Journal of today’s activities:

Straight-A Guide Curriculum

Today I began writing an abbreviated version of our Straight-A Guide. This version will feature ten classes to guide facilitators who teach “soft skills” to the formerly incarcerated. Rather than including the many books I wrote as a part of the curriculum, I’m designing this course as a stand-alone project. I’m writing a script to guide me through a series of videos that teach participants how to develop critical thinking skills, reject criminal lifestyles, and embrace the principles that are consistent with good citizenship. The new course will include ten new videos that we’ll publish on YouTube. We’ll also create a workbook that participants may complete on their own. Participants will have the option to publish responses through our website if they want to build a personal brand that demonstrates their commitment to excellence. Some interns from Stanford University have agreed to volunteer time working with us in order to produce our program. I also have a team of interns at San Francisco State University who will work with us to teach the Straight-A Guide job skills program. Our team is excited about completing this new project and building bridges that help more formerly incarcerated individuals transition into the job market.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 222
• Miles run today: 14.6
• Miles run this week: 70.6
• Miles run this month: 193.9
• Miles run in 2014: 667.23
• 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: 135.06
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

Kenyatta Leal Guest Speaker at SFSU

This morning I put together a PowerPoint presentation to guide the students who enrolled in my class at San Francisco State University. I’ve built many slide shows to accompany lectures that I deliver. The images I put together for this evening’s class illustrated the concept of prison security levels. I wanted my students to learn how prison security levels influenced prison culture and prisoner adjustment patterns. I treated the students to a guest lecturer during the first half of class. Kenyatta Leal served 20 years of his life in prison, but he now leads a successful career working for RocketSpace. He told his story about advancing through the prison system and then Kenyatta responded to questions from the students. After Kenyatta concluded his presentation about life in different security levels, I lectured on prison security levels.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 220
• Miles run today: 7.06
• Miles run this week: 43.3
• Miles run this month: 166.6
• Miles run in 2014: 639.93
• 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: 120.9
• Today’s Weight: 164

Journal of today’s activities:

View from Harbor Club on top of Seattle’s Norton Building

Carole and I had another very busy day in Seattle. We drove my niece Sophia to school, then headed for a meeting at the Harbor Club on top of the Norton Building downtown. I met Patti Payne for an interview. Patti interviewed me while I was still locked inside of the Pierce County jail, longer than a quarter century ago. She is a journalist who works with print media, radio, and television. She now focuses on writing stories for the business community, but she had an interest on writing a story that would discuss my journey. I sat with her for longer than 90 minutes, and I’ll look forward to seeing the article in print.

Carole and I then drove to Evergreen Hospital, where Carole’s mother holds a leadership position. Linda gave us a tour of the hospital and treated us to lunch. Carole and I then returned to SeaTac airport and boarded our flight back to San Francisco. We landed at 9:35 and drove to our home. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 217
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 12
• Miles run this month: 135.3
• Miles run in 2014: 608.63
• 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: 109.31
• Today’s Weight: 164

Journal of today’s activities:

When Carole and I woke we heard the rain coming down hard outside. We laced up our sneakers, then drove to Green Lake. The rain drenched me as soon as I started my run. Jonathan Solovy then joined me. I detailed the Straight-A Guide learning system so that he could understand more about the career that I aspired to build around my journey. Following our run, Carole and I drove to the famous 13 Coins restaurant, where we enjoyed a breakfast with Steve Fleischmann, a Seattle businessman and philanthropist. Steve has raised millions of dollars for cancer research, bringing speakers like Lance Armstrong and Colin Powell to Seattle for fundraising events. He is a mentor of mine and I appreciated guidance he provided about building my career.

With author Shon Hopwood, a friend and role model

Following my meeting with Steve, Carole and I returned to Green Lake. The famous author Shon Hopwood met us for coffee at a local Starbucks restaurant. We discussed Shon’s extraordinary personal story. I admire him very much and I frequently help others learn more about the principals of leadership and personal transformation by discussing Shon.

In the early evening, Carole and I drove to Jim and Katerina Garner’s extraordinary photography studio on lower Queen Anne Hill. Jim and Katerina are great friends that we met through Julie and Tim. They photographed Carole and me for several hours, and we’re so incredibly grateful for their generosity. We look forward to using those photographs as marketing materials to build our brand.

Following our lengthy session with the photographers, Carole and I joined Julie, Tim, Sophia and Zachary for a fabulous meal at Buca De Peppo, in downtown Seattle.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 216
• Miles run today: 12
• Miles run this week: 12
• Miles run this month: 135.3
• Miles run in 2014: 608.63
• 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: 115.88
• Today’s Weight: 164

Journal of today’s activities:

Carole and I returned to Seattle’s trendy Green Lake area for an early morning run. After exercising, we drove to Lake Forest Park where we both grew up. The elementary school where we met looked about the same, but Shorecrest high school has undergone a substantial renovation. I didn’t recognize the school, as it now has several new buildings, including a center for performing arts. The high school has better facilities than some community colleges I’ve seen.

This is the grade school where Carole and I met in 1975.

Following our tour of the schools, we visited both of the houses where we grew up, then we went to a shopping center and enjoyed breakfast with Linda, my mother-in-law. After lunch I joined my friend Rich again for a second meeting, this time to open further discussions about building a national brand around lessons that guided me through the 26 years I served. Rather than packaging the story for a prison audience, we’re discussing the human value of this message. We’re both convinced that audiences from many different sectors, can learn and grow from this message of values-based, goal-oriented living.

My sister Julie hosted an event at her home in the evening. Carole and I enjoy meeting Julie’s many friends. I told my story to the group, then we dined on a fabulous Paella meal. We didn’t sleep until 11:30 in the evening.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 215
• Miles run today: 13.6
• Miles run this week: 62.5
• Miles run this month: 123.3
• Miles run in 2014: 596.63
• 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: 110.45
• Today’s Weight: 164

Journal of today’s activities:

Meeting with Jonathan Solovy

Carole and I landed at the SeaTac airport last night around 11:00 pm. By the time we picked up our rental car and drove to my sister’s house in North Seattle it was after midnight. I responded to a few email messages then rested. We didn’t wake until nearly 7:00 am, far later than either of us wanted. We drove to Green Lake, where we enjoyed running together around the outer perimeter. Following our run, Carole and I drove over to meet with Jonathan Solovy, an attorney who worked very hard during the final decade of my term to bring some relief to my sentence. Although legal strategies did not result in my being released before the full expiration of my sentence, Jonathan’s belief in my cause inspired me to work harder. He treated us to lunch at Seattle famous Metropolitan Bar and Grill. Following my meeting with Jonathan, I had a great lunch with my friend Rich Folk. Rich built a successful career in sales and we’re discussing options that exist for us to work together.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 214
• Miles run today: 10
• Miles run this week: 48.9
• Miles run this month: 109.7
• Miles run in 2014: 583.03
• 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: 103.42
• Today’s Weight: 164