Health issues

I have not run for the last few days, and don't know when I'll be able to resume, frankly. As the picture from my recent post shows, I was afflicted with back problems during the 5K I ran on December 3. Reflecting on it, this is precisely the same situation that occurred in the summer of 2009 when I had to take several weeks off, and visited a physical therapist (Probility) for numerous sessions in which they finally determined that, though "no one can say why" this happened, for some reason the QL (quadratus laborum) muscle in my back had tightened up, hiking one hip up considerably higher than the other, thus altering my stride and causing the back problems. The difference between the two times is that then, I was working my half-time position at Firestone, so I was able to go to the therapy sessions in the afternoon. Now, however, with a full-time job, it's hard to say just how or when the situation will improve. At present it is extremely difficult for me to arise from a seated position, or from bed ... but once I'm up I'm able to move without tremendous difficulty. I'm wary, though, of trying to run, and perhaps worsening the situation.

Holiday Hustle photo

This photo very clearly shows the severe problems with the QL muscle (quadratus laborum) in my back that hampered me in the race I ran Saturday. Throughout the second half of the 5K I had to work very hard to keep from falling.

Holiday Hustle

I ran a 5K race this afternoon ... the Holiday Hustle, in the little town of Dexter 10 miles or so west of us, which I ran also in 2008, 2009, and 2010. According to what I emailed my son and daughter yesterday ("When I ran the Holiday Hustle in 2008, my time was 29:31; in 2009 I did it in 31:38; and last year 33:01. Extrapolating from that dismal pattern, I'd expect to be 34-something this year! That Turkey Trot 5K I did on Thanksgiving was 32:55. Factoring all that in, I'd very much like to break 31 minutes. I'd be satisfied with breaking 32 ... and I'd darn well better break 33, or I'll consider it a failure.") today was a 'failure,' as I finished in 34:27. But really, a portion of me knows that just for me to get out there and do it at all was an achievement, and since I am not and have never claimed to be athletic, I can't hold myself to an overly rigorous standard. Plus, today's time was largely attributable to the problematic QL muscle (quadratus laborum) in my back which has caused me difficulty the last two years. It gave me a pretty pronounced starboard list (lean to the right) throughout the second half of the race, and I had to concentrate very hard to keep from falling. Michelle said it was quite noticeable as I came in to the finish (but then grinned and added, "Sadly, I've seen you worse.") I think that absent that problem, I could very well have met my time goals. But next year, at age 55, I'll have an additional year of strength and maturity to employ!
The online results later showed that I finished #762 out of 1076 participants ... but, even more dismally, in my age group (men 50-54) I was 28th of 31. The winner in my age group had a time of 20:03; and the overall winner sparkled in 16:05.

Turkey Trot

I was glad to get this "eating holiday" started off in a healthy way, by running a 5K race - the Turkey Trot on the University of Michigan's North Campus, which I had done previously, in 2008 and 2010. But each time has been a bit slower (2008 - 30:39; 2919 - 32:33; today - 32:55). Honestly ... you'd think I was aging or something! I came out 48th of 67 people in my age group (men 50-54), and, though I don't know where I placed, I was able, by adding up the listed finishers for all the age groups, to determine that the Turkey Trot had 1614 participants (some of which were walkers.) And it was cooler than I thought it would be, at 35 degrees.
The beginning of the race featured an amusing (in retrospect) incident that illustrated very well my notable cluelessness. The route is sort of a modified Figure 8 ... in the past it has featured a big loop down toward the School of Music, then returning to the starting area outside the Recreation Building, and then a second big loop toward the east, up through family housing. However, this year they reversed the order, which meant that, rather than starting out going west on Hubbard, we started toward the east. However, I came out and lined up where I have in the past, and then a few minutes before the race I began to wonder why no one was joining me. I looked up ... and saw hundreds of runners on the other side of the starting line, preparing to launch forward.
This reversal of the loops also made for a severe mental challenge (which I was evidently not up to), as the latter part of the race featured a daunting uphill stretch from the School of Music. Slowing down or not - all in all, I'm glad I did it.

A new adventure

On Monday morning, October 17, I was running at about 6:30 AM on terrain I knew well, but in an unlighted patch of sidewalk I crashed into a large (6-inch diameter) felled tree that lay completely across the sidewalk. It was not pretty, as my momentum carried me over and down onto the walk, where I scraped and cut myself up pretty good (though, thankfully, I did not incur any really serious injuries). So that night I purchased a head lamp from our local running equipment store, and for the last few weeks have been running with that. I run in the morning, both by temperatment and from necessity, and at this time of year when I go out at 6AM or a little before it is pitch dark - but the light makes it work quite admirably for me, lighting up a patch 15 feet or so ahead of me (and at the pace I run, that's plenty far enough!).

Big House Big Heart (October 9)

My attention was just drawn to this photo of me running in the 5K race I did a few weeks ago, taken by the photographer for Hope Clinic, for whom I ran (wearing the orange shirt) and raised funds. I was glad to learn of it, as it is one of the only photos of myself that I have in the middle of a race.

Big House Big Heart finishing photo

Here I am, breezing (well, not exactly) into the finish line at the Big House Big Heart 5K race on the 50-yard-line of Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Sunday, October 9, 2011.

Post Big House Big Heart photos

At the corner where we planned to meet following the race, there was a sign: "Where's Allen Creek?" Michelle laughed heartily when she saw it, and asked me to pose, finding it very appropriate given her difficulty in finding me amidst so many participants. (I heard some 15,000 runners.)



Later, on our way to the car, Michelle asked me if I would pose for her, "something cheesy." When I struck this faux running pose and asked if it qualified, she laughed and affirmed it. Then she asked if I'd be willing to plop her small orange hat on my big head and let her take my picture, since it matched my orange shirt.

Big House Big Heart official results

According to the results posted online this afternoon, there were 6144 participants in the 5K (some of them walkers), and I finished 2708th. (I found it encouraging, too, to see that there was one man in the 95-99 year old age group, who finished in 1:54:30.)
In my age group, of men 50-54, I finished in 93rd place out of 172. Not as good as I'd like, but still, a lot better than I could do a few years ago!

2011 Big House Big Heart 5K

This morning I ran a 5K - an event which began in the fall of 2007, and which I have run each year since. Called the Big House Big Heart (the "Big House" part of it name derives from the fact that it begins and ends at Michigan Stadium, long nicknamed the Big House; and "Big Heart" because it is a fundraiser for nonprofits - I am happy to been able to collect a total of $4080 in donations in the five years I have done it, for the ministries of Ypsilanti's Hope Clinic, thanks to the generosity of friends), it has grown phenomenally, and today's Detroit Free Press reported that over 15,000 participants were registered for the three events that make it up - the 10K, 5K, and one-mile kids fun run. These numbers, while certainly imparting an excitement to it, also made it quite a challenge to run for time. I had hoped to break a half hour, but ended up crossing the line (by my watch) in 32:24. However, conditions were superb - cloudless blue skies, and a race time temperature of 60 degrees. I am hoping to continue to run it for many years yet ... it is my plan, in fact, to run it (at least) until the age of 80 (2037). Today's race featured a humorous incident (humorous in retrospect, that is). Almost halfway in my friend Al Banning from church was beside me and patted me on the shoulder. Shortly after that I came up beside a woman who I thought was my friend Melissa Burkhart from church, and I was going to touch her on the elbow ... but then at the last minute, I drew back, realizing, "IDIOT! She's wearing a navy shirt!" (Whereas all of us who were participating for "Team Hope Clinic" had on orange shirts.)

Official race results

According to the online results, though I had timed myself this morning at 33:35, my official time was actually 33:34.5 :), and this brought me in 352nd out of 741 runners, and 9th of 23 in my age group (men age 50-54). Next spring I'll move into a new age group!

Heart of Detroit

This morning (at 8:30) I ran another 5K (3.1 mile) race - the "Heart of Detroit." It began outside Comerica Park - home of the Detroit Tigers - and wound down to Cobo Hall on the Detroit River, before returning to Comerica Park, circling its exterior, and then entering the tunnel and running a portion of the warning track (between the right field corner and home plate) before ending on the big Old English D near home. It was a very warm and humid morning - a prototypical August day! Though the run itself was enjoyable, and the finish, in the home of the Tigers, was exciting as I expected, I was really too tired at that point to experience the full enjoyment of the moment. The high point for me may well have come before the race - just arriving, and sensing the excitement of preparing for this event at such a site. Michelle and I were both pleased when, at one point she was taking my picture beneath the large Tiger statue, the Tigers' mascot, Paws, came over to pose with me and shake my hand. Then, the emcee began her introductions by saying, "Welcome to Comerica Park - the home of your first-place Detroit Tigers!" ... eliciting a huge roar of approval!


Tactically, I did not do all that well. I took it out fairly fast, and for the first couple of miles was thinking that I even had a realistic shot at breaking a half hour (though not my personal record of 29:14). But the heat took its toll, and in the last mile I faded badly, finishing (by my watch) in 33:35 - a pace of 10:49/mile.

I had told Michelle I'd be happy to drive over for it alone, and at one point that was a consideration. But she ended up feeling that she wanted to go, and I'm awfully grateful that she did, for her company, her photographic support, and her driving.

Afterwards it was a bit of a scramble, as I had committed to run projections at my church for an 11 AM memorial service. But with Michelle driving, we made it back in plenty of time for me to shower and get to church comfortably.

Coming 5K

This Saturday morning I'm looking forward to another 5K run - the Heart of Detroit - as it finishes into the tunnel and with a lap around the warning track of Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers, and then at the Old English D near home plate. My personal record for a 5K is 29:14, but honestly, I'd be thrilled to pieces if I could somehow manage to break a half-hour, and more realistically expect to finish in the 31-32 minute range.

Trying to get back in shape

This morning I ran my 5.25-mile route, that I used to almost take for granted in doing slightly under an hour, finishing today in 58:54 - my first time under an hour since May 2, and before that I had not done it since 6/25/10. So, I've had a "lazy" stretch in recent months, but am trying to get back to it again now.

Firecracker 5K

I was happy to start off this holiday (the 104th anniversary of Dad's birth) by running the Firecracker 5K in downtown Ann Arbor. Conditions were splendid - 70 degrees, so it was warm but not hot, and with broken overcast. It was a course that did a one-mile loop from the starting line and then back to it, at which point Michelle saw me and got a picture; then there was a larger second loop that included a very special passage. In the latter part of it, we crossed the Diag, the hallowed central portion of the University of Michigan campus, replete with a metal block M sunk into the ground. As I crossed beside it (careful not to step ON it), I looked at my watch and quickly calculated that perhaps I could finish in under 33 minutes, which would have easily broken an 11-minute pace ... pretty good for me under recent conditions. But, alas! when I crossed the finish line my watch showed 34:08 (a pace of 11:00 even). Still, though, I'm glad to have done it, and improved somewhat on the 5K I ran in Lansing back on May 14 (34:34), and greatly over the 5K I ran at St. Olaf on June 4 (in a miserable 36:56).
These two pictures, taken by my wife, are (first) from the finish; and (second) from the one-mile point, after we had looped back to the start.
I also noticed from my records that this is the 5-year anniversary of the first race I did following my accident, when I ran a 5K in downtown Ann Arbor on July 4, 2006 (in 36 minutes even).

Long run

For the past few years, I have tried to do a long run (which I arbitrarily define as anything over 5 miles) each Saturday morning. Today I tried to bite off a big chunk, and go 10 miles according to the half-marathon training schedule for the race I want to do in late August, even though I've not done 10 miles since April 2009. Setting off at 7 AM today, the early part of the run went fine (though I found it mentally very challenging to think of that many miles yet ahead of me). But after the 5-mile point, I began suffering once again from the inexplicable but dramatic lean to the right that affected me two weeks ago also, and consequently decided to shut it down early (just shy of 6 miles) and bus home. Now I am perplexed about the race - not doing the 10 miles today is a serious, but not fatal, blow. However, I am undecided as to whether it would be wiser to just concede that at my age (54) and post-trauma condition, it is not realistic and thus I should not pursue the race (though I know that many older runners than myself compete, and, after all, severe though my accident was, it DID happen 18 years ago!); or whether I should still continue doggedly to pursue this goal.

13.1 miles

In June of 2008 I had hoped to run the half-marathon portion of the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, and was in pretty good shape to do so ... but illness prevented me from it at the last minute (an extremely heavy cold that I got from my wife, who got it from her students). For over three years now, I've had the goal of getting back to it and doing that half-marathon. (I did two marathons before my 1993 accident, in 1984 and 1991, both times at a slightly more than 8-minute pace, which astonishes me now.) But recently I committed to trying to do one, and so now am training for the Somerset Stampede, near my brother's home in Somerset, Michigan, on Saturday, August 20. I would have been in immensely better shape to do it three years ago, when I was doing long runs of 12 miles, and could knock off 10 miles at a pace of just over 10-minute miles. Now, according to the training schedule I'm following, I'm due to run 10 miles two days from now, on Saturday - it'll be the furthest I have run since doing 10 miles on April 23, 2009. And I'll consider myself fortunate if I can do it in 2 hours - or a 12-minute pace.

Poor sportsmanship

On Saturday, I encountered a rather disheartening incident during my run. I had set off to do a long run of almost 8 and a half miles, over to Ypsilanti, to the bus center, from which I'd bus home. I've done this run several times before, and so wasn't worried about my ability to do it. But as I was just getting nicely started, having gone about two miles, I tripped over a wire someone had strung across the sidewalk, and went down in a heap. Thinking about it later, all I could imagine was that, since this was early Saturday, some kids had done it Friday evening as a form of mischievous "fun." When I went down, I bloodied my knee and scraped up the heels of both hands ... but fortunately was able to avoid serious injury. (I am very grateful for God's protection, as the outcome could easily have been a lot worse.) I did decide to cut the run short, though, and after continuing on a couple more miles I pulled out the bus fare I carry with my on long runs and rode home. Though I am not highly sore, I've been a little leery since then and have only run once so far since Saturday.

June 6, 2010

Last June 6, I ran in the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, a big event in this area. The run includes a 5K, 10K, and a half-marathon (from Dexter to Ann Arbor, thus the name). In 2007 and 2008, I ran the 5K, and in 2009 and last year I ran the 10K (6.2 miles). I can't run in this year's, as I will be out of the state.
The company who did the photos for last year's Run was slow in getting them out, and I just received mine. I can't remember precisely where it was, but it seems to me that it was at 4 or 5 miles into the run, and I'm clearly tiring.

Attitude, attitude ...

I am finding it difficult right now to keep to the daily regularity of my running. If I want to pursue my goal of running until I'm 90, however ... and I do ... then I know that I need to keep after it. (My kids are amused by my self-proclaimed goal of running 4 miles on my 90th birthday, March 17, 2047. But I believe it is doable, so long as I am willing to settle for slow running. I know that I have good genes, with grandmothers that lived to 102 and 93, and a still-spry and active mother at age 87.) Much of the difficulty of it is the mental comparison to what I could do as a younger man. But I just need to set that aside, and be willing to go out now and do what I can do at this point.

Heart of Michigan official results

The results have now been posted on the website, for this morning's race, and my official time was 34:52.2, bring me in 136th place overall out of over 600 participants. Of my Male 50-54 age group, I was 6th out of 9.

Heart of Michigan

I ran a 5K race this morning, the "Heart of Michigan," which kind of took the place of last spring's "Heart of a Spartan" that Michigan State University declined to host again this year. (The story I heard was that the President of the University was inconvenienced by the closing of roads around her house for the race.) It was in Lansing, proceeding westward down Michigan Avenue, and ending at the Capitol building (hence the name). With Lansing being about an hour's drive from us, and the race at 8:30, I wanted to leave myself plenty of extra time so I wouldn't have to rush either in Ann Arbor or on the road, and thus I rose a few minutes before 5 AM, and was out the door by about 5:45. After stopping for gas, this put me up in Lansing around 7:00. Lansing Community College had kindly offered to let us park for free in their parking structure, so I got myself situated, and then went in to pick up my race packet (my bib number and t-shirt) ... and in that building, began my experience in Lansing happily, when a smiling man walked up to me and said, "Hi - I'm Will. I know you because I work at Running Fit in Ann Arbor (where I buy my shoes)." And then looking at my shirt, he said, "Oh, I see you've run the Big House Big Heart in Ann Arbor ... and I remember you running the Heart of a Spartan last year, too." After I picked up my stuff, I retreated to the car to read for a while, and then about 7:45 caught one of the buses they were providing to transport us to the start (at Dunham's, near Frandor Mall). On the way up, it had been raining lightly, and I hoped it would stop ... but no such luck. A light rain continued during my 20-minute warmup jog, for which I had plenty of time, and then for the start of the race, too. But sometime during the race it tapered off, because by the end it had stopped. I was sure I couldn't challenge my 29:14 5K personal record, but even so, I was disappointed in the 34:34 my watch showed me. (Official chip times will be posted on the website tonight.) I would have beaten the PR if the race had only been straight down Michigan Avenue ending at the Capitol, as I had originally been told, as I did that in 28:34; but once we got there, we had to do a (clockwise) loop around the Capitol itself - 4 larger-than-average blocks. Anyway, after walking the 8 blocks or so back to my car, and then making the leisurely drive home, I walked in the door about 10:45, after having had a good morning's workout.

Average pace

Upon the suggestion of a friend, I decided to figure my average running pace. Unsurprisingly, it has increased (though not steadily) since I resumed running in 2006 (after the 12-year hiatus following my severe 1993 accident.) This was fairly easy to figure, as I keep ongoing cumulative records of elapsed time and mileage ... so, using these, I was able to determine that in 2006, my average pace per mile was 8:58 (on a total of 732.7 miles); in 2007 my pace fell off considerably, and was 11:23 (for 932.2 miles); in 2008, the pace was 11:41 (for 1181.7 miles); in 2009, the pace improved considerably and was 9:28 (for 1000.2 miles); last year, my pace was 10:57 (for 724.7 miles); and this year so far, my average running pace is 11:30 (for 316.1 miles).
As this same good friend and fellow runner who is just a year younger than I reminds me, "You're no spring chicken!" (A line with significance to us, because early this year he was told this about himself, and he said that for the first time -- now that we are both in our early fifties -- it bothered him! :) And he is very clearly absolutely right about me. Rather than getting discouraged about the slowing down, however, I am just going to keep doing the best I can, and figure it's better than giving it up altogether.

A new race

By no means do I consider myself an athlete, but from time to time I like to run in a race anyway, and one such is coming up this Saturday morning ... the "Heart of Michigan" 5K, going westward on Michigan Ave. in Lansing and ending at the Capitol. This sort of 'takes the place' of one I ran last May, the "Heart of a Spartan" 5K at Michigan State University. (This picture is from near the finish of that race, when I was coming through the tunnel into Spartan Stadium.) The story I've heard is that MSU declined to host the race again this year, because last year's race inconvenienced the President of the University, when roads near her home were closed for the race. AWWW ...

What to do?

I am currently unsure of what my strategy should be. My good friend Tom Brown teaches science at Dearborn High School and teaches girls cross-country there. Because of this, he also serves as my de facto running coach. And this morning, he told me, "Looking at your times and distances it sounds like you are in the running doldrums. I recommend a week off with no running. I think you are headed for an injury." I highly respect his advice, and am strongly tempted to heed it. But, on the other hand, it will set back my weight-loss efforts for a while, and, I fear, imperil my hopes of running a half-marathon this coming June 5. So I am currently trying to weigh my options and decide what to do.

Shamrocks & Shenanigans

I ran another 5K race this morning, and it was one I have run the last two years also. But in 2009, feeling strong, I was pushing myself a bit harder than was prudent, and I fell on a downhill stretch, cutting up my knee and drawing blood. Though I wasn't badly injured, the race officials were (naturally) quite alarmed, and called over an ambulance unit that was standing by, in order to check me out. I declined their offer to take me to the ER, but accepted a ride to my car, several blocks away. So last year I was eager to run the race and banish those memories, which I did, finishing in a little under 34 minutes. Today, I knew I couldn't touch my 5K personal record of 29:14, but hoped to somehow break a half-hour, though I didn't really expect to. Conditions were tolerable - cool (at about 35 degrees), but not cold, and cloudy. And by my watch, I finished in about the time I thought I would, at 32:17. I guess the important thing, though, is to have done it. I wore a t-shirt Michelle and I found at Meijer a couple of weeks ago - a green shirt with white lettering that read "Lucky and Charming." So it was amusing, on the 2-loop downtown course, to hear a volunteer yell out to me, a few minutes into the race, "WOO - Lucky and Charming!" And then on the second loop, later, that same person called out, "Here comes Lucky and Charming again!"

The picture is from a point where I was struggling to top a large hill a little more than halfway through the 3.1 miles.

Aging, aging ...

I am wondering whether, at the beginning of the calendar year in which I will turn 54, I have slipped into a new phase in my life. I like to think of myself as running every day but Sunday, but, having taken rest days in 6 of the 15 days of 2011 so far, this is clearly not true recently!