by Dan | Feb 3, 2019 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
Sarah and I were gone the last few days at our annual South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians meeting out in Deadwood. When we left Wednesday, it was -31, and when we got to Deadwood it was 24 above! Then it got even nicer the next few days. Thursday was in the high 40’s, and Friday and Saturday was around 55 degrees! What a change! It was nice to get out for a little bit each day because we would have a few hours late in the afternoon Thursday and Friday to go for a run. We took advantage of it and ran outside. One thing is for sure. It may have been warmer, but boy do they have hills! Truly mountains!
The first mile was all up! The temps were great so climbing up was not difficult to take. We took a little break at the top and looked around while we caught our breath.
It did not take long to get lost in the views! We even saw a herd of deer on the mountainside as well.
It was a nice break from the conference. The conference was very good this year, and we learned a lot. Thursday afternoon Sarah and I spent teaching other Family Medicine Doctors from around the state. We spoke on Childhood illnesses. The conference had over 100 doctors present, so it was a good turnout. We could at least get outside for a little bit and clear our head, and still go out and exercise. It has been awhile since we have run in temps this warm, and it will be awhile again. Don’t miss out on those opportunities when they come. The one good thing about climbing up for the first mile, it we get to go down for the next one!
The best part of all it though, is we got to spend the last half of the week together, learning, teaching, running, and just getting away. It was great to get away, even though still work related, it was a change up for doing something different. We will be ready to go back at it again tomorrow in clinic.
It is always better going for a walk, run, or exercise in general with somebody. When you get to go to different places, it is always fun seeing new sites, and taking in the new scenery. It does not get boring because it is all new. Take advantage of those times when you go somewhere else. It is a great way to see the sites, and take it all in! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4148
by Dan | Jan 27, 2019 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It has been a struggle, but I am getting back on my feet again. The stress fracture has healed up, now I just need to keep working through the plantar fasciitis. I have made lots of adjustments with my shoes, my inserts, my stretching, my training…all with the goal of getting back on my feet again to be able to do what I want. I am not there yet, but am getting closer. I am running between 2-3 miles a day most days of the week, and still adding in biking and swimming, as well as strength training. I just have to adjust the strength training to accommodate for my feet as well. Here I was this AM with Sarah, out running in the wind chill of -20! Running outside in this cold is still better than not running at all! I finally get to participate in what I like doing again!
Until you get hurt, you don’t realize just how important your feet are. You feel it with every step you make, regardless of what you are doing. We all need to do a better job of taking care of our feet. It is the only ones we are going to get!
I have mentioned on earlier blogs that the pool and I have gotten very well acquainted. I have come a long ways in improvement of my swimming, but I still have a long ways to go. I am still working on drills to help hone in on my timing, my breathing, the overall stroke. It is very difficult to get down. Getting hurt and not being able to run was the only way I was going to get going on the swimming. Now I just have to keep it going. It will definitely help my overall running, and fitness. I never knew how difficult swimming really is. I have a whole new appreciation of this sport, and the people who do this sport. It is work!
I have also started this month running inside for majority of my runs just so I don’t have to deal as often with the snow and ice, and slipping and sliding, as I keep working on allowing my foot to heal. Having a stable surface helps quite a bit. There is no question though that the running in circles is more boring, so I have to listen to music this way.
It just seems to take longer to hit a mile running inside than it does outside. Running outside my mind can just go, and I can think of other things, and not the laps I am making. That is the joy in running…letting my mind go, and not even realizing I am exercising.
I still have a ways to go, but I am on my way! It just feels so good to be outside running again. I am not going as far, but that is ok. Just being able to go makes me happy. I will get there again. I need to use my head, and better judgement, to not have this happen again. Or at least not make it as easy to happen again. I am definitely getting back on my feet again, and am loving it. You get a whole new appreciation of the things in life you really love, or like to do, when you don’t have it for awhile. Once again, sounds like a lot of things in general about life. Don’t be taking things for granted. We don’t know when we may not have it, or the ability to not do it. But, just like now, I am figuring out other ways that I can keep moving. We all can keep moving, working on something. It sure beats sitting around doing nothing! Life is an adventure, and there may be curve balls…road blocks…misfortunes along the way. How we deal with it, or choose to deal with it, can really define us as an individual. Are we going to get creative, and get going, or are we going to sit back and feel sorry for ourselves, making ourselves miserable, as well as everybody else around us? It is up to us to choose. I get reminded of this from the old “Adventures of Indiana Jones” movies. One of the lines in the movie…”Choose wisely…”. Exactly! Choose wisely, and we can be happy, and live, or we can give up and be crabby. What is it going to be for you? Get back on your feet again, and get going! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4141
by Dan | Jan 20, 2019 | Equipment, Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
Well, when the weather does not cooperate, you have to make a decision. Do you still exercise outside? Do you go indoors? Do you do a combination of both? What? That overall depends on the weather, and what exactly you want to put up with that day. Exercise is tough enough, but some days can be tougher when you are dealing with the elements. Here is SD, we get to put up with a lot of the elements. Snow, extreme cold, or like this morning, we had both? For me, I would still much rather be outside. It is not nearly as boring. You have to dress right for it, and overall, have the right gear for everything, including shoes, and traction with them. So today was a compromise. We have had several inches of new snow, and the temp was zero, with a wind chill into the -19. So, just trying to come back from my foot injury, I only did a couple miles outside, then hit the bike later. But you can’t use the weather as an excuse to not exercise at all. You may need to do some compromising, but you don’t have to skip it altogether. I joined up with the run club this AM, staring out later and running the route in reverse to catch up with them on the back side coming back. I did some strength training before then. 20 lunges, 15 pushups, then 15 body squats, with 30 second rest interval, then repeat. 5 rounds. Later this afternoon I will hit the bike.
The Wellness Center is great to exercise indoors. They have a lot of variety. You can see my shadow riding the bike on the side wall. I listen to music, and can watch a lot of other people there all doing the same thing…exercising. They may all be exercising for different reasons, but they are all there. It also helps to motivate yourself when you have other people around you trying as well.
I have been riding the bike a lot lately. It has been allowing me to let my foot heal, but it is also great not having to worry about the snow or ice outside as well. I have to either listen to music, or watch TV doing this. Otherwise, it is too boring to not have something else to occupy your mind.
They also have an indoor track, which I like much better than the treadmill. It too has been good recovering from my injury because I can have more control over how fast I go, and I don’t have to worry about dealing with the weather elements outside.
I have also been doing a lot of swimming this last 6-7 weeks. I am not going to say it is enjoyable yet, but I do have to admit there are days when it is getting easier. I just have to keep plugging away with this, and hopefully it will keep getting easier yet. It is definitely helping me get in better shape for biking and running!
Now my shadow is in the front, with me riding the bike. Bottom line with all of this is that even when the weather outside is frightful, you can still move, and exercise. You have to find the right combination of things for you. Choices are abundant. Keep trying some different things, and it may surprise you that there are other alternatives that you may like to do more, you just have not found it yet. The Wellness center is a good choice for getting started. Everybody up there is there for the same reason. Some are more experienced than others, and others may just be starting. But, we are all there trying to be active, and trying to take control of our own health and well being. So quit making excuses. Get off the couch. Do something! Try different activities. You never know what you may like until you try it. Just keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4134
by Dan | Jan 13, 2019 | Equipment, Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health, Winter
Well, I got back to some running this week. Trying to go slow on the miles, but did not really start out slow with the pace! After 6 weeks off with no running, I was a little excited to back to it. I have to force myself to slow down. This is a good month to get back into it. The Prairie Lakes Wellness Center is having a contest this month: The Indoor Ironman Challenge. The Ironman Triathlon consists of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and running a marathon, 26.2 miles. The real ironman you are doing them back to back to back. At least here, we have all month to accomplish this, at your own pace, and dividing up how ever you want. I would have always thought the swimming would be my challenge, but this month it is the running since I am just getting back into it. But it is helping motivate me to keep going!
You can still sign up. You just have to keep a log of your miles and record it there, beginning last Monday, January 7, and ends on February 3. Give it a “Tri”!
You have to do the biking on one of the pacing bikes, and at least at a level 10 or higher. You set your own pace.
Just like the swimming. You split it up however you want. Since I started swimming 6 weeks ago, this at least is not as big of a challenge as it once was. It still is tough for me to do, but getting easier.
It is a New Year, and a time for new goals, new challenges, new adventures. Give it a “tri”…you never know, there may be one sport or activity you end up liking more than you thought. Exercise is exercise! Just keep moving! Split it up. Have a variety of different activities, and if this contest does not suit your liking, then create your own contest to make things a little more interesting…and challenging! What are you waiting for? Leave the excuses behind, and go! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4127
by Dan | Jan 6, 2019 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This picture always makes me chuckle! It was following the Fargo Marathon a year ago. I borrowed it for a kodak moment from one of the real “elite” athletes who was running that day. What does it mean to be elite? Does it mean that those individuals run faster, and win their age category in races? Maybe it means someone who is always pushing themselves, trying to improve their own health, and their life. Maybe it means encouraging or motivating someone else to improve their life and health. We can all be elite to some extent or another. We all have good days and bad days, whether with our diet, trying to exercise, or just everyday life. Good days and bad days are a part of life. We keep going to enjoy all of those good days, and improve ourselves enough that we can endure those bad days when they come…because those bad days will come. How we handle them can also help define who we are.
Some days you may find yourself hanging on…literally! It is those bad days, those storms, that build us up. They make us stronger. They make us better able to adapt to those changes in life, and knowing that we don’t always have control over those changes in our lives. How we handle those adversities can define us as an individual. “Weather the storm!” We all encounter different things in our lives that make things “stormy”… challenging…difficult. How we handle them makes us who we are. Make the best of the situation, and good days will be coming to enjoy even more. How we help others also make a very significant statement as well.
Is there really any better feeling that this? I have taken care of people for years, both when things are good, and when things are not. We are all going to leave this world someday, and one of the things I hear the most from people is a recurring theme: “Did my life make a difference?” Make a difference to who? Your family? Your friends? You?
If you are there for somebody else when they need help, then you can safely say you made a difference. That should also be one of our goals. That would make us elite!
Running is still my favorite sport/exercise. I am learning new activities while recovering with my stress fracture/plantar fasciitis. I am getting closer to getting back to running. But, this has forced me to do other activities, and to believe in myself that I actually can do other activities. When I think deep down on this, this is probably going to be a good thing. At least I am taking advantage of learning new things while not being able to run. But, running will always be my passion. It is my escape, my time for me. There are those days when everything is just effortless, and I feel I can go on forever. Then, there are those bad days as well. Not everything can be perfect. I found this next picture that truly describes running for me.
Exactly! My time to figure things out. My time for me. When you don’t have something for awhile, and then are able to get it back, you appreciate it even more. That is what it will be like when I get back to running. I am hoping I am going to appreciate it even more.
That is the lesson here. Don’t give up on yourself. This is the perfect time to work on this. A new year to take control. A new year to make some changes. It is time to become “elite” in one way or another. Don’t stop believing in yourself. Believe, believe, believe! If you don’t, who will? The strength you find in those stormy days helps fulfill your life even more, and it makes those good days even better! Don’t stop believing! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4120
