2012 Northwestern CNADC Fundraiser

Jason on January 20, 2012

 

You are invited to the first ever

CNADC Community Fundraiser

with special guest Jason Boschan

 

Jason Boschan has partnered with the CNADC to raise funds in support of dementia research. Jason’s grandfather, Dr. Louis “Papa” Heyman, a pediatrician for 50+ years, was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a dementia that makes a person progressively lose the ability to communicate and comprehend language.

Jason is running the Great Wall of China Marathon in May 2012 to honor his grandfather and others battling this disease. He will be in Chicago the weekend of February 24-26 to run Hustle Up the Hancock (94 flights) as part of his training.

Please come out and support Jason’s journey and help him reach his goal of raising $50,000 for PPA research at the CNADC.

 Event Details

February 24th, 201

Rock Bottom Brewery

            1 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60654

Time:  6:00-9:00 PM

Tickets: $40 includes beer, wine and appetizers.

There will be a silent auction and a raffle with a chance to win great prizes.

                       

Click here to view Jason’s video!

For questions, please contact Kevin Connolly at 312-503-2832 or [email protected]

 

Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir

Jason on January 19, 2012

A Reservoir Run

This is what the Jackie Onassis Reservoir looks like on a warm summer’s morning. The colors are magnificent, the surrounding park is breathtaking and the city skyline reflects off the water.

In the novel Marathon Man, the main character muses that, “Whoever invented the reservoir must have done it with him alone in mind. It was without flaw, a perfect lake set in the most unexpected of locations.”

Anyone who has ever run, walked, or stood watching the sun rise or set over the water feels that same way. There’s a sense of space and solitude here, unlike any other part of the Park.

Unfortunately, I did not experience this particular scenery as I took a last minute trip to visit my sister in Manhattan before she jet-setted across the pond to study abroad in the UK. As usual, I stayed with my youngest brother Jared in his apartment and we had another epic weekend in the Big Apple which included many delicious meals, a handful of alcoholic beverages, some shopping at his favorite store UNIQLO, a Knicks game (where one team showed up), and of course, a run for the Run4Papa campaign.

Location: Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir, Manhattan, New York.

Temperature and Time: a brisk 19 degrees (not including the wind-chill), High Noon.

Running attire: beanie for head, scarf for neck, winter coat, two pairs of sweats, socks and running shoes (gloves were a big oversight).

Who wanted to be at Central Park in these conditions: not my brother (but he was a good sport).

What did the reservoir look like in January at eye level? See below.

Without much hesitation, Jared quickly filmed a segment on location and I jogged the couple mile route around the reservoir as my brother patiently waited for my return (his ears getting redder by the minute!). Not surprisingly, there were other people running and even one maniac in shorts and short sleeves! Despite the weather, the scenery was beautiful. The skyline was reflecting off the water and with the many of the tree leaves gone, you could see for miles and miles.

Throughout this journey, I have relished training in a variety of unique weather and terrain elements because it makes you constantly reassess your breathing and pace. Whether it’s a shorter run like this one, or a longer one like trail runs or half marathons, training in a tougher environment helps to minimize running mistakes such as jogging at too quick a pace and fighting through mental walls throughout a given race.

My philosophy has always been and will continue to be: “Running is 80% mental, 20% physical.”

And while my training methods are neither regimented or normal by anyone’s standards, I believe they provide consistent and improving pacing results in every race. A more concerted effort toward maximizing my training runs ultimately leads to less wear and tear on my knees and ankles. Through a strong sense of visualization and will-power, I will continue to put one step in front of the other toward this campaign and every run ahead.

To watch video commentary of this run, go to: Run4Papa Meets Jackie Onassis Reservoir

To see photos, go to: Jackie Onassis Reservoir

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Most Marathons Run In A Year

Jason on January 7, 2012

Texas Lawyer R. Laurence Macon Eyes Guinness Record

http://bit.ly/YNflWo

SAN ANTONIO, Jan 3 (Reuters) – R. Laurence Macon didn’t win Saturday’s New Year’s Double Marathon in the Dallas suburb of Allen. He didn’t even come in second.

But the prominent San Antonio trial lawyer hopes that he won something else: a new world record. The race was the 113th certified marathon that Macon completed in 2011, he said. And he did it on his 67th birthday.

“It’s a great birthday gift,” Macon told Reuters after completing the course.

The current record for the most marathons completed in one year by a male runner is 106, according to the Guinness World Records website. South Korea’s IM Chae Ho set that record in 2009 and Macon matched it in 2010, the site says.

“If Larry did complete the 113 marathons and sends in required documentation for our records management team to review, he will have broken the current record,” Sara Wilcox, a Guinness public relations and marketing assistant, told Reuters in an e-mail on Tuesday.

Macon, a partner with the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld who has collected hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in lawsuits, said he sometimes does business while running marathons.

Once, he said, he conducted a conference call regarding a multimillion-dollar civil case while running in the Boston Marathon.

“The opposing counsel doesn’t seem to be bothered by my heavy breathing,” he told Reuters.

Macon, who said he is in “lousy” physical shape for 67, said he just “goes out there and puts one foot in front of the other” and doesn’t attempt speed records. In fact, he said his fastest marathon time is four hours, 45 minutes — twice the
usual winning time.

It is not unusual for him to run seven marathons in a week. He said that in February, for example, he ran a marathon in South Carolina, ran another the following day in Maryland, and a third the day after that in California. Each time after crossing the finish line, he drove to the airport, he said.

“I generally change clothes in the car,” he said.

Macon, who didn’t start running until age 49, estimates he has run 2,938 miles in marathons this year, gone through 12 pairs of shoes and logged 200,000 miles in the air.

“I was talking to some other lawyers at the county courthouse,” he said. “I bragged that I was planning on running a marathon, and the other lawyers said, ‘Why don’t we throw you a party after you finish it?’ So I was stuck.”

He said that while his marathon career may have some people convinced that he’s crazy, he hopes it inspires other middle-aged people to “get some exercise and have some fun.”

“I have left specific instructions that if I die on the course, my friends are supposed to drag my body down the rest of the course and across the finish line,” he said. “And then lie about the results.”

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Hope is a four letter word

Jason on January 4, 2012

“Aphasia” the Movie

The film “Aphasia”, the true story of actor Carl McIntyre who, after suffering a massive stroke and losing his ability to read, write and talk, struggles against overwhelming odds to redefine his life.

I had the great pleasure to sit down and meet Jim Gloster (Producer/Writer/Director) and Donna S. Scott (Executive Producer) of the movie “Aphasia” last night at a local bar called Sir Edmund Halley’s in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was referred to these two wonderful people through a Twitter mixer many months back. Everyone at this meeting was telling me to get in touch with Jim and Donna and boy was I pleased to have this opportunity to speak with them about creating more awareness for PPA and Aphasia worldwide.

The movie is based on Jim’s friend of 20+ years named Carl, an actor who suffered a severe stroke on September 15th, 2005. Immediately following the stroke, Carl was virtually unable to speak, a condition know as Aphasia. Jim and Donna along with two other team members created this impactful movie to educate those within the medical community, those unaware of Aphasia’s symptoms, and to help bring a voice to patients and families fighting against this disease day-in & day-out.

More than 100,000 Americans develop Aphasia annually. Aphasia affects about one million Americans, or 1 in 250 people. It is more common than Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. However, most people have still never heard of Aphasia. While the most common cause is a stroke, Aphasia can also result from head injury, brain tumor, or other neurological causes.

In 2008, Carl began making presentations to Speech-Language Pathology classes about his experiences during the stroke and his subsequent recovery process. These engaging presentations also examine Carl’s technique of picture association which enables  him to remember specific words.

It is the success of these presentations which sparked the idea for the film project and the development of other presentations. The success of the film “Aphasia” has led to Carl’s new career as a motivational speaker. He has captivated audiences nationwide with his inspiring story.

Both Jim and Donna travel across the United States as well as international locations such as Australia with Carl for speaking engagements where they screen their movie. Following the movie, Carl comes out and speaks to the audience about his story. There is also an ensuing Question and Answer session after his speech.

They have over 30 speaking trips planned in 2012 alone!

This was a tremendous honor to speak with both of these inspirational people who are doing everything in their power to help bring “Aphasia” onto the national stage. I know they will be successful with this project and their future endeavors.

Jim, Donna, and Carl will be showcasing their movie at ReelAbilities: New York’s Disabilities Film Festival on February 12th and 13th: http://newyork.reelabilities.org/films/view/aphasia

Please take a minute to “like“ their Facebook page at AphasiatheMovie

You can also follow them on Twitter @AphasiatheMovie

Lastly, Carl and the film can be booked through carlmcintyre.com.

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