Sam at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, 2010I can't imagine running even 1 Marathon.........ever. Beyond that, running more than one a year, seeing how my team trains for that, is remarkable.
Having said that, what Sam Felsenfeld is doing is, quite simply, mind boggling. Sam is attempting to run 6o marathons (no typo there folks......that's S I X T Y full marathons, in 2010.
Today he completed his 20th this year.......2 days after completing his 19th, and one week after completing # 17 and #18 in the same weekend.
All marathons are equal.........in distance, that is. They are all 26.2 miles. But there are marathons, and there are MARATHONS, and today's was a MARATHON....the Boston Marathon. The Granddaddy of Marathons. The 114th Boston Marathon. The world's oldest marathon. The Holy Graile of Marathons. You don't just get to go to the website, sign up, pay the entry fee, and run Boston. No. You have to qualify....run a certain pace according to your age....to be able to go. And then you have to register in time, because it has become so popular that the registration closes in record time these days. Tens of thousands of runners strive every year to qualify. Most don't make it. Sam did.....along with 25,000 other amazing runners (some from *my* team.)
Most of the other runners had done their 20 miler, their taper, their carb-loading, and tried to rest the night before Boston. There the similarities end. Sam ran a marathon last Saturday, one last Sunday, and one on the 17th....2 days before Boston. For Sam, there is no taper. Sam runs at least one marathon a weekend, sometimes 2, in honor of his son Jack, who had autism. Sam is trying to raise awareness of autism around the country, and to raise funds thru Operation Jack and Train4Autism, a group which allows athletes to raise funds for the autism-related charity of their choice. Members of Train4Autism have all been touched, in some way, by autism.....a child, the child of a friend, a cousin, aunt, neighbor....who has/had autism. Someone who meant enough to them to want to help make a difference, to help make their lives better.
Sam got up this morning and boarded the bus, just like the other runners. But there again all similarities ended. Sam had already raced in 19 full marathons THIS YEAR before today. 19!!! Plus a couple of 5k and 10k runs ......... just ......well, just because they were there, and so was he. And, in case you're curious, he has a job, and a family that he adores, and misses like oxygen when he's on the marathon trail. But his job has some flexibility built in, and his family totally supports what he is trying to accomplish. His wife, Tiffany, holds down the family fort, and counts the hours until Sam is home again.
I had the privilege of tracking Sam at the Boston Marathon today. With today's modern technology, I could enter his bib # at the Boston Marathon website and get updates at the 5k, 10k, 15k, and so on, through the finish. I was tracking members of *my* own team as well. Sam popped up first, and the race was on. 3 hours and 3 minutes and 48 seconds later Sam crossed the finish line, with his best time of the year, AND qualifying to run Boston again next year!!!
I just don't think I have superlatives adequate to discribe that.
I've never met Sam, tho I hope to one day. But I'm proud to write about him and to support what he's trying to accomplish. Asia will run her 100th race in his honor on June 6th.
Next weekend Sam will be racing in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Nashville on April 24th. If you're around, go cheer him on. If you're running that race, look for the guy in the Operation Jack shirt and give him a shout out. If not, check out his results at http://www.operationjack.com/ . If autism has impacted your life or the life of someone you know and love, and you're so inclined, make a donation.......or simply pass on the site to your friends.
Having said that, what Sam Felsenfeld is doing is, quite simply, mind boggling. Sam is attempting to run 6o marathons (no typo there folks......that's S I X T Y full marathons, in 2010.
Today he completed his 20th this year.......2 days after completing his 19th, and one week after completing # 17 and #18 in the same weekend.
All marathons are equal.........in distance, that is. They are all 26.2 miles. But there are marathons, and there are MARATHONS, and today's was a MARATHON....the Boston Marathon. The Granddaddy of Marathons. The 114th Boston Marathon. The world's oldest marathon. The Holy Graile of Marathons. You don't just get to go to the website, sign up, pay the entry fee, and run Boston. No. You have to qualify....run a certain pace according to your age....to be able to go. And then you have to register in time, because it has become so popular that the registration closes in record time these days. Tens of thousands of runners strive every year to qualify. Most don't make it. Sam did.....along with 25,000 other amazing runners (some from *my* team.)
Most of the other runners had done their 20 miler, their taper, their carb-loading, and tried to rest the night before Boston. There the similarities end. Sam ran a marathon last Saturday, one last Sunday, and one on the 17th....2 days before Boston. For Sam, there is no taper. Sam runs at least one marathon a weekend, sometimes 2, in honor of his son Jack, who had autism. Sam is trying to raise awareness of autism around the country, and to raise funds thru Operation Jack and Train4Autism, a group which allows athletes to raise funds for the autism-related charity of their choice. Members of Train4Autism have all been touched, in some way, by autism.....a child, the child of a friend, a cousin, aunt, neighbor....who has/had autism. Someone who meant enough to them to want to help make a difference, to help make their lives better.
Sam got up this morning and boarded the bus, just like the other runners. But there again all similarities ended. Sam had already raced in 19 full marathons THIS YEAR before today. 19!!! Plus a couple of 5k and 10k runs ......... just ......well, just because they were there, and so was he. And, in case you're curious, he has a job, and a family that he adores, and misses like oxygen when he's on the marathon trail. But his job has some flexibility built in, and his family totally supports what he is trying to accomplish. His wife, Tiffany, holds down the family fort, and counts the hours until Sam is home again.
I had the privilege of tracking Sam at the Boston Marathon today. With today's modern technology, I could enter his bib # at the Boston Marathon website and get updates at the 5k, 10k, 15k, and so on, through the finish. I was tracking members of *my* own team as well. Sam popped up first, and the race was on. 3 hours and 3 minutes and 48 seconds later Sam crossed the finish line, with his best time of the year, AND qualifying to run Boston again next year!!!
I just don't think I have superlatives adequate to discribe that.
I've never met Sam, tho I hope to one day. But I'm proud to write about him and to support what he's trying to accomplish. Asia will run her 100th race in his honor on June 6th.
Next weekend Sam will be racing in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Nashville on April 24th. If you're around, go cheer him on. If you're running that race, look for the guy in the Operation Jack shirt and give him a shout out. If not, check out his results at http://www.operationjack.com/ . If autism has impacted your life or the life of someone you know and love, and you're so inclined, make a donation.......or simply pass on the site to your friends.
