. Actually, we had a good time. You know what I’m saying.

And then …
We went to Target, then came back and played with Jack as part of his therapy session for a little while. He was having a blast and was in a great mood. He was getting pretty wild, which was a lot of fun. Tiff made homemade soup for dinner (chicken noodle with chicken) that was pretty good and we ate together, which was nice.

Irony Of Ironies
If you’ve been following along this year, you know I love ice cream. I had a streak of 166 consecutive days eating ice cream or frozen yogurt this year. Well last night, Tiff sent me to the grocery store because she wanted me to pick up ice cream for her! Maybe there’s something in the air in my house and she caught the disease?

She wanted Dreyer’s Candy Cane flavor, but they were out, so I picked her up Dreyer’s Apple Pie instead after texting her to let her know what was available. Good stuff — only 120 calories per serving, plus it has chunks of apple and crust in there.

We put the kids to bed, then chilled on the couch. I wrote this blog, then got some ice cream. She ate ice cream and watched some ridiculous housewives show.

All-in-all, an amazing weekend. I can’t wait for 2011! Is this how y’all live? It was amazing!

Have a great Monday, everybody. I’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Race Report: Wishbone Run

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I headed into Friday’s Wishbone Run in Gig Harbor, Wash., knowing it wasn’t going to be an easy race for me. Granted, none of my 86 previous lifetime marathons and ultramarathons have ever been easy. But I figured this one would be unusually difficult. Sure enough, I ran my slowest-ever marathon, a 4:14.

Just in case you’ve never been here before, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 7-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I wanted to do something to try to make a difference in his honor, so I’m attempting to run 61 marathons in 2010 to raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. Friday’s race was No. 56 of the 61 — still on track!

The Wishbone Run is a small trail run with about 100 participants. It’s billed as a 27.4-mile trail race, four loops of a figure-8 style course. It was fairly cold, mid-30s to low 40s, and the footing was very difficult. Virtually the entire course was covered in snow, ice, mud and rocks. The course was a very pleasant run, though. Every step was in a plush forest.

We got going and spread out fairly quickly and I had all the space I needed within a 1/2 mile or so. Trail running is very different than road running. You have to work pretty hard to keep your balance because of the uneven footing. As a result, you’re using a lot of the muscles in your legs you don’t normally use and you felt pain differently and quickly.

Adding to the challenge was the mud and ice. The trail was slippery, plus at least a dozen times I ran across what I thought were going to be mud patches only to crash through ice into ankle-deep puddles of freezing water. I never lost my balance, but about seven or eight times I came pretty close to rolling my right ankle.

Within the first five or so miles, I knew my goal for the race would be to get through the course as quickly as possible while avoiding injury. I didn’t really have a time goal because you can’t compare a finishing time on a course like this to a road course. They’re completely different. You can strive to run your hardest and be competitive in the overall standings, though. I’m normally anywhere from top 2 to 5 percent in a road marathon if I run well, so in a trail race, I’d be content with top 10 percent.

I hit the first loop in about an hour, but the second loop was a different story. Since the course was a figure 8, there was an aid table in the middle. We hit it twice per lap. So, there were basically three segments per lap. After the second segment of the second lap, I got turned around and accidentally ran that second segment again. The segment accounted for about half of the lap, so running it twice put me at about 16 miles halfway through.

It was also a bummer, because that was the most challenging portion. There was a hill that gained about 150 feet over roughly 1/4 mile, so to run that twice in about three miles was frustrating, especially because the second time I ran in I realized I’d taken the wrong turn.

I knew on the third lap I could run just the first and third segment, and in doing so, I would have covered every step of the course exactly three times. I explained that to the guys counting laps and they were cool with that. So, I did that and was back on track with one lap to go.

I finished out the race, enjoying the scenery but struggling through a lot of pain. My legs were sore, my right knee flared up again, I was blistering and my back was hurting really bad. There were a few points where my lower back started to go and I was afraid I was going to fall over. I made it through, but there were a few hills that were at the perfect angle to really cause some problems.

I love to run, and I love challenges, but I was pretty glad when this one was over. It was a tough, tough day. I went 4:14:40, my slowest marathon ever. I’m not sure how long the course really was. It was billed at 27.4 miles and that’s what everybody seemed to have on their Garmins, but I only got 26.45. I know with 100 percent certainty I didn’t short the course a single step, so I’m thinking that maybe all the trees affected the reading?

I don’t know my overall finish position, but I think it was somewhere around fifth or so. To me, that was an indicator that it was not an easy run. I really banged myself up in this one. I have the worst blister I’ve ever had on my right big toe, my right knee hurts on the outside worse than it has all year and I scraped myself up a little bit from the branches. This one really did a number on me.

So there you have it, marathon No. 56 of Operation Jack is in the books. Only five to go! Next up, Memphis and Las Vegas next weekend!


Forgot to get a picture at the finish line, so I had to get one in the mirror at the hotel.

Proof of the mud we ran through.