One of my long-time running partners, Tom Beaudry, sent me some pictures recently of our early Grandma’s marathon days! Boy did we look young then! Lots of changes have come on over the years, but we still both run. We don’t run as fast as we used to, but that does not matter anymore. We can still get together and shoot the breeze on a run, and catch up on things, but we are still out pounding the pavement. Other people may look at us and wonder why we run. Unless you run, that is kind of a hard question to answer. Let’s look down some memory lane pictures.
Here we both are many years ago the day before Grandma’s marathon in Duluth. We had our pictures taken with our families, and some of the scenery in Duluth. The middle picture was Tom and I showing what everybody else in the marathon was going to see of us during the race!
The finish! We were both shelled! But we did it. Major accomplishment. Tom qualified for Boston during this Grandma’s marathon! Great job!!! But I will be honest. Yes, I wanted to qualify for Boston also, but have not ever done it. But the fun of the training was truly all of the miles we put in together, figuring out life, and solving problems. The bonds made on those long runs are set in stone. We learned a lot about life, and each other, on those runs. I would not ever trade them away!
Of course, I had my built-in cheerleading section. Those shirts they wore have been some of my favorite pictures of my kids ever. The front of the shirts, when they lined up, read “Go Dad Go”, and then they turned around and it said, “We Love You”. Wow! Fired me up and brought me to tears! Major motivation!
Lots of running knowledge and experience sitting here, and once again, discussing things over coffee, after a run! A lot of things in life I learned because of running. Dedication. Persistence. Hard work. Striving for a goal. Striving to survive! My only regret now is we can’t be young again to do it all over again. But this is why we have memories. Now we keep running, and just keep making more memories. We can also help other people understand why we run!
So, go live your life. Live it to the fullest. Don’t take anything for granted. We don’t know when our days are done. Keep going. Keep moving. No regrets. We are not perfect. Learn from our mistakes. Learn from our failures. Failing forward. Always! Keep moving everybody!
I have said many times that life is about change. You learn to deal with it. Embrace it. Change is coming for all of us. Change is the only constant we all have in our lives. Are you ready to take it on? Or are you willing to try and hold on to the past? Attitude is a big part of all of this. This is what makes life interesting. You never have to worry about things getting boring because it is always changing. You hope that the change is a positive going forward. There are those times when it is not, and that is when your attitude needs to step in and take over.
My mom just celebrated her 90th Birthday! Talk about change! These are all my brothers and my sister. We have changed over the years as well. I still have those memories of being a kid, and everybody was at home. Now we all have our own families and are making our own traditions.
I look at my grandson Connor and can’t believe he is already 2! He is growing so fast. Each time I see him he is talking more and doing more things. I still get to have baby snuggles with his sister Tessa now though, just like I used to do with him!
Tessa is such a good little girl! Boy, does she like to snuggle, which I will never argue over. Even she is growing fast. She is smiling more and more. She is changing continuously, and not just having to change her diapers either! I absolutely love being a grandpa! They are what makes changes so enjoyable.
Sarah and I used to get our kids all ready to go for the 5k run events. Now my kids are older, and we are getting our grandkids involved in them. Now that is what I call a great tradition. If you are a part of this Reiffenberger family, you will be involved in fun runs/walks all of the time.
Take the time to reflect on those changes. Know changes are coming. It is just like the weather…take it for what it is and go with it. Make the best of out every change, and every situation. Embrace it! Change is coming no matter what. It will for all of us. Our lives change. Our work changes. Our families change as they keep growing. Experience life and take it on headfirst. Change is what makes life fun and interesting. Go for it! Keep moving everybody!
Hopefully everybody had a great Thanksgiving, and got to spend time with family, and have great food. Most of the family was able to make it home for the holiday. Tradition starts off with the DASH Turkey Run and Walk. Many of us were participants, including my grandson Connor!
We had him bundled up good, and the covering gave him good wind protection!
They came across the finish line, and then it was off to eat! My daughter Megan ran a personal best for a 5k! No more swimming for this girl, as she is now truly a runner!
Once again, the food was amazing! It is ok to enjoy the holiday, especially Thanksgiving! The problem comes when we have Thanksgiving every day! We earned our meal!
Of course, our WARC (Watertown Area Run Club) family was out in full force as well! We will never be denied a race!
Then after we ate, it was snuggling time with my granddaughter Tessa. She is 3 months old now, and next year, depending on the temperature, she may be able to be in her first race! But she had on her Turkey outfit and was ready for the day regardless!
It was a great holiday, and family gathering. Yes, the food was great, and we went out and ran/walked a race. But family time is the best. I can’t get enough of my grandkids! Connor is so full of energy, and Tessa is the best hugger! I enjoyed that time when she was sleeping and was not in a big hurry to put her down to bed. She can be in bed anytime, right?
Enjoy those family times. Appreciate those grandkids. They grow up fast! Give thanks for everything you have and enjoy it all for as long as we can. Stay active, and keep healthy, and keep striving to survive! It is well worth it. Keep moving everybody!
I thought having kids was one of the greatest things. Now we started getting grandkids. Wow! I have said numerous times I thought it would be great but did not realize how great it would be. Last weekend both Connor and Tessa were with us along with their mom and dad, Molly and Tanner. This weekend the rest of their family went to a wedding, and we got to have Tessa for the weekend. First granddaughter, second grandchild. For those of you out there who have grandkids, you know each and every one is special in their own way. This little girl is just all smiles. We are going to watch the Vikings play on Sunday, and she is going to fit right in with her Vikings outfit she will be wearing. Connor I am sure will have his on at home too. Connor is getting so big that we have to work out just to be able to keep up with him!
So, no question it is much more laid back this weekend. She does a lot of sleeping, which allows us to get other things done, and to take a nap with her!
So many things to do with them. So much we want to do for them. She fell asleep on my chest Saturday night when she got done eating before we laid her down for the night, and it was awesome! I forgot how that felt with our kids many years ago. I have to admit, it was very easy to just forget about everything else that has been going on. How can things not be good when you are around them?
You forget how many times you actually give your heart away. Being a grandparent has been incredible. Sarah and I will keep working out so we can have the energy to keep up with them. You all need to do the same. Spend time with them. Be there for them. Let them all know how great their grandparents are. We as grandparents have a lot to teach them. Be positive role models. Show them why grandparents are also really cool too! Then hug them and kiss them any chance you get! Enjoy! Keep moving everybody!
Well, I talked last week about the change of seasons, and here we are now really dipping into some cold temps. I am not ready yet. I know it is coming, but I would like some time transitioning into this, and not do it all at once. I was talking to my twin brother Don when he came for a visit on Saturday about running. I told him there is “no bad weather…only bad clothing!”. You definitely have to wear the right kind of gear to tolerate the cold temperatures. Hopefully we still have some Autumn to appreciate yet.
We had some great colors earlier this month, but now these last few days most of these leaves are now gone! It is kind of hard now to get motivated because now there is mostly bare trees! It is still always better running outside, or walking, compared to staying cooped up inside. But sometimes you still have to have an alternative for working out when it is too cold outside.
You can do weight workouts either at home, your garage, or go into a gym. Weight workouts, or resistance training, is still very important to be working on. You can also either invest in your own alternative exercise equipment or go to a gym to have access to them.
So, bottom line, you can’t use the cold weather coming as an excuse not to do some type of exercise, because there are alternatives to do for activity. You just need to come up with a plan, and then stick to it. As Yoda said to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: “There is no try, only do!” So just do it! Nike has something with this! Get out and move.
You have to keep pushing yourself. Again, if it is worth having, it is worth working for! You don’t have to worry about whether you think you let somebody else down by not being active. You have to worry about letting yourself down! You are also the only one who can really work on the motivation. You have to be the one to ultimately do it. You need to come up with your reasons of motivation to keep you going. What is your why? What do you want to achieve? Go the extra mile…it will be worth it! Keep moving everybody!
The one thing about the season of Autumn is that things are changing. The leaves are changing. The weather is changing. Life is changing. We are getting closer to Winter. Change is inevitable. The one constant we have in life is change! Are you ready to embrace change, or dread it?
The exciting thing about change is that it is always unique. Just like watching a sunset, one moment it looks one way, and then next, totally different!
Patience goes a long way in accepting change. There is never a dull moment. One change leads to another, and then another, and if there had been a decision made to do something else somewhere during the day, the changes that follow it are also completely different. Each day is unique, and unpredictable. You have to pay attention, or you will miss something. Something special that you may not even realized was happening.
The changes in the season are a good reminder of the changes in life. I was going through some pictures earlier this week and Facebook popped up a reminder for me…
This one is me with my daughters at one of their formal dances in High School! The one on the left is Molly, who is now married, and has 2 children of her own. Megan, on the right, is now engaged to be married next July. All I can think of is “where did the time go?”. There were my young daughters, waiting to create their lives, and now they have! All the changes that have occurred during these years…wow! Life truly is an adventure!
Spend those changing days with the people that matter to you most! These are the people important in your life. Our life changes. Our work changes. Our days change…but true friends last forever. They are with you in the good times, and the bad times. You get to celebrate with them on the good times, and they help hold you together on the bad days. Never lose sight of them amongst all of the changes in your life!
Sarah and I are changing too. I hate to admit it, but we are getting older too. When we first came to Watertown, we were the new kids on the block. Now we are the experienced ones. Things may be changing for us too, but being together is a constant! Constant just like each morning the sun is going to rise, and at the end of the day…
…the sun is going to set. Sarah will be there each morning, and each night, ready to take on another day with me! Change is inevitable, so embrace it, and enjoy the ride! Keep moving everybody!
