by Dan | Aug 23, 2015 | Etc.
Everybody’s running begins somewhere. You have heard my beginning already, and now I will talk about the beginning of the marathon for me. I was in my 3rd year of residency, and 2 of my attending physicians, Dr. Brechtelsbauer (Dr. B) and Dr. Kemp, were interested in running a marathon, and talked to me about it. We decided on Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota because Dr. B had some relatives there. It would be in the middle of June, 2 weeks prior to graduating from residency. I decided to give it a go. Usually the weather there was upper 70’s, and could be even a little cool. That was not the case on this day! It got to over 90 degrees, and very humid. I had never run a marathon before, but was still running regularly. Normally a goal for a lot of people doing the marathon, which is 26.2 miles, is to try and break 4 hours. I foolishly told Sarah that I would be done by 3 hours. I had no clue what I was getting into. The longest I had run was a 17 miler, again, not having any idea what it would take to do 26.2. Needless to say, at mile 19 of the marathon, everything started falling apart. I seriously began to wonder if I was even going to finish, especially in this heat. I was running the entire way with Dr. Kemp, and we had to walk through every water station beginning at mile 20, and they were every mile now. We did make it, and came in at 3:48. Now, this was even before chip timing, so everybody started at the same time, but when there are over 8000 people in the race, it takes several minutes to even get to the start line. I had trouble walking for a week afterwards! I realized what the hand rails on the stairwells were for after that! Doing a marathon is not to be taken lightly…you need to have some kind of an idea what you are getting into, but even with how many I have done now, once I get past 20 miles, it is a new adventure every single time. Those last 6 miles are an entirely different race. Some experts say the marathon is split into 2 sections, the first 20 miles, and the last 6 miles, which feels like another 20! After that was done, I felt like I could accomplish anything. It was the ultimate challenge, and I learned a lot from this. The marathon is a lot like life…you are cruising along just fine, no worries, then things get a little tougher, and you can still fight your way through. But then life really can throw a curve ball…just like that 20 mile mark, and you have to start figuring out what you are going to do on the fly. Sometimes you literally feel like you are just winging it, and hope that everything will turn out well. Sound familiar? I think it sounds all too familiar. Everyday, there can be “marathon like” challenges, and you need to keep going, push on, and work it all through to the end. Some of the conclusions may not be what we wanted, but many are, and you can hold your head up high and feel good that you accomplished another goal/solved another problem! The pictures below show me sitting under a tree after it was done. Of course, my medal for finishing, and my results. I have one of myself with Dr. B and Dr. Kemp posing afterwards, and then a few of me running along with Dr. Kemp. Next will be other upcoming marathons, and the people who helped me through…family, and all of my training partners. How can life be dull with all of this? Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2886
by Dan | Aug 16, 2015 | Etc.
Things change a lot over time, but my running really took off after high school. I started Cross Country at Augustana College my freshman year, just to see if I liked it enough to keep going. Well, I guess I did. I ran indoor and outdoor track that first year as well, and then continued with all of it the duration of my college days. This also continued when I went on to medical school. For both college and med school, the running was a great escape, and a great stress reliever. No matter how hectic things got, or how busy I was, there was always time to go for a run! This helped immensely to help clear my head and get ready to take on the next day, and project. You can only study for so long, and then you need a break, mentally, just to gear up and go at it again. This also carried over to residency. The hours could be grueling at times, but that run time was my time to unwind, and gear up for the next day. There were lots of road races going on then as well, and Sarah and I would join in for a lot of them. Some of the ones that stood out the most were the ones we would dress up in costumes for the Halloween run they would have every year. We had many costumes we had gone through! It was another way to make the running even more fun. The running is also how I started dating Sarah, as we started going out our second year of medical school. Sarah noticed me running by her house a lot (this was on purpose!), and she was a runner as well. This was a great way to strike up a conversation at that time. We eventually started running together, and one thing led to another, and we were destined to be together. Running brought us together…and has continued to help keep us together as well. Many fun days with this back then. Below are some of our costumes from different events/races we did back then. Also, some pictures of some of the material we had to know when we took our first set of Boards after our second year of medical school. The volume was incredible, and overwhelming, and the running helped keep my sanity. Also is one picture of my Augustana days competing. All great memories, and all kept the fire going to continue running. It has been fun looking back on all these. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2879
by Dan | Aug 9, 2015 | Exercise, Motivation, Wellness/Health
I first started to run in middle school, going out for Cross Country in 7th. Needless to say, I never really liked it then, and quit. I would run on and off on my own, but very sporadic. I started to do a little more in high school, but still never went out for school sports. Then the Spring of my Junior year of high school I entered the Diet Pepsi 10k race in SF. At that point, this was the furthest I had run at one time. In that race was Dick Beardsley, and he won the race in 29:50. I remember seeing one runner out front and literally “flying” down the road. I was running with my mouth open just watching him go. Later that day when I went to work that afternoon, I saw this same guy running down 41st in SF…again, just “flying”. I later found out this was Dick Beardsley, and up and coming marathon runner. He later won Grandma’s Marathon in 1981, a few months after this race, setting the course record that still stands at 2:09:37. He later won again in 1982. He is even more famous for the “Duel in the Sun”, battling Alberto Salazar at the Boston Marathon in 1982, losing by 2 seconds! He ran a 2:08:53! Incredible time! Watching him run set the tone for me. That Diet Pepsi 10K race, and watching him, sparked an interest in me that continues to this day. This is when I first really started running. I went out for Cross Country then that Fall for my senior year, and then also ran track in the Spring of 1982. You can say I definitely had a late start. I then ran Cross Country and Track all 4 years at Augustana…all because of Dick Beardsley! He is without question my running hero! I have seen him twice over the years at different events…the first time in 2002 when I ran at the Twin Cities marathon. He autographed my race number, and a copy of his book: “Duel in the Sun”. Then again 2 years ago at the Fargo Marathon, where I got to have my picture taken with him, and two other very important people…my other training partners– Tom Beaudry and Steve Hauck. Incredible memories! But this is truly how I got started with running, and have kept going since. I am “in it for the long run”! Below are pictures of Dick Beardsley with Tom and Steve, and myself, and from my beginning days as a Washington Warrior as a senior in high school, followed by my autographed race number by Dick Beardsley. Each week I will follow with another in a series of my “In It For the Long Run”, as I chronicle my years of running…to finish up then where I am at today.
Keep moving everybody! Deep down, I bet there is someone out there that influences you, and may help motivate you! Keep them in mind as you continue on with your journey, and live life to the fullest!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2872
by Dan | Aug 2, 2015 | Etc.
It has been many years since I started running…dating back to middle school. I ran on my own at that time, and then went out for Cross Country my senior year of High School, and then ran competitively all 4 years of college at Augustana. It was a great experience, and truly set the foundation for a lifetime of running. It has now been 29 years since I graduated from college, and am still running. I think it is safe to say I am definitely in it for the long run! I guess that is why I run marathons too…for the long run! Running has taught me so much over the years, and has taken me more places than I could have ever thought possible. I love running, and it is now a part of me forever. Throughout the years, it has helped me meet new people, make new friends, but more importantly, it has helped me be a better husband, Dad, and doctor. I can relate to a lot of the same issues other people have experienced, or are experiencing at the time. There have been memorable things that have occurred over the years, and I think it may be time to start writing about them as well. So I have a plan outlined that could cover the next several months of what running/exercise has done for me. It will include my family, both with my wife Sarah and my kids, but also my extended family, and the times we have spent growing up, and time we spend now. I have had many training partners over the years, all of which have a special place in my heart, and all who have provided different insight into not only running, but also life! Where do I start with all the friends I have made as a result of running? I will write about exercise has challenged me as a doctor, and how I try to promote exercise to all of my patients, and how I have had many success stories, not only with my patients, but even my staff. It has been an adventure all along the way, and hope that it continues for many years to come. I still have a lot to learn yet…and must always remember, nobody knows everything. We are all continuing to learn and grow from our experiences, and we all need to pass that knowledge on. Stay tuned as I share my experiences from all of this, and hope that it can do the same for you! After all, this is about how we need to STRIVE to SURVIVE, and as a result, THRIVE! My life so far has been a definite Thumbs Up, as you will see with the picture below. Following this are a few pictures that include me running, followed by some very important people in my life…my wife Sarah, and very good friends Carletta and Steve Hauck, and great training partners, Tom Beaudry and Steve Hauck. This is just to get things started, as I will expand on more of these issues, and people, in the upcoming months…I just don’t have enough room to put them all in here yet! They will show up later! In this fast pace we call life, sometimes things have to slow down just to reflect back and appreciate everything we have, and have done. By the time I wrap all of this up, you will see that we all need to take the time to smell the roses along the way! Enjoy your life, and the things/people in your life. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2865
by Dan | Jul 26, 2015 | Etc.
How many times have we heard how fast time goes, or “Life is too short”, and I don’t have “enough time” to do all the things I want to. This week really brought everything to light again. One on our physician colleagues was killed in a motor vehicle accident…gone at age 58. There are many things all of us want to accomplish yet in our lifetime, yet we don’t know if we are going to be here tomorrow or not. We need to live each day to its fullest. Take on the challenges that we all face head on, and never give up. The last thing any of us wants to have any regrets in our life. No matter what, we will all have certain regrets in regards to things that we want to do, or would have liked to do. All we can do is keep trying. Live life to the fullest. Take care of ourselves the best we can, and control the factors in life that we can. The other things are truly out of our control. We can’t be afraid to take on those new challenges. That is what life is about…it is an adventure for us to experience and take advantage of, and live to the fullest. Keep in mind those things in your life that is important to you, and then keep working on trying to make it better. Take care of ourselves by watching things in our diet, and doing exercise, so that we can increase our odds of being around to be involved in those things important in our lives. Below are the things important to me, and I have said this numerous times…Sarah, Nick, Molly and Megan. The last picture is one to make you think, and I will quote Zig Ziglar: “No matter how good or bad your life is, wake up each morning and be thankful you still have one.” Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2858
