Running for an Angel...and YOU can help!

Angel Russo - Our Angel without wings.


It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, folks, and for that I apologize. With this entry, I want to change gears for a little while. I have been dedicating this webpage to my fund raising for the Wounded Warrior Project, but I recently received a request from a very good friend asking if I could help another very good friend in need. As I read the request, I began to think about how easy it would be for me to change the appearance of my webpage in order to raise a few dollars, but more importantly, a great amount of awareness for an epidemic.

I’d like to give you a little background on a wonderful young lady, named, appropriately…Angel. Angel is the younger sister of a friend, Jimmy, that I first met during our times together at West Point from 1998 to 2002. Jimmy and I played on the Army Football team together, so we had an immediate “brother” bond. After graduation from West Point, we went on to serve along side each other in combat in the defense of this wonderful country of ours. Jimmy is and always will be a brother and a friend.

I made contact with Jimmy’s mother, Denise, and she and I began to toss around ideas about how I could help Angel in her efforts. As our timelines could not mesh for the main fundraising effort during the weekend of October 10th, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio, I have been faced with finding an event where I could do my own part to raise some funds for Angel’s cause.

As for Angel’s story, Denise gave me a brief introduction to Angel, a young lady that struggles each and every day to have a “normal” and “ordinary” life like most of us that take those days for granted. The information that follows has been used with the full knowledge and agreement of Denise.

“My Angel is 23 years old and the most precious young lady in the world. She is beautiful, talented, naive and suffers from the missing puzzle piece in her brain - commonly known as autism. We are so lucky that our girl talks, works and is functional. I have way too many friends who are raising children who have never said Mommy or Daddy...can you imagine? I have friends with children who aren't potty trained in their teens and who will take their clothes off at the drop of a hat! Some can't go in public places for fear of offending other people. It can paralyze an entire family!

It is an epidemic and now that I have grandchildren I am even more afraid than ever. Thank God for celebrities like Jenny McCarthy and Rodney Pete's wife who have brought autism to the forefront. Our politicians are starting to listen to us, too! Angel and I received a standing ovation from 600 people after we did our little speech. People were crying and hugging us. Most of those parents in the audience that evening have young children recently diagnosed with autism. It was a breath of fresh air for them to meet Angel and hear our story. The diagnosis of autism is often something that just stops your world. You don't know how to or where to go. Research and education are pertinent. I pray that we will have a cure in my lifetime.

I so appreciate you offering to help with our cause. Let me know what else I can give you. Our website is http://www.angelsarmy.org/. Angel chose the camo t-shirts and named our team Angel's Army in honor of her oldest brother, Captain Jimmy.”

At my request, Denise mailed me an Angel’s Army t-shirt that I plan to wear during my solo fund raising event. On the morning of Saturday, October 10, 2009, I’m going to wake up at 4:30 am, grab my Ipod and wear that shirt with pride as I run about 20 miles to raise money for Angel and her efforts. It’s the least that I can do. I wake up every morning, and when my feet hit the floor, I thank my God for my healthy children, Sammy and Joey. I thank him that my entire family is healthy and safe, and I know for some families, this is not the case. And I feel like I need to do something outside of my own petty comfort zone in order to give back to those who suffer each and every day.

Folks, if you feel like you can spare $1…$5…$10 or whatever your situation allows….please take time to give back out of the blessings that you are reaping. As with any charity, every single red cent matters, and no donation is too small. Please do not hesitate to give $1 if $1 is all you can afford. That $1 will be used wisely to fund research and education to confront autism.

To the right of this entry, you will see a link entitled “DONATE NOW”. If you click on that link, it will take you directly to Angel’s webpage. On that page, you will see a link entitled “Click Here to go to team page and make a donation”. Click on that link, and it will take you to the main donation page. Here you can browse their donation page and find out more about their cause. When you are ready to donate, click on the donate tab that runs along the top main tabs. As I will not be a registered walker for their Cleveland event, you will need to click on the link entitled “If you wish to make a general donation instead, please click here.” It is located right above the “Walker Search and Donate”.

Thanks for your help, folks. Every little bit helps, and I know that we can make a difference in the life of a wonderful person. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to send them my way (garybartels1975@yahoo.com), and I will see that they are addressed by the appropriate person(s).

Thanks Again!

Gary

Memorial Day Tribute to Private First Class Samuel Joseph Bourque, World War II Veteran

PFC Samuel Joseph Bourque, Radstadt, Austria, 1944


This morning at 515 am, I started a tradition. I ran the 1st Annual Running Ranger Memorial Day Duathlon, a 4 mile run followed by a 16 mile bike ride followed by a 4 mile run. Came in at 2:15:24. Not too bad. Next year, I'm going to seek sponsorship and I will make the Du a public event in order to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Today's Memorial Day is like no other for me. It is the first that I have ever celebrated with both of my grandparent's deceased. My grandfather, Samuel Joseph Bourque, passed away in 2003. After that, I became somewhat of a pest to my grandmother. Knowing full well that Paw Paw had served in WWII, I asked her every chance I got if I could get his military records from her. She always had the same response: oh he didn't keep any of that stuff, when he returned from war, he just got rid of it. My mother would tell me that she knew that there were records and photos and whatnot in my grandparent's house, but it was up to my Maw Maw to either give them up willingly or for us to find them once she passed away as well.

Well, unfortunately, Maw Maw passed away not too long ago, and as my mom had stated, when she was going through their belongings box by box, she came across some items that she knew I would be delighted to see and to keep.

My Paw Paw was a very dear man to me, still is to this day even though he has been gone for almost 6 years. When I was offered a nomination to attend West Point in 1994, he was beside himself. He told every person that came to his lawnmower repair shop that his grandson was going to West Point. He knew before I did, haha. When I finally accepted the nomination, he caught me in my bedroom getting ready to leave for the airport bound for New York. Not one for many words, he walked into my room with tears in his eyes, and shoved a wad of cash in my hand as he said "Come back and see us". No hug, no kiss, just some money and well wishes and he turned and left and went back to his house.

On this Memorial Day, I'm sitting and thinking of my buddies that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, but I also think of my Paw Paw. I'm thinking of him the most because of the role and the impact he had in my life. He taught me how to fly a kite in his pasture, he taught me how to catch flounder in the Galveston East Bay, he taught me how to shoot a shotgun in the woods behind their home in Kountze, Texas...he taught me to be a man.

Never in a million years would I have thought that Christmas of 2002, my first as a new Infantry Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, would be our last together. Paw Paw, my dad, my uncle, and I sat around the living room telling jokes on Christmas Eve before opening a few gifts. It was a great time. I went to war with the 101st Airborne Division in February 2003, and I called Maw Maw and Paw Paw from far away places like Baghdad or Mosul. Paw Paw was hard of hearing so the conversation was never long, but we did say "I love you" to each other even though we were worlds apart. I returned from my first trip to war on the afternoon of December 16, 2003. Due to briefings and other typical military "necessary" actions, I never made it home to see my Paw Paw's face again until his funeral a few days later. He passed away on the morning of December 19, 2003, less than 72 hours after I made it home safely, sitting comfortably in his recliner, his favorite place in the world. Mom told me afterwards that he would sit and watch the news coverage of the war in Iraq and cry because he was so worried about me. He had trouble sleeping, partly because of his recalling experiences in WWII and hoping that I wasn't going through similar experiences myself. She told me that when she informed him that I had made it home safely, he grinned real big and dug to the very back of the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink. He pulled out a dusty bottle of Ezra Brooks bourbon and made himself a drink. He could finally relax.

I miss my grandfather dearly, and he is my hero. I talk to him on his birthday, I talk to him on Memorial Day, I talk to him on Veteran's Day, I talk to him on the day he left this earth. I even had a Ranger Instructor tell me that one night in a patrol base in Dahlonega, Georgia during the Mountain Phase of Ranger School, he happened upon me talking in my sleep, only I was on a knee with eyes wide open. He said I kept talking to a man I called Paw Paw, and since my voice was cracking a bit, he stood by and watched in an effort to keep others from disturbing me. When it was over, he said I got back into the prone position behind my weapon and again became just another Ranger in the crowd.

I know my Paw Paw is with me every single step of my life. He looks over me and my family and my two wonderful sons, Samuel and Joseph. He was and is my hero, and I love him dearly.

So, for my Memorial Day tribute, I'd like to show off some of the pictures and documents below found in the deep dark hiding areas of my grandparent’s home. Enjoy, and please thank a veteran today for their service. Thanks, Paw Paw, for making me a man and teaching me how to care outside of myself.

Below are different pictures from the times my grandfather spent in Naples, Rome, Southern France, Rhineland, Central Europe and Radstadt, Austria around 1944. The first couple are members of his infantry platoon. In picture #3, he and a friend in a villa, Paw Paw is on the right. Picture #4 is he and two other battle buddies with a couple of the local ladies, Paw Paw on the right again. Picture #5 is a picture of Paw Paw outside of what looks like to be their Command Post. Notice the patrol leaving the wire in the rear. The remaining couple pics are of combat operations in general. The three documents are his Enlisted Record, his Honorable Discharge and his manifest, front and back, bringing him home from war. Simply priceless items...

One Done!!!

Saturday turned out to be a great day to run in Huntsville. We took off at 700 am and the heat was somewhat bearable during the early morning hours. But, alas, the heat steadily went up as we progressed in the race. As you can see by the picture above, by the time I finished I was completely drenched, but it felt great to run. If anybody in the Huntsville ever wants to challenge themselves with a nice trail run, this is a good one. It had everything. Along the 15.5 mile route, it had 5 water stations fully stocked with ice cold water, HEED, and assorted soda drinks. It had 3 fully stocked aid stations with ice cold water, HEED, peanut butter, salt tablets, bananas, candy, cereal, tuna fish, crackers, and various soda drinks. When you crossed the finish line, there was another two fully stocked stations as well as two massage tables with registered massage therapists waiting to give you a rub down.

I had a good run, and if I recall correctly, I crossed the finish line at 2:50:08, just 5:08 shy of my original time goal. I ran into some hard times during the race, I won't lie, loooooooots of uphill stretches. Everything that I knew would start hurting along the run route started hurting as planned, which is understandable. No new "hurts" so all is well. For those that do not know, running is no longer "easy" for me. I myself am 50% disabled and have labral tears in both shoulders and free floating cartilage in both hips and a crooked foot bone from a broken foot on a freak jump at Airborne school. At the end of the day, the shoulders felt fine, but the hips hurt quite a bit and my foot was definitely the worst. At the 15 mile mark, I started cramping in both calves, but it could have been much, much worse. Had I cramped at mile 12, it would have made for a loooooong last 3.5 miles.

So, today, the day after the race, I am sore, but not aching as bad as I thought. All is well! I'm taking next week off, and then hitting the training hard again the following week.

As promised, I am looking for my next race/bike ride already. When I find said event, I will relink my donation page to the blog and will again ask folks to donate to my cause. Again, I want to thank all listed below that donated for the 25K, we did very well raising funds! Altogether, we've raised $2,935 !!! Well done, gang !!!


A.D. Szilagyi

Aaron Cox

Amanda Caprari

Betty Myrthil

Blair Nahm

Brian McCoy

Brian Rollins

Brian and Kim Zickefoose

Cathy Johnston

David James

Diane Daniels

Dominic Rondinelli

Dominick Forte

Eileen and Gary Lundgren

Gary Cruse

Greg Zickefoose

Gregory Horvath

Carter and Jessica Smyth

Jimmy Beasley

John Galante

Jon Ellis

J.W. Smith

Kevin Corrinet

Kountze High School

Kountze Middle School

Leonard Kacuba

Luke Nichols

Matthew Eckhoff

Natalie Christofferson

Natalie Ward

Regina Galante

Regina Hines, Maureen Clayton and the Cornwall Central School District Key Club

Saana Gill

Susan Sobrepena

Suzanne Frazier

Thomas Schrader

Thomas Toner

More to Follow

Folks,

A great number of people have contacted me expressing how they wish they could donate, but the timing is less than perfect given our current economic situation. I wanted to let everyone know that this 25K I am running this Saturday will NOT be my last fund raising event. I plan on doing many, many more events, so I will continue to bother you for support for a long, long time, haha. But, if you'd like to donate in time for the 25K, feel free to do so! Wish me luck, 44 hours till step off!

Goal met thanks to ALL of you!

Thanks to your donations, you have helped wounded heroes just like John Fernandez. John, West Point Class of 2001 and former Captain of the Army Lacrosse Team, lost the lower portion of his legs in Iraq in 2003.

The last week or so has been hectic for me with the recent great flood of Houston. I did make it out to see Owen Temple last Thursday evening and he provided me with five autographed CDs, four of which have been auctioned off for the Wounded Warrior Project. Two went for $100 apiece (thanks Luke Nichols and Jimmy Beasley), one went for $250 (thanks Carter and Jessica Smyth), and the last CD went for an unbelievable $560 to my childhood friend Aaron Cox. It's very reassuring to see the kindness of people when it comes to helping others less fortunate. When I return from my race on May 16, I will post a list of all donors to acknowledge everyone on a job well done. In the end, I am thoroughly impressed at the amount of support that I have gained from folks all over the world: Italy, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, Ireland, California, New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, all over. Donations are coming from friends I've known since 3rd grade, family members, former Soldiers, current Soldiers currently serving in war zones, the list goes on and on. It makes me very proud to call each of you my friend, and I know the more than 31,000 Soldiers that have been wounded or have given their lives in Iraqi or Afghanistan appreciate your kind and caring nature as well. Because of all of your kindness, we have surpassed our goal of $2,000 and currently stand at $2,100 !!! Thank You !!!

I am thoroughly excited. Regina and I took complete and total advantage of the VA's current plan to refinance the homes of Veteran's with the VA Streamline Refinance Plan. We went from a whopping 6.25% to a nice 4.75%. The best part about it was the check in the mail we received from our former lender for our abundance of escrow. Of course, something always happens, and Tuesday morning when I drove to work in the wee hours of the morning, it sounded like I had a weasel caught beneath my truck. On the way home, same noise. I stopped by the mechanic shop where we have been paying their lease and all of their utilities due to the massive amount of damage to both of our vehicles due to the effects of road salt (thanks New York!!!) and he confirmed that my U-joints were grinding. 3 hours and $400 later, brand new U-joints, no more noisey truck.

So, with the remaining money, Regina and I split it 50-50. I think I am going this weekend and buy a nice road bike for a couple upcoming duathlons and ultra bike rides. If anybody could recommend a nice, quality road bike, please let me know. After this May race, my next event (tentatively) will not be until October at the Du the Bear Duathlon (http://www.out-loud.org/duthebear.htm) on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 8:00 am in Houston. I am going to be looking for another run to do in between now and then. If anybody knows a good run in the area around the July or August time frame, please let me know. I also have the Houston Half Marathon in my sites in late October as well. In the near future, I plan to complete a 50k (32 miles) and a 100k (62.5 miles) and eventually a 100 mile run to honor the men and women who have sacrificied so much for each of us.

Again, thanks folks, every penny counts, every handshake counts, every "Thank You" counts!

Owen Temple Supports Our Wounded Warriors!!!

I just got off of the phone with what I consider to be one of the best country music singers

(http://www.owentemple.com/) out there, one Owen Temple. I have been through some trying times in my life, and I can honestly say that Owen's music has kept me company on many a night, even when there wasn't ample electricty for hundreds of miles. I sang his songs in Camp Udairi, Kuwait waiting for a Blackhawk to fly me across the berm in our invasion of Iraq in 2003...I sang his songs in Karbala on April 5, 2003 when the Widowmakers exchanged punches for the better part of 10 hours with the Fedayeen Freedom Fighters...I sang his songs in Ranger School in 2004 when I was hallucinating so badly that I thought for a couple brief moments that I was Owen Temple, until the ever friendly Ranger Instructor brought me back to reality. I have enjoyed his music for quite awhile, and it did not surprise me that he is an awesome singer/songwriter that genuinely cares about this Nation's wounded heroes.

Just to fill ya in on how this all transpired, I'll go back a few days. I recently learned that one of my best friends in the whole wide world, CPT Jimmy Howell, is going to be awarded the Macarthur Leadership Award (http://www.armyg1.army.mil/macarthur/) at the Pentagon on May 8, 2009. They don't draw your name out of a hat for this award, people, I assure you. You have to be one of this Country's top tier junior military leaders to even be considered for such prestigious recognition. As I sat outside my home in Katy, Texas last Thursday night enjoying a nice cigar and a cold Guinness, I started thinking about Jimmy and how he and I first met on that day in 1997 in the Jefferson County Airport enroute to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. Turns out, he and I were roommates at the Prep School for awhile and we became very good friends over the years. Homemade wine in the Burger King parking lot, sitting on the roof of Bradley Barracks playing guitar, Sharky's...just a few good times between Jimmy and I...

Jimmy has and always will be a brother to me, and to anyone who has watched the NBC Evening News of late, they have more than likely seen footage of Richard Engel as he has tromped around the treacherous terrain in Eastern Afghanistan shadowing a courageous and battle tested U.S. Army Infantry unit. Those young men you see there on the television screen are Jimmy's boys, the men of Bravo Company, settled deep inside the Korengal Valley as they battle every day with an enemy that is determined as ever.

I was sitting there thinking of those fellas and began contemplating what I have done with my professional life lately. I thought about the actions that I have embarked upon in order to actually increase the quality of life for my children, my wife, my friends, and the others that I care deeply about. I have taken on this "burden" as others have called it, to raise as much money as I can for the Wounded Warrior Project. I've entered one big race thus far and plan to enter a few more, of course, but I felt I was missing something. I felt that I was missing an opportunity of some sort that I had no idea was out there. And then, as just about every other American is doing these days, I checked my Facebook account via my Blackberry. Nothing big going on, it appeared, but then I started roaming through statuses, and then it hit me. It was a shot in the dark, but why not. I pulled up Owen's name and sent him a brief note asking him if he would be interested in helping me raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. Before I went back inside, I had the reply from Owen: absolutely!

So, today I called Owen up and we talked for about 30 minutes about how we could go about raising some funds. I am heading out to the Armadillo Palace (http://www.thearmadillopalace.com/events.aspx?id=1212) this Thursday night, with my wife if I can convince her to go honky tonkin' with me, to see Owen perform. Owen has kindly offered to donate some autographed items that can be auctioned off for the benefit of the Wounded Warrior Project. He has also agreed to pass my website on to others that he comes in contact with in an effort to gain more exposure. In addition, Owen mentioned something that sounds very worthwhile. Whenever the calendar permits for Owen, he has offered to have a house concert where he will bring his acoustic guitar and play for about an hour at my home or a home of a neighbor in order to raise funds and awareness. What a good person, folks. Owen has tour dates in New York, New Jersey, Maine, Wisconsin, and numerous other places in this wonderful country of ours, but he has offered to stop on by the Bartels Home and play a few tunes for a very good cause. Doesn't get much more American than that if ya' ask me.

Folks, after you donate a couple dollars to the Wounded Warrior Project, visit Owen's website and pick up a CD, you won't be disappointed. It's my opinion that it's some of the best music out there, and his CDs have been to Baghdad and back via my Army issued assault pack. I might have ran out of water or ammo, but I never ran out of Owen. That's it for today folks, thanks for reading, and thanks to Owen for helping out!

My 1st Charity Run !!!

Trail Races in the Pineywoods of Texas

ETUR- Hog's Hunt - Rocky Raccoon

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, VISIT THE LINK BELOW TO DONATE!!!

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=272436&lis=1&kntae272436=35C187595B8547FBA370022611ED41FE&supId=241317094

Ok, folks, here we go. As many of you know, I've been searching high and low for some sort of race to run in an effort to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. I've spent most of my time training, running usually about 15 miles a week over a span of two days. I usually run 4 miles every Wednesday after work, and then on my weekends, I wake up at 530ish on Sunday morning and run between 8 and 9 miles while I watch the sun rise in beautiful Southeast Texas.

In between my training sessions, I have attempted to spread the word by every mode possible: Facebook, personal and work email, work relations, family in New York, friends, former classmates and former instructors at both West Point and Kountze ISD. I have made some significant strides thus far in spreading the word. Within the last two weeks, I have received my first two donations. This makes it real. It is fine when a person starts toying with their own money, but when you start having folks invest money in you and your cause, it brings the level of devotion and committment up a couple notches. It makes it a duty to me, not just a fund raiser.

In addition to raising some funds, I posted a blog in Italy with the help of my good, good friend Cherrye Moore. Cherrye and her husband, Peppe, run a very successful Bed and Breakfast in Catanzaro, Italy. Paralleling the succes of their B&B is the succes of their website and blog, so when Cherrye offered me the opportunity to post in Italy to gain some awareness, I jumped at the chance. And as luck would have it, one of Cherrye's MANY blog readers has her own blog, and she in turn posted a note on her blog about my cause and my efforts, providing my website as well. So, the word is getting out there, and now it is time for me to keep my end of the bargain.

On May 16, 2009 at 700 am, I will be participating in the Hog's Hunt Trail Run in the Huntsville State Park. The run is a 25k trail run that circles a great deal of the state park and runs on all sorts of terrains: hard dirt, asphalt, sand, and pine straw coated trails. It has some hills and some valleys, so by mile 16, the legs should feel spent. I thoroughly look forward to the run, and I look more forward to mailing my manifest in to the WWP stating the amount of money I have raised for this great cause.

In spite of raising money and putting my body through some pain, I wanted to do even more for these young men and women who are paying the price for our freedoms and luxuries. I contacted one of my very good friends and former team mates on the Army football team, Tony Coaxum. Tony is now a Coach on the Army football team, and I knew he would do his best to help me out on my request. I asked Tony if he could get a couple footballs signed by the entire Army football team so that I can use them for fundraising. One of those signatures will be that of Colin Mooney, the Fullback from Katy, Texas that broke the all time Army single season rushing record just last year. When these two footballs arrive, one will be auctioned off and the other will have a different purpose. I plan to contact the Veteran's Administration in conjunction with the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas and see if we have any wounded veterans in Houston that need a pick-me-up. The second football will be presented to a deserving individual and I will let them know that their future Officers and Leaders truly appreciate their sacrifices. I have also reached out to the Army Rugby Team, who has recently fought their way in to the NCAA Final Four and will be playing Cal at Stanford soon to earn a berth to the NCAA Championship game. I am hoping that I can obtain a signed rugby ball from these warriors as well.

The bottom line, folks, is that it is not always about the money. Soldiers usually want to just be told "Thank You" or given a hearty pat on the back. I know when I was coming home from my 2nd tour in Iraq, we stopped over in Shannon, Ireland. As a large group of Army Rangers, we walked through the airport with a certain swagger and confidence/cockiness that let folks know that we were damn proud of our profession. We were given a standing ovation by a large group of "happy" Irishmen who then offered to buy each of us a pint of their land's favorite drink, fresh Guinness. Of course, we refused, we were in uniform after all and on duty and we had a few more hours to go before we touched down on our home land. But just the fact that these folks took time to notice us and clap for us and thank us for fighting for THEIR country and THEIR rights and THEIR safety made our hearts swell with pride.

So, in conclusion, do you know a veteran? Do you live next door to a person who spends months away from his family in order to be in harm's way? Do you know somebody that knows a veteran? Shoot an email, make a quick phone call, give a high five. Let those boys and gals know you care. For me, I will always be a veteran...but let's face the hard, bitter truth, folks...I am not a member of the Armed Forces any longer, at least not in the capacity that I once knew. I no longer give commands on a daily basis that affect hundreds of Soldiers, spouses, and dependants within minutes. I no longer have my own personal assault rifle, and I no longer have my own tactical vehicle and personal driver. I have had a very hard time coping with that because I rarely feel a sense of accomplishment anymore, in a professional sense. I have not felt that I have improved the quality of this awesome Country in quite some time.

As a guy that used to stand toe to toe with the enemy and exchange live rounds on a daily basis, I know that my life now lacks a sense of belonging in that sense, a sense of giving back to this Country, a sense of brotherhood, and a sense of a "I will die for you" mentality....and the only outlet I have found thus far is for me to run till I hurt. I like to run and think of the men of Bravo Company, commanded by my very good friend CPT Jimmy Howell from Beaumont, Texas who are fighting the good fight in the Korengal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/asia/20ambush.html?_r=2&hp

I like to run and think of friends that I have lost and friends that I have almost lost. I like to think of CPT James Gurbisz who left it all on the field in Baghdad, Iraq on November 8, 2005. I got your back, Jimmy, never doubt it, brother.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jmgurbisz.htm

I think of CPT Drew Sloan who fought his way back from a devastating injury that occured on October 10, 2004, an injury that could have ended his career if he would have allowed it to do so, only to ask his superiors to go back to war in order to finish what he started. He completed that "extra" combat tour and he now attends Harvard pursuing his MBA.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/07/AR2007040701308.html

I think of CPT Scott Smiley who also remained on Active Duty even though he suffered significant injuries due to a suicide car bomber attack on April 6, 2005. Left completely blind from his injuries, he gradauted from Duke with his MBA.

http://veteransairlift.blogspot.com/2007/07/meet-scott-smiley.html

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/07/scott_smiley_so.html

I run for them and I know they appreciate my efforts, as do all of you.

Again, folks, please donate in any way you can: money, handshake, a picked up tab at a restaurant, a pat on the back, even a simple "Thanks, boss"...any gesture is appreciated by these professional warriors.

As for me?

I'm running my ass off........

More Support for the WWP!

I just finished typing up a 'post' for a blog in Italy. One of my good friends owns and runs a B&B with her husband in Catanzaro, Italy. She came up with the brilliant idea of reaching out to her readers in an effort to raise money for the WWP. As I was typing the piece, I wanted to include an exact mention of what the funds raised by the WWP actually do for our wounded heroes. I went to the WWP website and found a very nice posting, one that made me like this guy even more. On April 5, 2009, or Karbala Day as some of us know it, Trace Adkins will sing a song on the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with the West Point Glee Club in support of Wounded Warrior Project. The ACMs will air Live from MGM GRAND in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5th, 2009 at 7:00 PM LIVE CT, so be sure to tune in.

http://traceadkins.com/news.php?title=trace_adkins_will_sing_for_wounded_soldi&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

It's great to see the word spreading about the WWP. I just spoke to a friend back home, and we are in the weeds planning a charity run through the Big Thicket National Preserve in order to raise funds for the WWP as well. Hopefully, with the word spreading to Italy and me finally getting a run or two planned and organized, I can meet and beat my monetary goal of $10,000 for 2009.

Getting there...

Sunday morning was a great day to run. I woke up at around 530 am and got on the road by 545. There was a slight fog out, very little humidity, and the weather was generally cooler than usual. Although it wasn't raining, by mile 1 I was already damp from running through the fog and inevitable morning mist. It was awesome, just me, the run, and my thoughts.

I made a remark the other day to a friend that I was running 4 miles in the beautiful 80+ degree Texas heat after work. She quickly asked me if I was being chased. Not a bad question, considering the elements. I had to think about my response to her, but all that came out was a laugh and a "no". On my run Sunday, I started thinking about her question and the REAL answer pretty much hit me square in the face.

I have some great friends serving overseas right now. Friends that I certainly consider brothers. Do you know how many of them would love to just wake up in the morning, throw on their Camelbak and their iPod and head off on a nice 2 hour run? Mind you, they are sold into their current mission of defeating tyranny, but if you asked them if they'd rather be home enjoying their families or being deployed, most, if not all, would much rather be back home.

I think we as Americans, THE fattest country in the world, take our means and ability to exercise for granted. Not every country has the same means to stay in shape as Americans...yet year in and year out, we are the fattest and most obese group of people in the entire world. I've always had a pet peeve, and it still irks me to this day. Whenever I am running and I see someone running/walking, it bothers me to no end. Can't tell ya why, it just does. For all I know that person could be on the tail end of a 50 mile run, but when I see them running and then start walking and then start running and then start walking...it angers me.

But, that's another talk for another time. Bottom line, I run for three main reasons: 1) I want to successfully run races to raise money for the WWP 2) I run because I have many friends that would love to be running with me, but cannot, and 3) I run because I care about my health and my body, and I want to see the look on Sam's and Joe's face when they hold their first child and I want to see the smile on Regina's face during our 50th wedding anniversary party.

So, in summation, great run on Sunday. I ran 8 miles in 1:08. I'm almost to the Ranger School standard of 8:00 minute miles for 5 miles. That would put me at 1:04...not too much farther. I'm looking for some races to run around the Houston area, maybe a half marathon or two, so if anyone knows any worth running, please let me know. Thanks.

Running is contagious...

So I went for a nice long run last Sunday morning at 545 am (actually it was 645 am because I forgot about that whole "spring forward" thing) and I came across a cool sight. As I ran down Fry Road, I began to notice more runners than usual for a Sunday morning. Then I began to notice mile markers and directional signs for the runners. When I got to my 2 mile mark at the Seven Lakes High School, I saw a tent surrounded by huge pole lights...and even more runners. Judging from the condition of the runners and the mere fact that it wasn't even light out yet, I suspected they had been running for quite awhile.

So, on my way back I stopped and talked to the folks at the finish line. I was corrected in that this was not the finish line...the finish line was on the other side of Houston at the San Jacinto Monument. The race was organized by teams of 8 - 12 members, both male and female. The teams started the race in Gonzales, Texas, where the Texas Revolution began and they ran a relay to the San Jacinto Monument, where Texas Independence was won. The run itself is composed of 40 legs of varying lengths. In total, the run is over 200 miles long...

So...what I'm thinking is next year, I get a team together and we run to raise money for The Wounded Warrior Project. I've invited several of my Army friends to join me, and I plan on extending the invite to some of my neighbors who enjoy running as well. If you would be interested in joining the team, check out the website below to get a better understanding of the race, and let me know if you are interested.

http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/

Up and Running

Hey folks, I just wanted to take a brief moment and bring everyone up to speed on my participation in the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org). I have been running quite a bit getting ready for my first planned race in January 2010. I, along with several of my West Point classmates, will be running the Bandera 100k to raise funds for the WWP. If you would like to donate, please visit my donation webpage at https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=272436&lis=1&kntae272436=35C187595B8547FBA370022611ED41FE&supId=241317094
and make a doantion of any size. Every cent matters in improving the quality of life of one of our many wounded heroes. As I find more races in my area that are worthy of participation, I will post them here so you can track my progress and my location. If anyone would like to run with me or knows of a good race in the area, just let me know! For those folks near the Big Thicket, I am trying to organize a trail run in the near future, more to follow.

Thanks!

RLTW!

Gary