5 from 51

CAROLYN THORNTON
Journal Sports Writer

The road wasn't exactly smooth, but Jason Pisano added two more marathons to his resume over the past several weeks and is now five marathons away from reaching his ultimate goal of 51.

"I'd like to thank my entire crew and all of my supporters," said Pisano, communicating via e-mail by typing with his big toe. "It was a bad two marathons for me this year. I was a little depressed about my times, but I'm better now. I promise I'll be back better than ever."
The 37-year-old West Warwick native, who has cerebral palsy and propels himself backward in a wheelchair, completed marathon No. 45, last month at the Boston Marathon. He was determined to make his 15th straight appearance at the famed race despite injuring his right foot in mid-March.

"It wasn't fractured but I have a bursa on my little toe knuckle, a precursor to a fracture," Pisano said. "I felt good in Boston up until about 9 miles. I hit my foot and that really did me in, and my hip always hurts after 13 to 15miles in."

Accompanied by longtime college friend Randy Spellman and Spellman's co-worker "Q," Pisano - who holds a personal best of 6:32 at Boston - continued on despite the pain, crossing the finish line in 9 hours, 54 minutes.

Then it was on to marathon No. 46 - the Cox Sports Marathon, May 3 in Providence.

At the advice of his foot doctor, Pisano took about a week and a half off from training after Boston to allow his injured foot time to heal before embarking on that endurance run. And what an endurance run it turned out to be.

A wrong turn at some point along the route sent Pisano way off course. He did not quit, however, and finished in 14 hours, 40 minutes, finally crossing the finish line at about 9 o'clock that night.

"It was very long and very hard!" said Pisano, who was accompanied by aide Nathan Tompkins for the first 15 miles and aid Gus DeSimone the rest of the way. "Betwen my hip, foot and my age, I don't know. I wasn't in that much pain for this one. I took ten days off before to rest my foot. It was just that the course was so flat and the uphills didn't allow me to get my pace up at all. However, I was already off pace before we got lost so it was just a recipe for a long race. However, the thought of quitting never crossed my mind '26.2 or die' is my motto."

And regardless of the time it took him to finish, Pisano still moved two marathons closer to achieving his ultimate goal. He was originally aiming to do 50, but says he upped it to 51 after a conversation with former boxer Vinny Paz.

"One night we were out, and I told him I'd do him one better," Pisano said. "Because he had 50 wins in his boxing career, I told him I'd one-up him and get 51 completed marathons without ever quitting!"

Pisano next plans to tackle the Blessing of the Fleet 10-Miler in Narragansett this summer.

In the meantime, he is embarking upon two new ventures - motivational speaking and personal training. A two-time gold medalist (thrust kick and distance kick) at the 2005 Cerebral Palsy-International Sports and Recreation World Championships, he recently gave a presentation at Hope High School and hopes to do more. He says he has also begun offering personal training at Gold's Gym in Warwick.

In addition, the University of Connecticut graduate and freelance journalist has written a children's book about a young boy in a wheelchair learning to adapt to a regular school for the first time. He says he is currently trying to find a publisher.

Read more about Pisano and his exploits on his "Team Pisano" blog at http://teampisano.blogspot.com/ He can also be reached via e-mail at jprunr@aol.com
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Welcome To Team Pisano

Team Pisano
Welcome to the Blog for Team Pisano. The order of postings is rather random right now but enjoy. This blog contains random stories from Jason's experiences in life and sport. His current passion is marathon racing. He is on his way to reaching 50 marathons total! What will happen when he reaches # 50?

To read the story Jason Pisano wrote for the Hartford Courant/ New England Magazine, click on the link in the "links" section in the far lower left of the blog page. It's a good intro to Jason Pisano and his story.

To see videos of Jason racing click on any of the videos on the left.

4/21/09 Thanks to all for the incredible 2009 Boston finish. If you were there please drop a line or leave a comment! We'd love to see your pics or videos and talk to you. We are also searching for the names of some people. We are looking for the police officer and soldier who waited for us to run the Flag in and the man you gave Jason his medal.

Thanks for visiting Team Pisano

Hello, my name is Jason and I am 36 and I have Cerebral Palsy. I joined this site about two-and-a-half years ago. Before joining Lovebyrd I had never dated a physically challenged girl, but then it happened. I found a girl I connected with, but over time our personalities clashed and the fact that we live far apart eventually ended this relationship.

I thought I would give up on Lovebyrd and just go back to looking for relationships for myself, but then I decided to give this site one more try. One day early this fall I was just searching to see if any local girl joined the site that was “my type”. Sure enough there was a new member who joined and it said she was from the next town from me, but come to find out she currently lives in the Virgin Islands and is awaiting housing here. Her name was Nina and she was very pretty and sounded like we had a lot in common. I immorally sent her a little note and a few days later she replied! From that day we have chatted and talked on the phone daily for the past four months. We really developed a close relationship.

Last week Nina and her wonderful family came to Rhode Island to visit me for a week. We both were very nervous to meet face to face. We hoped the chemistry we had chatting would be as great as it was on the phone/computer. To our surprise we clicked even better than we ever expected. We were together the entire 7 days. We went shopping with her parents, out to eat with my friends, and even spent a cozy New Year’s Eve together just watching TV and talking at my house. To be honest I think that was one of the best weeks of my life.

I never thought I could ever be so in love with a woman with a disability. I hope in the not too off future to ask Nina to get engaged. I know we will have our struggles and we will not be rich but I feel our love for each other will help us overcome all the obstacles!

I love you Nina and thanks Mr. and Mrs. Garcia for accepting me as I am!

Jason Pisano.

Marathon #44 Breakers, Rhode Island

This October was a very busy month for me. A few years ago Scott Dresden, a doctor from Wisconsin, saw me racing in Boston. Eventually he looked me up on the internet and found out who I was. He e-mailed me a few weeks later and told me he was inspired by me, and he decided to start running marathons himself.
The following fall we met just days before the New York Marathon. We all had lunch and got to know each other, and from that point on we became friends. In October 2006, he actually took a whole weekend and he guided me through two marathons in two days!

This past May I received an email from Scott asking me if I’d interested in coming to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to race in the Lakefront Marathon. He thought this would be a great way to inspire people in his own state. However, over time our plans became complicated. At first everything was going smoothly and everybody couldn’t wait for me to come out there. At first the race director was in favor of me participating in the marathon. After meeting with her board of directors her opinion changed drastically. She informed me that I would not be able to register officially, and told me she would be willing to give me a five-minuet head start…

I quickly responded to her e-mail and told her: I was coming anyway and I would do the race unofficially with my own support crew. So at 6 a.m., on October 5th my two guides and I began the 26.2-mile trek with Doctor Scott following close behind, escorting us in his truck which he fuels with used vegetable oil.
It was a little chilly but the racecourse was beautiful. To my surprise all the runners and volunteers were very supportive of us. I was feeling good until I hit the 10-mile mark. At that point my right hip froze up. For the next 16 miles I was forced to race with only one leg. At this point I knew that time wouldn’t be that great, however I was determined to finish. Nine hours and thirty-three minuets later, soaking wet and chilled to the bone we crossed the finish line, thus completing my 43rd career marathon. We all felt a sense of accomplishment.

Just 13 days later, I was at it again. On October 18th I raced in the Breakers Marathon in Newport, RI. However, this time I was in my home state and feeling more at ease. Don’t get me wrong at the beginning of my racing career, 16 years ago, Rhode Island races discouraged me as well. This year was totally different. There was a new race director and he gave me all the support and encouragement that he possibly could. I had a much better race in Newport than Milwaukee. I actually posted my best time ever on that course! My time was 8 hours 33 minutes 22 seconds and my 44th career marathon was in the bag!
Some people think I race for the attention or to get publicity for myself. I’m not saying I don’t like to be in the spotlight because almost all athletes do. However, I’d like to think of what I accomplish in my racing career, as well as in my life, as a testament of what determination and perseverance can do for a person. I hope my racing will inspire other athletes, disabled or able bodied, to never stop setting goals.

As Muhammad Ali said:, “Impossible is Nothing!”
For more information on my racing career or for speaking engagements go to Teampisano.blogspot.com

Jason Pisano

Marathon #43 Lakefront Marathon Milwaukee WI

Guide Runner Report: Jason Pisano, Lakefront Marathon Milwaukee, WI 2008

Last weekend Jason finished marathon number 43 in Milwaukee, WI. Although they were initially excited to have us there Jason's official entry got caught up in bureaucracy but that is nothing new. Team Pisano went and ran the race anyway. Some people feel this was rude but if Jason followed all the rules he would have never even made it to one marathon.

Jason started early at 6am in the Grafton High School parking lot. He was joined by two friends, Gus and Randy. For additional protection, he was followed by another friend, Scott, in his restaurant oil powered SUV. This really sured up our safety in those first couple dark miles.

The course was beautiful. Compared to our area on the east coast, the country roads are flat and straight. You can see ahead for a mile. The roads were adjacent to awesome open fields filled with corn and wild flowers. Walking this marathon as a guide was easy because there were no downhill sprints in which we would have had to run with Jay and make sure he didn't tip. Jason however, missed those downhills which help him make up a lot of time. His old hip injury made for a slow half (4:52) but he held on and did a little better to the finish, ending with a time of 9:33. The ending miles of the race were awesome for Jason as well because there were nice smooth sidewalks to take to after all the cones were picked up by the broom wagon. The cold rain during the last 4-5 miles was a bummer because we didn't get to have as nice a view of the lake. A couple of nice EMT's on bicycles followed us in for the last couple miles. I have been with Jason for almost every marathon and I have to say this is the safest marathon Jason has done.

The people on the course were very friendly. Everyone loves to say "good morning". Many officials and runners knew Jay by name and cheered him on which was great. Two lady runners cheered Jay on and then said, "Get r done!!, Or as we like to say, put the bitch in the bucket!!" We couldn't figure out if that was a Bucket List movie reference or some kind of cow milking saying. Either way we liked it and used it for the rest of the race!

Jason finished just as the timing bridge was being lowered down. He was cheered on by the loyal supporters who spent the entire weekend with him and made this whole trip possible. Thanks to all of them for rides all around Milwaukee, a place to stay, dinners, beer, tours and great company. When a few people put some caring effort into something, it changes everything.

See you in Boston

Randy

Lakefront Marathon Pics 2 , Milwaukee WI

Lakefront Marathon Pics, Milwaukee WI

Pisano Inducted into New England Wheelchair Athletic Association Hall of Fame

On June 14th Jason Pisano was inducted into the New England Wheelchair Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

Induction Speech Given in Honor of Jason:

We all have a song. The one you listen to before or while you train; the one that gets you pumped up beyond all others. I always think of a song when I talk about Jay and his accomplishments. His song is Eye of the Tiger. You know….dun,…dun dun dun…(a show of hands…how many of you have listened to that song to get psyched up?). Why is it that we listen to these songs? We hear them and just know-“yeah that’s a great one”. It could be that those special songs take our minds off the pain and struggle and provide a momentary window into the spirit, the heart of what we are really doing and why we are here.

I believe that people like Jason Pisano do the same thing for us. They allow us to see the full circle of hope, struggle, pain, victory and accomplishment. There is a certain feeling we have when we see champions and we know that something within the spirit of what they are doing is what we are all searching for.

As many of you know, Jason was born with cerebral palsy. Doctors were not even sure if his brain would allow him to learn to seak, but he did. All physical momement and coordination was difficult for Jason, but difficuldt tidn’t stop him. Above all things, Jason knew how to push. He can use his left lig and foot pretty well, and he uses it to push. As a boy he used it to push a hockey stick around, a boxing glove tied to his foot, a bean bag into a simple target. Then it was pushing an old wheelchair through obstacle courses around the court and around the track. Eventually he started pushing his chair backwards, with his left leg, through 3 mile road races. In track and field events he continued to excel at the local, national and international level, winning several national honors and two World Championships. When road races were not enough, he decided to raise enough money for a fancy three wheeled racing chair (fitted with the seat backwards so he could push) and attempt a marathon. That’s 26.2 miles backwards with one foot. To date Jason has completed 42 marathons. I forgot to mention that at the same time Jason was pushing himself through college at UConn. He was staying up late into the nights working on the computer, typing away with his left toe, pushing the keys one at a time.

These are all things that Jim Kempf talked to me about when he explained how he nominated Jason for the Hall of Fame. However, his voice lit up even more when he spoke of Jasons courage. He talked about the first time he met Jason on the courts of a wheelchair soccer game. Looking at Jason he said he “felt bad for him” and “hoped he didn’t hurt him”. At sometime during the game two inevitable match up occurred. Solid strong Jim vs. little scrappy Jason. In a struggle for position, Jason and Jim rammed into each other and Jim ended up on the floor, amazed at the power and will of “this little kid.”

I can tell you from spending years with Jason at his home in Rhode Island…his walls are covered with trophies, medals, newspaper articles, an Olympic Torch he carried, letters from fans….but he never talks about this stuff. The conversation always reverts to things like “remember the race I did with second degree burns on my leg?, …how about those marathons where they told us we weren’t allowed to be part of and that we’d be arrested?...but we did it anyway, starting at 1:00 am and finishing unofficially…no glory, no credit no medals.

It is said that you should consider your worst loss better than any of your greatest victories. Jason understands this---that these are the times and experiences that build courage and character, and it is how you act during these times that bear witness to the heart and spirit of a true champion.

And do you know why else I admire Jason Pisano??? Because he goes to see his Grandmother every day. Many see him as a tough and self centered thick skinned competitor but a small thing like this speaks volumes of truth. I know he appreciates all who have supported him throughout his journey.

Inducting an athlete like Jason Pisano into the Hall of Fame reminds us of the spirit, heart and courage that we all search for. It reminds us of the value of what we are doing and that we are all a part of it. Our top athletes, our aides, our parents, coaches, our best friends, our oldest enemies on the track, even the coaches and officals that we’ve had conflict with…all are invaluable. How do I know this? I know this because in last fall’s New York Marathon, at mile 10 (?) three competitors caught up to each other. (because its his day I’ll point out that Jason dug deep and took off). What was interesting about these three is that they all were pushing with their legs, backwards, just like Jason. (and I caught this on video) What are the chances? What are the chances that this would happen. I’ll tell you what, I think the chances are pretty good. With inspiration from champions like Jason and the efforts of all the people I see here…I think the chances are very good.
The challenges and struggle for Jason continue to circle around. Just the other day he was told he should not enter a marathon or it was “not recommended” due to traffic or start time or classification or whatever excuses they made up. I look forward to seeing him rise to this challengeand I’m honored to be his friend and guide runner.
In closing I encourage Hall of Famers, athletes, coaches, helpers, family and friends to hold onto your song, listen to it, and go out tomorrow and push as hard as you can.



Jason now has a few words to say….

Hello fellow athletes, friend’s families, and officials,

I’m truly humbled by the honor the NEWAA has bestowed on me this evening. Being inducted to the hall of fame is the ultimate award for any athlete, able-bodied or disabled, and I’m grateful that this committee feels my athletic achievements deem me worthy of this tremendous honor.

To be honest with all of you I’m not sitting up here addresses you because I have always been a gifted athlete. Actually nothing could be further from the truth. When I started competing in wheelchair sports, at the ripe age of 8-years-old, I was a class 1 competing in a power chair. I remember that I couldn’t toss the beanbag more than a few feet with my foot or hold the directional stick straight enough to medal in any event at regionals. I found this frustrating at first but with a lot of practice I began to dominate many of the class 1 events. This is when I decided to get in a manual wheelchair and move up to a class 2 lower. Once again for the first few years competing as a class 2 lower I placed last in most events, but I kept at it and a few years later I began to capture regional and national titles. The greatest moment in my track & field career came in 2005 at the CP World Games in New London, Conn, when I captured two world titles in the distant kick and thrust kick for the USA. Once again, I accomplished this through hard work and believing in myself.

My marathon career began the same way that my track career started. Almost nobody gave me a chance at finishing 1 marathon in 1994. On October 5th, I will be attempting to complete my 43rd consecutive career marathon. The theme of my speech tonight is, anything is possible if you give it your all and believe in yourself.

In closing I’d like to thank my friends and family who have supported me in all my endeavors, my coach Paul Tetrault for training me, John Gallo who introduced me to weight training, Randy Spellman for being my guide through 39 of my 42 marathons, and Ray Burdick, my stepfather for be my equipment manager/ and all the other hats he wears for me, and last but not least my two biggest fans my mom Michelle Burrdick and my grandma Barbara Pisano! Without all of you I would not be up here today. Thank you everyone!

Boston-The good

2008 Boston Marathon For Ella and Ronald McDonald House

For the past 15 years, I have been competing in marathons. I began in this endurance sport in the fall of 1994 in the Ocean State Marathon. This race began at Narragansett Beach and ended at Warwick Veterans High School. At the time hardly anyone gave me a chance of finishing the 26.2-mile course, but 12 hours later I crossed the finish line, thus my marathon career began.
Over the next 14 years I raced in 40 marathons across the United States, however each year I looked forward to one marathon in general: the Boston Marathon. This is known worldwide as the most challenging endurance race anywhere. Because of the strict qualifying times and the way I have to race because of my disability (propelling my racing chair backwards with my legs), I had to fight my way to be an official entry. After several years of racing this marathon unofficially I was granted the right to officially race the Boston Marathon. I was thrilled and I look forward to heading up to Beantown every year.
This year I felt as prepared as any other year in the past. I had a couple of injuries but I recovered from all of them several weeks before the race. This was also my second year racing for the Providence Ronald McDonald House Running Club (PRMHRC). Being a part of this unique club motivates me to get out there and train even harder than before.
On Monday April 21st I headed up to Hopkinton, Massachusetts to compete in my 14th consecutive Boston and my 41st career marathon to date. I couldn’t have asked for better weather. Temperatures were in the high 50’s to low 60’s all day. Both the New York and the Boston Marathons are not only races, they are major sporting events. This is apparent as soon as you arrive on the scene.
As I warmed up I felt very well and I couldn’t wait to get underway. At 9 o’clock when I started my 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to the heart of Boston I could feel the excitement in the air. This year my guide runners, Randy and Q, accompanied me.
The first two miles of this marathon is all down hill so I get a good start but it is difficult to get my legs warmed up. I enjoy this race because there are people watching everywhere along the course. Sometimes the people cheering leave your ears ringing. For Massachusetts this race and day is one to party and have fun. As the race went on I became aware I was not going to set any personal records, but this is one year I will remember because of all the people that followed me along the course. My guide Randy had made a shirt with writing on it that said “Go Jason”. I must have heard my name called a million times that day.
Pushing my way up and down the hills I took time to look at some of the spectators. I saw people of all ages, business people, families, children and a few disabled individuals. Unless you compete in one of these endurance races you really can’t imagine how much energy you can draw from the crowd. I especially enjoy hearing the small children yelling “Go Jason Go”. As I reached heartbreak hill at mile 18, a woman drove up with her son in the car. She got out of her car and approached us and asked if her son could meet me. We took a short break and talked to him and gave him one of my trademark Team Pisano rubber bracelets, and continued on our way. As we traveled on to Boston we met many more special people. Everyone is so encouraging on marathon Monday. I started hearing “You’re almost there” with about two miles to go and I think I heard those same words about five feet before I crossed the finish line.
Monday was not a banner day in my marathon career, however it was a very rewarding day in my life. I hope as I make my way to my ultimate goal of 51 marathons I can continue to inspire people of all ages and walks of life and show them that nothing is impossible.

-Jason Pisano

Boston-The Not so Good

Jason Recently wrote the the BAA:

To Whom It May Concern,


My name is Jason Pisano. I am a 36-year-old male from West Warwick, RI, and I have Cerebral Palsy. For the past 14 years I've competed in you marathon ( 6 years unofficially & 8 in your Mobility Impaired division) . The first 4 years in your MI division were very good but the last 2 have been terrible ever since you changed all the starting times it has left me and many other of the athletes out on the course to fear for ourselves with traffic open, limited or no fluids, no energy gel, and having to race on the sidewalks! This no way to treat us or any of your other athletes! Not to mention you do all this to us and then we see the race director run the entire course with a full police escort after the entire race is over! Maybe he thinks his race and his life is more important than ours but I don't! I can't see why the NYC Marathon (a marathon twice the size and with like four times as many disabled! racers) can treat all there athletes so much better while Boston does such a poor job. Yesterday I raced for a charity and I still had to pay the full entry fee but did not receive any of the services I feel I deserved! I will be waiting for a timely response to this email or I will be contacting a lawyer and the media.

Respectfully,
Jason Pisano
Frelance Journalist

The Guide Q Commented:

It makes you wonder what the purpose of the Boston Marathon is.
I understand that they want to limit the impact of the marathon on the towns along the route and also maintain their high qualification standards by keeping the race as short as possible, but the cost may be the very founding spirit of the marathon.
Legend says the when Pheidippides burst into the senate after his journey from Marathon to Athens, he exclaimed "Νενικήκαμεν", which translates to "We have won".
"We have won", not "I have won". We.
There are maybe a handful of people of the many thousands that run a marathon with hopes of the fastest time, and so it must follow that the winning is - not who comes in first, but something all together different.
No light, no fanfare, no cheering, no banner awaited Pheidppides on that first of marathons. And so it is with Jason Pisano.
What is your message when you burst throguh the doors of the senate? The message that has driven you the long hard journey, step by step, driven through pain and suffering with only your will to keep you going?
I am a purist, an idealist, so I remain unmoved by the fanfare, the pomp and circumstance, the false and easy message of "I have won". It must be hard for people who carry that message to see Jason, so caught up in the "I", they see that they have no excuse for their whining, their complaining, or even perhaps they see their accomplishments are not so great as they believed them to be.
What they should see is that, yes, they don't have an excuse for whining and complaining. That what they've done is not all that it could be, that there are no limits.
That is the message of Pheidippides, of the Marathon, of Jason Pisano:
"Νενικήκαμεν", WE have won.

Boston Marathon Pics 2008

Team Pisano Wear

Team member Q showed me how to create custom Pisano wear or items. I really don't know much about Zazzle yet so if you have suggestions or requests let me know.

http://www.zazzle.com/teampisano/products

Randy

Ella

Last Saturday afternoon, I was able to spend just over three hours with a very special little girl and her family. The previous weekend we had met at the Providence Ronald McDonald House (PRMH) Holiday Open House. This house, is a nonprofit organization, which allows families with extremely ill children shelter and a place that is close to Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
At this event, I had the privilege of meeting, five-year-old Ella, her parents and her younger sister Sophie. After talking with them for a while I learned that Ella has Cerebral Palsy and is also hearing impaired. A short time ago, Ella had to have a serious operation and her family was fortunate enough to be able to stay at the PRMH, as they did when Ella was born prematurely weighing only one pound.
Growing up with a disability I have come to know that the disability does not only take a toll on the person who is disabled, but it also weighs on the parents heavily. Understanding this I invited Ella and her family to visit me at my house in West Warwick. After a few emails and phone calls we set up a time for a visit.
Ella and her family arrived at my house at 1:30. I greeted them at the door and invited them in. I knew her parents had a lot of questions for me and I was more than willing to try to answer them all. Ella looked at me and touched my arm and my chair. Her mother took out a scrap book and showed me a chronicle of pictures from when her daughter was born. I found it simply amazing a baby could survive after being born weighing only a pound. After we were through looking at pictures they began to open up and ask questions about my life, growing up, and the present. I knew they were looking for some similarity between my situation and their daughter’s. I tried to answer each of their questions honestly but as positively as possible.
Like myself as a young child, Ella has no way of communicating. They asked me how I communicated before I was able to speak. I explained to them I used my eyes to let others know what I needed. I told them I was very fortunate that I was able to somehow train another part of my brain to speak for me. After this I took them into my room to show them my keyboard and how I type. I also showed them some of my memorabilia from my racing and college careers. Although I could see they were inspired, I also think they were a little emotional so I quickly changed the mood asking them if we could take some pictures and if I could give the kids a ride on my chair. They agreed and we all had a great time.
At the end of the visit I gave each of the girls Christmas gifts. I had bought them two little pink T-shirts imprinted with “Team Pisano”. I knew they like them because they wanted to wear them right away. I also received a gift; the family presented me with a framed picture of Ella and Sophie, which now is proudly displayed in my kitchen.
As they drove away I found myself feeling good about the entire experience, not only did I meet a very nice family but I think I provided them with some hope. Maybe someday they will pass this message of hope to another family in need.
-Jason Pisano

To help Jason raise money in honor of Ella go to
http://www.firstgiving.com/jasonpisano3

Providence Ronald McDonald House

Competing in marathons can be a difficult way to pass your time but recently this task no longer seems quite so monumental. Last winter, my mother saw an advertisement in a local newspaper that was asking for runners and walkers to join the first ever Providence Ronald McDonald House (PRMH) Running Club. I wasn’t sure how I would fit in this group, but I attended the initial meeting and was hooked.
The PRMH Running Club is designed to get runners and walkers in the community to promote fitness while raising funds for this very worthy cause. The purpose of the PRMH is to serve as a home away from home for the families of children receiving treatment at local hospitals, such as Hasbro, Bradley and Women & Infants. The House provides a necessary shelter for families who have infants born prematurely, and pregnant women who must be hospitalized for an extended period of time.
During the last nine months, I have become very active in the Running Club and have ran two marathons and raised close to $3,000 for the house.
This past Sunday I attended the PRMH annual Holiday Opened House. I was very excited to participate in this event, I also was a little nervous. I knew that I would hear and see many emotional stories and being upset or nervous can make it more difficult for me to communicate with those around me. However I psyched myself up and went in there with a positive attitude.
For once in my life I was early. I arrived at the house just before 1 p.m. swallowed the lump in my throat and was warmly greeted by Mr. Michael Fantom. Mr. Fantom is the director of PRMH. He said he was glad to see me and he encouraged me to mingle and enjoy myself.
The house was full of children, their families, and volunteers. I was fortunate to find two special young girls and their families that I was able to spend some quality time with. The first girl I pulled up next to was Jodie. Jodie is 11-years-old and was born with Spina Bifida. Some time ago she had to have a major operation and her family was fortunate enough to be close by because of the generosity of the PRMH. This little girl was very friendly and talkative; we talked about everything from the time she spent in the hospital to her friends at school. I even got her to blush when I asked her if she had a boyfriend, she giggled yes.
As I moved into the next room I came upon another small girl in a wheelchair. I introduced myself to her parents and told them that I ran marathons for the house. These people were friendly and after a few minutes I felt I had known them for years. Their little girl is 5-years-old and her name is Ella. Ella has Cerebral Palsy and is hearing impaired. Ella’s parents quickly make it clear that she rarely shows affection towards others, but after talking with them for about 20 minutes she was touching my arm and once she even gave me a hug. This really surprised both of her parents; they started taking pictures and were almost in tears. Before they left we exchanged numbers and I told them I would dedicate my next marathon to Ella. This made them very happy.
As I left PRMH on Sunday I felt like a different person. Sometimes we get caught up in our own lives and worry about small things that seem important at the time, but are really inconsequential. In the past, I’d be upset for weeks if I didn’t set a personal best in a marathon. After Sunday I’ll no longer put my finishing times at the top of my priorities. Instead I think I’ll replace those goals and focus on trying to raise funds and the spirits of others rather than worrying about every minute that ticks by.
-Jason Pisano

Handout Pamplet for Conference

Click on the pamphlet and it should enlarge for easier reading.

If you would like Jason to come speak at a function or to a group please contact him at jprunr@aol.com

NYC Marathon 2007

This past Sunday I headed off to the Big Apple to compete in the 2007 ING New York City Marathon. Because I had just completed a marathon 15 days earlier I had no idea how my body was going to react to doing another 26.2 miles again so soon, but I went out there with a positive attitude and gave it my all.
Running marathons in New York and Boston are so different than running marathons in other places. Here in Rhode Island you are lucky if you see 100 spectators during the race, in New York I estimate that there must have been over 80,000 people lining the streets of the entire course. It is simply amazing to observe the support these fans give to all the athletes. People stay long after the elite athletes finish cheering on their friends or just the other people struggling to make it to the finish line.
After waking up at 3:30 on Sunday morning to board the bus at 5 a.m. I was feeling pretty good. Now waiting for the race to start was the only thing left to do. I found time to get a little more shut eye on the bus in the two hours I had before the race was to begin. At 7:15 we arrived on the Verazano Bridge and it was time to get into my racing chair and warm up.
It was a little chilly and very windy. I had run this marathon four times in the past, and I knew the weather could have been a lot worse so I was very happy. After a little warm up it was time to head up to the starting line. A few minutes later we took off on our way through the five boroughs of New York. This marathon has a very brutal start. A one mile up hill climb is upon you before you take your first step. Every time I do this marathon the first mile puts me behind my goal pace. I am a slow starter and a one mile uphill start is the last thing I need but I got through it and focused on the next 25.2 miles.
In this marathon the miles go by so fast and the spectators give you the extra boost of adrenaline you need to keep you going mile after mile. This race has people competing from all over the world. It also has the largest number of disabled people competing. At the New York Marathon they believe that everyone’s race is important and they keep the finish line opened until the last person crosses the finish line, even if it takes all day.
When you do a marathon you can tell if it’s going to be your day or if it’s going to be a struggle to finish. Sunday was my day, I felt strong and relaxed all day. Although I was a little off my goal pace I was moving well and my body felt as good as could be expected. The last six miles flew by. The fans are great. I heard many different languages cheering me to keep going, but everyone could be understood. I crossed the finish line in 8:26:09. I had hoped to finish in less than eight hours but I came up a little bit short. All in all I was very pleased with my performance and it was an experience I’ll never forget. People say that New Yorkers are rude and uncaring, those people never have visited the city on marathon Sunday.

-Jason Pisano

Breakers Marathon, Newport RI 2007

Last Saturday morning, I ventured out to Newport, to compete in the 2007 Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon. I felt well prepared for this 26.2 mile race and I was rearing to go. At the request of the race director I started the marathon two hours earlier than the others at 6 a.m.
Starting so early the roads were still slick with the soaking rains of the night before. This made the first few miles really slippery and took away from my time. The way I race is to kick off the ground and propel my racing chair backwards so I really need good traction to keep my pace going. When I get off to a slow start I know the rest of my day will be a battle against the clock and the course. Although I was off my goal pace it helped that the sights lining the course were simply breath taking. The view was spectacular however the lack of spectators took away from the excitement of the race. I am the type of athlete who craves the applause of the larger crowds found in Boston and New York. At this marathon I heard a few people cheering every couple of miles, but there were also long moments of complete silence. Putting this out of my mind I pushed on willing my body to make it up the next hill looming ahead of me.
I reached the half-way mark of the race (13.1-miles) in just under five hours. Disappointed but not beaten I continued on intent to pick up my pace. My goal going into this marathon had been to finish in less than eight hours. After the first hour and a half I knew this would not be accomplished on this day or this course, it seemed there was another hill one right after another throughout the course. I trained very hard for this day and it still took quite a toll on me.
I had reached the 20 mile mark in seven and one half hours. I knew now my goal was just to finish without getting injured. The last 6.2 miles felt as long as the previous 20. People often ask me if I ever think about quitting in the last few miles of a marathon, my answer is never. Of course my body is in tremendous pain and my mind is completely spent, but then I think about how much worse I would feel if I gave into that pain and called it a day. Many people can start a marathon but it takes a person with a strong mind and body to overcome all the obstacles you can encounter out on the marathon course.
I finished this marathon in 9:06:03, one hour, six minutes and three seconds longer than I had hoped to complete marathon number 39 in my career. Hopefully next Sunday when I line up on the Verrazano Bridge to compete in the 2007 INC New York City Marathon I will have a much better day as I am very familiar with the course and I will be hearing the thunderous applause I crave.

-Jason Pisano

Profile of a Guide

Students who work weekends hold a variety of jobs: running the cash register at a convenience store or the concession stand in a movie theater, stocking shelves in a department store or a supermarket, working in the kitchen in a fast food restaurant or the daycare at the local fitness club.


Nate Tompkins ’06 of Bristol, Rhode Island.
Champlain’s Nate Tompkins ’06 helps Jason Pisano train for wheelchair marathons.

“I’m the way he lives his life,” Tompkins says of 33-year-old Pisano, who lives in West Warwick, Rhode Island, and is confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. His work with Pisano isn’t all athletic. Tompkins takes Pisano to bars, clubs, movies and the beach, helping him to enjoy a busy, active life. “I get compensated, but it doesn’t matter,” he says. “I stay extra and do whatever needs to be done, otherwise he can’t live his life as fully.”

Tompkins has been racing with Pisano for three years. The two made contact initially when Tompkins answered an ad in a newspaper. “It seemed interesting, so I called him about it. I liked him from the start. I got a feeling that I would like running with him,” Tompkins says. The two have run in, among others, the CVS Downtown 5K in Providence, R.I., the Mystic Places Marathon in Niantic, Conn., and have trained together for the legendary Boston Marathon, in which Pisano has competed for 10 consecutive years. In 1975 the Boston event became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division competition after Bob Hall completed the race in 2:58:00. It was Bob Hall who built Pisano’s race chair.

While most wheelchair marathoners use their arms to propel their chairs, Pisano uses his legs to push himself backward throughout the course. “It’s such a different manner of racing,” Tompkins says, that Pisano competes in a “mobility-impaired” division rather than a wheelchair division. His record is six and a half hours for a marathon. Pisano has raced in 30 marathons over the last 10 years. Tompkins says his marathon partner will retire after he has completed 50 marathons.

After the Boston Marathon, Tompkins’ coaching continues in track and field. Pisano competes in the Nationals in the 100, 200, 400 and 800, among other events. This year, however, Pisano will skip the Nationals to attend the Cerebral Palsy World Games in July as a member of the U.S. team, and Tompkins will be going with him, also as a member of the team. Pisano will compete in the 100 meter.

When the two race together, Tompkins jogs beside the front wheel, steering and braking with a rope that’s tied to the front of the chair. “He’s been racing for most of his life,” Tompkins says of his training partner. The pair race mostly in summertime and run marathons in the fall. “I go back weekends and work with him,” Tompkins explains. During the week, Pisano is a freelance journalist who writes human interest pieces for the weekly Coventry Courier in Rhode Island.

For the past two years, Tompkins also has worked with Pisano on a wheelchair soccer team based in Springfield, Mass. The season runs from August to January. Tompkins gets in a wheelchair and practices with the team. He applied that experience to help run a wheelchair soccer camp last summer for the benefit of young, disabled children.

“I can still have my life afterward,” he says, “but after I leave Jason can’t get out. It’s kind of unfair for me to do what I want when I want, so I help him out.”

A junior, Tompkins transferred to Champlain from the Community College of Rhode Island last fall
due to the strength of Champlain’s International Business program. He lives on campus in Pearl Hall.

—Warren Baker

The Early Years Continued

The Early Years

Click on the article and the size should be readable.

Friend

The word friend has many different definitions, but my definition of friend changed 14 years ago. It was 1993, and I was a sophomore at the University of Connecticut. I posted an add for personal care attendants at the beginning of the semester around campus. I received many responses and I had hired a handful of aides but one stood out from the rest; his name was Randy Spellman.
It was an early fall evening and Randy came over to my dorm to meet me and interview for the job. Randy was kind of under the weather with the flu but, he really wanted a job so he showed up anyway. After a half hour of excusing himself he told me was ill and would have to call me tomorrow. Naturally I just thought that this kid wasn’t interested in the job and was looking for an excuse to get out of my room without hurting my feelings. The next day, to my surprise, he called and we have been close friends ever since.
They say you’re lucky if you find one good friend in your life, well I have been really lucky. I have had some of the most loyal and understanding friends that anyone could ever ask for. But when I met Randy I never dreamed that another person who is not related to me would be so dedicated and giving.
At first when Randy began working for me he was just another aide, but after I invited him to come home with me for a week during winter break our relationship was lifted to an entirely new level. After that week we were no longer just employer and employee, but instead were now friends and our friendship has been growing ever since.
During our college years we went on several spring break adventures, trained to become marathoners, and basically became brothers. I chose Randy as my guide when I was selected as a community hero to carry the Olympic Torch in 1996. He even pushed my wheelchair up to the stage when I received my college diploma from the University of Connecticut in 1998. Three months later, I was honored to be his groomsman when he married his wife Jen. I have many close friends but Randy is a friend you can count on in both good times and bad. He always finds a way to include me in things that others would never give a thought to.
Now that we have gotten older our relationship has changed again but we are still as close as ever. Last year, Randy and Jen had their first baby and I was one of their first friends they called to come to the hospital.
Although Randy has more responsibility in his life he continues to make time for me. This fall when I compete in my 39th and 40th career marathons, Randy will be there every step of the way for both 26.2-mile races. This type of devotion is rare and should be recognized. So I’d like to thank Randy for assisting me in achieving my goals and helping me live life to the fullest. To me you are the best best friend in the world.
-Jason Pisano

Starting Strong

Over the past two weeks, I have competed in two of the best road races that Rhode Island has to offer, the St. Mary’s 5.5-Miler in Cranston and the Blessing of the Fleet 10 Mile Road Race in Narragansett. Both of these races are very well organized and draw quality athletes from New England and beyond.

On Saturday, July 21st, I competed in the St. Mary’ Race. This was the first road race I had entered in two months, although I have been training daily. In the weeks leading up to this race I found my self getting a little bit slower each day. I began to get frustrated. I knew I was in great shape and my legs felt fresh, but still my training times were awful. I knew I had to figure out what was wrong before these two races. Then it happened. One day after a long training run I took some time and looked at some old pictures of when I was at my fastest and I noticed I was sitting in my racing chair in a totally different position. The next day I made some adjustments in my positioning in the chair and the improvement in my speed was incredible. Now I couldn’t wait to race.

As I arrived at the starting line in Knightsville, I felt very confident. With temperatures in the low 80’s, I had a very good warm up and was ready to go. Usually it takes me a few miles to get going but not on this day. Right from the start I was in a rhythm. I reached the three-mile-mark in just over 46 minutes. This was a great time for me considering all the hills on the course. The next two miles flew by. I ended up finishing in my second best time ever on this course, 1:27:27.
Following St. Mary’s I had an excellent week of training. Last Friday evening, I competed in the 36th Annual Narragansett Lions Blessing of the Fleet 10-mile Road Race, held in Narragansett. This has become one of my favorite races to do each year. This 10-mile foot race is one of the oldest and most popular races in Rhode Island. People come from near and far to run this oceanfront course.

This was my 11th consecutive year competing in this race. Each year I like to use this race to mark the beginning of my marathon training, so my coach decided to design a program to build my strength and endurance slowly in the beginning of July. This was a great idea and really had me prepared for the Blessing. Along with some six and eight mile runs on the West Warwick High School grounds and West Warwick’s River Point Park, I felt prepared to turn in a good time at the Blessing. This race has a slightly hilly course and really lets me test my endurance each year.

It was very warm and humid on the day of the race and thunderstorms were forecast for later that day. This year I planned to go all out for as long as possible. As I was warming up I had a good feeling about how I was going to perform.
I rolled up to the starting line about 5 minutes before the gun sounded. We went off with the walkers so the first mile was kind of crowded but faster than usual. It took us a while to get some breathing room and pick up the pace. We passed the three-mile mark in just over 45 minutes. This was a great pace for me and I wanted to keep it going. Between the fifth and sixth-mile point I just tried to keep my rhythm going as it was a slight upgrade. I passed the 6-mile mark in just over an hour and 30 minutes, this was right where I hoped to be. I had wanted to finish this 10-mile race in less than 2 hour and 30 minutes. At this pace, I had a real shot at this time.

The next two-miles were on back roads and were mostly shaded by trees, so we had a little reprieve from the 90 degree heat. This helped me get a second wind. We passed the eight-mile marker in 2 hours and 2 minutes; we were still within two minutes of my goal pace. The final two miles of this 10-mile trek were my best and we crossed the finish line in 2 hours 34 minutes, and 42 seconds. This was my personal best time for this course and I was very happy.
These two races have put me in the perfect mind-frame to start my marathon training. If I can continue to train at this level I might just have one of the best competive years of my career.

Jason Pisano

Approaching Marathons #39 and 40

Being an athlete can be tough sometimes. Competing in marathons can be compared to being a boxer. In both of these sports one trains and alters their life for that one day in the spotlight, however you can never be prepared for what can happen on that particular day.
I have been taught this lesson many times the most recent being the 2007 Boston Marathon. This was my 38th career marathon and my 13th time in Boston. I trained very hard for this race, and probably was in the top shape of my life.. All this preparation went out the window when a freak nor’easter storm hit New England on the race day. Although I finished the race and raised money for a very worthy charity it was one of my worst times in years. Following this race I had to take time off to heal a couple of small injuries and get back to a positive state of mind. Having a bad marathon is kind of like losing a title fight. You are constantly asking yourself how you could have competed better or performed at a higher level, but sooner or later you have to shake it off and get back on track.
After Boston I have only competed in two small road races although I have been training daily, however at the beginning of this week I took my training to a whole new level. I have just begun preparing to compete in both the Breakers Marathon in Newport, R.I. on October 20th, and the New York Marathon on November 4th. I have been competing in marathons now for almost 14 years and each year it gets harder and harder to get into a regiment that will prepare me to go 26.2 miles. This year I think it will be easier than most years because I have a motivational factor to enter both of these races.
In the Breakers Marathon I’ll be running and raising money for the Ronald McDonald House. Running for a charity really makes you motivated to get out there and train and do your best on race day. When I compete in New York I have another reason to excel. I will once again be racing an athlete who competes the same way I do, going backwards using his legs. If there’s any better feeling than raising money for charity it is beating a long-time rival. On November 4th this is what I plan to do.
After competing in two local road races over the next couple of weeks I will return to training in my hometown of West Warwick and hopefully prepare my body to take whatever is thrown at me.
If everything goes like I plan, on November 5th when I wake up in New York City I will have completed 40 career marathons. This will leave me only ten shy of my goal of finishing 50 marathons, so if you see me training beep your horn and cheer me on. I appreciate all the encouragement I have gotten from the people of Rhode Island.

-Jason Pisano

2007 Boston Marathon video is up on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5a0Hhtnhw

This is the link

Boston 2007

There are some things that we as human beings have no control over. Mother Nature taught me this lesson once again on Monday, April 16th. After four long months of training I felt well prepared to turn in one of my fastest times at the 111th running of the Boston Marathon, however this was not to be on this day.
This was my 13th consecutive Boston Marathon and my 38th career marathon and I felt better than ever. I started training back at the end of January and had endured that brutal cold spell that we had at the beginning of March. I worked out in all conditions; snow, ice, wind, rain, and a few days of heat. My coach and I decided to design my training schedule with more speed workouts to see if I could achieve a personal best in Boston. Training went very well. Most weeks I ran and lifted six times a week, so by the time April came I felt ready to roll. Everything really seemed to be coming together, my staffing problems were solved for the moment, for the first time in several marathons I felt healthy going into the race, and I had a strategy that seemed like it would work. Then it happened.
About a week before the marathon I began hearing the forecast for a nor-easter. Now I have raced in all kinds of weather, but running 26.2 miles in a tropical storm is another thing. What made it even worse was that I had joined the Providence Ronald McDonald House Running Club and collected donations from many sponsors. Not that I would have withdrawn anyway, but racing for this worthy cause just made me more determined to get out there and hit the road.
The race day came and sure enough the weather was not ideal to say the least. It was one of the coldest Boston Marathon’s in the last 50 years. However at 9 a.m., I approached the starting line with my two guides/friends, Randy and Q, and we were off. At the beginning of the race the weather seemed to let up a little and I was moving along at a really good pace. At the six-mile mark I was only behind my goal pace by less than a minute. Then it happened. The wind and the rain picked up and as if that wasn’t bad enough I hit a huge puddle that soaked my feet. After this it was all downhill.
The next three miles I think took me an hour and a half, which really discouraged me. The wet roads would not allow me to get any traction and I was kicking so hard that my bad hip started freezing up and the hamstring on my other leg started to cramp up. The next hour felt more like six hours and I was so cold I just wanted this day to be over. For the next 15 or 16 miles it was really a test of will.
The going was slow and sometimes frustrating but we kept at it despite the fact that there were no more water stations. Ten hours and 32 minutes after I started this 26-mile trek to the heart of Boston I crossed the finish line. I was tired, wet, cold and frustrated, however I’m glad I didn’t quit and I helped raise money for others in need.
Hopefully my next marathon in October the weather will be more cooperative and I can go after my personal best, but for now I’ll stick to running a few 5K’s and try to get over my battle with Mother Nature.
Thanks to all of you who donated to the Providence Ronald McDonald House. To date I was able to raise over $1,600.

-Jason Pisano

2007 Boston Marathon Pictures

Jason is Back

Mid January-date unknown. High up on the hill in West Warwick Jason Pisano and his worker sit huddled in his van. The temperature is 8F with a windchill of -15. "Why are you doing this?" asks Jason's worker. Jason answers, "Just put me on the track." His worker, whose JOB IT IS to stay with Jason and help him if he gets stuck or runs of the track, brings Jay out to the track and runs back to the van for shelter. For more than an hour Jason pushes himself around the track with unmatched fortitude, preparing himself (mentally and physically) to go the distance in Boston.

For the last 15 years peoole have been following my racing career and supporting me. On Apil 16th, 2007, I will be racing in my 13th Boston Marathon and my 38th career marathon. I have received so such support over the years from others that, now I have made a name for myself, I want to use my racing to help others.

I truly believe in the Providence Ronald McDonald House and the awesome things that they do for families of sick children. I'm honored to be running for this worthy cause and hope that all of you support me in my efforts on April 16th and sponsor me! I Assure you that your money will be put to good use!

The link to donate is.



http://www.firstgiving.com/jasonpisano

Thanks, Jason Pisano

Sometime We Take A Lot For Granted

Growing up with a severe physical disability was not easy by any means, but with the assistance of family, friends, and other supporters I have managed to learn how to compensate for my physical limitations and lead a very fulfilling life. People with physical disabilities who live in third world countries are not as fortunate. I learned this first hand this week when I was asked for my input about a 15 year-old who has severe Cerebral Palsy
A few weeks ago, my coach and good friend, Paul Tetreault, asked me if I would be willing to meet with a friend, of his Janice B. Hulme, Physical Therapist (PT). She is the Director of PT and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Rhode Island.
Hulme recently had traveled with students from the PT department of URI to Guatemala to visit a clinic for people with disabilities. Among the many children and adults that the group observed was a young man who’s name is Oscar. This individual was confined to a bed and rarely able to transfer into his wheelchair. Oscar’s whole body convulsed on a regular basis through out the entire day, which had to take a toll on his body and mind. The staff from URI tried to come up with some techniques to relax the young man but their attempts were futile.
On Tuesday night, Hulme came to visit me at my home to see if I could come up with any ideas to make this young man’s life a little easier and happier. When she arrived at my house she gave me a brief overview of his condition and then showed me a video of her visit with him that took place this past December at his home in Guatemala. Although the video was only a little longer than half an hour it seemed like it was a lot longer as I watched helplessly as he flailed on his bed thousands of miles away.
When I was asked to help Hulme think of ways to improve his quality of life I was flattered but I knew it would be almost impossible for me to help someone so far away and who had no way to communicate his needs to me.
Doctors and therapists are wonderful but sometimes you need someone that has been in a similar situation to make a break through. After an hour or so of discussing Oscar with Hulme I gave her a few ideas that I hope will help him in the future. Although I was flattered to have been called upon to help, in the end I was left with a feeling of helplessness.
With all the obstacles that I have overcome in my life I often forget to take time to look at how far I have come and how much I have accomplished. I only can hope that Oscar can find a way to cope with his disabilities and allow people to see the person that he is inside.

Rocky: the flim that started it all for me

While everyone else is anticipating the holidays and doing their last minute holiday shopping I am looking forward to the latest and final of the Rocky saga. Three decades ago, when I was just four-years–old, I fell in love with this Cinderella story.
It was 1976, and my favorite sport was boxing. Knowing that I loved the sport my grandparents took me to see this Oscar winning film. Although I was a a little young I really loved the movie and watched it many, many times after that. The movie made such a big impression on me that I really wanted to be the character Rocky. My grandmother, being so devoted to me went along with my infatuation and reenacted a few of my favorite scenes. In Rocky I, Sylvester Stallone trains by hitting a side of beef. I guess my grandmother couldn’t afford a side of beef so she got a frozen chicken and hung it by its feet. I would kick it for hours. Another time I made her put three raw eggs in a glass and feed it to me. You see I am a true Rocky fan. She also used to try to copy the ring costumes that Rocky wore in the movies. This seems funny now but back then I really loved it.
Every time a sequel of this movie would come out I would be one of the first fans in line to go see it and get all of the memorabilia from the movie. I had trading cards, punching bags, action figures, and I even had a Mr. T sprinkler. I guess I went a little overboard but I was young and the movie really inspired me to become all that I could be.
When I first heard rumors of another sequel called Rocky Balboa was coming out I couldn’t believe it. It had been more than 15 years since the last Rocky film. But once the press got wind of it the idea caught on like wildfire. Then I saw trailers on the internet and I knew that it was true. At first I didn’t think Stallone, at the age of 60, would be able to play a believable role as the same character that he last portrayed on screen more than a decade and half ago. However, I knew if anyone could do it he could. This guy does not look his age at all and he slips into this famous role like he played it yesterday.
The Rocky movies are more than films. They are stories that everyone can relate to. They are stories that motivate and inspire people to go after things they would normally only dream of. I know this because that is what these movies did for me.

The drive to compete

What drives a person to compete in a sport? For some it is a way of fitting in with their peers, for others it is an unseen force that drives them. A few months ago a friend of mine took his passion for a sport to the extreme.
I met Anthony D’Arezzo about 12 years ago when I was lifting weights at Gold's Gym with my friend Lonnie Morris. Lonnie, being a wrestler, knew quite a few weight lifters and fellow wrestlers who trained in my gym, D’Arezzo being one of many. One day Lonnie introduced me to D’Arezzo. I had seen few people with the enormous stature that this man had. He really looked like a professional wrestler or a football player for the NFL, but when he spoke to people you could tell he was very intelligent.
As time went on D’Arezzo became more and more comfortable around me. Like most people he was a little hesitant to start a conversation with me because of my disability and my speech problem. Not long after he would often give me suggestions on how to improve my workouts. The thing I most remember about D’Arezzo is he would constantly tell me to “lift lighter weights and concentrate on your form. You are not a large guy.” I always agreed with him but never really listened too much. At the time I didn’t put to much weight in his suggestions, I figured I knew my body best and I was going to lift as much as I was able to.
Over the years I didn’t see D’Arezzo as often as before, but on occasion I would run into him at a club or sporting event and he always made time to ask how I was doing. Late last spring I bumped into him several times at a Providence nightclub. This is where he informed me of his health problems and he probably would not live to an old age. Like anyone else would do I told him don’t talk like that you will be all right. He said thank you and we moved on to more pleasant conversation.
The first time I met D’Arezzo at the gym Lonnie told me stories of how competitive he was and how he was such a great wrestler at Johnston High School as well as at Boston University. Lonnie said that he had a work ethic like no other.
In recent years D’Arezzo had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease, this condition made him stop competing in bodybuilding and reduced his training to a minimum. Although he wasn’t competing, D’Arezzo still had that competitive spirit as a personal trainer. Over the years he helped countless individuals become physically fit.
Last year, like most elite athletes D’Arezzo succumbed to the urge to compete in one last body building competition in Pittsburgh. Although his doctors were against this notion D’Arezzo had his mind made up and began to train once again, but this time harder than ever before. His training was progressing well and everything was in place for him to excel at this competition. Then it happened just an hour before he was to take the stage he collapsed and passed away in his hotel room.
Some might say that he took a risk that he shouldn’t have taken, but people like D’Arezzo with such a passion for excellence, there was no other way to live his life. D’Arezzo once said that he would rather die on a body building stage than to die of old age in a hospital. On that hot July day in Pittsburgh D’Arezzo got his wish and we all lost a great friend and motivator

Go Jay Go

Mile 14 and 17 of Marathon #2....fans, fellow guide runners, and imposters of fans and fellow guide runners

Pisano achieves goal, completes back-to-back marathons

Jason Pisano achieved one of his most ambitious goals yet last weekend, successfully completing back-to-back marathons.
The West Warwick resident, who has cerebral palsy and races by pushing himself backward in a wheelchair, first finished the Breakers Marathon in Middletown on Oct. 21 with a time of 9 hours, 33 minutes and 23 seconds.
Pisano then headed to Mystic, Conn. the next morning and completed the Mystic Country Marathon in 7:43:22.
They represented races No. 36 and 37 in his quest to finish 50 marathons.
Pisano was featured earlier this week on NBC 10. Click here to see the video clip.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton

Celebrating with Team Pisano at the Iron Man After Party

Hurting but thrilled

Team Pisano in action

52.4 miles in two days what a feeling!

Last weekend was quite a busy one for me. About six months ago, I came up with the idea to attempt back- to- back marathons this October. I have been doing marathons for 12 years, but I never had attempted a task so demanding as racing 52.4 miles in a span of two days. I signed up for the Breakers Marathon and the Mystic Places Marathon slated for October 21st and 22nd.
Last Saturday my guide runners and I arrived at Gaudet Middle School in Middletown, Rhode Island at 6 a.m., an hour before the Breakers Marathon would begin. Going into this marathon I was feeling great and I really expected to get one of my best times on this course, that was until 40 mile per hour wind gusts hit me when I was near the ocean. The first four miles flew by and I was right on pace for a personal best then the wind picked up and the next two miles took almost as long as the first four. After this occurred I knew that I would have to change my goal to just completing the race.
The Breakers course is a loop marathon with a lot of long winding hills that seem like they never end. During a loop marathon it has it’s ups and downs, the good part is you know what is coming up next the negative is you have to do the difficult parts three times. This day was quite long and took a toll on me mentally as well as physically every mile that went by I knew I was losing time but I had no choice but to push on. After eight hours on the course I very aggravated, tired and was ready to get this day over with. Just over an hour and a half later I reached the finish line in one of my slowest times in years. I completed the course in 9:28:11 but the important thing was I finished.
After that it was straight home to get ready for the next day and my next challenge, the Mystic Places Marathon in East Lyme, Connecticut. I had a good meal prepared by my stepfather and a great nights sleep. On Sunday we woke up at 5 a.m. and prepared to do it all again. It was cool out but I noticed the winds were nowhere as prominent as they had been the day before. Although I was hurting this made me more optimistic. When we arrived in East Lyme I got changed and got into my racing chair once again to warm up. This is a feeling I will never forget it really felt like I never got out of that chair and my right hip was throbbing.
At 9 a.m. my guides and I started the final half of my personal Iron man. The first three miles of this race are in the park and are all slightly uphill, this was not great for me with the way I was feeling. It took us over an hour just to get out of the park and I was thinking “Here we go again” but then one of my guides that I went to college with came up with a strategy that got me motivated and I slowly began to get back the time I had lost. At the half way mark of this marathon I was at 4:06 I wanted to do this marathon in less than eight hours, to accomplish this I would have to run the second 13 miles faster than the previous. Honestly I didn’t know how much longer my hip or my legs would hold out. With the encouragement of my guides, fellow competitors and spectators I began to feel much better. Almost every mile was getting faster and faster and eight hours no longer seemed unreachable. When I hit the 20-mile mark I was at six-hours, I knew I could achieve my goal.
Although the last six miles had a few big hills I managed to keep the pace, which allowed me to finish in 7:43:24. I was quite a bit happier with this performance than with my performance on Saturday. Now that this is over and I achieved my ultimate goal of completing two marathons back -to- back I would like to thank everyone who made it possible. I would like to thank my mother and stepfather for doing all the preparations and getting me to and from the races. I also would like to thank all my friends that came out to cheer me on. However most of all I would like to thank my three guides Dr. Scott Dresden, Nathan Tompkins and Chad Johnson. Thanks to the three of them I was able to accomplish one more of my goals. 37 down and 13 to go!

MY IRONMAN

With less than 24 hours to go till my attempt at back-to-back marathons I am focused and ready to push my body and soul to the limits. This will be my biggest challenge to date. I have been doing marathons for over 12 years but I never tackled a task as monumental as competing in two 26.2 mile marathons in a span of approximately 32 hours.
Over the past 12 weeks that I have been training, I have encountered many obstacles along the way. From daily visits to see my grandmother in a nursing home, to losing several of my guide runners, to fighting the flu and a cold, I managed to somehow keep on my training schedule. Training for a marathon for me is always a challenge even under the best of circumstances. First of all I have to make sure I get myself in tiptop shape before I can complete a race that is as draining as a marathon. In order to do this I need the time, along with the proper assistance to maintain a regular training program.
In early September I was faced with a large hurdle to overcome when one of my aides had to leave without giving any notice. Fortunately a good friend and former aide came to my assistance and found me two very quick learners to help me get back on schedule. When training for a marathon full-time your body gets run down and you are more susceptible to illness. This happened to me twice recently. Fortunately I trained through it and now am completely recovered.
Another factor for anyone training for a marathon, never mind back-to-back marathons, is time management. Because of how I race it takes me a lot longer to put in the miles needed to get my body in condition to be ready when I get to the starting line. An able-bodied runner might take an hour and a half for a long training run, while it will take me closer to three hours to complete that same distance. Along with this I have to make time for weight training, work, meals and adequate rest. All this makes for a very full day.
Fortunately I have a very loyal support system that I like to call “Team Pisano”. Team Pisano is made up of my aides, guide runners, friends and family, and sponsors. Without these special individuals I wouldn’t be able to continue my quest for 50 marathons. Tomorrow morning when I wake up at around 4 a.m. it will mark the beginning of my Iron Man weekend. Next week when I write my next column I hope to report that I successfully completed both marathons in a satisfactory amount of time. So on Monday, I’ll probably be very sore, but I should have only 13 marathons to go before I reach my ultimate goal of completing 50 career marathons.
In conclusion I would like to thank a few special people that have gone out of their way to help make this weekend a reality. The first two people I would like to thank is my coach Paul Tetreault who designed a training schedule for me to follow, and Doctor Scott Dresden from Wisconsin who will be one of my guide runners in both marathons. Next I would like to thank Chad Johnson and Nathan Thompkins who will also be my guides this weekend. Lastly I would like to thank my mother and step-father, Ray and Michele Burdick for all they did to make this weekend possible as well as for all they do for me every other day of the year.
For anyone who would like to learn more about my races or Team Pisano they can go to my blog at http://teampisano.blogspot.com/