Holiday Hustle

This week I was happy to receive a picture of me approaching the finish line in the 5K I ran in Dexter on December 13. Although I surely don't look thrilled, I was actually quite happy, as I neared the finish line and could see that I was going to break my half-hour goal (I finished in 29:29). Now to keep pushing it downward! I'm contemplating doing another 5K on March 15, and am tentatively thinking I'd like to shoot for 29 minutes.

Winter running

In recent weeks, I have switched to inside running at Bally, on their track. The cold wouldn't bother me, but with the footing less than optimal, and my balance destroyed by my accident, I dare not try to run outside. It's going well, though - I'm set to close the books on 2008 with about 1180 miles ... slightly short of the 1200 I thought I might make, but still a substantial improvement over 2007. The hamstring injury I suffered last December held me to 932.2 miles, missing the goal I had set of 1000 miles. But this year I've done much better, even with the late start after my hamstring healed. (I couldn't do my first run of 2008 until March 17.) So that gives me hope that I can make 1400 miles in 2009 ... or perhaps even 1500.

Official results

The computer results from Saturday's 5K ("Holiday Hustle") are now in. I'm not precisely certain how many runners were in the field, but they told us almost 800. I finished 360th overall, and 191st among men - #12 our of 19 in my age group, with a chip time of 29:29:52. Not bad improvement over how I've done in the past, and now, onward and upward!

Post-Holiday Hustle

Today's 5K in Dexter went well, though was not without its adventures. I had misread the materials, and didn't realize the 5K was at 4:15, preceded by a 4:00 1-mile "fun run," so when the 4:00 event took off, I went, thinking it was the 5K. Running without my glasses, I didn't discover my error until the closing seconds, when I was coming up at the finish line in just shy of 9 minutes. But then, I just considered it a good warmup, and after a brief rest, we were off for the 5K. It had been described as a "hilly, silly out and back course," and that it was - quite pleasant, winding through the small town of Dexter, and although I had been concerned about the footing, it turned out not to be a problem. A light snowfall (in a 32-degree temperature) made it seem quite festive and seasonal, and, although the light was waning by the time I finished, and gone by the time Michelle and I got back to our Ann Arbor home, this was not a problem. Best of all, my protracted warmup didn't hurt, but rather, seemed to have helped me. I had aimed at a goal of a half hour, and, though I will wait for the final word of my computer chip time. I recorded 29:32 (9:31 pace) on my watch, and saw about the same on the clock at the finish line, so I'm quite certain I made my goal. I had been advised to aim at a split of 9:00 for 1 mile (I hit the sign at 9:26, concerning me somewhat) and 19:00 for 2 miles (I never saw a sign). Now ... onwards! I think I'll shoot for 29 minutes in the next one I run (March 15, I believe).

Holiday Hustle

In two days (Saturday, Dec. 13) I will run another 5K race ... the humorously named "Holiday Hustle," in the small town of Dexter, about 10 miles west of us. I will once more be attempting to break my goal of a half hour, but much will doubtless depend on the footing. If I have to pick my way carefully, then forget it. But if I can turn it loose (at least such as I am able), then at least I have a chance, I believe.

Turkey Trot time

I was happy to learn my time online just now, but somewhat disappointed in the result. I was timed at 30:39, or 9 seconds off my personal record of 30:30 set on September 28 (a pace of 9:52 per mile, which placed me 337th in the field of 699). Now I'll take another shot at my goal of a half hour in the Holiday Hustle 5K in Dexter on Saturday afternoon, December 13.

Post Turkey Trot

My race this morning went well. On a sunny morning that was cool (25 degrees) I probably could have gotten by without the hat and gloves I wore. I think that I got a new personal record (my old one was 30:30), but did not break my half-hour goal. A final verdict on either will have to wait a few days, though, until I find out my computer chip time. Fumbling with my gloves at the end, I believe I inadvertently stopped my watch for a few seconds, and then compounded the error by getting it going again and then forgetting to stop it when I crossed the finish line. But I believe I looked at it as I crossed the line and saw 30:09. At any rate, it was a good way to start the day!

Thanksgiving 2008

The 5K (5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles) is a typical road race distance. I have run several during the past 3 years, and have progressively lowered my times. In September 2007 I ran one at 32:59, but since then have pursued the goal of breaking a half hour ... so far, unsuccessfully. But I make my latest attempt at this time in a "Turkey Trot" this morning on the North Campus of the University of Michigan here in Ann Arbor. I only found out about this run yesterday, but was able to get registered, and look forward to it. It should be a nippy run ... right now (5:15 AM) it is 24 degrees. However, after I learned about this yesterday, I decided to take the day off from running, and I turned in early last night, after getting home from the Thanksgiving Eve service at church, so am well rested and looking forward to going at it hard. A number of my recent training runs have featured paces that would enable me to break a half hour, so I am hopeful. And one other attractive feature of this run is that it starts directly across the street from where my then-wife, Deb, and I lived in 1981-82, and winds through North Campus, including a loop down to the School of Music, where I earned my Masters degree (1982). So it'll be fun to be on familiar grounds.

10K

Though I have run several 5K races during 2006-2008, I had not run a 10K since 1992 (before my accident), and was thus a bit concerned about my ability to do it. But on Sunday, June 1, I ran the 10K portion of the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run (a big local event), after having done its 5K in 2007. It featured a daunting conclusion up a large hill that race director Hal Wolfe referred to as the Maple Monster ... but, hoping to break 1:05, I was happy to cross the finish line in 1:03:13, as the picture shows.

Running in Colorado

On Saturday, July 5, 2008, my daughter Christy was married in Ft. Collins, Colorado. The previous day (which would have been my father's 101st birthday), I ran in a 5K race in Ft. Collins - the Firekracker 5K. Almost a dozen family members and members of the wedding party also participated, wearing signs identifying us that had been designed by my wife Michelle. I was joined in this race by both Christy and her new husband, Reggie, and my son John. And I was delighted to run the entire race side-by-side with Father of the Groom, Wes Loewen. The race featured one unfortunate incident, when a fellow runner pushing a wheeled stroller knocked me down a few minutes into the race. I bloodied my knees and elbows, but was not badly harmed, and popped up pretty quickly and kept going.

Big House Big Heart

On Sunday, September 28, I ran a 5K called the Big House Big Heart, so named because it began just outside the Big House ... the nickname for Michigan Stadium, the University of Michigan football stadium, and, excitingly, finished through the tunnel into the stadium and across the 50-yard-line. My time in that was 30:30 ... good, but not quite yet at my goal. In this race, I wore a green t-shirt identifying me with Team Hope Clinic (the Ypsilanti nonprofit for which I raised funds). In 2007, I ran the Big House Big Heart, also for Team Hope Clinic, in 32:59, wearing a blue t-shirt. Here are pictures from near the end of both races.

Explanation

As running has assumed an increasingly important role in my life the last couple of years, I thought it might be prudent to create a blog dedicated just to that subject ... so here 'tis. I was never an addicted runner, but before my 1993 accident I used to keep my weight in check by running, and did marathons in 1984 and 1992. But then, following the accident, I let it go for many years, ballooning in size. I resumed running in early 2006, after having ballooned to 304 pounds by the start of 2005, and then walking off a lot of it during 2005 to get myself started on the road to fitness again. Now, late in 2008, I am running an average of over 4 miles a day (having done over 1000 miles since my birthday in March), and am at about 210 pounds, still aiming (as I have been for some time now) to get to 200.