April 6th 4-7 pm at Cornell's - Mark Your Calendar!

Event Notice from SPEAC:

 

Please join SPEAC as we support Marathon runners Joe Markey and Jon Graziano, Saturday, April 6th, Cornell's Pub in Hopkinton, 4-7 pm.

Each runner has committed to raise $2,500 to support Special Education in Hopkinton! All are welcome to this informal get-together. Pizza & soda for kids will be available from 4-6PM. The gathering immediately follows the HPTA’s Children’s Gallery; so pick up your auction items and come on over!

We hope to see you there!

Please consider donating at the event or through Joe and Jon’s fundraising websites:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/joemarkey/BostonMarathon

http://gogetfunding.com/project/jon-s-marathon-for-speac-hopkinton

SPEAC's Mission

SPEAC believes in the importance of each child’s education, striving to continually improve the quality of Hopkinton's special education programs through a variety of programs, speakers, administration meetings, and community outreach services. We provide resources needed from the preschool age child to the high school graduate and beyond.

3 weeks until Boston!

Back on track with 67 miles for the past week.  Enjoyed a great training run on the Boston Marathon course yesterday with dozens of other Hopkinton Running Club runners.

I feel ready for the marathon; lately even runs greater than 15 miles feel too short.  

• March 18:  16.27
• March 19:
• March 20: 6.01
• March 21: 10.01
• March 22: 6.12
• March 23: 7.02
• March 24: 21.57

 

Other great causes - Hopkinton Public Library

With my own fundraising going really well, I'm happy to help other runners promote their great causes.  Meet Team Weeden, a husband and wife team running the Boston Marathon for the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation.  The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation’s mission is to raise private funds for the expansion, restoration and renovation of the historic Hopkinton Public Library.

Jamie and Treavor Weeden moved to Hopkinton in 2007 and have had their sights set on running the Boston Marathon ever since. They are excited to run the 2013 Boston Marathon for the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation because they believe renovating and expanding the public library will provide better resources, improve access to information and knowledge, and offer a much-needed meeting place for residents.

You can contribute directly to Jamie and Treavor's fundraising efforts right here: http://hopkintonpubliclibraryfoundation.org/treavor-weeden/

Inspired by their story?  Know someone looking to run the Boston Marathon and raise funds for the same cause?  The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation recently was given an additional marathon number.  Contact info@hopkintonpubliclibraryfoundation.org.

Hopkinton Elementary School Building Committee

I am really honored to have been recommended by the Superintendent of Hopkinton Public Schools and the Hopkinton Town Manager, approved by the School Committee and appointed by the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen to serve on the new Hopkinton Elementary School Building Committee. 

What I will bring to the Elementary School Building Committee:

• My role will be as an "at-large" representative of the interests of the people of Hopkinton. 
• I will bring my years expereince on various town boards including land use and planning, economic development, downtown revitalization, and affordable housing. 
• I hope to apply my professional experience in program management, process optimization, communications and market analysis, while also helping to bring together various Hopkinton constituencies to find shared interests that will help define a successful project.
• My goal will be to ensure a process that builds public confidence and addresses the physical and educational constraints of Center School with a solution that will be embraced by the community and pass a Town Meeting vote.

You can read more about the appointment and the committee formation here:

• Link to article in MetroWest Daily News, "Four named to Hopkinton elementary school building committee."

Other great causes - National Org for Rare Disorders

Week 13 wrapped up with 40 miles, much fewer miles than usual as I recovered from last Sunday's 30k race.  Thanks to everyone's generosity, my fundraising for Special Education Advisory Council of Hopkinton is now $1,000 past my minimum goal.

As a result, I'd now like to help some other running friends with their fundraising:
Please consider donating to Jen Tedstone's fundraising for the National Organization of Rare Disorders!

• Jen Tedstone of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, is running the Boston Marathon, fundraising for National Organization for Rare Disorders. 
• After participating as a spectator since childhood, Jen is now jumping in as a runner this year, alongside 15 other Genzyme Corp employees and a patient partner

• Jen is bringing attention to a rare disorder called Congenital Hyperinsulinism, which causes low blood sugar that can lead to brain damage, stroke-like symptoms, and cerebral palsy if not recognized and treated effectively early. 
• You can read more here about Jen's patient partner, 16 year old Ben. 

Addicted to Running (a haiku)

Have the standard running reports started getting stale?  ("65 miles this week. On target.") 

Well, let's try 5-7-5 haiku style for this report - words revealed as I lay awake last night for not running the day before:

Running Addiction

Tuesday sunrise run.

No running next day. Zero.

One day felt like weeks.

Click here to read more and make a contribution!

Stu's 30k Race Results, and Week 12 Training Report

Stu's 30k Race is a famously hilly 18.6 mile run around the Wachusett Reservoir.  It's a favorite for those preparing to run the Boston Marathon, just 6 weeks away.  I ran Stu's 30k 2013 on Sunday, March 3rd - my third year in a row.  Stu's is the first indicator of how my 2013 Boston training is going, since a planned half marathon I was going to run was canceled last week due to a snow storm.

Here's what I learned at Stu's:

• This year's training is paying off! My finishing time of 2 hours 10 minutes was 5 minutes faster than last year, averaging 7:00 minutes per mile and finishing in 29th place overall. 
• Experience counts on this course - here's a 3 year comparison of my splits 2013 is the blue line

 

Stu's 30k was a great wrap-up to week 12 of marathon training, bringing the weekly total to 62 miles:

• Monday, 2/25: 9.15 miles
• Tuesday, 2/26: 14.25 miles
• Wednesday, 2/27: 0 miles
• Thursday, 2/28: 10.04 miles
• Friday, 3/1: 7.11 miles
• Saturday, 3/2: 3.1 miles
• Sunday, 3/3: 18.73 miles

Click here to read more and make a contribution!

"Helping Autism With High Tech"

Here's excerpt and link to an article about technology that can be applied for parents and children with special needs:

"At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a number of companies displayed new technologies not specifically designed for people with autism, but whose advanced capabilities could be applied to help treat people with these special needs." 

Click here to read more about my fundraising and make a contribution!