by Dan | Jul 30, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Sarah and I spent the end of last week/weekend out in the Black Hills for a family get together. One of my older brothers was getting married, and so we spent a few days out there to take in the sites. Of course, before we left, Sarah and I got in a half marathon run at home here since we were going to be gone on Saturday when they had the Half Marathon around Lake Kampeska.
It was hot, and very humid, but we helped each other get through this, and then took off for the Black Hills. Once we got out there, it was still hot, but really no humidity. It was time to start enjoying the scenery, and doing activities that we are not able to do here at home. On Friday, we set off for a hike up Harney Peak, now called Black Elk Peak.
It was 4 miles up, and 4 miles down. It took us 4 hours to complete. Of course, we took a lot of pictures along the way, and took in the scenery.
It was great! I had a patient several years ago, she is currently 95, but when she was 89 years old, she hiked up Harney Peak. She says it was a thing to do on her bucket list! Now I admit, it was work doing this now, I am not sure about when I am 89…I don’t even know if I will be here yet at 89! Now that was impressive. You cannot describe the view you have, and the things you see along the way, until you are actually up there, hiking it, and seeing first hand! Well worth the time, and effort!
We had rented a cabin in Hill City, and at the bottom of the entrance for this place was the Mickelson Trail…109 miles of converted railroad when you can walk, run, or bike and get to see first hand the Hills.
And boy are there hills! You have some stretches where you coast down for awhile, and then will spend stretches of continuous hill climbing that range in distance from 4-6 miles…and then back and forth. We covered 30 miles that morning on our bikes!
You cross bridges, go through tunnels, and wind your way around the Black Hills. There were actually quite a few people out riding then as well. It was a great view, but it was work.
Until you get out there and try some different adventures, you have no idea what you are missing out on. We may have been on vacation, but our vacation involved staying active, and getting a first hand view of the sites, and enjoying the adventures. We really did not have specific plans of what we were going to do each day, but wanted to at least cover these areas. It was well worth it. Don’t miss out on those special sites, unique experiences along the way in our life. Take advantage of those opportunities when they come. This is what I call a vacation! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3592
by Dan | Jul 16, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
![IMG_8563[1] cropped](https://s2sbrownclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/16-6038-post/IMG_85631-cropped.jpg)
High School for the first few years was tough for me. As I mentioned in my last post, as a twin, and being small, it was a little tougher for us to get adjusted. Our sophomore year was really tough. There were a group of kids who liked to single us out, and they had the same lunch period as we did. We would get harassed all the time, they would throw food at us, and it did not matter what we otherwise tried to do, it did not change, until one day just before Thanksgiving. This particular day they were throwing food again, and I got hit in the head with an apple. I had taken enough! I had a banana, and stood up, and went over to the kid who threw the apple, and smashed into his hair, and then I threw the first punch. We managed to get several more hits in each before it was broken up, and long story short, we both got expelled for three days. But you know what…it all ended after that. No more harassment, no more food throwing…it ended! I like to think they realized I was not going to take it anymore, or maybe that first punch actually hurt…who knows. I did not care, it was done.
I was still trying to do some running on my own at that time, but still felt intimidated. I did not think I would be good enough. I think deep down I just did not have the confidence in myself to believe it. My Junior year went by, and nothing really changed. Then the Summer before my senior year, I did more running. I ran quite a few different 5k and 10k races, including the Diet Pepsi 10k race that changed my outlook. I finished right behind 5 other Washington High School Cross Country runners, and all of us were within 10 seconds of each other. I felt like I could actually compete. I decided after that I was going to go out for Cross Country no matter what, or regret my whole life not participating in sports in High School. I had a very good coach, Coach Dick Brook. He helped me believe in me! I owe a lot of this to him. He was bringing out the best in me, and it took me awhile to realize this. I remember him like it was yesterday. Whoever says coaches/teachers don’t make a difference doesn’t know what they are talking about. He had many motivating speeches and talks, and this definitely made an impression on me. I had a great senior year in Cross Country and Track…memories to last forever as well.
That running experience gave me lots of time to think, plan, socialize, make even more friends, and build confidence in me…confidence to believe in myself, and to stand up for myself. Later in Track that Senior year, this same kid who I had gotten in a fight with my Sophomore year, wanted to go out for track. I beat him so bad in the first race that he ended up quitting after that. I did not want him to quit…after all, I would have liked to have beat him many more times in races (ha!), but it was not meant to be!
When you are surrounded by crowds during a race, and pushing yourself to keep going, and to dig deeper than you ever thought you could, you feel like you can take on the world. I am running right behind the front runner in this picture. This was a JV race I was in, and following this race, I got moved onto the Varsity team. In Cross Country, when it came to deciding who was going to go to the State Meet, only the top 7 runners count for team scoring. You were allowed to take 2 alternates in case somebody got sick or hurt. I was the first alternate…this after only going out for the first time my Senior year. The year only got better as I learned so much about running, training, getting in shape, what it took to be involved, and many life lessons.
Coach Brook would always give us a pep talk before we lined up for each race. In this picture, I am right in the middle, at the front. Those speeches got you going, and made you believe in yourself. He always talked about “intestinal fortitude”–When the going gets tough, do you settle for something less than your best effort? Or can you endure some pain and discomfort and stay ahead of your nearest opponent? Just like life! Life always has big challenges. Are you going to keep pushing yourself, and just settle for ok? This coach had a huge influence on me…an influence I will never forget. Coach Brook had a speech framed on his wall of his office, and it was written by a Coach Ray Graham. Now, I don’t remember who Coach Graham was, but I remember my coach. This speech was the following:
“Cross Country is a sport which requires no specific physical endowments. Anyone can excel who has the desire to run, and the will power to keep running past the point when it seems the price is too much to pay for the rewards received. This athlete works hard, while realizing they will receive little praise, as Cross Country is not a glory sport. Their rewards are the few seconds they shave from their last effort, the spirit of competition, and the sense of accomplishment from hard work and a job well done. In learning to endure physical work beyond the point of discomfort of pain, the Cross Country athlete gains psychological advantage. They are better able to handle their mental processes in all aspects of their life. These are the lessons of a sport that will last a runner a lifetime!”
Perfect! Any runner knows this! To all my friends on our Watertown Area Run Club…you get what running does for you! You get what it takes to accomplish your goals, the work you have to put in to do it. The life lessons learned by this are countless! The influence coaches and teachers have on us growing up can either make us or break us. Coach Brook…I will remember you forever! Thank you! I have been running ever since, with no foreseeable end in sight! The “intestinal fortitude” lives on. The confidence and determination running taught allowed me to accomplish what I have done so far in my life! I firmly believe running helped me not only become a doctor, but become the kind of doctor I am!
Keep moving everybody…whether running, biking, walking…whatever…just keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3578
by Dan | Jul 9, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Growing up as a twin had its ups and downs. You always had somebody to do something with, but at the same time it was a little harder to try and figure out who we were as individuals. We were otherwise always together, and when you are identical, have red hair and freckles, and are some of the smallest kids in your class, you tend to get picked on more. We relied on each for support on this. You could always count on each other when the going got tough, but that does not mean you did not have your own moments when we fought as well. We had some drag out, rolling on the ground fights as well. The name calling would start, and my brother-in-law always helps reminds us of what we would say to each other:
I remember this line! Maybe we were not the brightest color in the box at that particular moment, but I also remember a line out of the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”. In that movie, the 12 kids of the family would have their arguments, and then would always be there for each other. As one of the siblings stated: “There are times I want to kill you, and other times I would kill for you!” No truer than with my twin brother.
I remember when I first started running, it was in middle school, and my oldest brother Ray went down to the park closest to our house and ran laps. For whatever reason, I joined him one day. I found out it really helped when it came to getting ready for the 600 meter run in gym class. You get tired of being picked on, or singled out, that you want to do anything to help improve things. Well, prior to that, I was toward the back of the pack. When I started doing some running, and we came to the end of our gym class, and got timed on a 600 meter for a grade, I got second place in my gym class, but losing to one of the kids who had been running track all of the time. I got asked to join track following that, but I was not really interested then. Besides, I had to figure out how I would get home after practices, and transportation was not the easiest thing then for us. I did do a lot of bike riding, and we rode bikes to school most days, which was between 2-3 miles. (I could say it was uphill, both ways, a line I always heard from my Dad, but I won’t!) We had lots of practice riding bikes back then…we did it every day as a kid!
I had done some other running after that, but very limited. I did not really get interested to the extent I am now until later in high school. That will be a story for next time. But needless to say, it gave me a taste of how things could improve, and how you could get noticed by running. My twin brother has done a marathon before too, but he is not has into it as I am. We both developed more of our interests, and this has evolved in different ways as we have gotten older. We get busy with our own families, and I live in Watertown, and he lives in Parker SD. We don’t get to see each other that much, but one thing still holds true: I would do anything for him, and vice versa. He is still my best friend!
Nothing will change this! We still have a sense about each other that is hard to describe about any other sibling. One day our sister took us out shopping, and one of us went to the Western Mall in SF, and the other to the Empire Mall. Neither of us had any idea what we were going to get, but we ended up each buying one thing, a book. Turns out it was the same book for each of us! One got it as a paper back, one as a hard cover, but the same book! Even that surprised us!
We went through school together, life together, and each had different experiences, but yet similar. That twin bond will always be there. We both still run, but his marathon days may be finished. It now is just more a stress reliever for him. Someday that competitiveness in me may finish, but I still really enjoy it. We both teach people, help people in times of need, and support them when needed. I am a family physician, and he is a Lutheran minister, and was a elementary teacher prior to that. He was Mr. R, now is Pastor Don, and I am Doctor Dan. Similar, but different. We found our own callings, but still managed to take care of our own health in the process. To my brother Don:
It has been a great life! Here is to many more years! Let me know if you got another marathon in you!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3571
by Dan | Jul 2, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have a beginning…a time when we were a baby, and how fast the years go as we grow older. But the tone that is set at that beginning can be a determining factor on how you will continue on with certain things as you get older. That is not to say that we cannot all change, but the effort involved in can be much easier if we start young. I exercise every day, and I will trace my roots back “to my beginning”. Here I am with my twin brother Don as we are being held by our older brothers, getting ready to be taken on a bike ride. Even back then, we were active. Of course, back then, we did not have all the electronics we have now, and only had 3 stations on a TV, and it was black and white. So we spend many hours outside playing, and being active. And, having our older siblings to follow, and learn from them.
My sister Mary had us out for a walk in our double stroller. The whole family could be out and be active. That is so important, even more so now today, with all the advancements we have, and all the different modes of entertainment we have to make us stay inside. Get out and get moving. When we were all small, we were all very active, and moving. We are made to move. We learned over time how to slow down, and maybe take the easier route. But we need to keep moving. “Use is or lose it”. I will tell that to my patients on an almost daily basis.
Here we are getting into everything. Always busy, always moving. Remember those days, and keep the same spirit of moving alive. My grandma would always tell us that we needed to get outside and play or the “moss would grow under our feet”. Words of wisdom!
So step up to the front. Become a leader to those around you. Most important, be a leader to yourself, and prove that you can be more active. I will continue to show over time as I grew older how activities were a part of my life…the life of a running doc! The only problem is we did not have the cameras readily available to take pictures all the time like we do now. I had to do a lot of digging to try and find these! My patients will hear me tell them everyday that they need to keep working on their diet and increase their activity, and hear from me that “I will be telling you this until you are not here anymore!”. Keep active, make it fun. “Play to joyous abandon!” Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3564
by Dan | Jun 25, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Going on almost 27 years now when Sarah and I said: “I do!”. It has been a great adventure. Ups and downs, good times, not so good times…but mostly, great times! We believed in each other then, and we do even more now. We have 3 kids, all now out of the house. One still in college, but the other 2 just graduated in May. We have been active ever since we started dating, and we still work out together, exercise together, and support and cheer each other on. It has taken continuous work and effort. It does not just happen. We push each other to keep going. That is what life is about. Finding that person, or people, who can support you, and you return the favor. I have written now for the last several months on what it takes for you…for me…to become better. Confidence, courage, vision, teamwork, remembering our past, how to improve the future, and taking time to relax. I also discussed about never stop learning, becoming a difference maker, and going after your dreams. It is a continuous process, and one where we will make mistakes along the way. We just have to figure out how to pick ourselves back up, stay motivated, and continue to put one foot in front of the other. The process never ends! We need to work on becoming better for our entire lifetime. For Sarah and I, it has continued from that day when we said “I do”. We have not quit. We keep pushing forward. And…we are having fun along the way, and enjoying adventures I would have never dreamed of.
We participate in a lot of races together, and we sponsor a lot of races/events to help make sure there are plenty of activities for other people to enjoy too. It is also a way to help other people stay motivated, and to get out and stay active, and help them take control of their own health. As Family Physicians, that is also our job description. Our primary focus is on the family…how to take care of them, how to help them in tough times, sick times, and to help keep them motivated as well. If we are not, how can we expect anyone else to be? This is all part of becoming better, and we learn along the way. Life always has a curve ball to throw, and we either swing and miss, and learn from it, or hit it head on! You don’t know how things would be unless you try.
We have gone through many things together over the years, and hopefully there are many more adventures, many more races, many more activities to spend together. I am going to help Sarah finish her first marathon coming up in October. And, we are running for charity, helping to raise money for research in regards to Friedreich’s Ataxia, and there are several people in Watertown alone afflicted with this genetic disease. We are working together…helping each other, and others. We have many finish lines yet to cross together!
We start together, and we finish things together. That helps me become a better me! I am always learning though. It takes continuous effort, just like taking care of your own health, you have to take care of your mental health. Be supportive…be there for others! There may be some occasional posts that I make have again if the right subject comes up again on “Becoming a Better You”. For now, I am going to begin something new. Something new as I/we continue to Strive to Survive. I am titling this next segment of posts as “A Running Doc’s Life”. In it I will explore different aspects of myself, and different times of my life, including current issues, about my life as a doctor…a running doctor…and what I do to help promote exercise and health, and hopefully lead by example. I will help explain things that I have gone through, good things, and struggles, including injuries, and what you can do for them, and can do instead while you may be injured. I write this blog in an attempt to help motivate and inspire others, but, I find it helps inspire and motivate me as well. We all need that. We all need to be reminded of that, and how to do it. We all need to keep working on it as well, “in good times, and in bad times, in sickness and in health, for all the days of my/our life”. Sound familiar? We took a vow all those years ago, to each other, for each other, and will help you too! So stay tuned…if it inspires or helps motivate somebody, then it is all worthwhile! If it is helpful to you, let me know, and feel free to pass it on to someone else…maybe it can help them too! If you become better, everybody around you wins!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan — “The Running Doc”
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3557
