Each Labor Day weekend, as South Dakotans descend on Huron for the State Fair, a special tradition quietly takes it place at the edge of town: Andy’s Road Race. This year marked the 43rd running of the event, and once again, our family laced up and showed up. For Sarah, this race began when she was in college, and has brought special memories for her going back home to Huron. This race was the first time I had gone to Huron, 3 weeks after we started dating in our second year of medical school. Only then it was a 5k and a 10 mile race. Of course, I had to impress Sarah and run the 10 mile. It was an adventure! Since then, it has been a 5k and a 10k race. This year Sarah and I did the 5k race, and our daughter, Megan, ran the 10k. We all won gold medals for our age group (and there was a pretty good turn out of people!) But the real victory–I was waiting for Megan at mile 5, and ran the rest of the way with her to get her in. She was struggling. But she did it! Proud of her!
Megan’s reaction after winning first! Of course, she was just screwing around and did not know I was taking a picture, but here you have it! The weather could not have been better–cool enough to run, warm enough to enjoy the day. After the race, we did what other South Dakotans do after the race–we hit the State Fair! Exhibits. Photos. A lot of walking. We saw a few Watertown faces there as well.
We all finished. Dan came along with to cheer us all on. It was a good day at the Fair. It was also a long day, taking off from home Saturday morning to get to Huron in time for the race. We saw Sarah’s parents, and had breakfast with them. We saw Suzy, Sarah’s sister, working at the Fair. Our kids have run this race many times. I hooked Sarah with this race many years ago. It has now become our family tradition as well. Keep moving everybody!
The spirit of competition is alive–and ageing quite well. This past weekend, Sarah and I wrapped up four jam-packed days at the 2025 South Dakota Senior Games. It was equal parts humbling, hilarious, and exhausting–and deeply rewarding!
I entered 11 events, took home 10 gold medals, and got smoked in one event with a hard-earned 6th place finish in the 20 K bike ride. Sarah did 8 events, claiming 5 gold, 2 silver, and a bronze. We joked that our garage gym will now need to have hooks on the walls to hang all of the Senior Game medals on!
We ran a 5k (Jill Makepeace joined us Saturday and competed in this as well), a 10k run the next day (Carol from run club joined on that day as well–Watertown Area Run Club was well represented in the games!) We rode the 20k bike ride, and then lifted, jumped, pressed, curled, pushed up, planked, and wall sat our way through all of the strength events. Here are pictures of us during these events:
But what moved us the most? Watching Sarah’s 82-year-old mom line up for the 50-meter dash–then hurl the hammer in a graceful arc across the field. She had never done this before! She had the courage to participate! Aging isn’t about slowing down. It is about showing up. We felt the soreness, yes, but we also felt the joy. The camaraderie. The grit. And the pride of knowing we’re doing what we love–even if it looks different than it did 20 years ago. One participant who won female athlete of the year from last year, referred to all of the hardware at the games. She was not referring to the medals–she was referring to her hip replacement a year ago, and to all of the other participants who were competing with new joints. They did not let this slow them down! But as she said too–the medals are nice! Here is our haul!
Our times are slower–but our gratitude runs deeper now. We race for health, family, and the legacy of staying active. We laugh louder. We recover slower. But we’re still here. Still “golden”. Medals are nice. But movement is the real reward! Keep moving everybody!
The countdown is on. The South Dakota Senior Games starts Thursday this week. They will be in Huron, so we will be staying with Sarah’s parents. One hitch–our daughter Molly is being induced on Wednesday–we may have some altering of plans for this week–will just have to see how everything goes. But when it comes to the Games, this week feels different. Not because the workouts have changed, but because they mean something more. Every lift, every run, every stretch is a reminder: I still get to do this!
Competiton at this age isn’t about being the fastest. It’s about showing up. It’s about proving to yourself that the work you put in matters–not just for competition days, but for every day. It’s about pushing past the voice that says: “You’re too old for this”, and answering with a grin: “Watch me!”
My wife and I have been training side by side–just like we have for decades. We laugh about the miles we used to run, the PR’s we used to chase. Those times are behind us, but something richer is here now: Shared strength, shared effort, shared joy!
The senior games are more than a competition. They’re a celebration. A celebration of health, or resilience, of the community of athletes who refuse to stop moving. Each of us brings our own story to the starting line. Mine includes 35 years of marriage, decades of medicine, thousands of miles, and a few streaks that taught me persistence. This week, I’ll carry that story into every event. Not because I have to prove anything–but because I get to prove that staying active keeps life alive.
These are my shoes by the back door. First pair is my running shoes. 2nd pair is my walking shoes. 3rd pair is my weightlifting shoes. All there, ready to go. Ready each day. We are ready to compete!
We are running several distance events. Biking. Lifting. This week, it’s not about age–it’s about attitude. The Senior Games start Thursday, and every rep, every mile, and every drop of sweat has been leading here. Sarah and I have been training side by side, chasing strength, not just speed. Because movement doesn’t just add years to your life–it adds life to your years! Let’s go! Keep moving everybody!
Some people ask: “Why do you work out every day?” The answer is simple: because life keeps moving–and so do we! This week I was reminded again that staying active isn’t about hitting a number, a streak, or a PR. It’s about being ready. Ready to run when Dakota nudges the leash. Ready to squat down and scoop up a giggling grandchild. Ready to keep pace in life that doesn’t slow down, even when we do. It also means to keep moving, even when you don’t want to.
Movement is more than fitness–it;s freedom! When we lift weights, walk, run, or just get outside, we’re investing in tomorrow. Every rep, every step, every mile is a small deposit in the future where we still get to say “yes”–yes to adventures, yes to the fact we can still move how we want, and yes to moments that matter.
And it’s not just me. Sarah is right there with me. Still my forever training partner. Dakota is right there too–tail wagging, always eager to go. “Smiling” when she gets to go for a walk or run!
And our grandkids? They’re the best reason to stay strong. You have to keep doing this to just keep up with them—seriously!!
Activity doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be consistent. A short bike ride. A few minutes with the weights. A short walk at sunset. The goal isn’t perfection–it’s participation. Movement keeps us healthy, happy, and connected to the things, and people, we love most. This week whether it’s a jog, a stroll, or playing chase with a 4-year and 2-year-old, both of whom are faster than you remember, keep moving, not because you have to, but because you get to! This is why we keep moving–through miles, moments, and memories. Keep moving everybody!
Yesterday we had a big family gathering to Celebrate Connor’s 4th Birthday, and Tessa’s 2nd Birthday. With birthday cupcakes, presents flying, kids flying, and enough hugs and giggles to give us all an energy boost. Everybody had a great time. Even Uncle Dan in the background photobombing!
It’s the kind of day you don’t track in miles–but you feel it. It was a workout just to stay focused on what was all happening. Just energy, noise, and magic that only a 2- and 4- year- old can generate. Tessa was full of smiles and danced with herself. Connor tore into his presents like a pro. And I found myself watching my grown kids become parents, wondering how time can stretch so fast and so full.
There are few things more grounding than grandkids. They don’t care about your title. They don’t know how tired you may actually be. They don’t ask about your to-do list. They just reach up. They ask you to play. And in that moment, you realize–this is the good stuff!
Not the polished photos. Not the perfect frosting swirls. Not the carefully wrapped gifts. It’s the sticky fingers grabbing yours. The cupcake crumbs on your shirt. The spontaneous hugs and belly laughs and “let’s go Grandpa!”
So, this weekend, it was a moment to forget about things. Relax, and take in life. I celebrated life through the eyes of two little ones who are growing way too fast. And I remembered that being present is its own kind of workout–maybe the most important one. My daughter Megan drove home, and Sarah and I were in the back seat–sleeping. It wore us out! It just goes to show that you may not be able to always measure love…but you can feel it–and it was all worthwhile! Keep moving everybody–if you don’t already, some day you will have grandkids that you have to keep up with because they never slow down!
I felt that this week. One of those “how does anyone keep up with all of it?” kind of weeks.
And when that happens, I have a ritual that grounds me— I move!
Sarah too, here stretching before our workout in the “Reiflex Center”–our gym in the garage.
We both move not to escape, but to return our ourselves. A run, walk, a workout in the garage together. Even 20 minutes outside clear the static. The me that just worked out is better equipped for what’s ahead–every single time.
But this week, I found another kind of therapy.
It sizzled. It smoked. It came from our brand-new Blackstone grill.
We picked it up at our hospital’s BASH fundraiser. And this weekend, it earned it spot in our hearts, and our driveway, and soon patio.
Sweet and sour chicken. Fried rice. Working together. Eating together. The smell of it all rising into the warm sunny evening. Cooking something together. Slowing down enough to savor. And the taste…wow!
And the best part–leftovers for tomorrow!
We’re always told to make time for what matters. But when life gets hectic, we forget how to do that. So maybe it’s a walk. Maybe it’s a workout. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s dinner on a hot griddle, with someone you love standing next to you helping. Because sometimes the best cure for being too busy…is just to stop. Move. Breathe. And then later cook something together. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 501–I just surpassed the 500 day mark!!!
