Journal of today’s activities:

When I woke this morning I felt awful. I wanted to run, but Carole exercised her nursing authority and told me I needed to rest. She took my temperature and showed me that I had a high fever. I told her that such setbacks didn’t stop me while I was in prison. She reminded me that I’m not in prison anymore. I had to attend a meeting with my probation officer and Carole accompanied me. My probation officer has been extremely supportive of my work, authorizing me to travel and build a career around my experiences. He reiterated his support today, which Carole and I appreciated. When we returned home, my temperature escalated. It hit a high of 102 degrees, which had me shivering and sweating at different times. Carole fed me chicken soup and cooled my head with a damp rag. She said that if my temperature rose any higher she would take me to the emergency room. Fortunately, a sold day of rest helped. I felt better by the time I slept in the evening. In between the rest, a mortgage person brought documents for Carole and me to sign so that we could refinance our home. We purchased the home soon after I was released from prison, but as a consequence of my being incarcerated for 26 years, I did not exist in the credit world. I persuaded the builder to carry the note for me until I could establish a credit score. My credit score has moved up and we were able to qualify for the mortgage. Now that we have a mortgage in our name, we feel as if we have deeper roots in our community. We’re very grateful to have this blessing of being homeowners.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 263
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 9
• Miles run this month: 9
• Miles run in 2014: 976.24
• 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: 168.13
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

My busy day yesterday precluded me from being able to run. This morning I had to catch up on some writing responsibilities, then I went outside for a run. Carole met me on the track where I run and joined me for the final part. In total, I only ran about nine miles. The distance isn’t sufficient for me to feel well exercised, but I had to get back home because I had a class to teach at San Francisco State. Carole joined me. I prepared a brief powerpoint presentation to guide me through the lesson. But during the first portion of the class, the students and I learned from Sunny Schwartz. Sunny is a legend in San Francisco jail reform circles. She has worked for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department for more than 20 years. She is the founder of the Five Keys Charter School, which was recognized as charter-school of-the-year by leaders in the education arena. The Five Keys School is a high school system that operates inside of the San Francisco jail system. I was pleased to meet Sunny earlier this year through Brant Choate, Director of education for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Both facilities will soon be using our Straight-A Guide Cognitive Skills Development Program.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 262
• Miles run today: 9
• Miles run this week: 42.92
• Miles run this month: 9
• Miles run in 2014: 976.24
• 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: 174.7
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

The flight that Carole and I took from Seattle did not land until 11:30 last night. We then had to drive for nearly an hour in order to make it to San Jose hotel. We checked in and fell into a quick sleep. At 5:00 am this morning my alarm started blasting. I knew that I didn’t have much time. I hopped into the shower to wake myself, then shaved and dressed. I loaded our bags back into the car and then drove to the Hank Lopez Center in San Jose. I presented the third of four eight-hour seminars on our Straight-A Guide program. I was very grateful to Carole for joining me. She provided more context to the message I deliver on the importance of making values-based, goal-oriented decisions.  We finished the seminar at 5:00 pm and then we had dinner with a friend. We left San Jose around 7:00 and got home around 8:45, exhausted from two long days.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 261
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 33.92
• Miles run this month: 231.23
• Miles run in 2014: 967.24
• 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: 178.84
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

Today I met my friend Rich Folk for lunch at a Red Robin in Northgate. While growing up in Seattle, I used to love Bonzai Burgers and chocolate shakes at Red Robin. I still like eating there. Rich and I spoke about his business and we discussed the different ventures that take all of my attention these days. Following my meeting with Rich, Carole and I drove to the University of Washington Law School. My friend Shon Hopwood coordinated a conference on the subject of mass incarceration. I joined a panel of community leaders, each of whom provided perspective on the ways that mass incarceration influences our nation. We heard from a sociologist at UW who described the different ways that mass incarceration influences our communities. Michael Romano, a Stanford Law Professor and director of Stanford’s initiative to end three-strikes laws, spoke about the ways that sentencing practices result in people serving life sentences for petty crimes. Then I spoke, providing context of how our nation’s commitment to mass incarceration influences the lives of individuals. The audience of 200 included federal judges, state judges, chief probation officers, district attorneys, and defense attorneys. Speaking at the UW event was one of the highlights of my return to society. Immediately following my presentation, Carole and I rushed to the airport. We had to board a flight back to the Bay area so that I could make a presentation in the morning.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 260
• Miles run today: 10
• Miles run this week: 33.92
• Miles run this month: 231.23
• Miles run in 2014: 967.24
• 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: 185.41
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

Carole and I enjoyed an amazing day in Seattle. We ran around Green Lake in the early morning. Then we joined a group of my sister’s friends for lunch at Arnie’s restaurant in Edmonds. Carole worked at Arnie’s as a young woman, and she connected with one of her former supervisors who still had a leadership role at the restaurant. Following our lunch, Carole and I saw a couple of friends from my days prior to imprisonment. Then we went to visit with Ron Friedman, a former federal prosecutor. Ron is now a partner at the prestigious Lane Powell Law Firm. I appreciated the time that Ron took to meet with me. I told him about my journey through prison and I listened as he told me about perspectives of justice, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Tomorrow evening I’ll address an audience of more than 200 people at the University of Washington Law School and I’ll look forward to expressing reasons why I think the government’s view of justice contributes to intergenerational cycles of failure rather than building safer communities. It’s been a busy trip to Seattle so far, and more to come tomorrow.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 259
• Miles run today: 12.12
• Miles run this week: 23.92
• Miles run this month: 221.23
• Miles run in 2014: 957.24
• 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: 181.98
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

This morning I began my run at 5:00 am. I had to run early because Carole and I were scheduled to board a flight from Oakland to Seattle, which would require us to leave out home at 7:30. While running I listened to an audio book on my iPhone 4S. I purchase books through Audible, an Amazon company. Currently I’m listening to a book by Simon Sinek, a social anthropologist who writes about business productivity. During previous runs I’ve listened to books by Patrick Lencioni, John Maxwell, and other business consultants. I appreciate the Audible application because it features a button I can push to “bookmark” specific thoughts that the author expresses. Once I figure out how to retrieve the information that I’ve bookmarked, I’ll type notes that may help strengthen future leadership presentations I make.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 258
• Miles run today: 11.8
• Miles run this week: 11.8
• Miles run this month: 209.11
• Miles run in 2014: 945.12
• 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: 176.43
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

Today I finished the slide show that will guide me through an eight-hour presentation in San Jose on Wednesday. A hectic schedule over the next several days required that I complete the slide show today. Tomorrow morning Carole and I will fly to Seattle. We’re looking forward to enjoying lunch with a leader from Washington State’s Department of Corrections. I’m also enthusiastic about meeting with Ronald Friedman, a lawyer who used to work with the United States Attorney’s Office. Although I’ve never met Ronald before, he was a part of the legal team that prosecuted me back in 1987. He recently retired from the U.S. Attorney’s office and now works as a defense attorney. Following the profile that the PBS NewsHour broadcast, Mr. Friedman reached out to me with an offer of representation. He indicated that he’d like to make a case to conclude my term of supervised release early. I don’t know whether the government would be receptive to such a motion, but I’ll look forward to learning more from my meeting with Ron Friedman on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday evening I speak at UW Law School, then board a late night flight back to the San Francisco Bay area. Carole and I will sleep in a San Jose Hotel, as I’m scheduled for eight hours of seminar teaching on Wednesday.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 257
• Miles run today: 12.56
• Miles run this week: 36.36
• Miles run this month: 197.31
• Miles run in 2014: 933.32
• 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: 176.43
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

I was happy to resume my exercise this morning. A busy schedule kept me from running since last Sunday. On Monday morning I had to board an early flight to Orange County, and within one hour of landing I had to attend a meeting. I kept busy the entire day, until after ten in the evening, which meant that I didn’t have any time for exercise. Tuesday brought the same type of hectic schedule. On Wednesday I flew home, then had to complete a number of tasks to prepare for a busy speaking schedule on Thursday. On Thursday I left my home early once again, as I was scheduled to speak for Professor Joan Petersilia’s class at Stanford Law School. Carole and I were scheduled to fly to Seattle on Thursday evening after class, but she was too exhausted to make the trip. So we returned home after class last night, postponing our flight to Seattle until Sunday. I was happy to go for a long run this morning. I used the remainder of my day preparing for a hectic speaking schedule next week.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 256
• Miles run today: 12.7
• Miles run this week: 23.8
• Miles run this month: 184.75
• Miles run in 2014: 920.76
• 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: 165.21
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

This morning I’m driving to Stanford University to make a presentation for Professor Joan Petersilia’s course at Stanford Law School. Carole is joining me. We will share our story about how we worked together to prepare for success while still living inside of the prison system. Then we’ll talk about the role we have in teaching these strategies to others, both people in prison, the formerly incarcerated, and to people in society. We strive to live authentically, to show others how to reach their highest potential. Following our work at Stanford, we’ll return to San Francisco State University, where I’ll meet with the students enrolled in The Architecture of Incarceration. This evening I have a guest speaker. Stephanie James, the Chief Probation Officer at San Joaquin County will help our students understand the implications Realignment has had on the state of California.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 255
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 11.1
• Miles run this month: 172.05
• Miles run in 2014: 908.06
• 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: 159.08
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

I boarded a flight that returned me from Orange County to the Bay area this morning. Once I returned home, I had hours of work to catch up on. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Carole and I are getting a taking advantage of lower interest rates to refinance the home we purchased upon my release from prison. In addition to the details associated with that work, we’re considering options of how we should move forward in light of the opportunities available in Southern California. I have complications, of course, because I still report to a federal probation officer. Even if we wanted to relocate to Southern California, we would need to overcome some hurdles because Southern California is a different jurisdiction from Northern California, where I’m currently required to live. I’ll navigate these challenges with Carole. Justin and I will discuss whether I can be more effective as a resource to him down there than I can be from in the Bay area. All of these discussions will help Carol and me make the best decision for our family going forward.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 254
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 11.1
• Miles run this month: 172.05
• Miles run in 2014: 908.06
• 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: 165.65
• Today’s Weight: 166