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Posted by John Ross 13 years 3 months ago

We did it!  Thank you to everyone who has contributed in support of ALS and this race.  As of this afternoon we reached our goal of $2500!  This is a huge boost as I am getting ready to head to the airport to fly into Philly for the race.  

Training-wise this week was light.  I had a 10 mile easy run last Saturday and I ran an fast-paced 3 miles on the treadmill on Wednesday.  I am feeling rested and looking forward to this weekend.  

Thank you again for all of your donations and I will let you know how things go immediately after the race.

Best,

-John 

Posted by John Ross 13 years 3 months ago

 Quick training update:  After taking the weekend off to rest my left calf which was cramping up during and after runs, I did an hour on the elliptical Tuesday night and ran 6 miles today with no problems.  It looks like I will be good for 8-10 this weekend before the big day next weekend...   

Posted by John Ross 13 years 3 months ago

Training:  There has been a little fallout since my 19-mile run last weekend in Newport.  On both of my short runs this week my left calf tightened up and seemed to get worse in the days after the runs.  Based on that, I am shutting it down for a week or so to give myself time to heal and make sure everything is alright heading into the next couple of weeks.  Given that the bulk of the preparation is done and we are into the tapering weeks I don't view this as a setback as much as a chance to make sure I am 100% for the big day.  

Fundraising:  We went over $2000 this week!  Thank you to everyone who has donated and we are really close to our goal of $2500.  It reallys helps me out on the runs to know that all of you guys are supporting this cause.  I will keep pushing on the runs and in fundraising efforts to get us over the top! 

Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago

 Training:  Today was about as challenging of a run as I have ever had.  Looking at the weather forecast for the weekend I plan was to head even more northeast than I already am to get my 19 miles in on some of my old stomping grounds in Newport, RI.  I knew it would be cold, but the weather definitely moved in faster the weather.com told me it would meaning by the third mile I was dealing with some sideways rain and strong winds on this nice 40 degree day.  It got almost comical as my fancy, water-preoof, gortex, trail-running shoes actually kept all of the water in and around my feet throughout the run.  (Lesson learned: If you are running in really bad conditions then stay away from the waterproof shoes as your feet will get wet regardless, but at least the water will drain in normal running shoes.)  The nice part about the run was that I was never more than a mile-and-a-half from my car so each time I passed it I considered grabbing my winter jacket, but only had to mentally commit to one more lap without it each time I said no.  The bad part was a substantially lower core temperature after 3 hours and 16 minutes in the elements.  I really mean it when I say that staying accountable to everyone who has contributed to this cause is what got me through today's run and will get me through on race day.  At this point, I would run this thing on one leg if I had to.    

Fundraising:  We went over $1600 this week which is amazing!  I definitely think we can get to $2500 and sincerely appreciate everything that has been donated so far.  Even donating just $5 or $10 (think of it as buying me a beer after the race) will go a long way!  

Thanks for reading,

John 

Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago

Training:  Yesterday I probably had the best long run of my whole training cycle. I posted a link to the Garmin data on facebook, but basically it was 18 miles that finished with a pretty decent kick over the last four.  I was really sore throughout yesterday and into today, but it felt really great to not just finish an 18-miler, but to run strong and feel good throughout!

Fundraising:  I am still really excited with the fundraising we have done to date, but I am defintiely looking to kick it up a notch over the next few weeks.  Every little bit helps and I will be posting links to stories about some of the little heroes we are raising money for in my blog posts.  Please check out Dena Rovito's story below:

http://www.alexslemonade.org/hero/dena-rovito

Thanks for reading and we will keep pushing! 

 

Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago

After it rained in CT all day today I had to take my Wednesday run to the treadmill, which was no fun for anybody.  Not that I mind a little rain, but when it goes all day the trails are pretty trashed so I just don't think it would have been worth it.  Three more long runs until I begin to taper so the end is near.

We are over $1300!!  Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this amazing charity.  It has really helping me push through these last few weeks of training.  Looking forward to 18 miles on the Schuylkill river this Saturday, which is also Sako's birthday!     

Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago

Fundraising:  Wow!  In three days we destroyed my original fundraising goal. Thank you so much to everyone who has been so giving these last few days. I am humbled by your generosity and promise to keep pushing both for the cause and in training.  To that end, I revised my original fundraising goal up to $2500 to reflect what I think we can do going forward.  

Training:  Today was my Saturday long run (17 miles).  Because I didn't drive to Philly this weekend (Sako was in RI for a wedding), I had to do the run out on the trails at Bluff Point.  They are great for my runs during the week when I am running comfortable distances, but for long runs when you are really pushing your distance they are pretty grueling.  I am not exagerrating when I say that the amazing response to my fundraising emails really motivated me out there.  I only have three more long runs before I taper, so each one counts.

John      

   

Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago

 Quick training update:  Just finished a 10 mile trail run that felt really good.  Logging in this morning and see the first couple of donations on my fundraising page was really very motivating.  I had two things working against me heading out.  

1) I had to stop my Monday run short because I started getting a sharp pain in the ball of my left foot.  That kind of thing is worrisome for training.  

2) I was a little sore after an epic flag football game Tuesday night.  

A special thank you to my mother Barbara Ross, Shadie Bisharat, and Josh McCright for getting the fundraising ball rolling and giving me motivation out on the trails!

Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago
Posted by John Ross 13 years 4 months ago

Thank you for checking out my blog.  This is definitely something new and different for me, but I think it is an important tool for me to keep everyone updated on both my training and the importance of the charity.      

Training:  I ran 16 miles yesterday along the Schuylkill River.  I am at the point in training where every week when I go out for a long run, it is the longest distance I have EVER run.  It seems a little daunting each time, but pacing yourself and only making modest increases (one mile/week) goes a long way.   With the three day weekend I actually get an extra night in Philly to hang out with Asako.  That also means I will probably do my Monday run here tomorrow morning (the Schuylkill is definitely better than the trail runs in Connecticut).  

Charity:  I don't have a lot to update here so I will share a link to an important child's story that really demonstrates the importance of this cause. 

http://www.alexslemonade.org/hero/corey-zdrazil

Thank you again for checking out my blog and I will be in touch soon.

Best,

John