Jake Runs for Kids

Thanksgiving Race is almost here!!!

2006-11-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hello, I have not been running very much these past few days because my dad has not been around. I hope that you will still be sponsoring me. We are ready for you to HELP THE KIDS!!!!!!!!!! I am excited about the children that are going to be SO happy when they get this help that will probably let them have a better life.

Thanks,
Jake

Halloween-No Running Today!

2006-10-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

Jake and I started to get our things together last night for our early morning training session today, when Jake pointed out an interesting problem: Halloween Costume. He didn't want to have to put on his Halloween costume at the Athletic Club after working out. Understandable.

Here are Jake and Elizabeth in costume this morning before school. Jake's the one doing the 'Strength...and Honor' salute. Elizabeth is the pink unicorn.

How2Kids

2006-10-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

Jake's video from last spring has started appearing as a part of a show called How2Kids, about kids with special hobbies or abilities.

Watch the video now. Some of you have seen it before, but it's starting to get airtime now.

For those of you joining us late, Jake demolished his previous record yesterday, running a 5k in 22:18! His previous best (from July) was 23:03 and his previous best before that (from Memorial Day this year) was 23:53.

That means he's cut his PR by one and a half minutes in just a few months. Holy Adidas, Batman!

But the year's not over yet! He and I decided to kick off another fund raiser run, and he's going to run the Thanksgiving Day race in La Canada, just a few miles from us.

If you'd like to sponsor Jake, just email me. You'd be supporting him for up to $25. Here's how it works:

$10 if he runs and finishes
$5 more if he breaks his PR (currently 22:18)
$5 more if he wins his age division
$5 more if he breaks 22 minutes (his goal for this race)

In the past, some of you have double and even triple sponsored him, so if you'd like to do that, please just let me know!

Thanks!
Jim

Pumpkin Run

2006-10-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I know I haven't been in contact for a long time but I would like to tell you Happy Halloween and that this morning I ran a 22:18 minute 5k! During the race I was feeling tired but I knew that if I pushed that little bit harder my time would be that much better. After the race I went out to a nice family breakfast and then took the 1 hour drive to Pasadena. Right now I'm writing my blog here and getting ready for a Halloween party in about 45 minutes.

Thanks,
Jake

We're back in action!

2006-10-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

Jake and I have been secretly waiting to spring some news on you and this is the day! For the last several months, Jake has been training fairly intensively, and the results are truly startling.

If you recall, Jake ran his last 'Jake Runs For Kids' sponsored race in May in Brentwood. He ran a very strong 23:50, which was a new PR, and he raised a few hundred dollars.

In July, Jake ran in a race we didn't announce in a town called Baldwin Park and shaved almost a minute off his time, finishing first in his division at 23:03. Today, he ran in his 'warm-up' race called the Great Pumpkin Race in Westlake Village, California, and came in at a startling 22:18.

In other words, in just five months, he's shaved more than 90 seconds off his PR!

BUT, the best news is that Jake will be running on Thanksgiving Day in La Canada, California and he wants your support.

Here's how it's going to work. If you become a member of Team Jake, you'll sponsor his fund raising efforts for WorldVision (www.worldvision.org) in the following amounts:

$10 if he finishes the race
$5 more if breaks his amazing new PR of 22:18
$5 more if he wins his division (10 and under)
$5 more if he breaks 22:00, which is his goal for the race.

If you'd like to 'double' or 'triple' sponsor him, the total amount would simply be doubled or tripled, as some of you have done in the past.

I'm going to create the new fundraising page and provide a link when we closer to the race. I'm also going to publish some pictures from today's incredible race.

Please email me to let me know if you want to be part of Team Jake for this run!

Jim

Jake's Brentwood Pictures

2006-06-02T11:43:00.001-07:00

There was a professional photographer at the Brentwood race, who snapped a few pictures of Jake, which you can see (and buy and turn into mugs and junk like that) here.

Also, don't forget to make your pledge if you haven't already! Here's the link.

Best,
Jim

Jake's Brentwood Pictures

2006-06-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Be part of Team Jake

2006-05-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

To be a part of Team Jake again, please make your $20 donation to WorldVision by clicking below.

Support Team Jake.

It's official!

2006-05-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Although the final time is a little off from yesterday's posted time (23:54 instead of 23:50), it's still a Personal Record for Jake by a mile AND good for 7th place out of 30 boys under 14.

Here are the results.

Jake was beaten by five fourteen year olds and a very fast 11 year old named Colin Jackson. It's tough competing with kids that age!

Ok, so if you'd like to support Team Jake, your pledge should be:

$10 because he finished
$5 because he broke his PR
and $5 because he finished in the top 10 in his division. (He didn't break 23 minutes, so no $5 there).

For a total of $20.

I'll post the new pledge page later today.

Congrautlations, Jake!

3 out of 4 ain't bad!

2006-05-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is Jake just before we set off, in a picture taken by my phone.

He felt good with no nerves at all, really, which is why I think he ran so well.

To review the table of pledges, Team Jake supporters will do:

$10 for finishing the race (done)
$5 for breaking his PR (done! Previous PR- 24:08)
$5 for finishing in the top 10 of the Men's 14 and under division. (Official Results aren't out yet, but he was 7th unofficially!)
$5 for finishing under 23:00 (not done).

Still, that brings the pledge to $20 out of a possible $25. The results, however, aren't final, so I'm not declaring them a done deal yet.

More info to come!

Jim

BRENTWOOD PR!!!

2006-05-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

In this race I got 23:50! I am excited about raising money!Happy Memorial Day!

Brentwood This Sunday!

2006-05-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much posting activity lately, but there's been LOTS of training activity.

Jake has really been diligently training for this weekend's race at Brentwood: three workouts a week of about 3 miles a day. That's a lot of miles, but he's really been enjoying it because it means a lot of Papa-Jake time at the gym.

He's looking good, and I think he'll make some nice gains in his PR. It's tough to say at his age because the physical changes can be profound over a short time or not at all.

Anyway, I'm going to send out official results and give you a pledge URL on Monday or Tuesday, once the results become official. Again, this isn't a race he's expecting to win, because it's a very competitive field and the age group goes all the way to 14, but he's still running against the clock.

Wish him luck!

2006-05-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hello,

The reason I havn't been blogging is because my dad has been on a trip to Washington D.C..Tommorow I'm going to do a sprint day.A good runner told me that a good thing to do is to do quarter miles instead of halves.

Jake

One second faster

2006-04-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ran a 5k in 23:09. Unfortunatatly it wasn't USATF sponsered. I ran 2 races before you are able to sponser me today. Thank you for signing up and if you havn't there's a long way off.

Jake

2006-04-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today I'm going to run a 5k at school. I want to get 23:30. Last time I got 23:10! As I tell you an easy way to excercice is to find a track near you and RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giacomo Beresford McCarthy

2006-04-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Today I ran a 5k tempo. A tempo run is 7 min slow 10 min fast 6 min slow.It ends up as abouut a 23min 5k .The 10 min part is 40 sec per lap.It is about a 7:10 mile.I ran at the club . RUNNING IS VERY FUN!!!! A fun way to excercice is just to find a track near you and run a little bit.

Jake

Brentwood-One Month Away

2006-04-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

All, Jake has been meaning to get back onto his blog recently, but let me tell you this. He has never worked harder preparing for a race than he is for this one. He's had some excellent workouts, including one this morning. I won't ruin it, because he'll probably blog the workout details later today, but I will describe the plan we're working from.

He's on a 3 a week schedule, and there are a couple of big differences between previous preparation plans and this one.

First, he's running way more miles. Every workout now is at least 5k. He does one "open" 5k a week, where he just runs at whatever pace he feels like. We don't even really time it.

On alternate weeks, his middle workout is either a series of half-mile sprints (3 the first week, 4 and then 5 later in the plan) or a 23 minute 'interval' training session. In the interval training, he does 7 minutes at a comfortable (easy) pace, then runs at a pace he couldn't sustain for 5k but can sustain for 10 minutes, then for his third interval, he shifts back into the slower pace for 6 minutes.

His third workout each week is another 5k with a time goal. Each week, it gets progressively faster, as he builds toward the goal of 22:30 for the race. Last week, he timed himself at 23:10, which is a big gain from his PR, so let's hope it holds up.

Again, he's running very well and is very motivated to make all the benchmarks for this race.

Support him! If you supported him last time, please let me know that you're in again if you haven't already.

Thanks,
Jim

2006-04-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

23min!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On a 5k that I ran I got 23min!

Jake

2006-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Everybody,

I'm sorry I haven't spoken yo you for a long time . For this upcoming race I'm trying to hit 22:30 and my father came up with a new 5 pack. This 5 pack is fast all 5 laps.(36 seconds) and I want to hit a time of 3:00 t0tal. Today I did the following...

3:21
3:13
3:08

Sincerely,

Jake

Jake at Chinatown

2006-04-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is a professional photo taken at the Chinatown race. Jake is happy because it shows both of his feet off the ground.

He's going to be blogging again soon, because he's training really, really hard for Brentwood. It's probably one of his two favorite races. He likes Chinatown, too, but mostly because it's a steep course and therefore almost kills his father...

New Race for Sponsorship: Brentwood!

2006-04-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

On May 28th, Jake will run the Brentwood 5k in toney Brentwood, California, and you can once again Join Team Jake!

To tell you a bit about the Brentwood race, it is a large race, with a generally competitive field. Whereas Chinatown, for example, attracts competitive runners as well as a large number of non-competitive runners (me, for example), Brentwood is more of a runner's race. Having said that, it's still quite a large field. Also, Jake will be in the 14 and under division, which means that he'll be running with kids as old as 14 years and 11 months old, whereas he just turned 8.

Brentwood is a special race to Jake, because two years ago, it was his first race, and this will be his third running. Last year, he ran 25:04 at Brentwood, setting his then PR. Here's more about the race.

This year, we're once again supporting WorldVision with his race. Here's how the sponsorship goes:

$10 for running and finishing the race
$5 for breaking his current PR (24:08, set at Chinatown)
$5 for finishing in the top 10 (last year, he would have had to run about 23:30 to do that)
$5 for finishing under 23:00

Again, the max total is $25, depending on the outcomes.

Last time, Jake raised $900, which meant he exceeded his goal of collecting enough to sponsor one child and actually sponsored more like 2 and a half.

To let us know you're sponsoring him, just email me. Alternatively, leave a comment on the blog with your email address, and I'll make sure you're once again on Team Jake!

TV Version of Jake Film

2006-04-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Run for Rita Just 4 Days Away!

2006-03-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is really just a practice race for Jake, so we're not blogging heavily about it. The race is on Saturday, and I'm confident he'll do well. It's a flat, fast course in familiar territory. Frankly, I'm trying to make sure that he feels absolutely no pressure leading up to this race. He's just 8, after all. He's competing in the 'elementary school' division, which means he'll be running against his school mates that are up to three years older than him.

Now...if Vegas were laying odds on this race, I do think he would be the favorite, despite his age disadvantage, but I don't want him to feel that anything other than winning is a disappointment, so we're keeping it light and breezy.

Still, we'll let you know the result and how he does compared to PR. I expect he'll probably break it.

On another note, Jake got invited to join a very strong local kids track team, and although at his age, they only run as far as 1500 meters, he's still got a chance to learn technique from them that I can't teach him. We're not 100% sure he's joining, but he went to the practice last night and liked it. The team is associated with legendary High School Track powerhouse, John Muir High School of Pasadena.

More on that later too. Also, we'll be announcing Jake's next sponsorable race next week!

Run for Rita Warmup Race Coming Up

2006-03-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hi, all

Jake mentioned this before, but he's running on March 18th in an event sponsored by his school called "Run for Rita." They're raising money to help rebuild a middle school in Mississippi that was wiped out by the wicked witch Hurricane Rita last August.

It's not a sanctioned race, so his time isn't going to be an official one. Really, it's just a training race for him, but he wants you to know that he's out to win anyway!

He did strain a thigh muscle this week doing the long jump, but he's icing it and should be ok for the race. Also, please note that after Thursday, he'll officially be 8.

Official Results by Division

2006-02-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Here you can see the official results by Division, showing Jake in first in his by about nine minutes:

Also, if for some reason you'd like to buy a picture of Jake in this race, the official photographers got a pretty good one of him. You can buy one if you want.

Jake's bib number was 1347, so enter that in, and you'll see the options on that picture.

Also, hidden in a mysterious location on that finishshots.com site is a picture of me approaching the finish line...DO NOT under any circumstances try to find it...

Rough Cut of Jake's TV Appearance

2006-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

This is a first take, with voice over and more editing to come.

2006-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,I'm glad to talk to you again.
I will run in a non-sponsorable race in about 3 weeks.

Jake

Over the Top!

2006-02-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

Team Jake had pledges totalling $775 for this race, and as of now, we've collected $800!

Thanks to everyone for pledging and keeping your pledge.

If you haven't had a chance yet, please go to this page. It's nearly painless...

Update on Jake's Video Clip

2006-02-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks (again) to the wonderful Gigi Johnson, Jake will not only be appearing on TV, but will also be seen in an extended version of the piece online. We'll post it here, but also it will be available on Google Video. She expects to be finishing up with that next week, and we'll post it immediately, of course.

Thanks also to those who've made their contributions, because we're almost 100% of the way collected. Wow, that was fast!

Jake said he was going to try to post at least once a day during this lull, so be sure to check in from time to time for what he's got to say.

The race in March, as I said yesterday, is not a sponsorable race because it's not USAT&F certified. Jake will be running against his classmates and their parents, and it's more of a local event. Also, since it's aimed at raising money for a specific cause, we don't want to distract from that. If you're interested, I can tell you how you can contribute to the rebuilding of the Mississippi school it's supporting when the time gets closer.

Thinking!

2006-02-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

We are thinking about 3 races!

Jake

Race choosing again!

2006-02-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Soon I'm going to choose my next race soon!

Jake

Wow! That's fast!

2006-02-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

We've already collected on almost 75% of pledges, which is great! Thanks for being so quick about getting the money over to WorldVision, everyone. If you haven't done it yet, go here.

Also, you'll find it interesting to see that Jake is one of the top fundraisers on WorldVision's new "Team WorldVision" site as a result.

Also, I'm excited to announce that Jake is running on March 17th, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, in a race called "Run for Rita." His school is doing it to raise funds for a school destroyed by Hurricane Rita in Mississippi. It will NOT, however, be a sponsorable Team Jake event, because it's not a certified USA Track and Field event and therefore, Jake's time doesn't really, really, really count. (I'll still keep you posted though!)

How to complete your pledge

2006-02-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to see the official results of the race, they are posted at the race's website.

To complete your pledge of $25, go to Jake's donation page .

Thanks again for being a member of Team Jake. As the year moves on, he'll be doing more, and I hope you'll support him then too.

I guess it was the training!

2006-02-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

There's only one way that I could've beaten all those kids. (about 50)! All you have to do is to start easy and when you get closer to the race start getting faster and faster. Then when you are at race day you will feel good because of all the training you've done.

One of Elizabeth

2006-02-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

She ran very well too in the Kiddie K, and has the Finisher's Ribbon to prove it!

Another Medal Picture

2006-02-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Last year on the top (note the silver cord) as compared to this year on the bottom. Yes, Gold cord.

2006-02-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

0 Days Left!

2006-02-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

Chinatown's been done and I've won! Today I ran one of LA's most hilly courses and I've broken my PR , finished , medaled, and won! A cool thing is I only broke my PR by 3 seconds.

Jake

2006-02-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

Today is the big day! I hit all four dots!

Jake

BREAKING NEWS from Chinatown!

2006-02-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Although the results haven't been posted online yet (and are therefore not officially official), Jake did it!

He ran his 5k in 24:08 on a very challenging and hilly course, breaking his old PR (set on a fast, flat course) of 24:11.

And finally (drum roll please)....

That put him in 1st place in the boys under 10 division! He won!

More to come shortly...

Good luck, Jake!

2006-02-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

We're just two days away now, and Jake is going to do a short warm-up run, but other than that, training is finished for this race. He's been running quite well, with his last 5k being just around 24 minutes (though he said that he was running a little more slowly because he had to stay with the middle schooler that had been assigned to run ahead of the pack with him.)

Thanks to Rich Webster, Dave Meiners and Nick Beresford for joining Team Jake in the last couple days. We're now at a point that Jake will meet his goal of sponsoring a child for one year no matter how he performs. If he wins and PR's, he'll actually exceed 2 years of sponsorship.

I must say though that I'm trying to emphasize to him that no matter how he does, he's already done well. He can get slightly nervous, and I always have to remind myself that he's 7...

This picture is last year's award ceremony where Jake got his 2nd place medal from the Chinatown New Year's beauty queens. Very cute.

2006-02-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

4 Days Left Till Chinatown!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only 4 Days!

2006-02-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Get ready for the big day for me! Chinatown is coming up
soon! I'd like to have a lot of luck for Sunday.Help me win!

Jake

Almost there...

2006-02-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

Once again, Jake ran well out in front of me in the Lake Avenue Challenge.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the geography of North Altadena (and who isn't these days?), Lake Avenue runs from Pasadena all the way to the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It also runs just a hundred feet or so to the east of our house.

The Lake Avenue Challenge is when Jake and I run up the 1/2 mile steep slope from our house to the very tip top of Lake Avenue, at the Mt. Lowe Trailhead, where you used to be able to take a funicular to a fancy hotel high in the mountains. All gone, thanks to a series of fires about 70 years ago.

Anyway, from there, we walk back down to the top (In Altadena, you generally refer to things being at the "top" or "bottom" of something because of the slope) of Farnsworth Park and race back to the house from there.

I almost always lose that too. I've gotten used to it, since it happened the very first time I ever ran with the boy, back when he was 6.

The picture above is of Altadena and its mountains, but from some years back. Now there are more Jack-in-the-Boxes and houses with Bonus Rooms and not quite so many trolley cars that carry you into the mountains.

Anyway, the race is now just 4 days away! Thanks to Lisa Hogan for joining Team Jake. If you haven't joined, there's still time. Email me as soon as you can.

About Jake's TV appearance

2006-02-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Gigi Johnson (fellow Anderson School alum), it does appear that there's going to be a short segment about Jake's running including some footage of the race on Sunday.

Once it's done, we'll post it here, of course.

2006-02-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am at Lomita in this picture last June.

Hello Again!

2006-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to talk to you again.I just realised that I'm going to be on TV for my race on Sunday. And I'm going to do Lake Ave. Challenge tommorow.

Wish Me Luck

Jake

Last few days before race...

2006-02-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Jake's just a few days away from the Chinatown race, and I'm trying to make sure he's relaxed about it. There's been a fair amount of attention, but still, no matter what happens, he should feel very successful and happy. He's a great little runner, but he's still 7; that means I have to balance the competitive encouragement with the fact that he's to be applauded regardless.

Last night, Jake had a Super Bowl-snack food induced stomach ache. He and I ate about more than our fair share of cheese and crackers, potato chips and pizza while watching the Steelers down the Seahawks. I tried to slow him down, but I figured the Super Bowl was a special occasion.

Thanks to Jeff and Lisa Geyser for joining Team Jake! If you want in, just write me.

Finally, I might have some news in a day or so about some TV coverage of all this. We'll see though.

Less than a week to go!

2006-02-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the new recent team members, including Tony Khazan and Steve Cohn.

Jake's looking good and getting excited about Sunday's run. There's still time to support him by joining Team Jake.

Just drop me a line and say you're in, and that's all it takes!

9 Days Away!

2006-02-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

We're just 9 days from the Chinatown Firecracker 5K, so it's time to JOIN TEAM JAKE!

As a reminder, joining Team Jake just means pledging that based on Jake's performance in the race, you'll pledge up to $25 to his effort to support a third-world child through WorldVision.

So far, he's got the potential to raise enough money for ALMOST two years of sponsorship, but we need a few more Team Members to get there.

Just drop me a line saying you're on Team Jake and we'll send you an email with instructions after the race is finished.

Thanks to all the people who've supported Jake so far.

Schedule Changes

2006-01-31T08:31:00.000-08:00

Jake posted a running schedule on Saturday, but we've had to make some changes.

Instead of going to the track at La Canada on Sunday and to the LA Athletic Club on Tuesday, instead we've done something we call the Lake Avenue Challenge.

The Lake Avenue Challenge is a race (which sadly for me Jake always wins) between the two of us up the half-mile slope from our street to the top of Lake Avenue in Altadena. It climbs probably 250 or 300 feet in that time, so it's a tough grade.

This is, though, good preparation for the Chinatown race, which is very, very hilly.

How to Join Team Jake

2006-01-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

If you're not sure how to join Team Jake, it's amazingly simple: just send an email committing to fulfill your pledge once Jake's upcoming race finishes.

Click this to email your commitment.

If that doesn't work for you, send an email to jim.mccarthy@gmail.com.

And remember, if Jake:

*Finishes the race (a given, pretty much), your pledge is $10
*Breaks his Personal Record (or "PR," which is currently 24:11), your pledge goes up another $5
*Medals (1st, 2nd or 3rd in his age division), your pledge goes up another $5
*Wins his age division, it goes up another $5

That means, if he wins and breaks his PR, your pledge would be $25.

I'm also happy to report that Jake has enough team members now that if he wins, he's most of the way to sponsoring his second child for one year. Help us hit that mark!

2006-01-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

15 Days Till Chinatown!!!!!!!!!!!!

Running This Week

2006-01-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sunday- La Canada
Monday-No Running
Tuesday- LA
Wednesday- No Running
Thursday- No Running
Friday- School
Saturday- No Running

Thats my schedule for the week,

Jake

2006-01-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the club for a sprint day. I played a game of Can You Beat This. Can You Beat This is a game about sprinting better than the person beforeyou. The person first runs something then the next person has to beat it and so fourth until someone can't beat it.

Thats all

JAKE

2006-01-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

16 Days till chinatown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-01-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

17 days till Chinatown

2006-01-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I ran at the club again and I did a 5 pack in

39

50

53

34

33.

Thanks to everyone that has told someone about me, tell more people about me!

thats all

JAKE

Thanks, Suzanne!

2006-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Suzanne O'Connor from Bargainsla.com sent this site out to her mailing list this week, saying:

"So blown away was I when I found out about 7 year old Jake McCarthy who regularly runs long distance 5K races for World Vision charity, I just had to tell all of you about it. Encouraging children to help others is always at the top of my list."

Full disclosure: Suzanne frequently links to my company, Goldstar Events on her site, but this mention of www.JoinTeamJake.com was purely from the goodness of her heart.

La Verne Finish Line

2006-01-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Here's Jake about to cross the finish line at the La Verne race back in October.

He ran very, very well that day and set the Personal Record that he's going after in this next race.

18 Days til Chinatown!

2006-01-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Now that the catastrophic winds have died down, Jake got back on the track.

He's going to post his results later in the day, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Join Team Jake! We're most of the way to 2 kids sponsored if Jake wins.

Crazy winds!

2006-01-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

Jake and I were slated to go running right up Lake Avenue this morning, which is a very steep 1/2 mile up from our house to the top, but we had wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph for most of the night and into the morning...trees down everywhere, powerlines drooping, branches and debris a-flyin'.

So we decided to skip today's run, but that won't stop Team Jake!

3 Weeks Left!

2006-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

Just 21 Days until Jake hits the road! A string of 5000 firecrackers is the starting gun for the Chinatown Firecracker 5k race. Once the evil spirits are scared away, Jake will be chasing his Personal Record and a gold medal in the under 10 division.

By the way, if you want to join Team Jake, just email me. After the race, we'll send you the results and a link to make your WorldVision donation.

If Jake:

*Finishes, your pledge is $10
*Medals (finishes 1st, 2nd or 3rd in his age division), add $5 more
*Breaks his Personal Record (currently 24:11), add $5 more
*And if he wins his age division, add another $5.

That means if all goes as planned, you can JOIN TEAM JAKE and your pledge will be between $10 and $25, depending on the results.

By the way, THANKS TO THE MANY who have already sponsored.

Please forward the URL of this site-www.JakeRunsForKids.com- to anyone you know who'd be interested in following the running adventures of Jake McCarthy.

No running today

2006-01-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Jake had a soccer game this morning and is now on an overnight Birthday Party (including a trip to see the LA Kings hockey team).

It's a well earned break from the running!

2006-01-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

Today I ran a 5k in 24.02 mins.I had to wait 3 mins so I think that I might have ran it a little bit faster. I felt good about this run.

Thats all I have to tell you,

Jake

Link to Jake's Personal Record (PR)

2006-01-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd link to the race where Jake broke his Personal Record last October.

Scroll down the page quite a bit and take a look at the under 12 Division, and you'll see his name and time there. He finished third behind an 11 and a 12 year old.

MPS Society Race in La Verne

Note that he would actually have finished 2nd in the 13 to 19 year old division, but the field there wasn't strong. Still. Jake and a couple other strong under 12s showed up in La Verne and made that field stronger than the teenagers. Nice job, Jake, Christian and Matthew!

Holly from the "One" Campaign

2006-01-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

Holly Hight from the One campaign wrote in to say:

" Wow! It's amazing what Jake is doing to raise awareness about children around the world!"

Thanks, Holly

2006-01-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

23 days until Chinatown!

Join Team Jake!

2006-01-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

I am going to
run a 5k tommorow. It will be with my school. I'll be running around the Rose Bowl.

JAKE

Last Year's Award Ceremony

2006-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

This is Jake getting his 2nd place medal in last year's Chinatown Firecracker 5k in the under 10 division. He was 6!

Yes, that's Ted Chen (of NBC 4 in LA) looking sharp in his traditional Chinese silk shirt and newsman's tie.

Yes, the beauty queens are enjoying giving Jake a medal.

2006-01-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

24 Days Until Chinatown!

Join Team Jake with just an email, and if Jake:

Finishes, your Worldvision pledge is $10
Breaks his PR (Personal Record, currently at 24:11), it's another $5
Medals (1st, 2nd or 3rd in age division), another $5
and if he wins his age division, another $5.

At the moment, if he wins and PRs, he's more than half way to a one-year sponsorship of a child, so help put him over the top!

Thank you!

2006-01-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to you all that have joined TEAM JAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll be running!!!!!!!!!!!!
JOIN TEAM JAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-01-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

This is an old picture of Jake from November 2004, when he was running in a race in Agoura Hills, California. Notice that neither foot is touching the ground! It was a good race for Jake, and I enjoyed it too. In fact, I wrote a funny column about it, which you can find here.

More importantly, JOIN TEAM JAKE! If you're not sure how it works, take a look at the post two down from here.

2006-01-18T14:56:00.001-08:00

Today I went to the Los Angeles Athletic Club and ran a sprint lap in 30.41. I did a mile in 7:33 minutes. My 5k pace was 23.24 minutes. I also did two 5 packs. My second one went like this:

I woke up at 5:00 to go.

That's all I have to tell you,

Jake

JOIN TEAM JAKE

2006-01-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

It's time to join Team Jake for the Chinatown Firecracker 5K on February 12. He's running to raise enough money to sponsor one child for one year through Worldvision (see more about them here), which amounts to $360.

Here's what you do:

Send us a pledge emai l saying that you're on the team for this race.

If Jake:

Finishes the race, you pledge $10
If he breaks his Personal Record ("PR"), which is currently 24:11, you add another $5
If he medals (that is, first, second or third place in his age division), you add another $5
and if he wins, you add another $5.

That means, you're on the hook for a maximum of $25 and a minimum of $10.

After the race, we'll send everyone a Thank You card with the results and a link so that you can go directly and do the money online. It should work in the UK just fine too.

Join Team Jake!

2006-01-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is Jake wearing the 2nd place medal in the under 12 division for his October race in La Verne, California.

2006-01-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

25 Days Til Chinatown!!!

2006-01-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

26 DAYS TILL CHINATOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-01-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

Today I went to an athletic club called The Los Angeles Athletic Club. I ran a 7.31 mile.(10 laps per mile) I also ran 2 5pack groups and the second one was like this.

I ran 2 sprint laps and walked3 laps I did 2.5 miles total. I did not have any dissipointment about this run. It got me perked up for the day.

that's all I have to say today

Jake

2006-01-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

Today I ran 2 miles. It took me about 15:00 minutes. I left at 7:00 and woke up at 5:00. I went to a track in La Canada, LA.It was about 36 degrees fahrenheit. The track was very bumpy because a bicycle had been through. This was a pretty good run for me. Although my first 2 laps didn't go very well.

that's about all I have for you today

Jake

2006-01-15T16:48:00.000-08:00

27 Days Left Until Chinatown!

About this site

2006-01-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

Jake (in the red shirt and cool glasses) loves to run. In this picture, he was helping his little sister and another girl as they were getting ready for the "Kiddie K." He had just finished beating 3/4ths of the grown ups in the 5k, but wanted to help the little guys stay safe on the course.

He has a soft spot for other kids, and so a few weeks ago, he decided to start dedicating his races to children in far away countries that don't have the basics of life: food, shelter, education.

Here's how it works: Jake will use this site as a way to keep people updated on his training and racing schedule. Right now, he's targeting the Firecracker 5k on February 12th in Chinatown, Los Angeles.

Last year, Jake had a good race in Chinatown, finishing second in the under 10 division at the age of 6. This year, who knows?

If you want to be part of Team Jake, it's pretty simple. Commit to making a small donation to Worldvision's Sponsor a Child program. (For more about Worldvision, go here.) Join his team for one race, and if Jake:

Runs and finishes the race, you donate $10
Breaks his Personal Record (aka, "PR"), another $5
Medals in his age division, another $5.

That means, joining Team Jake puts you on the hook for a maximum of $20. Jake's goal with each race is to raise enough money to sponsor a chlid for a full year ($360), so of course, if you'd like to go above that level, it just makes it easier.

Check back frequently, because Jake will personally be recording his thoughts about his training as we get closer to race day. We'll post pictures as well, and you'll enjoy seeing the progress and plenty of great shots of Jake with medals around his neck.

And, finally, as Jake would say, See You at the Finish Line!