It’s hard to believe school starts in the next few weeks…. and that means homework, studying, and activities! We often forget about the importance of our health due to the fact we get consumed by our studies. Making health a priority during school is important and can be much easier than most would think. Whether you’re in elementary, high school, or college, here are some healthy tips to keep a healthy balance between nutrition and school:
•Pack healthy snacks/lunches: One main reason students establish unhealthy eating habits is because of how busy their schedules are. Packing healthy snacks to bring to class or to your study spot makes it easy to skip the junk food and extra caffeine.
•Hit the gym/use recess: Elementary students should use their recess period to add some extra physical activity to their day. Many universities have wellness/rec centers that are free for students to use. Take advantage! Working out for as little as 30 minutes a day can make a big difference.
•Get a good night’s sleep: Sleep puts our bodies into an anabolic state, meaning that our muscles grow and recover from break down. Getting enough sleep each night is vital for our body to reach its peak potential and function properly.
•Eat breakfast: Skipping breakfast is very common for students of all ages. Eating breakfast helps keep you fuller throughout the day, making it easier to lay off the junk food. Eating in the morning also gives students more energy and makes them more attentive during class.
•Walk/bike to school: Walking or biking to school instead of driving is an easy way to burn a couple extra calories during the day.
There are multiple ways we can stay healthy during the school year. Make sure to stay health conscious and you will have no problem keeping a healthy lifestyle. -Kelsey
Many times, people use the expression “In it for the long run”! By definition, it means “over a relatively long or extended length of time in the future”. OK…my meaning: it takes time for something good to come about. We need to learn to be patient. Everything does not happen all at once. Whether in a relationship (Sarah and I will celebrate #31 in October!), or with goals, or training. That is truly the epitome of the marathon. It is a challenge every time, and takes work, and it is a lengthy process. We are doing “the long run” to achieve our goals “in the long run”.
We just ran 16 miles yesterday as our long run for the week as we get ready for the Fargo Marathon at the end of September. We are working our way up each week, until we get to 20 miles. It is work, both mentally and physically. What is great about our run club is we are helping each other get to that marathon goal, because we know that it is easier to get there with help from others, and the challenge then is not so daunting “in the long run”.
The Watertown Area Running Club has been a group of dedicated runners that love to help each other out during those training sessions. Our running family does what it needs to do to help someone achieve their goal. It has always been that way, and I don’t see anything changing in regards to this over the future. We are all truly “in it for the long run”. The marathon is the final day, the final moment when all that training and work you did now comes to finality. The marathon is easy compared to the months of work you did getting ready for it. We truly can say we made it “in the long run”. Our goal to help each other is just as important as the goal of actually running a marathon. After all, we are distance runners. We are truly “in it for the long run” in more ways than one.
This goes for everybody else as well. Don’t give up on yourself. Our biggest limitation is the space between our ears, not physical limitations. If we have the right mind set, we are capable of doing so much more than we ever thought possible, and “in the long run”, we will get there!
So going forward, have no regrets. Be “in it for the long run”. I have said for years that anything worth having takes time to achieve. It does not just happen. You have to work for it. When you do work for it, then it means so much more when those moments happen. And then when you look back, you will find out that the journey along the way was more fun than the actual moment you were trying to achieve. Be “in it for the long run”, and you won’t have any regrets. Keep moving everybody!
Saturday morning there were a few of us out doing a long run. Many of us are getting ready for the Fargo Marathon in September. Sarah, Megan, and I had a “step down” week, and ran 10 miles. Next week will be 16, and then a 17 the next week. Jill had a 17 planned for this week. So, we worked in shifts. Some started off with her early, we came an hour later, and Jenn and Missy ran the whole thing with her. I can’t tell you how important it is to have somebody else running with you, or riding their bike along side you, during those long runs. Many times it would be too easy to just say “forget it, it is not worth it”! How many times in life do we have this come up? Whether at work, or something tough comes up at home, and we don’t have help, we just want to quit. When you have support, it is easier to get it done. Teamwork! Teamwork makes the dream work! Nobody needs to do this on our own, and nobody has to solve all of their problems on our own. We all need help sometime!
We are all helping each other. We are all backing each other up. We are supporting each other! That is how it works. That is how it should be! Whether in a group, made of up your friends, or family, or just your spouse…
…You support each other. Your have each other’s back. You stay active together, and when you do, it is so much more enjoyable, and not just work!
We are helping Megan train for her first marathon, and she is being very tough with it all. There is nothing easy about doing the marathon. The marathon itself is very rewarding, but the training leading up to it is the work. Over the years I have had many training partners doing these long runs, and we have always seemed to solve the worlds problems on these runs. Now if the rest of the world would listen to our advice, we would have it made! Hee Hee!
On any given Sunday, our Watertown Area Running Club meets, WARC, and we can have as few as a couple people, or a large group. We are all there because we like to run, but mostly, to support each other in our goals, and problem solving. It is a social event, not just a running event. I look forward to our Sunday runs. (now with the marathon coming up in September, we are also having these informally on Saturdays!)
The overall goal is we are working together to finish what we start. We all want to cross that finish line. The more important question though: Which finish line do we want to cross? The marathon finish line? The helping each other out finish line? Life’s finish line? Sometimes it is not easy to tell which finish line, nor is it important which one. They all blend together. They all interconnect. Running is just the means of which this can all occur.
Many of us from WARC were at the July 4 Freedom run. Running together. Cheering each other. Friends with each other. Does it really get any better than this? If you ever thought about joining us for a run, now is a great time. You don’t have to run a marathon to be a part of this. You can run as few of miles as you want…but we do meet to run…so keep that in mind too! So maybe we will see you some Sunday morning, 7AM, Summer time at Jackson Park, and Winter time at the Zoo. Keep moving everybody!
It is official! I became a Grandpa last Saturday, July 17. He was born shortly after 6 PM, 7 # 15 oz. And his name is: Connor Daniel!! Woo Hoo! I could not be happier with this title now. Of course I love the name. We will see how long it takes for him to respond to me calling him “C. Daniel”! Hee Hee! My daughter Molly, and son in law Tanner are doing a great job with him as well. They are doing well. I got to spend this past Thursday with him, seeing him for the first time. I cannot describe how I felt. I think only those who are a grandparent already know what I mean. I was so excited to get to see him!
Sarah was all smiles all day too!
And so was Aunt Megan!
I got to take him for stroller rides, and if he was getting a little fussy, I just picked him up and held him. He was fussy a lot (not really, I just said that so I could hold him more!).
He is definitely a keeper! Even if I am not holding him, I could just sit back and watch him! I did not realize how cool being a grandpa would be. I did not get to meet either of my grandpa’s. They had both died long before I was born. The first one passed away when he was only 54. I had my health issues when I was 54, and all I could think of is that I was not going to be here to see any of my grandkids. This made this moment even better. I am going to love this new title!
For now I will keep looking at the pictures until I see him again. But I already can’t wait to see him again. I can’t wait to go with him in the stroller again. Another way to keep us moving. For now, everybody keep moving!
Many of us enjoy one or more cups of coffee each morning and although the caffeine and wake-up call it provides may be the motivating factor, perhaps some of the drink’s other benefits can play a role in your continued enjoyment of it!
Coffee has been shown to help with brain function, perhaps prevent some diseases, and increase calcium intake when milk is added. Coffee also contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, niacin, vitamin E and magnesium are also present in coffee.
One thing to keep in mind about your morning pick-me-up may be to choose wisely. Some of the fancy coffee drinks found at popular coffee shops can also contain loads of sugar and fat, which may contribute empty calories to your daily intake. When choosing a coffee drink, choose low or non-fat drinks or plain coffee, or plain coffee with milk to ensure the most benefit from your coffee.
During the hot summer months, enjoy cold-brew coffee or iced coffee as a seasonal way to reap these benefits!
Sarah and I did the Kampeska Half Marathon yesterday. We did not race it, but used it as a training run. We are again getting ready for another marathon, in Fargo, in September. We ran a mile first as we were scheduled to do 14 miles for this weekends long run. Sarah was not feeling the best as she has been battling a cold this week. I came back and finished with her so I ended doing 15 miles. That is the longest I have run since my health issues 2 1/2 years ago. I felt good, but I was tired. We then met with the run club this AM to do 5 miles. It was tough. We have to get used to running on tired legs for the marathon.
It was a little sparse this AM as many people were gone, or they ran long yesterday too. For those of us who came, it was perfect bookends. Greg and Owen led the fast group, and Sarah and I led the turtle pacers! Just have to get used to pounding on the legs.
It was not as big of a crowd that ran yesterday, but we figured since we were going to run long anyway, we might as well have others around us, and get a shirt as well! Sarah won a pair of running shoes as a door prize, so it made for a great morning.
Sarah was not happy with her time, but it was still pretty amazing she could even do it the way she was feeling earlier in the week. I just had to keep reminding her it was a training run, not a race, and the actual finish time did not matter. I got to practice wearing my hydration pack on the run. First time using it. It definitely came in handy yesterday as it did not take long to get hot. At mile 11 Sarah had to do some walking and told me to just get done. I swung back around to meet back up with her and help haul her into the finish line. We did it, and the time did not matter!
Last night I went out to a different place to take some pictures. We had some great news early in the evening, and I will elaborate on that next week with my blog dedicated to just that. But for now I will just say I got lost in my thoughts, and was just happy! The geese and the sunset lined up perfect, and it just topped an absolutely wonderful day! You will know what I mean after next week. I don’t want to spoil it yet, as I want certain people to talk about it first. Suffice to say, I can’t remember the last time I was this happy! Until next week! Keep moving everybody!
