Greg Ramer

As Jeff Foxworthy once said, "You can't make this stuff up." 
There really are no words. Except maybe, God bless America!
Greg.

I wanted to share this short video with you from Saturday's FSU v. GA Tech's football game. As a fan of avionics, I love stadium flyovers. This one was another favorite of the many I have had the privilege to see at the Doak. This video doesn't do justice to the sound and vibration you felt as they flew over. I was really cool.

Greg.

This weeks "interview" will be done via text. I shot a video after the class yesterday, but it didn't come out the best since I was the camera man as well. (My usual camera man, Russ couldn't make it to class.) So you are left with more a commentary, then an interview. 

This week our guest speaker was a nutritionist from Tallahassee Primary Care. She was very informative and answered the many questions some of the students had to ask. She went over the basic nutritional ideas like drinking plenty of water and thinking of food as fuel and not just as enjoyment. Some stuff I was familiar with but she did say a few things I had never heard:

• When running in the morning on an empty stomach it is best to eat a little something like a slice or two of an apple or banana to at least give your stomach something to burn. She did not advise running on a completely empty stomach.
• You should have at least three meals a day with at least two snacks in between. She defined meals as 3 – 4 food groups and snacks as at least 2 food groups. This was new to me. I was used to classifying a snack as one item. But now being able to eat an apple dipped in peanut butter will make that even more enjoyable. One of the great things about eating apples is you not only get to provide energy for your body but also for your brain by counting how many seeds are in your apple. I like to get my friends and family involved with this delish snack idea as well. It is a win win really.
• Later in the day, if you are going for a run soon and you have not eaten anything in a while it is best to have a snack at least an hour before you go. 
• Be careful not to eat too much fiber before a workout. You don't want anything other then your feet running. (I thought up that last line. Clever, no?)

On to my run…

We ran two-miles yesterday. This was good since my two previous personal workouts were for two miles. However during class I actually ran more then I did at home. I would guess I ran a total of a half mile and briskly walked the rest. We went off the track again, this time going around the baseball stadium past the football practice fields and under Stadium Drive then down a paved trail (that I didn't know was there). When we hit the first road intersection we turned around and retraced our path.

The weather was insanely wonderful which made for a comfortable workout. As I would start of on my runs I would pick a point to run to (say a tree, sign post, lamp light, etc.) but then I found myself digging in and passing my goal point and running just a little bit further. They were small victories for this huge battle I am in. I will take those any day.

Until next week…

Greg.

PS. Do you like the video updates or the text updates better?

I want to thank all of you who commented about my previous post. I had over 250 hits to my site Friday which is roughly 200 or so more then usual. Crazy. I didn't expect a response so big. I wrote the post as a fun little jab to get under the skin of some of my USF friends — hence the title. Once the comments started to roll in I was blown away by the response to a silly little post about a football game. Then I found out that my blog was mentioned in a post on Tampabay.com, by Greg Auman. What? That was nuts. He stated:

– One blogger's open letter to USF fans. "You are young and naive. I understand," he writes.

I have to say I was impressed by USF. I underrated them for sure. However, as I was trying to say in my post — one win doesn't mean you have arrived. I have already seen a fan or two exclaim the state of Florida as "Bull Country." As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend." Yesterday's victory was huge for your program as I said it would be, but it does not mean you have arrived. It is one victory of many you will need to be considered in the same conversation as Florida, Florida State and Miami.

A few thoughts on the game…

USF wanted the game more the FSU. BJ Daniels was sick — I can't wait to see more of him. USF exploited FSU's weakness — their defensive secondary — which is a sign of smart coaching. Good luck the rest of the season. 

Now on to more important things…

Greg.

In a little over twenty-four hours from now a rivalry will officially begin. The long wait for the University of South Florida Bulls and the Florida State University Seminoles to meet on the gridiron will come to an end. Growing up in the shadows of the Sun Dome I have always had a respect and liking for the Bulls. I have cheered for them at many a basketball game and was excited to hear they were getting a football program. Although I was a fan of the Bulls, they were never my number one — that team resided four hours north in a little town just off of I-10 where I now call home. 

Tomorrow, you Bulls will get a chance to meet that team face to face. They are excited about your visit I am sure. But don't expect a nice southern welcome from them. No, they have been a little cranky as of late. You see, they are used to — deservingly — being the center of attention. Over the past twenty years they have enjoyed their ride at the top. I mean ending a streak of top five finishes that lasted fourteen seasons in a row is a hard pill to swallow. Sure, they have lost their swagger and teams don't fear them like they once did. 

However, since FSU's scary escape of Jacksonville State University I have been hearing talk about USF coming up to Tallahassee and whipping up on the Noles. Here is one example of many recent expressions — I saw this posted on someones Facebook today, GO BULLS… Who is going to win this Saturday???? Just spell FSU backwards…………. 

Cute.

I don't know if you are blinded by your overwhelming wins against the three junior colleges you have played this year. Or maybe it was the memory of your number two ranking you held for an impressive five days two seasons ago. Or is it that we have already lost a game this year? 

You are young and naive. I understand. You look up and the pretty new girl in class is looking your way smiling and you think you have arrived — that you belong. When in reality she is smiling at that stud behind you. She is just waiting for him to make his move, which is coming soon. You may trip him up along the way, but you see, he used to date girls like her every year. A few DUI's and free shopping spree at Dillards later, the stud has gotten off track, but he has refocused. He knows what he needs to do to get the prize.

I want you to know I do care about you, but I don't want you to miss the forest for the trees. The field you are about to walk onto Saturday has a lot of history. It's very name is that of the head coach that still walks it's sidelines. That same head coach has lead two heisman trophy winners, over dozens upon dozens of NFL players and has hoisted the American Football Coaches Association Trophy (that's the national championship trophy by the way) — twice. 

You may win tomorrow — I doubt it — but you may. If you do, then let me be the first to congratulate you on a huge win for your program. I truly hope your visit is a pleasant one. Well, until noon tomorrow anyway.

Welcome to Tallahassee.

Greg.

A short video from the flyover at the FSU vs Miami game honoring fallen pilot, Navy Captain Michael "Scott" Speicher.

Greg.

Each week I will posting a video recap on both this blog and my fitness journal, Worth The Weight. At Worth The Weight, I will place only fitness related post so you can keep track and see my progress. 

You can find the link to that site in the left hand column under the My Sites section, or simply use the following url, www.gregramer.com/wtw

Greg.

Last night I had my first beginners running class with the Gulf Winds Track Club. My buddy, Russ invited me to join him and his wife at the class. I wasn't sure what to expect but I had a lot of fun and probably had the best workout since I started exercising a year ago. There is something about running with other people that motivates you to work a little harder.

We met at Florida State University's Mike Long Track. They split us into three groups: beginners, intermediate and experienced. (Needless to say, I was in the latter.) J/K. J/K. I, along with must of the people, where in the beginners group. Our coaches lead us on a mile run/walk around the track. They had us walk the straightaways and jog the curves. I made it a lap and a half doing that, and then walked (briskly) the rest. It was a great workout.

After wards we all met in the middle of the track for some stretching and core exercises. I felt like I was back in high school at PE class. But instead of going to algebra the next period I just went home and passed out. Nice.

Each week will we have a running plan to follow on our own to help improve our running. At the end of the eight-week class we will participate in a 5K. I have never run in a 5K, so I am excited to give it a shot. I don't expect to run the whole way, but I hope to be able to run a complete half-mile and walk (briskly) the rest.

Russ and I will be documenting our progress throughout the class. I will be posting a video soon from our first class interviews.

Greg.