Here's Pisano chipping away at heart break hill. Yeah!!!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Boston Marathon Pic 6
Often in our rides to the start line we listen to Cake's "Going the distance". Jay, check out the sign this girl is holding. I just noticed today what it said.
Recovered and Ready for another...Randy
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Boston Marathon Pic 5
After the first "official" wheelchair racers caught us, we were caught by Rick and Dick Hoyt. Check these guys out at www.teamhoyt.com. Read their book "It's only a Mountain". Next pic...the girls of Wellesley college scream for Jay!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Boston Marathon Pic 4
The start of the race for the "mobility impaired" division was at 10am so Jason had some time to get out and moving on the course. Here he is out on the course playing cat and mouse with the others that started at 10am.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Boston Marathon Pic 3
Here is Jay poised to lay waste to the 2006 Boston Marathon course. From Hopkinton it is straight downhill. That's where the guide runners come in. Our job is to steer and slow him down as he goes downhill. His pace is on the downhills is limitted to how fast we can run and maintain control. As far as any forward momentum it is all him. So NO he is not that guy that I push in the marathons!!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Boston Marathon Pic 2
Here is one more in the Elementary School. Jay all suited up in his chair and ready to head to the starting line.
Daily Boson Marathon Pic 1
Over the next few days I'll share some pics of Team Pisano in this year's Boston Marathon. Here is a pic of Jason Pisano resting in the elementary school in Hopkinton Mass a few hours before the start. Behind him is his racing chair and on the floor our guide bibs.
Randy
Thursday, April 20, 2006
You Know You're Brothers When...
As this blog has no timelines or general outline of stories I will randomly jump to one I promised a friend I would tell. So, Arghh mateys sit back and listen to the story of Jay and the giant clam.
I had been working with Jay for a year or two up at UConn, where we went to college together. At UConn I helped him with whatever he needed. Being in a wheelchair and having no real control over his arms etc...he needs a lot of the little things. A push to class, someone to take notes, pick up the phone etc...I was particularly talented at holding his beer at Teds or Huskies. I quickly learned that if you were friends with Jay you didn't act like...oh Jay here you go, do you got it..is that ok...can I get you anything else...It's more like stick the straw in is face and hope you have time to drink your own before he is done and wants another. So anyway after the semesters were done I ended up working for him at home during the summer. He needed someone to help him, I needed a job, we both wanted to go out, work out and hang at the beach. It was an easy decision.
It was something like the summer of 1995. It was a hot summer day and Jay, myself, his family, their friends, their friends kids, their friends' friends and maybe their gardner were all on vacation at a beach house in Naragansett Rhode Island. Jay was spending the day working on a big 5lb, maybe more, bucket of muscles that they bought for him at the local docks. Whatever those things were they were like the most seafood you could get for the cheapest price. He ate all afternoon until we were ready to go out for the night
Three or four beers passed the muscles clams, whatever, Jason's mom realized that I was looking a little tipsy myself. "I know you say thats the same beer you started with but I will drive you guys down to the Coast Guard House and you can call me when you are ready to come home. Of course we didn't call and at about 2:00 am they found us in the upstairs bar sipping a free drink from the owner or maybe some other nice person who knew Jay from here or there. It was time to go home and to bed.
I was out cold, deep asleep when I heard him yelling. We were sleeping in the living room with big cathedral ceilings and a hallway with doors to all the other bedrooms just above us. "Randy," he yelled. "I need to get up". "Yeah okay" I said still sleeping away. "Hey" Jay yelled. "What Jay, What?!!" I cried back. "Shut up!" someone up stairs moaned. Calmy he said,"I'm gonna get sick." "What, sick! okay, I'm up, I'm up" I said as I jumped off the couch and tripped over his mattress on the floor. "Just get me up" he said.
So I bent down and grabbed him like a wrestler and flung him up ready to sit him quickly into his chair. I didn't have his arms held and they swing all about whereever they want. Jays arm stretched out and hit the light switch. It wasn't just one switch it was one of those multi switch panels controlling all the indoor lights, outdoor, fans and who knows what eles. "ahhh what the heck," every one starts yelling "turn the lights off!!!"
I dropped Jay into his wheelchair. Turned off the lights and felt much better. I sighed, noticed my mouth was pretty dry. It felt great to be in the dark again and my eyes relaxed back to their sleepy mode. I figured I'd hit the head so..."Hey!!" Jason yelled at me. "What are you doing?" he said, slumped over in his chair a gurgling volcano of muscles and Natty Ice. "oh yeah" I said, and I felt my way to the kitchen stubbing my toes on furniture and beach toys.
Finally I made it to the cubbard, at least it felt like a cuppard and it was. Opening it let out a crash of dishes put away by careless vacationers more concerned about playing screw your neighbor. I was in too much of a hurry to care about the noise then, as I sensed Jay getting closer and closer to eruption. One pot..too small, the next too big and heavy, that one's for the lobster tomorrow, plastic? no.., frying pan no , cup (shouldn't be in here)......YESSS! perfecto, good size, feels pretty old and beat up and not too heavy.
This is where they play Chariots of fire as I run across the room, one arm stretched out with the pot in hand, the other feeling my way. I made it just in time. I was good, I was real good. I've never smelled so many nasty pieces and parts in my life. I turned my head and covered my nose with my free arm. Jay yelled to me again, "Hey". I just ignored him, tucked my head into my shirt like a turtle and pinched my nose "It's okay Jay", I muffeld out. "HEYehhyyyyy!!!" "Idiot, Idiot he he yelled and kicked me. "What now Jay?, What??" I said.
Jay looked up. "It's a strainer".
I had been working with Jay for a year or two up at UConn, where we went to college together. At UConn I helped him with whatever he needed. Being in a wheelchair and having no real control over his arms etc...he needs a lot of the little things. A push to class, someone to take notes, pick up the phone etc...I was particularly talented at holding his beer at Teds or Huskies. I quickly learned that if you were friends with Jay you didn't act like...oh Jay here you go, do you got it..is that ok...can I get you anything else...It's more like stick the straw in is face and hope you have time to drink your own before he is done and wants another. So anyway after the semesters were done I ended up working for him at home during the summer. He needed someone to help him, I needed a job, we both wanted to go out, work out and hang at the beach. It was an easy decision.
It was something like the summer of 1995. It was a hot summer day and Jay, myself, his family, their friends, their friends kids, their friends' friends and maybe their gardner were all on vacation at a beach house in Naragansett Rhode Island. Jay was spending the day working on a big 5lb, maybe more, bucket of muscles that they bought for him at the local docks. Whatever those things were they were like the most seafood you could get for the cheapest price. He ate all afternoon until we were ready to go out for the night
Three or four beers passed the muscles clams, whatever, Jason's mom realized that I was looking a little tipsy myself. "I know you say thats the same beer you started with but I will drive you guys down to the Coast Guard House and you can call me when you are ready to come home. Of course we didn't call and at about 2:00 am they found us in the upstairs bar sipping a free drink from the owner or maybe some other nice person who knew Jay from here or there. It was time to go home and to bed.
I was out cold, deep asleep when I heard him yelling. We were sleeping in the living room with big cathedral ceilings and a hallway with doors to all the other bedrooms just above us. "Randy," he yelled. "I need to get up". "Yeah okay" I said still sleeping away. "Hey" Jay yelled. "What Jay, What?!!" I cried back. "Shut up!" someone up stairs moaned. Calmy he said,"I'm gonna get sick." "What, sick! okay, I'm up, I'm up" I said as I jumped off the couch and tripped over his mattress on the floor. "Just get me up" he said.
So I bent down and grabbed him like a wrestler and flung him up ready to sit him quickly into his chair. I didn't have his arms held and they swing all about whereever they want. Jays arm stretched out and hit the light switch. It wasn't just one switch it was one of those multi switch panels controlling all the indoor lights, outdoor, fans and who knows what eles. "ahhh what the heck," every one starts yelling "turn the lights off!!!"
I dropped Jay into his wheelchair. Turned off the lights and felt much better. I sighed, noticed my mouth was pretty dry. It felt great to be in the dark again and my eyes relaxed back to their sleepy mode. I figured I'd hit the head so..."Hey!!" Jason yelled at me. "What are you doing?" he said, slumped over in his chair a gurgling volcano of muscles and Natty Ice. "oh yeah" I said, and I felt my way to the kitchen stubbing my toes on furniture and beach toys.
Finally I made it to the cubbard, at least it felt like a cuppard and it was. Opening it let out a crash of dishes put away by careless vacationers more concerned about playing screw your neighbor. I was in too much of a hurry to care about the noise then, as I sensed Jay getting closer and closer to eruption. One pot..too small, the next too big and heavy, that one's for the lobster tomorrow, plastic? no.., frying pan no , cup (shouldn't be in here)......YESSS! perfecto, good size, feels pretty old and beat up and not too heavy.
This is where they play Chariots of fire as I run across the room, one arm stretched out with the pot in hand, the other feeling my way. I made it just in time. I was good, I was real good. I've never smelled so many nasty pieces and parts in my life. I turned my head and covered my nose with my free arm. Jay yelled to me again, "Hey". I just ignored him, tucked my head into my shirt like a turtle and pinched my nose "It's okay Jay", I muffeld out. "HEYehhyyyyy!!!" "Idiot, Idiot he he yelled and kicked me. "What now Jay?, What??" I said.
Jay looked up. "It's a strainer".
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Introducing Jason Pisano-His Own Words
This past Monday my two guides and I set out to complete the 110 Boston Marathon. This was my 11th consecutive year racing this historic course. Like every year, I put myself through four months of intense training so I would be prepared for any extra challenge that might present its’ self on Marathon Monday.
The Boston Marathon is one, if not, the most difficult marathon to run in the world. To attempt this 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to downtown Boston, one must be both ready mentally and physically to push their bodies to the absolute limits. This year I trained very hard and was probably in the best shape of my life. I really thought I had an excellent chance at setting a personal record on this course, but then it happen.
Two days before the marathon I woke up with a tooth ache and this virus that left all sores in my mouth. I was definitely not happy. I didn’t feel like getting out of bed never mind doing a marathon, but something inside me enjoys an extra challenge, so I decided I was going to race as planned.
Easter morning I went on my final training session. I only went out for 30 or 40 minutes just to loosen up my muscle and I felt OK but I knew I wasn’t going be at full strength. For the rest of the holiday I just relaxed and tried to focus on the race.
After a light supper and watching Rocky IV for the 1,000 times I felt a little better. After a hot shower I went to bed nice and early so I’d be fresh for my 5:30 a.m. wake-up call. I slept well but still didn’t feel at full strength. After dressing and a quick bite to eat, we were off to the staging area. I slept the entire hour ride to Hopkinton. When arrived at the small grammar school where the wheelchair athletes dress and warm-up it was extremely cold. I actually think it was warmer outside than in that school. After we get all set and I was properly in my racing chair we headed up to the starting area. Like each year this area was mobbed with media and spectators. This kind of got me psyched and made me forget about not feeling up to par. After about 20 minutes of giving interviews and warming-up it was show time.
At 10 a.m. I started the race with the Mobility Impaired Division. I still felt a little weak but I was going faster than normal. I passed the eight-mile mark in 1 hour and 53 minutes. I was psyched but still did not feel myself. This is when I fell apart. The next five miles took me almost as long as it took me to do the first eight miles. Right then I knew I was in trouble. I was struggling and Heartbreak Hill (five miles of up-hill) was just a few miles away. Although I knew this was going be my one of my slowest times at Boston I knew I had to push on.
The next 13 miles were brutal. Each year the hills seem to get bigger and longer, or it could just be me getting older. This is the portion of the race where every push hurts so badly. This is also the portion of the course where I get the most encouragement. So many people, runners and spectators, took time to tell me how much I inspire them, or how much they look forward to seeing me struggling up those hills each year. Even if I had ever thought about quitting how could I after hearing all that encouragement.
Finally I sprinted over the line in the heart of Boston in a time of 8 hours, 43 minutes, and 3 seconds. Like any competitive athlete I was very disappointed in my performance, but then I thought of something my friends and family always ask me; “Why do you put yourself through all this?” My answer is because I can.
I can do something that most people cannot ever do. I can show people life is all that you make it. Yes, Monday certainly was not a great day for me, but that does not mean I threw in the towel. These kinds of days only make you stronger for future endeavors. Hopefully everyone appreciated my efforts and I’ll be able to return to Boston next April and really show them my best.
The Boston Marathon is one, if not, the most difficult marathon to run in the world. To attempt this 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to downtown Boston, one must be both ready mentally and physically to push their bodies to the absolute limits. This year I trained very hard and was probably in the best shape of my life. I really thought I had an excellent chance at setting a personal record on this course, but then it happen.
Two days before the marathon I woke up with a tooth ache and this virus that left all sores in my mouth. I was definitely not happy. I didn’t feel like getting out of bed never mind doing a marathon, but something inside me enjoys an extra challenge, so I decided I was going to race as planned.
Easter morning I went on my final training session. I only went out for 30 or 40 minutes just to loosen up my muscle and I felt OK but I knew I wasn’t going be at full strength. For the rest of the holiday I just relaxed and tried to focus on the race.
After a light supper and watching Rocky IV for the 1,000 times I felt a little better. After a hot shower I went to bed nice and early so I’d be fresh for my 5:30 a.m. wake-up call. I slept well but still didn’t feel at full strength. After dressing and a quick bite to eat, we were off to the staging area. I slept the entire hour ride to Hopkinton. When arrived at the small grammar school where the wheelchair athletes dress and warm-up it was extremely cold. I actually think it was warmer outside than in that school. After we get all set and I was properly in my racing chair we headed up to the starting area. Like each year this area was mobbed with media and spectators. This kind of got me psyched and made me forget about not feeling up to par. After about 20 minutes of giving interviews and warming-up it was show time.
At 10 a.m. I started the race with the Mobility Impaired Division. I still felt a little weak but I was going faster than normal. I passed the eight-mile mark in 1 hour and 53 minutes. I was psyched but still did not feel myself. This is when I fell apart. The next five miles took me almost as long as it took me to do the first eight miles. Right then I knew I was in trouble. I was struggling and Heartbreak Hill (five miles of up-hill) was just a few miles away. Although I knew this was going be my one of my slowest times at Boston I knew I had to push on.
The next 13 miles were brutal. Each year the hills seem to get bigger and longer, or it could just be me getting older. This is the portion of the race where every push hurts so badly. This is also the portion of the course where I get the most encouragement. So many people, runners and spectators, took time to tell me how much I inspire them, or how much they look forward to seeing me struggling up those hills each year. Even if I had ever thought about quitting how could I after hearing all that encouragement.
Finally I sprinted over the line in the heart of Boston in a time of 8 hours, 43 minutes, and 3 seconds. Like any competitive athlete I was very disappointed in my performance, but then I thought of something my friends and family always ask me; “Why do you put yourself through all this?” My answer is because I can.
I can do something that most people cannot ever do. I can show people life is all that you make it. Yes, Monday certainly was not a great day for me, but that does not mean I threw in the towel. These kinds of days only make you stronger for future endeavors. Hopefully everyone appreciated my efforts and I’ll be able to return to Boston next April and really show them my best.
Jason Pisano Finishes 35th Marathon
Hello All,
On Monday one of my best friends finished his 35th marathon! Picture yourself somewhat spastic with little coordiation of your major muscle groups. You are in into wheelchair, arms tied down so you don't accidentally hit anyone. What do you do now? Start pushing...with your legs that is..backwards...for 26.2 miles. That's what my buddy Jay does and has been doing for over 10 years. This Monday he finished the Boston marathon (his 35th total). He claims that we are done when he finishes 50 total. We will see. I created this blog to begin telling his story and the adventures with various characters collectively known as Team Pisano.
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