The holiday season

Winter has arrived early and with a vengeance this year. We've endured cold weather for several weeks now, but it's hit especially hard lately, with today being an especially bitter day - brutally cold, and very windy. (The temperature is currently 1 degree here, according to weather.com, with a wind-chill of -22.) Also, two days ago we got hit with what they say was the biggest snowfall in the area in a quarter-century ... about 10 inches ... and then it was followed up by another several inches last night! However, the weather difficulties are worth the concomitant joy we're experiencing. An annual tradition that will take place this week is a big family sleepover at my brother's house, and I'm especially eager to see my son John, home from his senior year at St. Olaf College, and my daughter Christy and her still relatively new husband Reggie, who just drove in yesterday from their home in Colorado (via Reggie's parents in Kansas). So, they're no doubt exhausted from the long trip ... but still, this is bound to be a great few days!

Holiday Hustle

Today I ran another 5K race, in light snow and the waning light of the late afternoon - the "Holiday Hustle," in the small town of Dexter. It went well overall. For a fuller report, see my running blog - http://run-ab-run.blogspot.com/

Wedding anniversary

Yesterday was our 15th wedding anniversary, as Michelle and I were married at the People's Church in East Lansing, Michigan, on December 10, 1993 - 3 whole days after I was finally discharged from the hospital following my May 22 accident.

Exponential progress

I ran regularly (but not fanatically) before my 1993 accident, but then let it go for many, many years until resuming in 2006. That summer I did my first post-accident road race, a 5K, and followed it with several in 2006 and 2007. In June 2008 I moved up to a 10K (6.2 miles), and in June 2009 I'm hoping to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles). I've given thought to doing a full marathon in 2010 - I did them in 1984 and 1992, but figured that my marathoning days were now past. But maybe not ... we'll see.

Big House Big Heart

On Sept. 28, 2008, I ran a 5K race (the "Big House Big Heart"), and upon crossing the finish line, if I looked tired - it's because I was! After running the 2007 BHBH in 32:59, I had set the goal of beating a half hour this year. However, that was before tearing my left hamstring last winter and hurting my right calf this summer. In light of these developments, I was happy to cross the line here in 30:30.

Allen Bortons in the United States

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Big House Big Heart 5K

This afternoon I ran the Big House Big Heart 5K, so named because it finishes through the tunnel and across the 50-yard-line of Michigan Stadium (affectionately known as the Big House), after beginning just outside the stadium and then going up into Ann Arbor, before coming back down to the stadium. Today we were blessed with lovely conditions - 72-degree bright sunshine. I also ran last year's inaugural Big House Big Heart, and this year's course was slightly changed. I liked last year's a bit better, but this year's was very nice, too. Before I tore my hamstring last winter and then hurt my calf this summer, I had hoped to break 30 minutes, but I finished in 30:29 (by my watch). Still, this was a nice improvement over my 2007 time of 32:59, and a new personal record (PR) for me, as I had done a 5K last April at Gallup Park in 31:15. I was severely hemmed in numerous times by the large field (I heard there were 7000 some runners), and if not for this, I think I might well have challenged the half-hour mark. I hope to have a picture to post on here sometime in coming weeks.

Family reunion photo

At this last July's family reunion, a cousin photographed my nephew Ben, his father and my younger brother John (or "JB"), my wife Michelle, and JB's daughter Courtney.

The Borton family (July 2008)

Over the last 20 years, I have developed a very keen interest in genealogy and family history. Thus, I am very pleased each summer when the descendants of my Borton grandparents, Allen (from whom I get my name) and Libbie, hold a reunion. At the one this past July, a cousin snapped this picture. I am toward the left of the picture, in a red shirt, and my (short) wife Michelle is in a light blue top. My brother John is between us, in a darker blue shirt. My mother and sister, as well as my kids, were unfortunately unable to be there.

Another life

Before my accident, this photograph of my Olivet College Choir (I am in the tux, at the right) was used one year in the early nineteen nineties for the college's official Christmas card. I am grateful to have these good memories - but, my, it seems like long ago that I was functioning daily as "Dr. Borton"!

July 4

On the day before my daughter Christy's July 5 wedding in Colorado, I joined with about a dozen family members and members of the wedding party in running a 5K race there. And I was delighted to do the entire run side-by-side with Wes Loewen, father of the groom. Much later, I discovered that my wife Michelle had snapped this photo of Wes and me, unbeknownst to me at the time.

On September 30, 2007, I was happy to run the "Big House Big Heart" 5K, which finished through the tunnel and across the 50-yard-line of Michigan Stadium (affectionately known as the "Big House"). Running as part of Team Hope Clinic, I collected funds for a local nonprofit for which I have done volunteer work in the past. I look forward to doing the 2008 edition of the run this September 28, again as part of Team Hope Clinic.

Sports

I am the usual male sports fan. Baseball is probably my favorite sport, and, like other Detroit Tigers fans, I was pumped full of excitement last winter by acquisitions the team made which seemed to strengthen them greatly and almost assure them of getting into the postseason. But this year has been a frustrating and puzzling one, marked by inconsistency, and now with a month to go in the season it is a longshot to see if they will even finish with a .500 record.

I am also a big fan of the Michigan Wolverines, and in their season opener in football yesterday, the first game under new head coach Rich Rodriguez, they tanked, losing by 2 points to Utah. Late in the game I jerked my thumb at the TV and told my wife ruefully, "I'm sure glad my salvation isn't dependent on their performance!" She grinned and replied, "Yeah - that's a good thing!"

Running again

Due to recurring problems with tightness in my right calf, I had been unable to run since August 12. Even though I felt better a few days ago, I wanted to give it a more extended rest, in hopes of curing the problem. So this morning, I went back out for the first time in nearly 3 weeks, and felt good doing it.

The essential substance of life

Upon reviewing my blog, I see that I have mentioned donating blood several times in earlier posts. Yesterday I gave again - for the 96th time (completing 12 gallons). So now it's on to lucky number 13! When the nurse asked me if I wanted her to order my 12-gallon pin, I said no, that I had decided upon receiving my 10-gallon pin, to wait for 15 before I got another one (and then 20, and 25, I hope). They keep single digits on site, but when you get to 10 and over they have to special order them from their headquarters, and mail them to you.

Running time

With morning daylight arriving later and later, I was finding it increasingly difficult to fit in a morning run before work, and so tried to switch today to the inevitable later runs I knew I would have to do with summer rapidly disappearing. I wanted to do a long run ... but ended up having to cut it down to 3.4 miles, due to the time of day (I ran in the evening, which I despise in comparison to running very early in the morning) and the heat (77 degrees). So, I think I'll probably try to squeeze out a few more days of morning runs before making the permanent switch for the balance of 2008.

Cousins

My nephew Ben, son of my younger brother John, was born in February 1993, just a few months before my accident. I cherish memories of cuddling and singing to him as an infant. All their lives Ben and his younger sister, Courtney, have called my son John "Johnny." This picture shows the two cousins, who are pleased by the gangly height they have acquired during recent years. (It tickled John, obviously, when he inched past his dad last year.)

Giving Christy away

I am grateful to the officiating minister, the Rev. Dick Olson, for his suggestion at the wedding rehearsal that I kiss Christy goodbye after I had walked her down the aisle. It was a tremendously touching moment.

Shark attack!

One time when my dear cousin Mary Jane (nee Borton) visited me in the hospital during my six-month convalescence following my 5/22/93 accident, she brought me a small shark puppet. As we visited, I often gave her arm a playful "shark attack," and so was pleased when she gave me some water glasses with that phrase on them. When she sent me this picture in 2007, it brought a flood of good memories cascading back ... even though, as she understandably noted, I did not quite look 100% at that time.

Three amigos

I was fortunate to attend northern Michigan's Interlochen Arts Academy for my last two years of high school, graduating in 1975. Brady Johnson, a member of the same class, was a very close friend of mine there. He is now a fine church musician (organist/choirmaster) in Vero Beach, Florida - so when he gave a solo organ recital at Interlochen on July 13, 2008, I was eager to attend. Also in attendance was my good friend Brian Baker, who works in broadcasting at Central Michigan University. It was a delight to receive from Brian shortly thereafter this photograph (taken by his son Adam) of the three of us old friends - from left to right, me, Brady, and Brian.

The BIG DAY

I am currently in Colorado for the wedding of my daughter Christy on Saturday, July 5, which went beautifully - more about it later. However, on July 4, I ran in a 5K race along with Christy and my soon-to-be son in law Reggie and several other family and members of the wedding party: a picture of Christy and Reggie after the race ran in the local newspaper.

Here is a picture of me staggering across the finish line in the 10K I ran on June 1 (see post of that day). As the timing clock shows, my time was actually slightly better than what I had recorded on my watch.

Coming big day

My daughter, Christy, is being married July 5 in Colorado. I am tremendously, indescribably excited about this. We love her fiance, Reggie Loewen, and think very highly of him. We are very much looking forward to our trip to Colorado for this, flying out on July 1.

Post-10K

Well, this morning's 10K went considerably better than I had expected. I was hoping (but not quite expecting) to make a time goal of 1:05 ... but I actually finished in 1:02:27. It was a lovely morning for a run ... brightly sunny, and at the 8 AM hour of the race, a pleasant temperature in the low sixties. And I was very glad to have been psychologically ready for the final tough mile ... uphill, on Maple Road, and the race director, in email to me, nicknamed it the Maple Monster. Leading up to it, I was thinking of it as the "hill of Hell" ... but, being so ready for it, I found it to be not quite as daunting as I had expected. I even passed some people on it (doubtless unwary souls who were not expecting it). Now, the next 10K I run (perhaps in the fall?), I'll hope to break an hour.

10K

This morning, I am moving up from 5K races, of which I've done about 6 in the past couple of years, to a 10K - the Dexter/Ann Arbor Run. I last did a 10K before my accident, when I ran the Cereal City Classic (Battle Creek) in roughly 47 minutes. I was a much younger man then, though, and had hoped for a while last year that I might challenge an hour in this run. But then I encountered the big setback of tearing a hamstring, and so I've reset my goal at 1:05 - I still may not make it, but I'll give it my best shot anyway. The most unnerving aspect is that the last mile of the course ascends a HUGE hill, from the Huron River up Maple Road. The race director gives this the apt name the "Maple Monster."

Life Day

My life-changing accident occurred 15 years ago today, on May 22, 1993. Since the doctors (foolishly underestimating my hardheadedness) told Michelle I would not live the night, we celebrate May 22 as Life Day. This morning, to mark the 15 years, I went out at 5:10 AM and ran 10 miles. Perhaps I should have done 15 miles ... but after just restarting running in mid-March, following my torn hamstring, I didn't feel quite up to that yet.

Old days

In my early high school years in Addison, Michigan, before I went to Interlochen, Brent Marowelli was a very close friend of mine. Brent was a very good drummer, and I a keyboard player ... so, having this common bond in music, we often got together for informal jam sessions at his home (and immodestly called one another "Pro"). We had a more important bond, however, as we had both become Christians at roughly the same time. (I accepted Christ as my Lord on March 12, 1973.) Brent is now the Pastor of Loomis Park Baptist Church in Jackson, Michigan, and this afternoon I enjoyed going there for an open house for his son Jordan. And as I was preparing to leave, Brent asked me if I would play a hymn for him. I never play any more, and in fact, last did so when I saw him in 2001 ... but I agreed to his request, and surprised myself with a better-than-expected rendition of "It Is Well With My Soul." So now, in light of that, I'm considering practicing some and seeing what I can do, even though the biggest problem remains unchanged ... the massive gap between what I can physically do now, and what I so clearly remember being able to do (and still feel, on some level, as if I should be able to).

Still more running

We celebrate May 22 (the date of my accident in 1993) as "Life Day," since the doctor erroneously told Michelle that I would not live the night. In celebration of the 15th anniversary next month, I have decided that I want to run 10 miles. As it is drawing near, I decided I'd better see if I could actually do that, so last Saturday (April 26) I went out fairly early and ran a 10-mile loop in just a bit under 2 hours. Not too fast, but I told myself that doing it was the important thing, and speed didn't really matter.

More running

I ran another 5K race this morning: my first one since injuring my hamstring last winter. And I was delighted to be able to set a new personal record, finishing in 31:15 on a beautiful morning for a run (sixtyish, with a mild overcast but no preciptation) and thus handily beating my old record of 32:59 from the Big House Big Heart 5K I ran last September 30. Today's was at Gallup Park, a favorite spot to which we made several outings with my children when I was still in St. Joseph Hospital in 1993. Now the next race I expect to do is a 10K on June 1. The last 10K race I ran was the Cereal City Classic in Battle Creek, in 1992 - my time was roughly 47 minutes. But much has changed since then, not least of which is my age! (35 then, 51 now.) So this time I'll be looking to beat 1:05, although eventually I'd like to be able to get under an hour for 10K.

The National Pastime

Yesterday was the home opener for my beloved Detroit Tigers. Last year I was able to attend the game, with my good friend Doug Tidd. But this year I was unable to. However, like last year, Detroit lost this year in extra innings. Ah well ... it's a long season! 161 more games. And after the Tigers' powerful off-season acquisitions, expectations for them are sky-high.

More running

After having strained my left hamstring in December, and then torn it in January, I saw a doctor, who told me to give it 8 weeks. So I planned to resume running on my birthday. And I am delighted to have carried through on that plan, going a little over 2 miles at daybreak yesterday. (I felt it would be prudent to break myself in easy.) There were no problems, and I felt fine ... though a bit winded after 3 months away.

Wintertime fitness

Now, for the second consecutive year, I am prevented from running for exercise ... last winter, it was due to a stress fracture, and this year because of my hamstring problems. I certainly am going to hope for better things in the winter of 2009 (and do everything in my power to help bring that about)! Meantime, I am still planning to resume running, slowly and easily, on my birthday (March 17), figuring that will be a great way to celebrate turning 51! And meantime, in order to stay in shape, I have returned to what I was doing a lot of in the first half of this decade ... walking. Most days now I am doing 6-10 miles, at a clip of about 15 minutes/mile.

Christy's man

Here is a picture of my daughter Christy with her fiance Reggie and their dog Wolfgang, taken at Reggie's parents' house in Kansas at Christmastime, 2007. We feel very blessed that Christy and this wonderful man have found one another, and are planning to marry this summer.

Running

In 2007 I was pleased to run over 930 miles, after my late start (April 28) due to injury. On Dec. 15 I did my longest post-accident run (8 miles), and felt good. But I never stretched in conjunction with running, and this was evidently a HUGE mistake. The next afternoon, midway through the second mile of my run, my left thigh began to tighten up quite severely. I have since learned that this was a strained hamstring muscle. I quit running immediately, and gave it a couple of weeks off, before trying again on New Year's morning. But when the tightness returned, I decided to wait longer. Then on Jan. 15 I went for a very easy run and did OK, so I attempted again the next day. But during this run, on Jan. 16, I felt the muscle snap, and consultation with a doctor since then has revealed that I tore the hamstring muscle, and should now plan for a wait of about 2 months, during which I am doing rehabilitation exercises to strengthen it.