The Great Graduate

I'm excited to report Isaiah participated in a graduation a few weeks ago. When asked if he'd like to say something Isaiah's reply "Time for Oreo Cookies". If he only knew, it's always time for Oreo Cookies!

A Lot Going On...
I've been in contact with the Autism Society of America (ASA). They're affiliated with American Research Institute. Long story short (a quote form Alex), I've added a link to donate to ASA of Washington. This is significant for 2 reasons, any money donated to the Washington chapter of ASA stays in Washington and they except PayPal (just for you Chris).

On the Fitness Front

On Sunday, May 2nd, I participated in and completed my first half marathon. My goal was a 10:45 mile pace. My actual was a 10:23 pace. I believe I could have done better but for this being my first time (ever) running that far, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.
For those who are interested, click here to view my race profile (thanks Garmin).

10 Things

I got the below list from an Autism workshop our church conducted. When I read the list, it made me very sad. If you know Isaiah, or any child with autism, it will make you sad too.

10 things every child with autism wish you knew:

1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person


2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me.


3. Please remember to distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I’m not able to).
   When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$@, Billy. $%^*&^%$&*" Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It’s time to go to lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it’s much easier for me to comply.


4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It’s very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running." Don’t tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This will be easy for you to do."


5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation, or other signs that something is wrong.


6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn.
   


7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do. Like any other human, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough or that I need fixing.


8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it’s just that I simply don’t know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation.


9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.


10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can’t she ... ?" You didn’t fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you wouldn’t like being constantly reminded of it. I didn’t choose to have autism. Remember that it’s happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you I’m worth it.

It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.

Training Update

I've increased my cycling and run miles considerably. However, my weight loss has hit a standstill. My guess is, with all the cardio work I do, my lower body is getting stronger (more muscle) but my upper body is getting weaker (less muscle). I'm going to begin an upper body strength program designed to make you stronger and leaner. I hope the extra muscle mass with aid in fat burning.

Also, I've entered the Tacoma half marathon. 13.1 miles! This will be my longest ever running event but it's the next step in the progression. My goal will be 10 minute mile pace for the entire run. If I break 9:45 I'll be stoked. Wish me luck.

Why do you do it

I watch a lot of cycling and triathlon shows on TV (that you Universal Sports). As Gina and I watch these shows she will frequently make the comment "Those people must love pain". I don't really know how to respond to that statement so I don't. But, while talking to my friend Sean yesterday, he made a statement that really defines why people do these crazy endurance activities. As we were discussing my grandson Isaiah's nightmare life and how he goes through each day, I said "if Isaiah can wake up in the morning with a smile on his face, then I can endure a little pain to try to help him". Sean's reply was this..."It's great that you found the thing that motivates you. Now, I just need to find MY thing". That's when it hit me. The answer to Why is different for me than it might be for you. I have a young boy who gives me strength through a handsome, toothy smile and a two simple words, "Hi Papa". I challenge you to do something to make a difference to someone. I promise it'll be one of the most rewarding, life changing acts you will ever do. With that, I'm going to make an effort to motivate you through this blog with stories of people who found their motivation. Most of what I find will be sports/endurance related because that's what most interest me. However, I'll be happy to add a motivational story of other interest if someone sends it to me.

MEET HARRIET ANDERSON

Harriet has competed in the Ironman World Champ 18 times. Since her first race in 1989 she's missed triathlon’s most famous race only three times. She’s won her age group nine times. Anderson has never failed to place in the top five.

In the 2009 Ironman, eighty miles into the bike, Anderson is riding along smoothly. The 5:30 p.m. bike cutoff is a non-factor. Then, out of the blue, a male cyclist drifts beside Anderson from behind, clips her on the left side and knocks her to the ground.

“He didn’t say ‘On your left,’ ” recalls Anderson. “He just bumped right into me and I went sliding down on my right side.”

Anderson stopped to assess the damage. Her shoulders and ribs were sore. So was her right thigh where she landed. The bike took a hit, too. The brakes were rubbing on the rim of the tires. She released the brake lever and after at least a 10-minute delay, on she pedaled.

She still beat the bike cutoff by nearly an hour.

Harriet Anderson is 74 years old! How old are you?

For more on Harriet Anderson you can go to Unstoppable Harriet Anderson.

Frustration

It's been many days since I last wrote something. You get up earlier than the chickens, do your first workout, get ready for work, go to work, come home, do your 2nd workout then call it a day. There's no time to keep the blog updated! Until you realize, I watched TV for at least an hour. What a waste of time. I also realized, I don't write the blog for you, I don't write it for me. I write for Isaiah. He doesn't complain, he just goes about his day dealing with life and the unfair cards he's been dealt.

Another reason for my frustration...

To date, I've seen no donation assistance for this cause except for me and a couple people who've never even met Isaiah or have Autism touch them in any way. At the same time, I've seen family members donate to the girl scouts, the annual local school kids selling their goods and other causes. Don't get me wrong, these things are important but are any of these things more important to this family than the disease that effects one of us? How many countless hours have YOU spent shopping on the internet, watching TV... and you can't take 5 minutes to donate a single dollar to help one of our family members. I don't get it.

Well, even through the frustration I've still been able to focus on training. My fitness level is the best it's been in 2o years. I'm to the point now where I actually look forward to running a 10k. Finding a swimming venue is still posing a challenge. I know I can do the bike leg, I'm pretty confident I can complete the run but the swimming is still the unknown. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.