Operation Jack

Fighting autism, one mile at a time.

Three Fun Things From The Triple Weekend

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I’m not going to write a ton today for my weekend recap, because to be quite honest, I’m short on time and I want to do a blog on the anatomy of a three-marathon weekend. But I do have three fun things from this weekend that I want to share.

Real quick, in case you’ve never been here before, click here to see why I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year to help raise money and awareness for Train 4 Autism.

Over the weekend, I ran three marathons as part of the Tahoe Triple.
– Friday: Emerald Bay Marathon
– Saturday: Cal-Neva Marathon
– Sunday: Lake Tahoe Marathon

I finished third overall in the Tahoe Triple to cap off a tough month. I ran two ultramarathons (timed races in which I ran 45 and 54 miles) plus five marathons with an average starting elevation of more than 7,100 feet and an average finishing altitude of more than 6,400 feet. Seven races … thank goodness all I have on the schedule for October is six marathons!

I’m calling three as the number of the day, since I finished in third place in a three-marathon competition. I’m pounding myself into the ground for charity, not for fun. So if you’re glad you have your legs and not mine this morning, I’m begging you to make a contribution of $3 (or more if you so desire) to help fight pediatric cancer. I know I’m taking a slight detour from my passion, which is fighting autism, but it’s for a great cause.

And heck, while I’m at it, can I ask you for another favor? I haven’t done a “spread the word campaign in a little while, so if you’re on Twitter, don’t hesitate to let people know about me, and if you’re on Facebook, direct people to the fan page!

Now, on to the three funny things I wanted to share from this weekend.

My Flight Attendant Had More Jokes Than Me!
If you’ve ever been on a flight, you’re probably familiar with the safety instructions they tell you at the beginning. Seat belt, flotation device, emergency exits, etc. Well, the flight attendant giving the instructions over the PA on my flight back last night was firing off the jokes, and I just had to share. Here were some of her nuggets:

– “Just in case you haven’t been in a car since 1950, this is a seat belt.”

– “In the event this flight turns into a cruise, underneath your seat you’ll find a Big Bird flotation device with a matching Louis Vuitton belt. Look for the exits. When you get out there, row, row, row. We’ll be behind you with peanuts and an open bar. When you’re safe, the flotation device will be yours to keep.”

– “If the cabin loses pressure, these cups will drop down. Don’t scream or panic — that will really annoy your neighbors. Instead, just put the mask over your face and breathe normally. If you don’t know how to breathe normally, just breathe however you normally breathe. If you’re traveling with two or more children, what are you thinking? On the bright side, this will be a great time for you to pick the one with the most potential.”

– “It is a federal offense to tamper with the smoke detectors and web cams in the lavatories …”

– “Soft drinks are complimentary. Beer, liquor and cheap wine are all $5.”

– “Raise your hand if you’re feeling warm! Good, now while your hand is up, turn on your fan.”

– “If you look up, you’ll see a button with a hairy lightbulb. If you press that button, it will turn on the light. Next to it, you’ll see a button with a flight attendant. If you press that button, it will not turn on the flight attendant.”


The hairy lightbulb: I looked like an idiot taking this picture with my phone.

Sign Of The Week
I’ve never seen a sign like this one. So I took a picture.


I’m not really going to explain this.

I Wonder If This Has Ever Been Booked
So here’s the motel I stayed in over the weekend.


I know, looks fancy. But it’s not.

They have a gazebo for weddings in the parking lot. I mean, I guess to each their own, but do people actually get married at the parking lot of the Rodeway Inn?


That’s my rental car. $17/day and chrome rims!

OK, that’s all for today. Oh yeah, and my Chiefs are 3-0! And my Wildcats are 4-0! I’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Race Report: Lake Tahoe Marathon (Tahoe Triple #3)

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I headed into Sunday’s Lake Tahoe Marathon, the third and final leg of the Tahoe Triple, dreading the final challenge of the weekend. I don’t fear running marathons, but I don’t enjoy pain. And I knew it would be close to four hours of pain.

I had heard that the course had a reputation of tough hills and when I drove the course on Saturday, I was able to visually confirm that reputation. There were two good climbs after mile 15. One was about two miles long and gained a good 700 feet, and the other was less than a mile and probably gained 300-400 feet. Those hills are tough at sea level. Tackling those up near 7,000 feet is something else.

So, I had some apprehension heading into the race, but at this point, I just run through pain for 26 miles on a weekly basis. I expected that to be the case today. Before the race started, my hamstrings felt pretty tight. I felt fairly good aside from that, but I’m more used to fighting through quad pain so I was a bit concerned.

Mentally, I planned on taking the first four miles as a warmup and then pushing a little harder when I felt loose. My goal for the day was to break 3:45. I also had outside hopes of capturing third place in the Tahoe Triple overall for the weekend. I entered the day in fourth place, trailing third place by about 10 minutes. I felt confident that I could run well, because if nothing else, running marathons through pain and fatigue is what I do on a weekly basis nowadays. I don’t have speed, but I can edure.

So, we took off and I didn’t feel great, but I moved fairly well. At a solid effort, I was turning 7:50 miles, which is a decent pace for 6,300 feet. I settled into a groove and felt decent by about four miles in. I caught the third-place runner by about mile 6 and we chatted for a bit. I asked him what he typically runs and he’s a 3:10 runner with a 3:04 PR, so I knew I was competing with the right caliber of runners.

By mile 7, he had to let me go. He told me he was shooting for a sub-4 because he was feeling pretty beat up. He ran the Triple four years ago, so he knows how he handles the breakdowns. I figured that if I ran my race and stayed strong, I’d have a pretty good chance at third place.

The first half of the race wasn’t tremendously challenging, other than the altitude. Some rollers up and down, but we stayed fairly level in the 6,300-foot range. I hit halfway right around 1:45, which I was pretty content with. The first hill, which they call the “hill to hell” came a little after 15. I knew it was a beast, but I just told myself that I only had five miles left in the triple. It’s all downhill and flat from 20, so I just wanted to get myself to that point.

The hill was a killer and the sun started peaking out. I ran the whole thing, because once I take walk breaks, I’ll shut down mentally and convince myself that more walk breaks are okay. A little before I got to that hill, I passed the runner who was second overall in the Triple. He had 25 minutes on me, but it was a pretty good confidence boost — I knew I was running well.

Between the first and second big hill in the second half, there’s a big downhill and I took it pretty hard. I wanted to get my turnover going and keep moving as fast as I could towards the finish line. As I told several runners over the weekend, the faster you run, the sooner you’re done! My left hamstring started to get pretty tight and my right knee started to hurt. I get tendinitis flare-ups in that knee occasionally, and it didn’t surprise me to feel it after 70 miles of racing on hills in about 50 hours.

The second hill was very steep, but I told myself that once I peaked, I was done for the weekend. My legs would turn themselves for the last 10K! I got to the top, and we were right where we started the first day. I had run around the entire lake! I had a pretty good view at that point and it was kind of mind-boggling that I had run all the way around. I try to think of running a marathon as 26 one-mile laps, and I know how my body reacts as the race progresses. I try not to think about how far I’m actually running.

Anyways, the last 10K starts with a pretty steep downhill and I did all I could to move my legs as fast as possible without losing my balance. I was moving at about a 6:50 pace — the faster I run, the sooner I’m done!

I was looking like I was in pretty good shape for a sub-3:40, which would have been an amazing day in my book. Times are relative to the course, and for my ability, a sub-3:40, especially on day three, would have been pretty nice. But I hit the wall hard at mile 23. From about 21 on, I was really wanting the race to be done, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t move my legs. I had been turning at about an 8:00 pace on fairly level ground and that dropped to about 10:00/mile.

I tried to take shorter strides and increase my turnover, but that barely worked. I also started to feel pretty nauseous, but there was nothing I could really do. I just needed to get the race over with. I got near the finish area and saw the finish line about 3/10 of mile ahead and did my best to kick. My 3:40 was long gone, but I had a chance at staying below 3:44. I crossed the line in 3:43:50 and was finally done! The guy who started the day in third place in the triple standings went 3:58, so I took third overall out of about 100 or so people who entered.

For the first time in a long time, I was actually very happy with my effort and output for a run, really more for the series of runs over the weekend. This wasn’t a course I could be blazing fast on, but I felt like I ran hard all three days and really pushed through and battled. By the end of this race, I was completely beat up. It’s been an exhausting month from a racing perspective and I completely ran myself into the ground. I told people before the race that I’d give it my best and I know I did that.

It’s incredibly satisfying to leave it all out there and I know that I did that. Now, I just need to find my legs within the next seven days!

46 down (plus a couple of ultras), only 15 to go! Next up, St. Charles, Mo.!


Done, done, done! I was too tired to stand for my finish-line picture. Please forgive me!

Some of us lunatic triplers before the start of the race.

Me and a friend of mine named Katie before the race. She’s an Operation Jack supporter and will probably comment on this race recap.

Me and Katie after the race.

Race Report: Cal-Neva Marathon (Tahoe Triple #2)

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I headed into Saturday’s Cal-Neva Marathon expecting the easiest run of the three marathons I’m running in three days for the Tahoe Triple. The race might be the least difficult of the three, but it was far from easy.

I iced my legs in Lake Tahoe twice on Friday, stretched, took some ibuprofen, carb-loaded with an all-you-can-eat pancake feast at Denny’s and got a fair amount of sleep, so I didn’t feel too bad when I woke up. When I got to the start line, I had a “here we go again” mentality. Running marathons is what I do. Time to do it again.

During the pre-race instructions, we were told that it would be downhill for the first seven miles and then flat for the next 12. We’d hit a hill near the finish. Fair enough, I can handle that, not that I have much of a choice.

It was chilly at the start and with an elevation of 6,830 feet, it was pretty oxygen-free, too. Sure enough, we were running downhill right away, but I didn’t have any zip in my step. I wasn’t really sore (well, maybe a touch in my hamstrings), but my speed just isn’t there right now. My stride is strong, but my turnover is weak. It’s part of being beat down from fatigue, plus I’ve taken it easy during training in September because my schedule for the month is challenging for me (one double, two ultras, one triple, five marathons starting at 6,400 feet or above, seven races total) and I just need to get through.

I couldn’t run very fast, but I had the feeling I’d just pound away consistently and finish another race without much issue. During the early downhill stretches, there were some uphill portions that were a little tough. Not ridiculous, but I saw a man who was in fifth place at the time walking up them and we were only five miles in.

There also some uphill portions between miles 7 and 19, including a pretty good climb somewhere around 15 or so. I was running in fourth place from about mile 11 on and didn’t see anybody ahead of me until about 15, when I spotted the third-place runner about a quarter-mile up. He was taking walk breaks periodically and I was gaining on him.

I finally got on his heels by about 17, but I couldn’t pass him. He was faster than me when we were running and when I’d catch him on his walk breaks, he’d start running again. I just kept chipping away and he couldn’t fight me off and we started leapfrogging each other at about mile 19. At that point, I really wanted third place and I hoped I could keep it close because I knew I could outkick him. I had no idea how fast he could kick, but I knew I’d get him if it was close.

He was a really nice guy named Ryan, from Minnesota, we chatted a bit since we were so close to each other. He passed me and I started to fade at around 22 and got about 1/4 mile ahead of me again. There was a pretty tough climb at about 23 and I started to close on him as he took walk breaks. But when we crested, there was a long downhill section and I had nothing. Normally, that’s where I’m strong. But I couldn’t go to well and it was too early to kick.

I thought I had no chance at him, but I started to go at 24.75 anyways. No sense leaving anything out there. So I kicked and started to move pretty well. That’s tough to do when you’re well above 6,000 feet! I was gaining on him and he was taking walk breaks. And I gained on him and gained on him some more.

He knew I was coming and started moving a little bit, too. I closed the gap and really thought I was going to pass him. I wasn’t exactly sure where the finish was going to be, but I was right on him. I had closed to maybe 20 yards or so and I was closing fast. And there it was. The white chalk line. We were done and I was at the finish until about one second away.

If the race was 50 yards longer, I would have had it. Oh well, I guess I had to settle for just a marathon! But it was a lot of fun racing hard at the end like that. I was pretty out of breath at the end, but I was telling him and his crew how much fun I had in that race. I have no doubts that we were each about two minutes faster than we would have been if not for the other. We really pushed each other and it sure is fun to race to the finish.

I went 3:36:12, obviously good for fourth overall. I talked to the winner, who went 2:57, and he’s a 2:30 marathoner. So that made me feel good about my efforts. I knew the Tahoe Triple would be tough because it’s three marathons in three days. But either of these two races would make for a tough weekend. I rode Sunday’s course after the race and it looks even tougher than Friday’s run. This Tahoe Triple is three brutal races in three days.

After the first two legs, I’m fourth in the overall Triple standings and that’s where I suspect I’ll end up. But there are no guarantees of anything for anybody out there. Sunday’s race will be tough, so I’ll go out there and do my best. That’s all I can do!

So, for the weekend, two down, one to go. And for the year, 45 down (and a couple of ultras), only 16 to go!


Done!

Me and Ryan after the race. Two down!

Using the lake for an ice bath after the race.

Race Report: Emerald Bay Marathon (Tahoe Triple #1)

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I’ve been dreading the Tahoe Triple for a little while. September has been a long month from the running and racing perspective, and three marathons in three days at elevation on hills hasn’t sounded too appealing. On paper, it looks frightening to me. But none of that compares to actually getting out there and doing it. I ran the first leg of the Tahoe Triple Friday, the Emerald Bay Marathon, and it was even tougher than I thought it would be.

I tried not to think about what I was doing as we got ready to start. I’ve never run three marathons in three days. I’m not very good at elevation — I’m a sea-level guy. And I’m totally beat up right now. I checked the elevation on my Garmin, 6,850 feet or so, and mindlessly got ready to run. That’s what I do — I run marathons — so I’d just go out and run 26.2 miles like I always do.

Vaguely knowing what I did about the course, I was hoping to run a 3:40 or better, but I didn’t worry about it. I knew I’d go out, run myself into the ground and get to the finish line as quickly as I could. If that meant 3:40, then that’s what it meant. If it took 4:00, so be it.

We got going on a big downhill early on a winding road and we had to go single file to avoid traffic. The views of the lake were amazing, and the forested areas were very nice, too. I was moving all right early, but definitely not fast. I had no spring in my step and I definitely realize at this point that I have dead legs.

I felt nauseous for quite a while. I was sick to my stomach and pretty miserable. I know this is probably too much information, but I threw up a little bit in my mouth at about mile 10. It was just a little bit, but it was gross. I’d never done that in a race before.

My stomach started feeling a little better by about halfway through, but I felt like I had nothing physically. We bottomed out somewhere around 6,200 feet and started a series of gradual uphill climbs. I think I hit the half in about 1:45 or so. I don’t really remember and I wasn’t really concerned. I just knew to keep running hard so I could finish the run.

By about mile 16, I hit a point where I shut off the competitive switch mentally, because I knew there was nothing there. It was kind of a primal feeling. I was just running, looking at the trees and the laking, pushing myself with all that I had (or didn’t have), trying to get to where I had to go. It was a nice, albeit painful, feeling at that stage.

I kept rolling, but the miles were pretty slow. They were well into the 9s, which is a crawl for me. I knew there was a hill coming up at mile 23, but I had no idea exactly how difficult it would be. People can describe them in words all they want, but until you run it, you can’t feel it.

At mile 23, we were at about 6,300 feet. And then we started climbing. And climbing. I thought it was only a mile long for some reason, but we were still climbing at 24. I was shuffling at about a 12-minute pace. I was still shuffling at that speed as we continued to climb through 25. Around every turn, I thought it would level out, but I kept seeing more of the hill. We finally peaked at about 25.5. Elevation was 7,038 feet. That had to have been the worst hill I’ve ever run up in a race.

We made a turn off the road we were on down to the finish. I didn’t know what to expect for the finish line, so when I closed in and saw a man sitting at a table next to a chalk line, I asked if that was the finish and it was! Thank goodness! I crossed through to complete the toughest marathon I’ve ever run. No question about it. That was brutal! The hills, elevation and late climb made it an incredibly challenging run. But it was beautiful and it was nice to be out there running.

On a side note, and a pre-triple dinner event the night before, I was recognized for what I’m doing with Operation Jack, so it was nice that a lot of people heard about what we’re trying to do.

Anyways, I finished in 3:49:42, and really, that doesn’t even faze me. In May I might have cared. Right now, I don’t. I went out, I gave it my all, and I wore myself out for Operation Jack. That’s what I’m here to do, so I’m glad that’s what I did.

44 and a couple of ultras down, 17 to go. Next up, leg 2 tomorrow!


I knew I was about to run a marathon, but I really didn’t know what I was in store for! The lake looked nice, though.

Done! Time for pancakes!

It's September 22 … A Big Day In My Home!

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If you’ve come around here more than once or twice, you know I’m head-over-heels in love with my wife, Tiffany. Well, today marks 16 years to the day since I took her out on a date for the first time, so we celebrate this as an anniversary. So, I figured I’d dedicate this blog to her.

Real quick, just in case you’ve never been here, click here to see why I’m trying to run 61 full marathons this year for a great charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism.

OK, so here’s the quick rundown of how we started dating. We met on the newspaper at college. I was the sports editor, she was a good-looking newbie reporter. I tricked her into taking a women’s volleyball story so I could get to know her. The trick worked. We spent a lot of time working on that story and eventually, I worked up the courage to ask her out on a date on Sept. 21, 1994.

We went out on a date the next night, to a restaurant called Buffalo Ranch. I spilled my salad on my lap, but she didn’t really notice and I brushed it on the ground. We went down to Thalia Street in Laguna Beach for a walk on the beach. And then we went for a second walk on the beach, because I was too nervous to try to kiss her during the first walk. She forced the issue. Lucky me!

Anyways, I figure that for today, I’ll write down one quick memory, hopefully mostly funny, from each year we’ve been together.

1994: Meeting Her Parents
We had been dating a week or two. I went over to her house (she lived at home) to pick her up to go to a party. She had a midnight curfew, which I thought was funny since she was in college, but I respected that. She was very embarrassed about that and tried to talk her parents into easing that up.

Anyways, I got to the door and she told me to come in, because her parents wanted to meet me. That was fine with me — how bad could that be? The house was fairly dark, with just one lamp on at night time. She introduced me to her mom and I said hello. Then she said, “And this is my dad, Andy.”

So the first words he grumbles are, “So you’re the guy my daughter thinks she shouldn’t have a curfew for, huh?” Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you, too!

1995: She Followed Me To Kansas
At the time, my perspective was that she was moving out to Kansas, where I had transferred to go to Kansas State University, and she needed help finding a place. So, I called all the ads of people looking for roommates, I went and talked to people and I had her all set up. When she got to Kansas, she didn’t have a car, so I just gave her mine even though she didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. And she didn’t have any money, so I put her on my credit cards. I lived in my fraternity house and went to class. She worked two jobs.

Of course, from her parents’ perspective, she quit both her jobs, dropped out of school and bought a one-way plane ticket to Kansas, all in the course of a day. I was glad she was nearby. But I don’t think her parents were too big on me back then.

1996: Her 21st Birthday
Her birthday (December 16) was on a Sunday night, so I told her I was trying to get people together to go out, but I wasn’t having much luck because it was a work night. She was waiting at her parents’ house for me and the three other people who were going out to show up.

One by one, all of our friends called her up to apologize that they wouldn’t be able to make it out that night because it was a Sunday. Thank goodness that was before the days of caller ID, because she would have known that they were all calling from the pre-party at my parents’ house. She was beyond shocked when 18 of us piled out of two limousines to pick her up. Her parents were beyond shocked when about 10 of us piled into their house to use the bathrooms.

We had a great time that night. I think. I got cut off and then kicked out of the place we went to. I’m not going to say why.

1997: Frequent Flyer Miles
We left Kansas after 1995 and lived in Las Vegas in 1996. But I went back to finish up school in 1997 and we agreed to do the long-distance thing. I needed to focus and finish up my degree. We lived pretty far apart the entire year, and it was pretty tough. But we flew frequently. I’d fly west and she came to Kansas a few times.

One of those times she flew out was 13 years ago right now. On our September 22 anniversary in 1997, she was out there in Manhattan, Kan. with me, and we ate dinner at our favorite place in town, Harry’s Uptown. We ate there again in 1998, but we haven’t been back. One of these days we will.

1998: Surprise Visit!
I graduated from Kansas State University in December 1998. My brother, my parents and my grandparents all came out to visit. Tiffany couldn’t get the time off of work and was really upset that she couldn’t make it.

She called me up the night before my brother flew out and was crying on the phone, upset that she couldn’t be there. She was roommates with my brother in Las Vegas, so she put him on the phone after she was done talking to me. He was coming in on a redeye and renting a car, so he told me to leave my apartment unlocked so he could get in when he got there at 6 a.m.

No problem. I went out the night before, got my drink on, then crashed at about 2 a.m. I woke up at 6 a.m. to see Tiffany standing right there. What a great surprise! I was so glad she made it. We struggled so much to make it through those two long distance years and I’m glad she was able to see me graduate.

1999: May 23, Our Wedding Day
What more can I really say? I guess I have one quick anecdote. I lost 40 pounds in the three months before the wedding so I would look good for our pictures. Two nights before the wedding, I got a black eye. So much for the pictures, huh?

If you’re wondering what the other guy looked like, it was a doorknob. Two of my buddies were also a little drunk when they carried me in at the end of the night.

2000: Finding Out She Was Pregnant For The First Time!
I was the sports information director at a college and I was chit-chatting during halftime of a football game. I asked one of my co-workers about how the health care benefits were for when I had kids some day. They asked if there was something they should know, and I swore that no, there wasn’t. I wasn’t going to advertise that we were trying, but I figured Tiff would be pregnant within six months or so.

No more than three minutes later, she called me up screaming with excitement. Yes, she was pregnant! My co-workers thought I set the whole thing up. No, not at all. I was completely surprised! After the game, one of my student assistants asked me if I wanted a boy or a girl. That’s when I realized that after the whole “pregnancy” thing, there would be a baby as a party favor! Yikes! Me! A dad!

2001: A Romantic Valentine’s Dinner
So she’s about five months pregnant with our first child. I had planned on going out to Maggiano’s with her for Italian food. But on the way there, she changed her mind and said she wanted crab legs. I’m not a big crab legs guy, so I didn’t really know where to go. Red Lobster? I was going to make a call and find out where to go, but she knew where she wanted to go. She knew who made crab legs exactly to her liking. No matter what I said or where I suggested, she was dead set on where to eat for that Valentine’s Dinner when she was pregnant with our first child.

Yes, we went to Hooters.

2002: Wrong Restaurant In Puerta Vallarta
We were on a seven-day cruise and we stopped in Puerta Vallarta and had lunch at a restaurant the cruise ship recommended. While we were waiting for our food, a roach that was about two inches long walked across our table. We wanted to cancel our order, but the waiter wouldn’t let us. We were going to have to pay $40 to get out of there, so we decided to just eat anyways. We hoped it would be OK.

We went on a horseback riding excursion later that day. I got, hmmmmm, sick while we were out on that excursion in the middle of nowhere. I’ll just leave it at that. Tiff is probably laughing as she reads this.

2003: Tiff Can’t Surprise Me
Tiff called me up at work three times one morning about a month before my birthday asking for me to try to get in touch with one of my good friends for her. Then about an hour later, my mother-in-law called me from Tiff’s phone asking a question about seller integrity on eBay. I asked her what the seller’s star rating was, and she had no clue about what the eBay website looked like. When I asked her what she bought, she hesitated before saying, “Uh, a lamp?” I had used eBay a few times to buy and sell event tickets, and I knew my Chiefs were playing in San Diego the week after my birthday, so I knew what my present was. I told Tiff to be smarter about things and she got upset because she felt like she can never surprise me.

For that same birthday, we were talking and she was talking aloud to me, wondering how somebody was going to make it to my surprise birthday dinner at a restaurant called Javier’s. I reminded her that she was speaking out loud, and she got upset again about not being able to surprise me. I told her to pick a new restaurant and surprise me. The next day, I cleaned up all the files on the desktop on my computer. I took Benjamin to the park and when I came back, there was a menu downloaded to the desktop of a different restaurant. I told her to do that kind of stuff under her user account!

So a week later, it’s my birthday, and I’m hanging out at home by myself, watching Michigan-Ohio State. The phone rings and the caller ID says it’s that second restaurant, so I just let the call go. Somebody leaves a message confirming the party of 16 for 6:30 p.m. Oops, she did it again!

2004: OK, She Snuck One By Me
I was expecting a surprise party for my 30th birthday party, which fell on a Monday. The Friday before, right when I was on my way out the door from work, my dad called me up with a ridiculous request for computer help. I called up Tiff and she was way more willing than normal to let me go over there and help.

He stalled me with stupid questions for a good two hours. Finally, Tiff called over there and asked me to come home, and my dad dropped everything and ushered me out the door. My stomach was in knots. I thought I was going home to a party and I was on edge when I opened up the door.

Benjamin, who was 3 at the time, was sitting on the couch as I opened the door. He had a noisemaker and yelled, “Surprise Daddy!” as I walked in. Tiff was sitting there cracking up, because the house was calm and quiet.

She got me. The party ended up being the next night.

2005: Her 30th Birthday
For her 30th birthday, we had it all planned out. We were going to drive down to San Diego and have a nice night, sans kids. We had babysitting all lined up and were really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, all three kids were sick.

So we changed that to dinner out. We went to Fleming’s, a nice steak restaurant. We had never been to a nice restaurant like that. Those kind of things are way too expensive for us, but the food was great and we had a great time talking with each other for about three hours that night. It was the best meal we had ever enjoyed together, and to this day, it still probably is.

2006: I Was Hard On Myself Back Then, Too
I’ll always remember June 4, 2006, the day I ran my first marathon. It was in San Diego and Tiff and the kids came down to see me finish. I really wanted to run a sub-4, and Tiff knew that was my goal, but I knew by about mile 21 that it wasn’t going to happen. I got upset and just about started crying, because I felt like I was letting them down.

But then I pulled out a strip of pictures Tiff gave me to carry and started thinking about how fortunate I was to have them, because if I would have been paralyzed when I broke my neck when I was 16, I would have never met Tiff and there would be no Ben, Jack and Ava. I bucked up because I realized I didn’t let them down.

2007: One Proud Husband!
She trained for a 5K on July 4 and wanted to run it in 27 minutes, but paced it poorly and ran a 29. She wanted revenge two weeks later and ran another 5K, aiming for that 27-minute mark again. I hung out at the finish line with the kids, and hoped to see her reach her goal.

I saw her come around more than a minute early and go 25:40. I’ll never forget seeing her come around the corner right before the finish, her face red as she obviously labored through a tough run. I don’t really care how fast she runs. But to see her go out and reach for a goal and kill it with authority? I was so proud of her and I’ll never forget that feeling.

2008: A Tough Year
She’ll probably kill me for saying this, but 2008 was our toughest year ever. And I’m to blame. But we went out to dinner two years ago tonight and permanently resolved every issue we had. I feel like we’ve never been stronger than we’ve been the past two years. That dinner was the turning point. We’ve always been madly in love, but our relationship reached new levels for strength at that dinner.

We have plenty of memories, and that dinner is another one I’ll never forget.

2009: Long Beach Marathon
Best date ever! We went for 26.2 together! I trained her for her first marathon, and it was so wonderful to do that with her. As a marathon runner, I’d say that there’s nothing quite as enjoyable as running a marathon with your spouse. It was an awesome experience. She’s battled a lot of injuries, so I’m hopeful we can do that again. Maybe even just a half-marathon. I don’t care. I love running with her.

2010: We are BROKE!
For our wedding anniversary this year, she bought me a coffee mug that she was able to write her own message on. The message is “It’s our 11-year anniversary and all I could afford is this mug!” It’s my favorite coffee mug — I used it this morning. I love it, and someday we’re going to look back on it and laugh. I don’t care that we can’t afford anything. I have her, she has me, and we get to ride this roller coaster together.


My mug!

Tiff, I know you packed that pasta for me today, but I can eat that for lunch tomorrow and meet you at Chipotle in the Spectrum at about 11:45 so you can get back to the Ranch on time! I love you!

Oh, and for everybody else, if you read all the way to here, that means you must have liked what I wrote. If so, can you do me a favor? Click to my St. Jude Children’s Hospital page and donate a dollar to help me reach my goal?

That’s all! Have a great September 22 everybody!