Hey everyone! I hope finals and grading and shopping and moving are all not too overwhelming. I am excited to get to come home next week and look forward to the range of Ramsay activities available to us when we are all together. I am in the midst of a list of things I must do in order to leave on Monday so this update will have to brief.
I have plodded along with my running schedule and it has not been consistent due to the busyness of this time of year, but I am happy to relay that this morning I ran a little over 6 miles and it took me 65 minutes. I think about an 11 minute pace was right but it by no means felt good. Although, by the end of the run I had a groove going. I am trying to run three time a week beside the long run but I, like Dad, usually only achieve two other times besides the Saturday run.
As I struggled through this morning, I had a vision, maybe a hallucination even, of a Ramsay mass all doing a long run next Saturday morning, Christmas Eve. I even included Baby Jake in a stroller. It brought a smile to my face and maybe something like that is in the offing next week. Although, I realize now that there might not be a stroller in Fredericksburg for him. Hopefully, we can make something work.
Nothing inspirational to report on the weight side. I fluctuated this week between 227-230, but I am telling myself that once the long runs become more, well,......long, the weight is going to fall off.
I am inspired when I see that someone else has updated us on how they are doing in prep for Seattle, and I eagerly hope for the first entry of Scott and Robert and whoever else has yet to make an appearance.
Keep at it everybody. I feel privileged to be part of the experience.
Jonathan
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
IPhone/SA widower
I ran three times this week for a total of 13 miles. Cut back to 6 on my long run. Still trying to break thru to 4 runs in a week. I checked the Seattle Marathon site and its over a 100.00 to enter-- seems high but for whatever reason rock and roll series marathons are more costly.
No doubt the paucity of posts stems from end of semester pressure, know I am praying for all of you and so anxiously awaiting our reunion.
Suzie is in Dallas this weekend. Hence the title of the post. Some of you have heard my complaints about my wife's fascination with her IPhone. She does indeed take it to bed with her and as I whisper sweet nothings in her ear she is checking her email, reading stock quotes(take note Scott), or of late playing internet scrabble with one of you readers. But what of SA?
In order to maintain her frequent flier status elevated this fall by our many trips to Chicago Suzie needed one more trip this month. So off to Dallas on SA(Southwest Airlines of course) leaving me alone with not even an IPhone to complain about.
No doubt the paucity of posts stems from end of semester pressure, know I am praying for all of you and so anxiously awaiting our reunion.
Suzie is in Dallas this weekend. Hence the title of the post. Some of you have heard my complaints about my wife's fascination with her IPhone. She does indeed take it to bed with her and as I whisper sweet nothings in her ear she is checking her email, reading stock quotes(take note Scott), or of late playing internet scrabble with one of you readers. But what of SA?
In order to maintain her frequent flier status elevated this fall by our many trips to Chicago Suzie needed one more trip this month. So off to Dallas on SA(Southwest Airlines of course) leaving me alone with not even an IPhone to complain about.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Training Begins: Week 1 of 30
This weekend marks the first weekend of 30 leading to the Seattle Marathon on 6-23-12. I promised some of you a simple schedule. A little late as usual, but no worries nobody is behind yet. The key to the training of course is the long run. By gradually building up the long run length you not only prepare to run 26 miles but as importantly you markedly decrease the risk of injury. Indeed marathon success for me will not be a specific time but making it to the starting line healthy. In addition to the long run I plan to run/walk 2 or 3 other times a week for 30 to 45 minutes. That's a total of only 3-4 runs a week: we can do it.
Today your long run should have been 3 miles. Next week (2) 4 miles. Next (3) 5 miles. Next (4) 2.5 miles. Next (5) 6 miles. That should give you the idea. I appropriated the plan from jeffgalloway.com so you can easily get the rest of the schedule from his web site. As your long run gets longer the weeks between your long runs increase. By week 17 there will be 3 weeks between long runs and your last long run before the marathon will be week 27 3 weeks before June 23.
As to pace, the slower the better. The principle adaptation is really to the length of time you are out on the road not to the speed you are running. For instance, my magic mile pace was 7:45. Multiply that by 1.3 =10:05 which is my predicted marathon pace on an ideal day. My long run pace should be 2 minutes slower or 12:05. Ideally, at a 10:05 minute predicted pace I should run 3 minutes and walk 1 minute during my long runs. Actually my comfortable long running pace is about 10:20 which is the pace I ran today when I ran/walked 8.5 miles. I could have received the same benefit running slower however. The critical thing to stay injury free is do not skip any walk breaks particularly in the early going when you feel great and want to keep running.
For Robert who I am sure could run a 6:30 magic mile. Predicted marathon pace would be 8:25. His long run should be 10:25 but I suspect he could comfortably run at 8:40 pace. But it would not help him much more than if he ran slower and he must take walk breaks which for him should be 4 minutes running and minimum of 45 seconds walking. For Jonathon at magic mile 7:15 his running should be 4 minutes then 1 minute of walking with a pace as slow as 11:25(probably comfortable 9:30). For Lily with a magic mile 9:30, run 2 1/2 minutes and walk 1 minute.
Enough numbers but remember slower is better to prevent injuries. More on hill training later.
Since Jonathon threw the weight gauntlet thing down. I am in at 192( I have been as high at 205 recently) and I want to get down to below 180 for the marathon. Hopefully puttin this in the blog will keep me from eating rice krispie treats which are free and available to me at the hospital break room. Feel free to ask me how I am doing but dont expect me to be happy or gracious if I have fallen off the wagon. Also to make some of you feel better I only ran twice this week with a total of 11.5 miles. I need to get in more weekly runs. My long run was pretty easy( I was certainly well rested and I took all the walk breaks).
On the home front the Heritage Eagles sixman football team won their 5 th championship in 8 years yesterday beating Happy Hill by 45 pts, stopping the game in the middle of the fourth. I planned to go but alas had to deliver 2 babies instead. Lily was there in the cold and rain well representing the clan.
Nanna continues to workout on Thursday--complaining bitterly but never missing a workout. Mom's knee is improving and she has started some walking.
I am anxiously awaiting our full reunion at Xmas and some more memorable runs. Sorry I dont know how to put in pictures of Jake--maybe y'all can teach me in a few weeks.
Today your long run should have been 3 miles. Next week (2) 4 miles. Next (3) 5 miles. Next (4) 2.5 miles. Next (5) 6 miles. That should give you the idea. I appropriated the plan from jeffgalloway.com so you can easily get the rest of the schedule from his web site. As your long run gets longer the weeks between your long runs increase. By week 17 there will be 3 weeks between long runs and your last long run before the marathon will be week 27 3 weeks before June 23.
As to pace, the slower the better. The principle adaptation is really to the length of time you are out on the road not to the speed you are running. For instance, my magic mile pace was 7:45. Multiply that by 1.3 =10:05 which is my predicted marathon pace on an ideal day. My long run pace should be 2 minutes slower or 12:05. Ideally, at a 10:05 minute predicted pace I should run 3 minutes and walk 1 minute during my long runs. Actually my comfortable long running pace is about 10:20 which is the pace I ran today when I ran/walked 8.5 miles. I could have received the same benefit running slower however. The critical thing to stay injury free is do not skip any walk breaks particularly in the early going when you feel great and want to keep running.
For Robert who I am sure could run a 6:30 magic mile. Predicted marathon pace would be 8:25. His long run should be 10:25 but I suspect he could comfortably run at 8:40 pace. But it would not help him much more than if he ran slower and he must take walk breaks which for him should be 4 minutes running and minimum of 45 seconds walking. For Jonathon at magic mile 7:15 his running should be 4 minutes then 1 minute of walking with a pace as slow as 11:25(probably comfortable 9:30). For Lily with a magic mile 9:30, run 2 1/2 minutes and walk 1 minute.
Enough numbers but remember slower is better to prevent injuries. More on hill training later.
Since Jonathon threw the weight gauntlet thing down. I am in at 192( I have been as high at 205 recently) and I want to get down to below 180 for the marathon. Hopefully puttin this in the blog will keep me from eating rice krispie treats which are free and available to me at the hospital break room. Feel free to ask me how I am doing but dont expect me to be happy or gracious if I have fallen off the wagon. Also to make some of you feel better I only ran twice this week with a total of 11.5 miles. I need to get in more weekly runs. My long run was pretty easy( I was certainly well rested and I took all the walk breaks).
On the home front the Heritage Eagles sixman football team won their 5 th championship in 8 years yesterday beating Happy Hill by 45 pts, stopping the game in the middle of the fourth. I planned to go but alas had to deliver 2 babies instead. Lily was there in the cold and rain well representing the clan.
Nanna continues to workout on Thursday--complaining bitterly but never missing a workout. Mom's knee is improving and she has started some walking.
I am anxiously awaiting our full reunion at Xmas and some more memorable runs. Sorry I dont know how to put in pictures of Jake--maybe y'all can teach me in a few weeks.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Dinner & a Run
I have decided to give Katie a Christmas present. Despite my soon-to-be-obvious lack of writing skills and my general dislike of forming coherent sentences, here I am. Making my first ever blog post.
Tonight I ran for 30 minutes. And was happy when the timer beeped. See…For some I reason had this brilliant idea of going for a run AFTER dinner. Because then I wouldn’t have to rush to get there on time, or worry about my wet hair when its 40 degrees outside. I could leisurely eat my Haggar-cafeteria dinner without any of these cares. No problem, right?
Right! I did keep my dinner and I did run well. Which is surprising because I know that you should never eat before activities. Mom and Dad can probably tell everyone exactly why that is, but, nonetheless, everyone knows this. And even though, this very basic, very fundamental rule of exercise slipped my mind tonight, I was not punished for it, thankfully. (although I do not plan on pushing my luck)
As for my life right now, it is largely full of lectures, homework, reading Beowulf, getting whooped up in WordsWithFriends, eating and writing (blogposts, essays, lab reports, etc.). Wishing ever so much that the time I see my brothers wear the wonderful sweaters, eat Nan’s pie, go run with the family, have Cub cry when I hold him, wait on Mom to open up her presents, go shopping with Katie, give Jacob a hard time and hear Dad’s stories (and constant reminder about getting Mom a present) comes quickly. Christmas come fast!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Turkey Trotting and Rule Following
It's Katie reporting from Southern California.
Jacob's Uncle Tom and Aunt Martha make a tradition of turkey trotting at Dana Point on Thanksgiving morning. They've been very unofficial about it in recent years which means we kinda just jump in with the joggers. This is the third year we've done this.
This year I got kicked out by a race official because I wasn't sporting a number.
OF COURSE this would happen to me.
I'm so royally afraid of breaking any and all rules; Jacob teases me incessantly about this. He's no big time rebel, but he has no problem breaking rules in, what he deems, harmless ways. He grew up camping and building fires and swimming where he wasn't supposed to. He listened to contraband Discmans and watched extra contraband TVs while living in the Mennonite community. He's the guy in the car at the airport who comfortably chills out at the "Loading Only" curb until the guard forces him to move along.
I'm a rule follower.
This is probably because most of my stories of breaking rules end up as stories of me getting caught.
So yes...I got kicked out of the Dana Point Turkey Trot.
How did I respond? I moved out of the race area, meandered a ways feeling sorry for myself...and then when the runners doubled back I recklessly jumped in with the pack.
I was quite impressed with myself -- even if I did spend the whole time scanning the crowds for race officials and making sure I was always jogging in the middle of a clump of people and occasionally moving up onto the sidewalk to give an innocuous cheer...
So maybe I USED to be a rule follower...Thanks to my husband I've become a neurotic rule breaker.
In other training news. I have a long run planned for tomorrow on the beach. I'm nervous about it because I'm SUPER sore. Not from my illicit 5K, but from the pre-Thanksgiving-dinner soccer game we played yesterday afternoon.
I'm not a very good soccer player, I wouldn't say I'm a good athlete generally.
No. I'm scrappy and I like to run. That's what I maximize on in organized sports, so yesterday I ran up and down the field after the ball and fell down a lot. Which means that today I can barely walk.
Happy Running, Fams! I'm getting excited! I've also recruited Michael Falconer to run with (but probably out in front) of us!!
Jacob's Uncle Tom and Aunt Martha make a tradition of turkey trotting at Dana Point on Thanksgiving morning. They've been very unofficial about it in recent years which means we kinda just jump in with the joggers. This is the third year we've done this.
This year I got kicked out by a race official because I wasn't sporting a number.
OF COURSE this would happen to me.
I'm so royally afraid of breaking any and all rules; Jacob teases me incessantly about this. He's no big time rebel, but he has no problem breaking rules in, what he deems, harmless ways. He grew up camping and building fires and swimming where he wasn't supposed to. He listened to contraband Discmans and watched extra contraband TVs while living in the Mennonite community. He's the guy in the car at the airport who comfortably chills out at the "Loading Only" curb until the guard forces him to move along.
I'm a rule follower.
This is probably because most of my stories of breaking rules end up as stories of me getting caught.
So yes...I got kicked out of the Dana Point Turkey Trot.
How did I respond? I moved out of the race area, meandered a ways feeling sorry for myself...and then when the runners doubled back I recklessly jumped in with the pack.
I was quite impressed with myself -- even if I did spend the whole time scanning the crowds for race officials and making sure I was always jogging in the middle of a clump of people and occasionally moving up onto the sidewalk to give an innocuous cheer...
So maybe I USED to be a rule follower...Thanks to my husband I've become a neurotic rule breaker.
In other training news. I have a long run planned for tomorrow on the beach. I'm nervous about it because I'm SUPER sore. Not from my illicit 5K, but from the pre-Thanksgiving-dinner soccer game we played yesterday afternoon.
I'm not a very good soccer player, I wouldn't say I'm a good athlete generally.
No. I'm scrappy and I like to run. That's what I maximize on in organized sports, so yesterday I ran up and down the field after the ball and fell down a lot. Which means that today I can barely walk.
Happy Running, Fams! I'm getting excited! I've also recruited Michael Falconer to run with (but probably out in front) of us!!
230!
Q. How does a high point in your life also become a low point?
A. When that high point, 230 in my case, is followed by three merciless letters "lbs"
Following Dad's excellent introduction to the family's training update blog, it seemed appropriate to review the first holiday run of the journey, namely the Thanksgiving Morning Workout with Dad, Mom, Lily, Rob, and me (Jonathan), to date the largest assembly our expedition's cast of characters.
Though possessing neither the best writing skills of the family nor the best chance of completing our company's goal to run the Seattle Marathon on June 24, 2012 together, I do think it fitting that I break the ice with my first post to Ramsay Rerun, because, well, the ice has the best chance of breaking with me standing on it.
But before I go too far, let me think out loud for a moment and give an appropriate title capturing the sense of yesterday's effort:
Perhaps "The Ramsay Assault on the Seattle Marathon Launches in a Big Way
(Oops, walked right into that one.)
Okay. "The Wait for the Ramsay Clan Training Plan is over!"
(Definitely not.)
How about, "Is it Penguin? Is it a Refrigerator? No, Its Jonathan running an 11 minute mile"
(Sigh)
Seeing that my reduced metabolism is killing my creativity I will relent and begrudgingly entitle this post Robert's favorite new nickname for his eldest brother, "230"
:(
Unbelievable.
Well, though there's plenty, that's enough about me.
Yesterday on a 65 degree and beautiful Thanksgiving morning, we all piled into Mom's Sonata and cruised to the FHS track for a group run and general pump up session. Round and round we "Walk-Ran" the track. Lily, Rob, Dad, and Me while Mom rehabbed her freshly scoped knee.
This is the only picture mom, equipped with IPhone, took from the Run.
(Note: There are by way of comparison approximately 58 pictures of her grandson, Jake, on that same phone, which I will include unashamedly, because apparently that's the best way to get traffic to a blog post in this family.)
In all we spent an hour and a half, plodding around the familiar clay-colored and spongy oval with lots of talking (mostly dad), lots of heavy breathing (mostly me), and lots of fun. We got refreshed in the Dr. John version of marathon training by Jeff Galloway and highlighted the experience with a quick mile...quicker for some than others.
John-7:45
Lily-8:30
Robert-7:01
Jonathan -cough- "230" -7:24
Not too shabby considering only Dad had been consistently running leading up to this morning. Robert nearly eclipsed 7 minutes, and would have, if he had worn a watch, and I had not been holding him back for the first 3 laps. I had felt pretty good about myself, spare tire and all. Here I was keeping up with an NCAA Student-Athlete. I was laboring, but all in all keeping it together. That was, at least, until we entered the back stretch of the third lap. When sweet Robert asked meekly, "do you mind if go faster for this final lap?" My heart sank as I mustered a weak, "sure" and then before the sound had dissipated in the certainly warming Fredericksburg November air, he was gone. My dignity the only thing going with him as he disappeared around the turn.
Well, the gun has gone off and the herd has started. We are westward bound. I am excited and inspired, and not just because I stepped on the scale the day AFTER Thanksgiving and it read...wait for it...225! Rather because this blog affords us the opportunity to share the highs, lows, laughs, tears (?), and mostly, the stories of our journey which may have begun from various places across the country, culminates in Seattle, WA.
See you there!
A. When that high point, 230 in my case, is followed by three merciless letters "lbs"
Following Dad's excellent introduction to the family's training update blog, it seemed appropriate to review the first holiday run of the journey, namely the Thanksgiving Morning Workout with Dad, Mom, Lily, Rob, and me (Jonathan), to date the largest assembly our expedition's cast of characters.
Though possessing neither the best writing skills of the family nor the best chance of completing our company's goal to run the Seattle Marathon on June 24, 2012 together, I do think it fitting that I break the ice with my first post to Ramsay Rerun, because, well, the ice has the best chance of breaking with me standing on it.
But before I go too far, let me think out loud for a moment and give an appropriate title capturing the sense of yesterday's effort:
Perhaps "The Ramsay Assault on the Seattle Marathon Launches in a Big Way
(Oops, walked right into that one.)
Okay. "The Wait for the Ramsay Clan Training Plan is over!"
(Definitely not.)
How about, "Is it Penguin? Is it a Refrigerator? No, Its Jonathan running an 11 minute mile"
(Sigh)
Seeing that my reduced metabolism is killing my creativity I will relent and begrudgingly entitle this post Robert's favorite new nickname for his eldest brother, "230"
:(
Unbelievable.
Well, though there's plenty, that's enough about me.
Yesterday on a 65 degree and beautiful Thanksgiving morning, we all piled into Mom's Sonata and cruised to the FHS track for a group run and general pump up session. Round and round we "Walk-Ran" the track. Lily, Rob, Dad, and Me while Mom rehabbed her freshly scoped knee.
This is the only picture mom, equipped with IPhone, took from the Run.
(Note: There are by way of comparison approximately 58 pictures of her grandson, Jake, on that same phone, which I will include unashamedly, because apparently that's the best way to get traffic to a blog post in this family.)
In all we spent an hour and a half, plodding around the familiar clay-colored and spongy oval with lots of talking (mostly dad), lots of heavy breathing (mostly me), and lots of fun. We got refreshed in the Dr. John version of marathon training by Jeff Galloway and highlighted the experience with a quick mile...quicker for some than others.
John-7:45
Lily-8:30
Robert-7:01
Jonathan -cough- "230" -7:24
Not too shabby considering only Dad had been consistently running leading up to this morning. Robert nearly eclipsed 7 minutes, and would have, if he had worn a watch, and I had not been holding him back for the first 3 laps. I had felt pretty good about myself, spare tire and all. Here I was keeping up with an NCAA Student-Athlete. I was laboring, but all in all keeping it together. That was, at least, until we entered the back stretch of the third lap. When sweet Robert asked meekly, "do you mind if go faster for this final lap?" My heart sank as I mustered a weak, "sure" and then before the sound had dissipated in the certainly warming Fredericksburg November air, he was gone. My dignity the only thing going with him as he disappeared around the turn.
Well, the gun has gone off and the herd has started. We are westward bound. I am excited and inspired, and not just because I stepped on the scale the day AFTER Thanksgiving and it read...wait for it...225! Rather because this blog affords us the opportunity to share the highs, lows, laughs, tears (?), and mostly, the stories of our journey which may have begun from various places across the country, culminates in Seattle, WA.
See you there!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Reruns
For those of you in the family I suspect you immediately understand the title. For other welcome guests and contributors some explanation is in order. We love reruns. Movies of course like Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and more of late the long version of Pride and Prejudice and You've Got Mail and Six Man State Championship Games. But we also love to rerun restaurants i.e. Mamacitas, Hildas, and Red Lobster (Nana's influence) over and over again. Rerun vacation destinations--really only Montell. My kids have informed me though, now that they are out in the world, that not everyone does this.
Now the next Ramsay rerun: Seattle, June 23, 2012. Yes, Scott's adopted home and Robert's birthday but I mean a real rerun. This blog starts the countdown to the Ramsay and friends second marathon: Seattle in 258 days.
Most of you know that in April 2008 we had a memorable marathon in Rome which included Jonathan, Kate, Scott, and me and friends Robert Bourquein and Glencora Cowan with logistical help from Nanna June, Suzie, Jacob, and Robbie. Robert and Lily had unavoidable conflicts and we reassured them there would be another chance.
Why this blog? Jonathan made an effort in blogging before Rome but the rest of us did not catch the bug--unfortunately. This blog is to partly record the journey but also serve as an encouragement. I hope that family and friends will contribute stories of good runs and bad or even just how long your long run was.
Let us begin: Katie and I ran/walked 8 miles today with only one bathroom break. The rest of the family will be stunned to know that she did most of the talking. For me it brought back fond memories of our running together in 2003 -- alas, a failed marathon training attempt. It was probably the destination -- Amarillo -- what was I thinking? And, made me look forward to Xmas when Katie returns and we may get in a family run. I still am not adjusted to her being in California. I know it makes sense, and it's where she and Jacob and Jake need to be, but it still leaves me unsettled and longing for something different.
That's my running story today.
Now the next Ramsay rerun: Seattle, June 23, 2012. Yes, Scott's adopted home and Robert's birthday but I mean a real rerun. This blog starts the countdown to the Ramsay and friends second marathon: Seattle in 258 days.
Most of you know that in April 2008 we had a memorable marathon in Rome which included Jonathan, Kate, Scott, and me and friends Robert Bourquein and Glencora Cowan with logistical help from Nanna June, Suzie, Jacob, and Robbie. Robert and Lily had unavoidable conflicts and we reassured them there would be another chance.
Why this blog? Jonathan made an effort in blogging before Rome but the rest of us did not catch the bug--unfortunately. This blog is to partly record the journey but also serve as an encouragement. I hope that family and friends will contribute stories of good runs and bad or even just how long your long run was.
Let us begin: Katie and I ran/walked 8 miles today with only one bathroom break. The rest of the family will be stunned to know that she did most of the talking. For me it brought back fond memories of our running together in 2003 -- alas, a failed marathon training attempt. It was probably the destination -- Amarillo -- what was I thinking? And, made me look forward to Xmas when Katie returns and we may get in a family run. I still am not adjusted to her being in California. I know it makes sense, and it's where she and Jacob and Jake need to be, but it still leaves me unsettled and longing for something different.
That's my running story today.
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