is get this over with

I have been going to the gym almost daily.  I use the rowing machine, the eliptical and the bike for 15-20 each.  I also do a few weights.  I have continued to run a couple of times a week.  On the 9th we drove to Quesnel.  Greg and I ran from the hotel to the farm (about 14K) on the 10th.   I finished in just over 90 minutes which was ok considering that I stopped to talk to John who had come to the farm to pick up some of his equipment.  My legs were a bit sore but the groin was fine.

 On the 16th I did 10K at the Cannery Road Race and finished in just over an hour.  I felt fine.  Jackie and Gail both did their half marathons and both were in pain after.  But they finished!

On the 20th we did a quick run out to the SPCA and back and again I felt fine.

Today we ran out to Ridley.  We turned back just after the cutoff which is about 100m past the 8K marker.  I got there is just under 50 minutes but I took about 53 to get back.  That puts me on track for 2 hour 15 minute half marathon which was my original goal.  For a time, I thought I might have been able to cut about 10 minutes off that but with the limited training while healing this injury, I know that is unlikely.

Over the next couple of weeks, I plan to run 5K on Thursday and 10K next Sunday. I may run part of the route on the Thursday night when we get to Victoria to see what it is like, but other than that, I just want to get this over with.

hope for the best

Well I ran in with Kim Slater and a handful of others and while my leg did not hurt or even bother me that day, it did hurt the next morning which lasted the day.  I decided to take the rest of the week off and then see the doctor on Monday.  He told me that it was tendinitis, that I should continue the stretching and icing and to run twice a week - one short and one long to see how it felt.  Most importantly though he told me to make sure I was cross training to get sufficient cardio exercise.  I rejoined the gym that afternoon and have spent each day at the gym using the rower, the eliptical, the bike and some of the weights that involve using the leg.

On Thursday, we ran from CHSS to the 4K marker and then back.  I intended to run back to the Lester Centre  before returning to CSSS (8K) but decided to return the way I came so about 7K.  The leg was fine (slightly sore) but no problems the next day.  I just ran 14K this morning and between stretching and icing I am hoping that it remains no worse than what it feels like right now - slightly sore but a muscle sore not the tendon pain that I was feeling before. 

I still have a month.  I hope to run 16K next week.  The following week is the Cannery Run and I will run just 10K that week.  The following week I will try 18K and the week after that I will run 10 again before the Victoria half marathon the week after that.  I am hoping that I will be ready.

is get better

On the Tuesday following the Sunday walk/run, I ran the 5K loop of the Glory Days run and felt fine except the leg didn't seem the same as its counterpart.  I decided to take Thursday off but I ran 12K on Sunday.  The leg felt fine during and immediately after the run but it was sore the next day.  I have been resting, stretching, and icing it all week.  I intend to test it on Tuesday.  Kim Slater is completing a province wide run along the Enbridge route and we are to meet her at Butze and run in the rest of the way with her.  If I run from my house and then cut out on the way back it will be about 6K total and I will likely be resting after the first 3K.  That should be a good test and then I will do little for the rest of the week and then test it with a longer run next Sunday.  It looks like we will be in town for the Cannery half-Marathon so I can prepare a little better for both it and the Victoria race in October.  It is very frustrating right now.

is overcome my first injury

The day after Sunday's 18K, I felt pain in my right groin, actual pain.  Lifting my knee to my waist hurt.  Getting in and out of the car hurt.  I decided to take Tuesday and Thursday off to rest it.  On Friday, I did some very light run/walks with Kyrie and it felt fine.  On Sunday, we were supposed to run only 12K so I decided to give it a try..

After about 5.5K, I felt a slight twinge so decided to turn back.  I walked much of the way, jogging short distances and then stretching my leg to see how it felt.  I didn't feel pain.  I did run the last kilometre when my running partner caught up to me.

The leg feels fine 12 hours later but I still want to be careful with it.

On the way back I decided to time myself walking.  I walked 1K in 8'44".  Last week, I ran 18K in just under 110 minutes.  8'44" x 3 is just over 26 minutes.  If I had to walk 3K, I would finish in 2 hours 16 minutes - one minute over my goal.  That gives me lots of leeway when I run the half marathon in October.   

is remember to post

I know I ran on the Tuesday and Thursday following the 16K run but I can't remember where; and I know I ran 15K on Saturday, the 21st.  I am at a point now where I realize that trying for a 6 minute/kilometre may not be possible.  I ran the 15K about 42 seconds slower which I suppose isn't too far off but I felt the need to slow down as I was finishing.

I ran on the Saturday because we flew to Vancouver for a couple of days so I missed the Tueday run.  I did run from the hotel to the 7-11 (about 1K each direction) so I did something.  On Thursday we ran Butze twice.  This time I was much better as I managed to run up all the hills even the last one from the directional sign, but I did avoid the very last hill to the parking lot by cutting out to the highway and running in from there.  Butze is hard once, not sure why we run it twice.

Today, we were supposed to run 17K but we weren't sure where the 8.5K marker was located so we ended up running 18K.  That means we are only 3K short of the half marathon.  It took me a few seconds under one hour and 50 minutes meaning I can take 25 minutes to run the final 3K and still reach my goal.

My legs did feel a bit wobbly when I stopped and they are still a bit sore seven hours later but I am guessing that is normal.

is run 5K

When I started running all I wanted to do was run 5K.  Now I am just 5K short of running a half marathon. 

Last Sunday I ran 14K in about 82 minutes.  That's getting pretty close to a half marathon in slightly over two hours, ten or so minutes below my goal of 2'15".  I felt good after the run and figured I could go further.

On Tuesday, we ran to the recycling depot and back along the old highway.  On Thursday, we ran Butze - twice!  That was my first feeling of failure.  The day hadn't been a good one for running - worked a lot in the garden, ate at the wrong times, a hotter than usual day - so I was already struggling before I took a step.  I managed to get around the first loop ok but doing the loop a second time, I ran out of energy when we reached the hills heading back.  For the last 15 minutes, I walked more than I ran. 

Butze is brutal so I shouldn't have felt too bad, but I was worried about today's 16K run.

I was fine until the 12K mark and then I felt the need to slow down.  I tried to keep up with Gail and Mike but there was no way that was possible.  I clocked in at just over 95 minutes which is still under a 6 min/km but I am not sure how much further I could have gone today.  I shouldn't (and won't) get discouraged - yet.   At this pace, I need to run the last 5K in 40 minutes to beat my goal which I should be able to do even if I to walk for half of it. 

is eat properly

I didn't write anything last week so I am going from memory to recall two weeks of running.

On the Tuesday following the 13K run I have no idea what we did.  I am sure we did something around 5K but I cannot remember where we went.  On Wednesday, two of us joined Ray for some speed drills and though we managed to complete them we still find it difficult.

On Thursday I missed the run to go to Pat's year end party where I met somebody who had just run the Vancouver marathon.  She said that her big difficulty was eating properly before the race i.e. getting enough food in her early enough so she wasn't burned out during her race.  She found herself struggling at the end because the race started early in the morning and she hadn't eaten enough.  I am not sure if the same problem will occur in a half marathon, but I do find it hard to make sure I get something in me before running but not too soon before running to make me uncomfortable.  Same with drinking water.  I have been told that the Victoria half marathon starts at 7:30 so I will need to eat about 6:00.  I am going to look for advice on timing meals.

Because I missed Thursday, I ran Saturday morning looping the highway from the SPCA to McDonald's.  It was before 8:00 and there were a couple of other runners out.

Sunday was a bit of a recovery week so we only did 12K.

Tuesday was another sunny day so we did the waterfront route backwards, running down George Hill and up Bill Murray.

Wednesday, Gail and I were the only ones to show up for speed work so we decided to just run 200m and walk 100m and then work our way up to full laps over the next month.  We found it less strenuous.

On Thursday we changed a bit of our usual SPCA run.  Instead of running up Frederick and turning at 11th we continued to 7th and ran up (well- walked up) the stairs to get back to Alfred and then 11th to take us back to the track.

On Friday I decided to drive to Butze.  It was just after 7:30 so I was the first car there.  Because we are moving up to 14, 16, and 18K over the next few weeks, I wanted to find the distance markers for 7, 8, and 9K.  I ran from Butze to the 9k and back to Butze (about 8.5K), found all three markers (we need to refresh the paint) and managed to complete it in less than the time it took me to do the 8K back in May,

I will be interested to see what I manage to do on Sunday when we run 14K and then again next Sunday when we do 16K.

keep a steady pace

This week was a little different than the others.  On Tuesday we ran for 45 minutes doing most of the Glory Days 5K portion plus the getting there and getting back so somewhere between 6 and 7K.  Knowing I couldn't make Thursday, I decided to go to the track on Wednesday and do speed drills with Ray and Bob.  Tough stuff but I was able to complete the 8 laps (with a 100m walking break between) at a pace faster than normal - in other words "no talking allowed (or for the punsters aloud).

On Friday, I did four laps trying to calibrate my IPod so it is a little more accurate.  And on Saturday, at 7:30 a.m. in gorgeous sunshine, I ran 5K to test the newly calibrated IPod.  It said I ran 5.28K which was much more accurate than usual but still not good enough.  I completed the 5K in 29'55'' which is a couple of minutes better than my first 5K at the Cannery Run.

On Sunday, we ran 13K which is our longest run yet.  I ran the first 6.5 with Ray and for reasons too difficult to explain, Ray checked our pacing.  We were running a 5'40"/km, much faster than the 6 min/km that I seem to find comfortable.  Ray continued on and Gail who was not far behind us caught up to me.  By the time we reached 9K, I had to slow down.  (I had probably been slowing down before that.)  When we reached the beginning of the hill from the SPCA to Sherman, I told Gail to go ahead as I was finding it too difficult to maintain her pace.  In fact, there were a couple of times on that hill where I almost felt like quitting.  I managed to keep going and the rest of the way in was fine.

Unfortunately, when I went to check my IPod to see the time and the accuracy of the calibration, I discovered that I had mistakenly shut it off after 7 minutes.  Brilliant technician I am.  I am pretty sure that I did the first half in 36 minutes and the back half in 39 which is still an ok pace.

Side note: I would love to learn the story behind some of the items found on the side of the road.  As I am chugging along,  I noticed what appeared to be a lady's under garment.  Now, how did that get there?

get up the hill

Week five is now complete.  On the rare nice days we have, it is essential that we run along the waterfront which is what we did on Tuesday.  On Thursday we ran passed the hospital and looped back through Ominica.  Each of those runs was about 5-6K taking 35 or so minutes.  On Friday, I ran Butze.  I almost made it up the hill from the directional sign.  When I stopped I didn't realize that just around the corner was the flat area.  If I had known that I would have pushed myself for another 10 seconds.   Still couldn't make it up the hill to the parking lot, but I did break the 37 minute mark for the run.

On Sunday, we ran 12K.  We figured the 6K marker was around the shoe tree but we ran about 100m past it just to be sure.  When we crossed the highway and headed back, we found the marker about 50m or so on the town side of the tree.  That means we ran closer to 12.5K.  I was a couple of minutes longer than I was for the Skeena relay but I will blame the miserable weather.  I was drenched when we were done.

Next week we advance to 13K.  Still not sure what 21K will feel like but I still had enough in me to run further than 12K today.

is recover

This week was a recovery week so Sunday's run was only 9K.  I love saying ONLY 9K.  We ran from the Lester Centre through the Butze parking lot and then back to the highway and return.  We figured it to be more than 9k maybe 9.5.  Gail and I ran together and finished at about 57 minutes.  We ran out to Butze with Ray but he decided to continue to Oliver Lake.  We will have to do that in a couple of weeks but we won't run from his house on Graham to the Lester Centre as a warm up.

The three of us ran to Butze and running and talking were not a problem.  The distraction made the time go faster.

Earlier in the week, we ran about 5K on Tuesday and on Thursday we drove to Butze and ran the trail.  The Butze trail is a hard 35-40 minutes, so I didn't feel guilty about not running for the recommended 45 minutes.   On Friday, I ran to Butze from the church at Conrad and Prince Rupert Boulevard.  I figured it was slightly more than 7K and I completed it in about 45 minutes.  The program we are following recommends 4-5 runs each week, but I figure four should be enough.  Sunday is the only challenging day.  We have to do 12K next week followed by a 13 and then a 14 before our next recovery week. 

is brag a little

Week Three concluded by running 12.1K as part of the Skeena River Relay.  I was supposed to run 12K on Sunday so when I was asked to run on Saturday, I figured I was just running the distance one day early.

I was very pleased with my time which was about 73 minutes.  I have now completed four races each longer than the last one.

Cannery Run 5K             6'25"/kilometre/
PR Half Marathon 8K     6'32"/kilometre
Glory Days 10K              6'09"/kilometre
Skeena Relay 12.1K        6'02"/kilometre (based on 73 minutes which is not the official time)

Even though I am not working on speed, I am getting (ever so slowly) faster.  This is a pace that definitely gets me through a half marathon in under 2 hours 15 minutes. 

And when I finished yesterday, I had no trouble maintaining a fairly normal conversation (no breathlessness) and my legs felt fine.  Still not sure what 21K will be like but I am not worried about 15K.  I also suggested to Leslie that we should form a Learn2Run graduates team for next year's relay.

Earlier in the week, we ran 7.4K on Tuesday and about 5K on Thursday.  On Wednesday, I went to the Gym for the last time until the fall.  With running outside three+ times a week, I haven't been going often enough to get my money's worth.  I visited the pool for the first time in a bunch of years and they have a decent gym - especially cardio stuff which is really all I care about.  I am thinking of getting a punch card for crossing training during the summer. 

is talk about week two

I just finished week two with an 11K run this morning.  I now know that I can build on the 10K although I am still not sure how far I will actually be able to complete.  I took just under 70 minutes which is the pace I usually run and I still felt good at the end and could have continued.  So much is mental.  When I am running shorter distances I can't wait for the end and that feeling has nothing to do with how my body is feeling.  Today, leg muscles were slightly sore, but I was never breathless and my knees were fine.

It sure helps to have running buddies.  This morning I was five minutes late but Ray, Bob and Mike who had just started came back to start with me.  Running with them for the first 5K made the time seem to go much faster.  When I turned around after 5.5K Jenn, Gail and Elaine had just passed me going the other direction so even though I was by myself they were always in sight which encouraged me to keep going. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5 of us ran.  On Tuesday we looped 11th and the highway which is just under 5K and on Thursday we ran to and around Seal Cove Circle which is about 6.5K.

I am not sure how much I will follow the Victoria Marathon program for the other days of the week.  Wednesday is considered either rest or a short run or a cross training day.  This week I was subbing at the alternate school and they have a daily exercise program so I figured the 21 minutes I ran with the kids was good enough.   On Friday which is supposed to be a rest day, I went to the gym and tried to do some of the speed work which we is scheduled for Saturday.  I figure it is easier with a treadmill to speed up the pace but I just didn't feel up to running both mentally or physically.  From now on,  I am going to take both Fridays and Mondays as total rest days (except for walking) and not feel guilty.

On Saturday, instead of doing the speed work, I ran Butze.  At some point I need to increase my speed, but right now, I am physically (and somewhat mentally) content with the pace I am running.  My goal is to complete the half marathon in 2 hours and 15 minutes.  At my current pace, I'm on target.  Using today as an example, 11K in 70 minutes means I would have to run the last 10.1K in 65 minutes.  I think I will wait until I am more certain that I can complete the half marathon at this pace before I worry about speeding up. 

is complete 19 more

I have just completed my first week of training for the half marathon.

On Wednesday, I took a rest day, and on Thursday, a small group of us ran just under 5K (about 30 minutes).  The program I am following has five days of running but only one of them is a long run.  Each Sunday, I am supposed to build toward 21.1K but the rest of the week are all 30-50 minute runs.  I am not sure if I can run five days a week but four should be manageable.

On one of the days, I am supposed to work on speed.  On Friday, I went to the gym and did just that.  For 15 minutes, I ran 5.5 mph (11 minute mile) which is about my usual pace, and then for 10 minutes I increased it.  For four minutes I ran at 5.8, then for three minutes I ran at 6.0, and then for the final three minutes, I slowly decreased it back to 5.5.  I then finished the session by running another 15 minutes at my normal speed.  The faster running for 10 minutes was not a strain but I am not sure how long I could have lasted going that fast.

Today, five of us ran 10K.  For the first little bit, I thought my legs were going to stiffen up, but everything was fine after I was fully warmed up.  Walking the first 100m may not be enough time to prepare my body for these runs.  Next time, I will park at CHSS at walk to the Lester Centre.

I am still experiencing negative thoughts about the formidable distance, but I felt good at the end of the 10K and know I can go further.  I was slightly slower than last week`s Glory Days but not by much.

is run a half marathon

I have been looking for a training program that will help me prepare for a half marathon.  I found two good ones, both of which include one long run on the weekend, two rest days (Monday and Friday) and four days of shorter runs, speed drills or cross training.  I am going to take some of what I like from each of them and keep track of my progress.

This past Saturday, I took part in the Glory Days 10K so I decided to take Sunday off.  Monday should have been a rest day but rather than take two in a row, I decided to go to the gym and spent 15 minutes rowing (3000m) and 30 minutes on the recumbent bike.  That bike probably isn't the most challenging but it does give my legs a bit of a non-stress workout and it also allows me to read.

In the afternoon, Garrett, Michelle, and Aimee wanted to take River and Jo to Butze so I decided to go with them.  It took me 38 minutes to run the trail.  I can run almost the entire way, but the last two hills are just too steep so I ended up running about halfway up each hill and then walking the rest.  I have run Butze five times now and the first three times, I walked part of a couple of other hills so I am getting better.  I am not sure if I will ever be able to run the entire distance and I am not sure if I will be able to improve much on 38  minutes, but it's a good challenge for a short distance.

On Tuesday, I ran the 8K highway route.  I managed to complete it in just over 51 minutes which was almost one minute faster than I did it at the Rupert Half Marathon last month.  While I was running, I kept getting negative thoughts about running a half marathon.  Right now, I am finishing the 8K and 10K distances without any physical problems so the negative thoughts are based on nothing more than thoughts.  I wonder "how can I do another 10K on top of the 10K I have just been able to complete?"  I have to get away from those thoughts.  When I first completed six laps of the track (2.5K), I wondered how I was ever going to do six more.  When I completed 5K, I didn't think I would be able to reach 10K. 

Maybe I won't be able to finish a half marathon, but I won't know that until I start running more than 10K.  Thinking I can't do it before I have even tried, isn't going to help.   

is set some goals

It was just over a year ago (April 12 to be exact) that I failed the beep test and decided to start running.  With the encouragement of Jenn Foulser who was working with me at PRSS and Denise Wilson, the PE teacher who allowed me to run with her class, I set a goal of running 5k at the Cannery Run in September.  I managed to do that in 32:05 which I thought was pretty good.

My next goal was 10K and I was working on that until my retina detached and I had to take almost three months off.  Fortunately, the Learn2Run program started just as my eye was healing enough to begin running again.

(Momentary digression:  I had no idea what the Learn2Run program would do or how I would respond.  Turns out it was one of the best decision I could have made.  The trainers are not just good runners with a program that we can follow.  They are exceptionally knowledgeable and incredibly enthusiastic and supportive.  On top of that, running with a group motivates me far more than I would have imagined.  There is always somebody in front of me that drives me to keep going.  If they don't stop, then I won't stop.  If they do stop, then I want to pass them.)

We are almost finished the program and the goal has been from the beginning to participate in the 10k Glory Days in May.  I am certain that I will be able to do that.  Last week, I completed the 8k run at the Rupert Half Marathon (in 52:19) and I had no trouble running for an hour on Tuesday.  So here is where my new goals kick in.

Whenever I attempted running in the past, I had no idea of pacing.  I would burn out early, get discouraged and quit.  (Another digression:  An advantage of Learn2Run is the forced pacing that the program follows.  We started by running for ONE minute and walking for two.  I remember when running 3 minutes and walking one was a big chore.  But starting slow and building up has made a 60 minute run manageable.)

Now I have a pretty good pace (for me.)  I manage about 6.5 minutes for each kilometer.  That's what I did at the Cannery Run over 5k and that's what I did last week over 8k.  So my first goal is to improve on that pace.  Not by a lot because I don't want to burn out, but I think there is room to improve. 

And to make this a goal a real challenge (for me) is to aim for beating my age in a 10K race.  I am almost 61 so I have to finish in under 61 minutes.   I am not sure I have given myself enough time for this year's race.  At my current pace, I should finish around 65 minutes.  But even if I don't do it this year, each year I stay alive allows me another chance and also another minute.  Next year, I will have 62 minutes to reach my goal.  Anyway, that is goal #1.

Goal number #2 might be unattainable, but I want to at least try.  If I say it to enough people (and this blog has at least a couple of readers) then I will feel obligated to follow through.  I am going to see how much time through the summer I have for training but I would like to complete the half marathon at the Cannery Run in September. At my current pace, I would need about 2 hours and 15 minutes. 

So to make sure that it is on the record, here is Goal #2:   "I would like to complete a half marathon before I die.  It might be what kills me but I'll give it a shot just the same."

is sum it all up

I am not even sure how I can summarize the four gospels.   First of all, if you don’t believe in a god, then it is difficult to believe in the son of a god, and the gospels did not convince me that there was any reason to change my mind in that regard.

The story isn’t bad if I can ignore the fact that it is told four times and all slightly differently.  Combining all four gospels to make one story would be the best way to go.   I am sure it has been done before in written form and it has certainly been done that way for movies and TV.

I have no doubt that Jesus was an inspired man who had a deep faith in his god and wanted to spread a message of love and forgiveness.  He also talked about a Kingdom and resurrected bodies after death.  For some reason, he became a threat and was crucified.  

I certainly don’t have a problem with most of the teachings that Jesus passes on.   Love your enemy as well as your neighbour, turn the other cheek, judge not lest ye be judged, casting the first stone,  the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, etc. are all worth following.   

  

All of us have our own beliefs.  As someone who doesn’t believe in god or an afterlife, then Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom and the resurrection and the way to reach god don’t mean a lot to me.  In the latter instance, if I did believe in a god, then I would assume that there would be many methods to reach that god.  I can’t imagine an all-powerful, all-knowing, god limiting our ways to approach him.  The Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists can all reach their own “kingdom” with whatever all-encompassing being they believe in without the need of a man who lived 2000 years ago.

And I actually find the death of Jesus as some kind of redeeming feature almost creepy.  He died for us.  He died to set us free.  He died to take away our sins.  Did Jesus have to be crucified for all of that to happen?  Could Jesus have lived to a ripe old age and still have meaning for us.   I really don’t get this need for a sacrificial lamb.

All of us, whether we believe in a god or not, can reach some kind of inner peace with ourselves by leading decent lives, by trying to make a difference, and by being content with what we have.  Personally, I don’t see the need for an afterlife. I would like to think that all of us can have a meaningful effect on others.  Hopefully, people will want to emulate our good qualities but perhaps someone will be motivated to improve by observing our flaws.  It doesn’t matter. 

I am not sure why we feel the need for an afterlife.  There is birth and there is death.  We have a shot at doing something and then someone else has their turn.  I have no problem accepting that.  

is know the rest of the story (John 20 - 21)

John’s is the strangest, most complicated gospel so it shouldn’t be a surprise that his telling of the resurrection should be different.  In the other three gospels Mary Magdalene and another woman arrive at the tomb and in various tellings see that the stone has been removed and that Jesus is not there.  They go to tell the disciples.  In John, Mary Magdalene is alone and when she sees that the rock has been removed, she runs to tell Peter and "the disciple that Jesus loved" (the one at the cross mentioned).  Given the various minor differences in other scenes this shouldn’t be a big deal.  But...

Peter and the other disciple run to the tomb.  The one that Jesus loved gets there first but he doesn’t go in.  Peter goes in and sees the tomb is empty.   Then the disciple “who got there first” goes in and believes.  Peter and the disciple return home.  Why this emphasis on the unnamed disciple?

At this point, Mary Magdalene looks in the tomb and sees two angels.  When she turns around she sees Jesus but she does not recognize him.   When she finally realizes that it is Jesus, he tells her to tell the disciples that he is returning to his Father.  She does so, but Jesus doesn't return to his Father.  He meets with the disciples and tells them that if they forgive people’s sins the people will be forgiven.

A week later he again returns to the disciples (through a locked door) and this time Thomas is present.  He didn’t believe the disciples when they told him about the first visit.  He wanted proof.   Jesus tells Thomas to touch his hands and his side and believe.  Then Jesus says to Thomas, “Do you believe because you see me?   How happy are those that believe and don’t see.”  Finally, Jesus returns to the disciples a third time and helps them catch 153 fish.  

Jesus then asks Peter if he loves him and Peter replies that he does.  Jesus asks him three times (probably symbolic of the three denials) and Peter responds that he does.  Jesus then warns Peter of Peter’s own death.

Finally we learn the identity of the other disciple – the one that Jesus loved, the one that Jesus said would now be Mary’s son, the one that reached the tomb in a race with Peter.  It is the gospel writer John, "the one that told of these things, and the one that wrote everything down.  And we know what he said is true.”

The last line is interesting to me.  It sounds like the writer of this gospel is not John but perhaps a disciple of John who is retelling the events that John told.   It is also interesting because there seems to be some attempt at making John more important than the other gospel writers and the other disciples.  In Luke there is an argument between the disciples about which one is the greatest and in Mark, the brothers James and John ask to be placed on either side of Jesus in the Kingdom.  Now, in this gospel we have John being declared  the one Jesus loved most.  John is the one that Jesus told to be Mary’s son.  John is the first to reach the empty tomb.  And John’s gospel is true.  

In his letter to Theophilus that begins his gospel, Luke says that many stories have been written and that he wants Theophilus to know the truth.  John’s gospel also wants to ensure that people know that it is the truth.  Matthew mentions the Jews bribing the Romans to tell that the body of Jesus was stolen while the guards slept.  I am wondering what stories are out there that were not considered the truth.

is learn the name of the disciple (John 18 - 19)

There are similarities and differences between the ending of John and the other gospels.  There is no last supper although Jesus did mention earlier that he was the bread of life.  I can’t remember if he symbolically eats bread at that time.  Jesus is betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter.  

He is questioned by the Jewish authorities and sent to Pilate and Pilate cannot find anything wrong with Jesus.  The big difference at least for me in the Pilate scene is when Pilate asks if Jesus is a king.  Jesus replies that his kingdom is not of this world, that he was brought here to bear witness to the truth.  And Pilate asks, “What is truth?”  Unfortunately Jesus does not answer; at least John does not provide an answer.  I for one would have appreciated an answer.

Pilate asks the crowd what they want him to do and they demand that Jesus be crucified.  Instead he has Jesus whipped and dressed with the purple robe and a crown of thorns.  Pilate again brings Jesus out and tells the crowd that he can see nothing wrong but they continue to demand his death.  Pilate becomes frightened when he learns that Jesus has been called the son of God and tries to find a way to set him free.  But the crowd also taunts Pilate by claiming that he would not be a friend of the emperor if he set free somebody who claimed to be a king.   Pilate finally relents and Jesus is sent to be crucified.

All of the gospels have Pilate very unwilling to have Jesus killed.  But, John seems to be emphasizing the political side of the controversy more than the other gospels did.  I would have to reread those scenes in the other gospels but memory tells me that the other gospels emphasize the threat Jesus had for the religious authorities rather than the political leaders.  

When Jesus is crucified, “King of the Jews” is written on the cross.  The Jewish authorities want it to be rewritten to say that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.  Pilate refuses.  Again this must be another nod to the idea that Jesus did have power over the Jews and the Jews are responsible for the death of their king.

In the other gospels,women (notably Mary and Mary Magdalene) are present at the cross.  In John, there is also a disciple.  The conversation from the cross is very different.  Jesus does not call out to god about being forsaken nor does he ask god to forgive the people.  Instead, he tells his mother that the disciple with her is now her son.  (More on this tomorrow.)  

John emphasizes that Jesus is definitely dead.  When the guards go to break the legs of Jesus and the two bandits (their only mention) to speed up the death, they realize that Jesus is already dead.  Instead they pierce his side.  John adds that these actions (not breaking the legs and stabbing the side) fulfill old scripture.  

Joseph of Arimathea takes the body and places it in the tomb.