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Change in Daily Log Location

by on May 31, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

Please note: As of May 22, 2014, I will begin posting all of my daily logs under the

“Blog“

section of MichaelSantos.com. Please continue to follow my progress there. Thank you for your interest.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison:
  • Miles run today:
  • Miles run this week:
  • Miles run this month:
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule:
  • Today’s Weight:
Keep Reading »

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

by on May 21, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

Treadmill Desk

Treadmill Desk

I write daily journal entries to ensure that I stay on track. This strategy also serves as a tactic that I can use to teach others about the importance of living an authentic life. I’ve been recording daily journal entries for decades, and this website documents some of the steps I’ve taken since concluding my 26-year obligation to the federal Bureau of Prisons. Readers who find the work sometimes offer suggestions on steps I can take to improve efficiencies. For example, yesterday I received a suggestion from Troy Boerner.

Troy sent a photograph of a treadmill desk. Apparently, he is able to complete his work while simultaneously running on the treadmill. By reading my journal, Troy learned that a busy schedule sometimes frustrates me because I can’t sacrifice time to pull away for as many long runs. I’ve run about 1,100 miles since the start of this year. I’m ahead of the schedule that I set, but if I did not have so many tasks to complete I would have surpassed 1,800 miles by now. Troy suggested that I would get more work done if I followed his lead and built a desk around a treadmill.

Although I don’t think a treadmill desk would be a good fit for me, I’ll keep the suggestion in mind. In order to make more productive use of my time running, I listen to books through the Audible app on my iPhone. Today I’m listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, the story of success. I’m enjoying the book very much.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 282
  • Miles run today: 7.3
  • Miles run this week: 47.75
  • Miles run this month: 126.43
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 160
  • Today’s Weight: 168
Keep Reading »

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

by on May 20, 2014 4 Comments

Journal of today’s activities:

Our friends Justin and Sandra Paperny

Our friends Justin and Sandra Paperny

Today I served as a guest speaker for the Rotary Club in Mill Valley, a community in Marin County, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. These types of speaking events allow me to educate prosperous citizens on the reasons we need to reform our nation’s prison system. As I’ve written before, since being released from prison I’ve followed a three-part strategy that includes:

Working to create resources that would teach people how to reject criminal lifestyles.

Working to create opportunities that lead formerly incarcerated individuals into the job market.

Helping more citizens understand why we must work together to eliminate our nation’s commitment to mass incarceration.

When delivering speeches to business audiences, I like to contrast the strategy for building successful business operations with the strategy our approach to justice. Business organizations succeed when they incentivize excellence. Our prison system fails because it concerns itself with the number of calendar pages that turn rather than using innovative strategies that would encourage prisoners to work toward preparing for lives as law-abiding, contributing citizens. If we measured justice through an individual’s demonstrable commitment to reconcile with society and earn freedom, we would see recidivism rates drop precipitously and we would contribute to the building of safer communities.

My friend Justin Paperny and his wife Sandra flew up from Los Angeles today, also. We enjoyed a nice dinner together in a charming Petaluma restaurant.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 281
  • Miles run today: 15.3
  • Miles run this week: 40.45
  • Miles run this month: 119.13
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 160
  • Today’s Weight: 167
Keep Reading »

Monday, May 19, 2014

by on May 19, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

Today I had my first long run in about a week. The busy schedule makes long daily runs more difficult to schedule. The running log that I keep reveals the following: I’ve run a total of 1,071 miles so far this year. Since we’re on day 140 of the year, I’ve only been averaging 7.65 miles per day. That’s because I’ve gone several days without running at all. I haven’t run a single marathon distance this year. I don’t know whether I’ll spare five hours to run the full 26.2-mile distance this year. Last year I ran 14 marathons. In 2011 and 2012, I ran more than 50 marathons each year. So the distance running has really slowed down since I’ve returned to society. I continue tracking the mileage each day because I’m convinced that accountability logs keep me on track. The focus now is on building more stability in our family, which means that I cannot afford to devote as many hours to exercise. Still, I’m maintaining my commitment to fitness.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 280
  • Miles run today: 14.05
  • Miles run this week: 25.15
  • Miles run this month: 103.83
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 151.27
  • Today’s Weight: 166
Keep Reading »

Sunday, May 18, 2014

by on May 18, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

I enjoyed running through Petaluma again today. This community has been home to Carole and me for the past 21 months. We really love it here. Although we own our home in Petaluma, we’re expecting that my work will require us to spend most of our time in Newport Beach. Newport Beach is another great community, but it’s another community that we’ll need to get used to living in. The reality is, both communities are magnificent. And Newport Beach has the advantage of being closer to my mother, my grandmother, and Carole’s sister. We’ll enjoy sharing a few meals each month with family. Fitness will always be important to me. So when we’re in Newport, I’ll likely run from our home to the office. When I’m in the office I’ll work 12-hour days. On the side, I’ll continue working with Justin to spread our Straight-A Guide program and speaking to audiences. Busy times are ahead for Carole and me, but each day we thank God for the blessings we receive.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 279
  • Miles run today: 11.1
  • Miles run this week: 11.1
  • Miles run this month: 89.78
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 143.79
  • Today’s Weight: 167
Keep Reading »

Saturday, May 17, 2014

by on May 17, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

Carole and I flew home from Orange County early this morning. Once home, we kept busy catching up with our responsibilities in the morning. In the afternoon we celebrated Hudson Nobmann’s first birthday at a wonderful party that his parents hosted. Carole and I feel so grateful to the Nobmann family for welcoming us into their life. The generous support they offered eased my transition into society. The need to pursue additional income streams will require that Carole and I spend considerable amounts of time in Newport Beach, as I must go where opportunities open. I will miss spending time with the Nobmann family. Fortunately, we’ll always have our home in the Bay area, which means that we’ll likely continue to see the Nobmann family every other month or so. We’re looking forward to watching Hudson and his cousins grow in the months and years to come.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 278
  • Miles run today: 0
  • Miles run this week: 49.53
  • Miles run this month: 78.68
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 139.69
  • Today’s Weight: 167
Keep Reading »

Friday, May 16, 2014

by on May 16, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

Carole and I drove to San Diego yesterday afternoon so that I could prepare for a keynote presentation I was scheduled to deliver at a conference for juvenile justice educators. We slept at Paradise Point, a beautiful resort on the bay. We woke early. Justin met me at the hotel, and we went for a seven-mile run. It’s helpful for Justin and me to spend time together. While running, we discussed our strategy and reviewed individual tactics each of us are pursuing to sustain our work. Thanks to support we’re receiving from many, our progress continues. At 9:45 I began speaking inside of the beautiful conference center. The audience of approximately 100 listened as I spoke about my journey, the lessons I learned, and how educators could use our Straight-A Guide program as an innovative resource to teach others how to reject the criminal lifestyle. We left the conference with an order from a principal who teaches in the Los Angeles County School District. Several other administrators expressed interest in the program, and I’m confident that Justin will persuade those buyers of the value we offer.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 277
  • Miles run today: 7.84
  • Miles run this week: 49.53
  • Miles run this month: 78.68
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 145.83
  • Today’s Weight: 157
Keep Reading »

Thursday, May 15, 2014

by on May 15, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

I am creating a pre-application process to recruit “A-players” onto the sales team that I’m building. What’s an “A” player? Well, it’s quite simple. I’m looking for individuals who have a track record of being driven. Ideally, the candidate will have a four-year degree from an accredited university. Much more than that, the individual will have distinguished himself while at the university. He or she will be able to articulate how hard he or she works to develop or improve a skill set. I’m using the Straight-A Guide as a screening tool. I want individuals who can articulate values and define clear goals. Then, I want the individuals to describe their attitude, their aspirations, and their action plans for success. I want them to describe how they hold themselves accountable. Finally, I’ll consider them more closely if they can articulate the deliberate steps they take to stay aware of the market, and what steps they take to make the market aware of their commitment to success. Once I review the responses each candidate provides, I’ll have more insight that I can use to dig deeper into the individual’s background. That research will help me build a killer sales team. It’s the Straight-A Guide approach to success, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to apply these lessons to a corporate market.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 276
  • Miles run today: 0
  • Miles run this week: 41.69
  • Miles run this month: 70.84
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 144.56
  • Today’s Weight: 168
Keep Reading »

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

by on May 14, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

The current responsibility I have requires that I learn how to work on a different kind of computer system than I’ve been using since my prison term ended. When I walked out of prison I purchased all Apple products. I have a MacBook Pro, a couple of iMacs, and an iPhone. I purchased Apple products because I heard that people who didn’t have computer experience could learn more quickly on Apple systems. The business where I’m now working to teach our Straight-A Guide relies upon personal computers rather than Macs. I now have a Dell. Besides learning different computers, I’m also using different software applications. One robust tool is called SalesForce. The SalesForce application allows us to manage more precisely the lifeline of all sales leads. Several weeks may pass before I master SalesForce, but for now I am learning the basic information I need to know in order to navigate the system that coordinates our team’s sales consultants. In time, I expect to build this force to a team of more than 100 people, so I have a lot to learn.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 275
  • Miles run today: 8.39
  • Miles run this week: 41.69
  • Miles run this month: 70.84
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 151.13
  • Today’s Weight: 168
Keep Reading »

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

by on May 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

Journal of today’s activities:

I enjoy running along Newport Beach in the early morning. The house where Carole and I have been staying is less than half of a mile from the beach. Today I left my house at 4:45 to get a head start on an early run. I ran the first hour alone; Carole joined me for the final portion of my run. Running alongside the ocean really inspires a sense of gratitude for our many blessings. Right now I’m too busy to take a swim, however. There will be plenty of time for relaxation later. At the present time I need to maintain focus on the tasks ahead. Today I arrived at the office where I’m working at 7:00. I spent the day reviewing training materials every individual on the sales force is supposed to learn. I’ll master every task that we expect from our sales professionals. Then I’ll do the same things that they do. The experience I derive from this experience will help me build a more disciplined and deliberate sales organization.

  • Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 274
  • Miles run today: 9.93
  • Miles run this week: 33.3
  • Miles run this month: 62.45
  • Miles run in 2014:
  • Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
  • Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 149.31
  • Today’s Weight: 168
Keep Reading »
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