Holiday Hustle 2010

Here is a picture of the 5K race I ran in Dexter on December 4. It began at 4:30 PM, so, as you can see, at this time of year it meant that as I neared the finish line (33:01), just past 5:00, the daylight was pretty well gone.

Holiday Hustle 2009

Here is a picture from the 2009 edition of the 5K race I ran this past Saturday. Last year I ran it in 31:38 (vs. 29:32 in 2008); this year's time was 33:01. Clearly I am aging!

Holiday Hustle

Late this afternoon, I ran another 5K race - the "Holiday Hustle" in the small town of Dexter, a few miles west of us. As the race went off (late) a bit past 4:30, it had a very cozy sort of feeling, running and then finishing in the rapidly descending darkness. (Though, at 30 degrees, it was not TOO cozy.) My time (33:01) was relatively rancid, given that my 5K personal record is 29:14; I did the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning in 32:29, and felt THAT was bad; and I did the Holiday Hustle the last 2 years in 29:32 (2008) and 31:38 (2009). But at least I did it, and I guess that's what really counts.

Turkey Trot official results

In this morning's race, the online posted results show that my official chip time was 32:33, which placed me #44 of 59 in my age group, Males age 50-54. And, although there are no overall results displayed, and thus I can't determine my overall positioning, adding up the numbers of participants in all the age groups tells me that 1105 people overall ran the race. On an interesting side note, I was interested to discover that 4 of 8 men in the final age group (70 and over) beat my time.

Turkey Trot

This morning I was pleased to run another 5K race, the Ann Arbor Turkey Trot, held on the North Campus of the University of Michigan, where I lived in the early nineteen-eighties while working on my Master's degree. So it was fun to be back on old, familiar turf. Weatherwise, we dodged a BIG bullet ... they had been calling for rain, but none appeared, so, although it was cool (40 degrees) and moist/misty, the conditions were not unpleasant. This particular race has grown significantly - when I ran it in 2008, there was about 700 runners; last year they had about 1200; and this year they were expecting over 1800. My training has been so spotty and light lately, that I only set myself the modest goal of breaking 32 minutes (though my 5K personal record is 29:14, and when I ran this race in 2008, my time was 30:29) ... and even at that, I fell just short, coming across the line (by my watch) in 32:33. But I guess the important thing was to do it. While I ran, I listened to Christmas music on my iPod, and thought of my family, most of whom I look forward to seeing today. I also thought of my friend Mike, whom I saw before the 2008 race along with his son Andy, a professional violinist. But times change, and Mike and his wife Cindy have now moved to Pittsburgh. As I arrived this morning, though, I did see other friends from church - Robyn and Jeff - though in my nearsighted condition without glasses, I didn't recognize them until Robyn verbally identified herself.

BHBH official results - corrected

When I saw my results online last night, I didn't realize that I needed to scroll over to see the entire screen. My gun time was 32:22, and, compared with my unofficial time by my watch of 31:03, it left me very puzzled. However, when it was pointed out to me today that both a gun time and an official timing chip time were listen, I found that my chip time was 31:00 ... actually 3 seconds better than I thought I'd done. A much more satisfying outcome!

BHBH official results

According to the computer timing chip, and the online posted results, my official time was 32:22 (I still can't figure the great discrepancy between this and my watch time of 31:03), and I finished #71 of 131 in my age group (males age 50-54), and #1601 our of 4730 participants overall (but I'm sure many of these were walkers). So clearly, I've left myself room for improvement in 2011!

Big House Big Heart

This morning I ran a 5K run - the "Big House Big Heart", an annual event that began in 2007 and which I have run each year. Its name comes from the fact that it ends in the "Big House," or Michigan Stadium, which legendary ABC telecaster Keith Jackson affectionately nicknamed The Big House years ago. The "Big Heart" aspect comes from the fact that it's a fundraiser for local nonprofits ... it raised over $200,000 the first year (with participants soliciting donations), and has grown significantly since then. There are 3 events - a 10K, a 5K, and a one-mile "fun run" for kids. I have always done the 5K; after finishing in 32:59 in 2007, 30:29 in 2008, and 30:42 last year, I figured my time this year would be significantly worse due to all the health issues I've endured (first my legs, in the spring, and then more recently, back problems). But (by my watch) I was able to do this morning's run in a pretty fair time of 31:03, in lovely weather ... sunny and cool (about 50 degrees). It is always pretty crowded ... I don't know how many ran the 5K, but they were saying 10,000 participants for the three events combined. I am far from a front-of-the-pack runner, of course, so it wasn't as though the numbers really slowed me. And I found helpful the fact that I've run the course before, and so knew what to expect. With perfect 100% participation in the BHBH throughout its existence, it is my hope to extend that streak as long as possible.

A new challenge

On the morning of June 29, I went out early and ran a comfortable, pain-free 10K. But by that night my back had tightened up severely, to the point where I could barely move. A few days later, when I consulted a doctor, he put me on a regimen of Aleve and ice, and referred me to a local physical therapy organization. I made good progress with the therapists, whose conclusions were somewhat complex. They found that a muscle in my back (the "QL muscle," or quadratus laborum) had tightened up, thus "hiking up" my right hip considerably higher than the left. This, in effect, shortened the leg, and altered my gait, compressing and weakening the joint between two lower vertebrae. I could not run for most all of July, only beginning with a short, easy 3-mile run on July 31, and since then have kept to short runs (at their recommendation), but am making gradual progress, and this morning (August 13) ran 3 miles again to mark the first time I've been able to run three consecutive days since June 24-26.

Firecracker 5K

I am registered to run in a 5K race in downtown Ann Arbor Sunday morning (July 4), called the Firecracker 5K. (It was formerly known as the Tortoise and Hare 5K, after the store that sponsored it. Its new name reminds me of the Firekracker 5K I ran in Ft. Collins, Colorado, on July 4, 2008 - the day before Christy's wedding.) But this week I've developed lower back trouble that has kept me from running for a couple of days - as I write, on the evening of July 1, I am sadly dubious about the prospect of being able to do the race.

Dexter-Ann Arbor Run photo

Here is the photo I have just received of the 10K I ran on June 6. As you can see from my chip time, I didn't do quite as well as I had thought by my watch. "Better in 2011"!

Dexter-Ann Arbor Run

The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, held about this time each year, is a big highlight for local runners. It consists of 3 runs: (1) a 5K (3.1 miles), which I did in 2008; (2) a 10K, which I did last year; and (3) a half-marathon (13.1 miles), along scenic Huron River Drive which connects Dexter and Ann Arbor. Last year I had hoped to run the half-marathon, but I caught a very heavy cold shortly before the race, and had to cut back to the 10K, which I ran in a personal record 59:39. This year I had again hoped to do the half-marathon, but numerous minor health issues have set me back quite a bit in recent months, so I settled on a repeat of the 10K. I had resolved to do my best, but was pretty sure I could not touch last year's time - and, in fact, I finished this morning (by my watch) in 1:05:17. On the way there, the cool temperatures, cloudy skies, wind, and light rain had me thinking dark thoughts; but the rain stopped, and bits of sunshine even hit us. It was an out-and-back course, which had both positive and negative aspects. Good was that it made it quite easy to judge one's progress, and coming back, I got to travel terrain I had already run, which I always like. But the bad was that on the way out, I encountered returning runners before I had even quite reached the 20-minute mark; and on the way back, I had not gone more than a mile before I encountered WALKERS. Oh well! Finally, about 45 minutes in, I heard, at my left shoulder, a hearty, friendly, "Good job, Borton!" It was my (30-year-old) friend from church, Joanne Keeling. We had a brief conversation: A: "How are you?" J: "Fine ... and you?" A: "TIRED!" J: (smiling) "Well, you're doing it, and that's the main thing!" As she blew on by me, I thought, briefly, "What the heck am I doing out here, at age 53?" But the answer quickly came back, "The best you can, Fool! Keep going!"

The distant past

I recently found in my files, pictures from when I ran the Twin Cities Marathon on 10/6/1991 and 9/30/1984. My times (of 3:38:43 and 3:32:46) did not impress me much at the time ... but now, as an old geezer, I find them astonishing!

Heart of a Spartan photo

Here is a picture that I just received, of me emerging from the tunnel into Spartan Stadium near the end of the 5K "Heart of a Spartan" race that I ran at Michigan State University on May 2, 2010.

Running outside of Michigan

I do almost all my running within my native Michigan. However, in recent days, that changed. My choral anthem "The Greatest of These Is Love" was sung at the First Presbyterian Church of Caledonia, New York on May 16, and I enjoyed early morning runs through this sleepy little town on May 15, 16, and 17. And with my run in Michigan on May 18, my first day back home, it pushed my 2010 running mileage to less than a mile shy of 300.

Computer results

The online results show that, from the timing chip affixed to my shoe for Sunday's race, I finished 974th in the 5K out of 2310 finishers overall, and in my age group (Males 50-54), I was #33 out of 63 finishers. So, well into the top half overall, but just below the halfway point in my age group. "Better in 2011!" is my motto!

A rainy race

This morning I ran a 5K (3.1 mile) race on the campus of Michigan State University, entitled "Heart of a Spartan." The weather was far from ideal, with rain having moved into the area overnight and light rain persisting through the race, but the website advised that the race was still on, and on time, so we headed up at 7:30 for the hour-long drive. (Race at 9:10, with the need to pick up my race packet first.) Due to minor injuries and illnesses I've endured this year, I wasn't able to "cut it loose" the way I had hoped, and challenge my personal 5K record of 29:14. But, by my watch, I still managed to finish in a respectable 30:42 (a pace of slightly better than 10 minutes per mile).
As I had wanted from the age of 16 to earn the title "Dr. Borton" and to become a college choral director, it was enjoyable, while I ran, to let my mind drift back over the experiences that contributed to that (including the first-class training I received with Charles Smith) and to realize that here, indeed, was the place where I did get to become Dr. Borton (with my 1988 Doctor of Musical Arts degree). And on my iPod, I enjoyed listening to hymn arrangements by the Christian group Selah (appropriate to a Sunday morning run), as I had yesterday while walking. Then afterward, it was a great joy to have Michelle find me, and see Christy and Reggie, who had come, even bringing my granddaughter Isabelle, who was sleeping contentedly.

Heart of a Spartan

Next Sunday, May 2, I am looking forward to running a 5K race on the campus of Michigan State University (where I earned my Doctor of Musical Arts degree, 1985-88), entitled "Heart of a Spartan." In some ways, it seems to me as though they have kind of ripped off the concept from a race that's taken place here in Ann Arbor the last 3 years, in the fall, called "Big House Big Heart" (I have run it in each year of its existence: 2007, 2008, and 2009) - it finishes through the tunnel into the local university's football stadium, and across the 50-yard-line, while runners are shown on the Jumbotron scoreboard, and even the name, with its use of "Heart," seems borrowed. But, be that as it may, it should still be an enjoyable event. (The accompanying picture is from near the end, when I ran in the first Big House Big Heart, on 9/30/07.)

May 31, 2009

Last May 31, I ran the 10K portion of the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, in a net time of 59:38. I just received a photo of my finish - much delayed, but I am still glad to have it. I was hoping to break an hour, and, as is apparent from the photo, I checked my watch and was pretty sure I had done so, even before receiving my official computer time. For this year's Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, I have been hoping to do the half-marathon portion; but as it draws nearer, I am less certain about the advisability of this than I once was. Much depends on how the next few weeks go.

A new experience

Over the last several years as I have been running, I've endured a number of (minor) injuries, but this week I encountered a new one. On Thursday afternoon, I was out running 10K (6.2) miles, and at almost the halfway point, while attempting to dodge traffic, I stepped on the edge of the pavement, my ankle rolled over, and I went down in a big heap. Several drivers stopped to ask if I was OK, but I popped right up, smiled and gave a thumbs-up, but kept running. A minute later, though, a persistent and kind lady (who later introduced herself as Diane) asked me, "Are you sure you're OK? Your cheek and knee are bleeding." Finding that she was right, I accepted her offer of a ride home (some 3+ miles), and am glad I did. Since then my ankle has swollen and gotten quite tender, and I am also experiencing pain from the inside of my left elbow (where I scraped it raw on the shoulder of the road when I fell) and from my chest, where I suspect I may have cracked a rib when I struck the ground - it feels very similar to when I did so a few years ago. All in all, though, I thank God for protecting me from any worse outcome (like falling into the traffic), as well as providing me with a ride home. And so now, barely able to walk, I'm taking some time off.

Shamrocks and Shenanigans - official results

This morning I was able to consult online the official results from yesterday's 5K. My actual time of 33:44 placed me 1079th out of 1597 finishers overall, and 31st of 35 in my age group of men 50-54.

Shamrocks and Shenanigans

Today I ran my first 5K race since December 5 - the "Shamrocks and Shenanigans," held in downtown Ann Arbor and sponsored by our local shoe store, Running Fit. (I owe a lot of gratitude to my friend Steve Angerman, who runs the store, because after I discovered a few days ago that the race was already full and not registering any more people, he told me he could still get me in). My time of 33:42 was not good (my 5K personal record is 29:14), and left me with a sluggish pace of 10:51 per mile. But at least I was able to finish the race, unlike last year when I fell on a hill and had to be tended to by an emergency injury crew from the Red Cross. It was not a pleasant day for a run - 39 degrees and overcast, with a light intermittent misty rain. I had 3 F's in mind, and 2 of them disappeared quickly. Fun largely went out the window with the weather, and Fast evaporated too as my efforts were bent not on running quickly but merely on staying upright. But Finish took place this time, and I was glad for that, as it allowed me to leave last year's disappointing effort firmly in the rear-view mirror. As we waited for the race to begin, we huddled beneath a storefront canopy on main street, and, after showing my card, I had a nice conversation with 28-year-old Paul, his girlfriend Kelly, and their friend Denise. When Kelly told me her name, I said, "Irish!" She grinned and said, "Yes, but my birthday's not on St. Patrick's Day!" (I had already told them about mine.) Kelly has only been running for a couple of weeks; she was quite nervous about doing this race; and they were all impressed that an almost 53-year-old was doing it. Paul asked me where I went to college, and when I said, "Minnesota - a small school," he asked, "St. Olaf?" I said, "HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?" He grinned and said, "Just a guess," but that led to some conversation about weather.

Running through the years

For the last few years, I have seen an older man on the track at Bally while working out. During the last few months (since the holidays), I have been pleased to become friends with Leonard Gadja, and have learned from him that he is a 72-year-old ex-employee of the auto industry, who has run 6 miles a days for 25 years now. In this, he is thereby setting a model for the kind of running activity I hope will characterize upcoming decades for me.

Ups and downs

2010 has been a real roller coaster so far in regards to my running. After several (minor) injuries last year, I had hoped to be able to be more consistent this year, and got off to a good start, making my goal of running 100 miles in January. But then on Feb. 1, I developed pain and tightness in my right calf ... and, after a rest, and a comfortable easy run on Feb. 9, the problem returned on Feb. 10. So I decided a longer rest was in order, and only did long walks for the rest of the month. After this layoff, I was very eager to resume running today, and an unseasonably warm day (upper thirties) and a goodly amount of sunshine led me to run outside. I had not noticed, however, that the footing was not uniformly good ... in particular, a couple of stretches were quite impeded due to our most recent large snowstorm. So I cut down my plans and only did a little over 2 miles ... but still, it's nice to be back at it!

Mileage

Having run close to 1200 miles in 2008, I had hoped to better that last year. However, beset by numerous (relatively minor) injuries, I struggled and had to push hard in the waning days of the year to make it to 1000, finishing with 1000.2 miles, barely making it on December 31. Now, once again in the new year, I am hopeful of having better success with injuries, and finishing the year with a higher mileage total ... but we shall see.