Thunderbolt

Switching from running three times a week to two (plus the long run) seems to be working out. I don't feel as overwhelmed and burnt out from running. The long run last week was just 10 miles and I felt strong at the end. Happy about that. I had to get up extra early yesterday and run by 6:00 am. Pretty tough on a weekday, but it went well. I wasn't exhausted at all during the day. Heck, it was so early in the morning that I nearly forgot I ran in the morning. Still, I slept hard last night, so I know my body was in need of a rest. I'm trying to pay close attention to what my body is telling me this time. We have passed the $4000 mark in fundraising. I now wonder if I'll make the $10K mark this year. Jules and I are feeling fried trying to raise money all of the time. We feel an obligation to do anything we can to bring inn moola to the CF Foundation. But lately it feels like that's all we're doing. I haven't written in months, except for my fund...

It's been a fairly mellow week here in Cali. I rode my bike Monday and this morning and only ran once (on Tuesday). I intended on running yesterday morning but my body said to rest and I decided to listen since we're only running 10 miles this weekend. We went to a parent/teacher conference for Sophie this morning. What a relief it was to hear that Sophie is doing so well and that we're doing just fine with her at home helping her out with her schoolwork. To say that all of this is new would be an understatement. It's amazing how much she's learning and how quickly she is grasping the concept of reading. That little girl really enjoys learning. It was interesting to hear her teacher talk about how much of an achiever she is. Sophie really strives to do everything the "right" way and to make sure all of her answers are correct. Part of me wonders how much of her desire to have everything in order is a response top the CF in our lives and the medica...

Ran 13 miles this weekend. This was a 3 mile increase over my last real long run, some four weeks ago. I felt very good for most of the run. Only at the very end, when we were trying to finish a 14th mile did my body tell me it was time to stop. The outside stresses have let up a little. We were approved for California Children's Services last week and I can't tell you how much relief I felt. I don't think I realized how big of a stress that was on me. I've raised about $3200 so far. Last year at this time I had raise over $7000. I know there are a lot of people who contributed last year, and who plan to give this year, who have not sent a donation yet. So, I'm trying not to let it bother me. Still, I have come to terms with the fact that I probably won't raise $15,000 this year. It was ambitious. Hopefully I can make $10,000. That would still be a remarkable achievement. That's all for tonight. Aloha

With the anniversary of the September 11th attacks and the ongoing war, the thought of what is a hero is often floating around in the old gray matter. Those men and women who are our public servants, fire fighters, police officers and teachers (to name a few) and those brave souls who are overseas facing gunfire definitely fall into the category of a hero. Still, when I think of a hero, I can't help thinking closer to home. In my family, we have one hero who may not be the most powerful person (yet) and he may not have an opportunity to save lives (yet). The fact that he's only about 3 years old may have something to do with that. Jacob is my hero. Each day he undergoes his treatments and he takes his medicines, he doesn't put up a fight, he just does them. He's at an age where he's begun to notice that he's doing things differently than any of the other kids. And it really does interrupt his life when he has to be taken away from his big sister or cousin...

HERE IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT MY FRIEND PETER THAT APPEARED IN LAST SATURDAY'S LA DAILY NEWS. RUNNING FOR OTHERS BRINGS FULFILLMENT By Carol Rock Staff Writer VALENCIA -- Everything's coming up roses for Peter Lyons. The coffeehouse worker has dropped 18 pounds and the feeling that he'd never be able to run more than a half-mile. Training for the Orange County marathon in December on a team supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the man who pours java for a living has found new friends and purpose. Most of it traces back to a little guy named John Ross Murphy, Lyons' 7-year old nephew who lives in Bossier Parish, La. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 11 months old, he inspires his uncle to do things Lyons never imagined he could. Thus, the rosy outlook. "65 Roses" is what some children call their disease because the words are much easier for them to pronounce. "The roses are also a way to describe the children, because most of them are diagnosed...

I hit a low point in training this past weekend. I’ve never felt so uninspired, uninterested, down on myself and lacking in energy than I did on Saturday. Oddly, I woke up that morning with a bundle of energy and felt like I’d be able to take on the ten mile run with no problem. Yet, it wasn’t meant to be that way. I arrived at the Pasadena Rose Bowl and Robert (our coach) was discussing over training. Everything he said at our morning meeting pointed to the feelings I’ve been having. Perhaps I have been over training. I had had no enthusiasm for a couple of weeks and the every day stresses just allowed for me to not work as hard. But I never expected what happened on Saturday to happen. I ran with my friend, Peter and we did a total of six miles out of the ten before I petered out. I mean, my body and mind just quit. I decided to walk the last three miles back to our cars. And Peter, being a nice guy, walked with me the whole way. I was disappointed in myself. I felt like ...

Sometimes I try to share letters or emails from friends and family that help me get motivated and rekindle the inspiration I need lately. This week has been hard in that my back continues to nag me and I've just been in a funk. The fundraising hasn't been going as well as I'd hoped, though it's still early. I did run this morning, but I'll tell ya, I could have easily stayed in bed and slept. And, wouldn't you know it, just as I'm settling into that funk, we received a wonderful email from our friend Amy Busic, in Cleveland. I'd like to share it with everyone: ****** HI Scott! I just read some of your journal online and I am sending you a big hug. I am glad that Jacob is feeling better, but how scary that must have been. I have recently been trying to understand my religious beliefs, and I have been reading about yoga and it's meditational benefits as well as studying about Buddhism. I wanted to share a mantra with you that my brother-n-law sent t...

Labor Day again. Spent the day lounging around the house with the kids. I didn't want to go out and DO something. I had this thought today... whenever we have a day off; we sometimes leave the house and go somewhere. Today I wanted to hang out at our house. I love this house. We've worked so hard to get it to a place that we love. It's nice just to be here. Of course, Julie is here every day, so I understand why she has to get out sometimes. I did not run this weekend. I woke up Saturday morning with my back flaring up. I had difficulty getting loose after climbing out of Jake's bed (he and his sister had taken my spot in my bed). I went to meet Peter at the Starbucks where he works and in the short ten minutes it took me to drive three, I knew I should not run at all that day, let alone 12 miles. The back seemed to calm down by the end of the day, but it was sore again yesterday morning. However, it was night quite as bad as the previous morning, so I was o...

Last Wednesday we went through something I never expected. It was quite... horrific is the only word that first comes to mind. Looking back, I guess we were all in a bit of shock when we went to the emergency room for Jacob. And when it happened again on Thursday, you couldn't help but look up and ask "why?" On Thursday morning, I tried to write down what I was feeling at that moment. I was fried and emotionally drained. Julie called soon after I finished writing this and I didn't post it. So here it is... At 2:30 yesterday afternoon Julie called me at work. She was panicked because Jacob had something called RECTAL PROLAPSE. It’s something that can happen with Cf patients. To best define it, I’ll refer to this definition I found online: “Rectal prolapse is a condition in which the rectum (the lower end of the colon, located just above the anus) turns itself inside out. In the earliest phases of this condition, the rectum does not stick out of the body, but a...