Run To Remember Special Guest and Sponsor

Today there was a lot of activity. There was lots of excitement and some great people. One of the missions of this run is to meet others that have been touched somehow by brain injury. Today I got to meet Jeannette and her son P.L. She has a website of their traumatic story here

She not only lost her daughter, but her son also suffered a TBI on the same day. This is a woman and family of great courage and determination. She is a driving force advocating for brain injury awareness and seeking support for families like hers who are forever changed due to the trauma of brain injury. Her son P.L. was only 10 years old when he was forever altered by brain injury, and he will always need support and assistance in his life because the little things that we take for granted, like typing shoes, is such a challenge for him.

They were an inspiration for me to meet, and to have P.L. do the short 3km run during the launch today was a treat. He is a sweet, soft-spoken 15 year-old who is facing life with a lot of courage. It meant a lot to have them both a part of the launch, and a part of the support system here in beautiful Newfoundland. Jeanette has worked hard to get my story and event heard, and I am ever grateful. With her dedicated personality behind me, I have made a splash on the start of my adventure to bring brain injury into the forefront of Canadian minds.

Thank you both for sharing your story, your time and your support to help me along!

In addition to these two special Newfoundlanders, I want to send out a special thanks to our launch sponsors BDO. Thank you to everyone who helped out, showed up, helped organize and gave us their time on this special day. Everyone that showed up to speak and support this event and cause is appreciated, but without BDO's support, the launch event would not have been so vibrant.

The Launch of the Run To Remember in St Johns Newfoundland

Launch Run by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Today was declared Run To Remember Day by Counselor Danny Breen.

We had the RCMP Horses and riders show up to help us run down the streets.

We got to meet the great people at BDO and Steve Belanger

gave us a great Newfoundland welcome and suggested Velma's Place restaurant for some great St. Johns food and people

However today was all about the kids.

Also maybe the horses!! They were AWESOME!! I ran with horses.

4 hour run split by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Untitled by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

I am pretty confident in my ability to run a consecutive 6 hours each day. So even though I cut today's run short it's because I want to allow time for my blisters to repair. I don't see any point in causing more damage this close to launch day.

I have a few options to avoid the blisters, but will allow my feet to get to full recovery.

Todays run was really good and I really enjoyed. It was a little wet to start, however it turned into a beautiful run.

What to do when nothing works.

So as the start of the run is getting closer (less than two weeks) things are getting a little crazy. I some media stuff coming up, my training times are getting huge, yesterday was clinical massage, and we are planning for the flight. All this as well as the rest of life is still going on. i.e. cooking, cleaning, chores, etc.

So I was a little freaked out when my super computer started acting all funky. It was not booting anymore, and if it did start up I got this bizarre screen that looked like Jackson Pollock painting, or it would just make angry "beeps" at me. So it's now being shipped back to Origin Pc's where I got it.

I purchased the most expensive computer I had every bought to be able to handle the data from the run. I plan to video tape, photograph, Skype, and blog all my run data from my Garmin GPS Watch. I also need to be able to keep up to date with my schedule, meetings etc.

So I am a little freaked out not only because of the way I handle stress after my brain injury, but also because my electronics have become my prosthetic memory. In fact without my electronics I don't know what I am supposed to do, what I have done, where I am supposed to be, how to get there, what to do when I get there, and how to get back.

So this raised an interesting thought for me. How much of a role does technology play a role in Brain Injury?

Let me make a statement here. I am very lucky for a couple of reasons. The first reason I am very lucky is that I have been around computers for a very long time. My dad was always on the cutting edge of computers and we are going back to Commodore 64s and IBM 5150. Not to mention Atari's and Coleco Visions and Pong. The second reason was that I considered a "high functioning" disabled person. That means that I can actively participate in my own recovery, and life.

These two factors are very important for my particular abilities since my accident. As I do suffer from Short Term Memory Loss, I was able to really on my Long Term Memory to aid in my ability to recall attributes to apply to my short term memory deficits. I am also able to speak to my own behalf. So this has been very integral in my current achievements.

However it also makes me a slave to technology. You see much like someone who looses a leg, or arm and has an artificial limb. I have an artificial short term memory. When I don't have access to my memory, well continue the prosthetic limb analogy.

So this lead me to think what do others with Brain Injury rely on. How much do your prosthetics (of any kind) factor into your lives?

How does it feel when you don't have access to them?

Thoughts?

Short run and Gym

Today I did a 40 min easy run in the gym. Then I did some upper body supersets. In between each step I alternated with push-ups, and sit-ups.

I came upstairs and still felt like working out. I added some free weights and some resistance training. Everything was nice and light.

One goal I am working on with my run across the country is to see how many sit-ups and push-ups I can do.

In a perfect world (and perfect ability in my ability to stick to something) I want to start off each run with some sit-ups and push-ups. I then want to end each day with them as well. I am going to keep track of my growth each week and see what I can get up to. More of a personal goal than anything else.

Things are starting to pick up steam, and I am just trying to keep up.

Now it's time to eat a really big salad!!

Run #1 by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Run #1 by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Run #2 by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Run to chores, then eat, then run home in a rain storm. Great run.

Longest run time so far I think by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Longest run time so far I think by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Really long run. Stopped a couple of times. Once was to change socks and meet up at Foot Solutions, the second was to be involved in a police incident about a car driver and a pedestrian in a road rage incident. I think I am cracking this blister issue. It may involve a few steps that I need to remember but it's a heck of allot better than running on many blisters on blisters.

Mentally drained today. The police incident confused me. I have to remember my name, address, and then what happened. Trying to explain that when you have aphasia..........well Yeah I am tired.

Dave

Short and light recovery run by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Short and light recovery run by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

3:30 run. Cut a little short as I have a dinner tonight by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

3:30 run. Cut a little short as I have a dinner tonight by temporallobe at Garmin Connect - Details

Ran with my Pov 1.5 and will update some pic's and video's of this run.