This picture was almost 30 years ago. Oct 6, 1990. Sarah and I got married that day. I am getting last minute advice from my Dad on the right, and my Father-in-law on the left. Great advice from both! Time really does go fast. My Dad now has been gone over 6 years. I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t think of him. He was a great role model. He did whatever he had to do for his family. A lot of guys can be a Father, but not everybody can be a Dad. There is a lot of pressure on us guys to try to live up to that expectation. Sometimes we do just fine, and other times we need to ask for a do over. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes as we get older.
I learned a lot from both of my parents. They were married for 59 years when my Dad passed away. Nothing ever goes perfect. There are challenges, mistakes, lessons learned, but at the end of the day, it all worked out. My Mom struggles a lot since he has been gone.
With seven kids in the family, there was always plenty to do. We were a family, and are still very close. Those traits my parents passed down to all of us kids as well. We are all close.
I see how there were plenty of times when they just needed to take a break, and relax. Being a Dad is a full time job. 24/7, 52 weeks a year. We always had questions for him, or wanted his advice on how to do something. Many of those times he knew the answer, and those other times, he helped direct us to find an answer.
He was a great grandfather as well. Here he is with Nick. Nick is now 23! Hopefully I can be there for my kids when they need it as well. Both Sarah and I always get calls for advice. What should I do about this? How do you fix this? What would you do under this circumstance?
It was tough with both Sarah and I being a physician. We would put in long days at work, and then continue it at home. We worked together, and trading off who could be at their events, if both of us couldn’t be. One of us would be there. We both still ran as it was a means of relieving stress. The kids would be right there with us. They would go with us, or ride their bike with us, or be the cheerleader for us as well. I want them to do the same for their kids. Lead by example.
Nick and I started a tradition a few years ago of going to a Vikings game together. I don’t know what this year is going to be with the Coronavirus going on, or if they will even have a NFL season. Time will tell. If nothing else, we will have a pause in this year, and pick back up next year. If they do have a season, maybe we go somewhere else to watch it, not at the stadium. Will have to see what the future brings.
The kids are growing up fast. Molly is now married. They still spend time together, and worry about each other. And so do we!
They will always be my little kids when they come home. Dakota loves all the attention when they come home too. We are still family, and always will be. As a Father, I hope I have helped them become who they are. My Dad’s advice to me was if you think you are right, then don’t back down. If you are wrong, then admit it. Stand up for yourself, because if you don’t, who will? We stand up for each other. Hopefully, we keep being active together, and have more races and events to do. When we start having grandkids, we have a lot to teach them too. They will be running, walking, or riding bike along side us as well. Happy Father’s Day to all you Dad’s out there. Keep working at it. And, keep moving everybody!
One of the most challenging aisles in the grocery store is the cereal and granola bar aisle as there are so many choices and it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s not! For those regular followers of our blog, you probably know by now that you should choose a whole grain cereal, but from there…how do you decipher which choice is better than another?!
Here are some tips to help you make a healthy choices:
• 8 grams (g) of sugar or less/serving, if the cereal contains 3 g or less of fiber/serving
• 16 g or less of sugar/serving, if the cereal contains 5 g or more of fiber/serving Note: raisin bran contains 20 g of sugar/serving and is the exception to the rule—still a great choice due to its higher fiber content)
• Instant hot cereals should contain no more than 100-150 milligrams (mg) of sodium/serving. A better choice is cooking oatmeal the old fashioned way on the stove from the canister as the instant packets have a lot of sodium.
In addition, be sure to fully read the nutrition facts label and not rely on the manufacturers marketing claims as they can often be misleading! A way to make breakfast a more balanced meal is to add a source of protein and a serving of fruit to your meal. With the balance of protein, fiber found in your cereal, and some natural sugars, you are set to start your day off in a great way! -Kelsey
Summer time heat raises the risk for dehydration and heat stroke. With the high summer temps and humidity, it’s extra important to make sure you get enough fluids! It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day, as it is too late, if you wait to get a drink when you feel thirsty. Especially for those older adults, it takes longer for them to feel thirsty even though they may be severely dehydrated.
Tips for getting adequate fluids:
• Keep a glass or bottle of water with you during the day so you can sip on it. Drink when you are thirsty and even when you are not thirsty.
• Drink more water instead of sugary beverages, milk and juice to avoid those extra hidden calories. Alcohol will increase your water loss. Plain water always works the best.
• Increase your fluid intakes if your diet is high in fiber, protein or salt.
• On days where you may be sweating alot or burning extra calories such as an all day softball tournament in 80-90 degree weather, or doing yardwork/landscaping in the heat all day…you may need to add electrolytes such as Gatorade or Powerade. I prefer G2 Gatorade as it’s lower in sugar, yet still has plenty of electrolytes. **Please note, these drinks are not necessary when you’re doing less than an hour of light activity or more sedentary activities as they just add extra calories and sugar.
• Consult with your doctor or dietitian if you are on a fluid restricted diet and would like further help with your hydration needs. Use the above chart to determine your hydration level by the color of your urine.
Yesterday, Saturday June 13, was Family Health and Fitness Day. A day to celebrate, and get families out and get active, and engage in fun activities. Whether playing games, walking, riding bikes, whatever…just get moving. Even though we may have a day designated to promote this, there is no reason every day should not be Family Health and Fitness Day. It always has been a part of our lives. We instilled into our kids the importance of being active, and exercising. They learned very young!
We would go for bike rides together starting many years ago. And, we all wore helmets! We went for picnics, riding to get to the park. They learned from the start how important it was to be active.
Many of our vacations centered around being active as well. Here we are taking a break as we were hiking up, what was then called, Harney Peak. We would stay in cabins in Hill City, and go off on the Mickelson Trail, and go hiking to Harney Peak, or the one year we did the Volksmarch to Crazy Horse. We had a blast on those vacations! Everybody had a good time. We explored, saw new things, but had to work to get them done too.
All of this early training translated later to being active in school as well. This was true not only for High School, but College as well. Here we were at one of Nicks Augustana track meets.
We have had several great trips to Disney, and each time ran races while we were there. I have done the Goofy and the Dopey races, and here Molly and Megan ran with us to do their first Half Marathon. Nick could not get off school this year, but Carissa and Noah Hauck ran first time events here as well. Noah the Half Marathon with us, and Carissa the marathon with me. The memories these time bring back! We had a ball!
The kids grew up watching us run all of the time. It was only natural that they would follow the same foot steps. Running is what brought Sarah and I together when we first began to date. We have not stopped since then. We still plan vacations with running events, or other active adventures in mind.
Last year we all got together and ran the Hump Day 5k event as well. We are all getting older, but those times when we still do things like this together are still something very special. I hope there are a lot more times like this as well.
The kids are no exception. All of the dogs we have had have been active runners, walkers with us. Dakota is no exception. She goes with us everyday, either walking, running, or both. If you are going to be a part of Team Reif, you better be able to move. When the times comes when we may not be able to run, we will just have to figure out how else we can be active. Be creative. Have fun with it. Your health depends on it. You truly do need to Strive to Survive. But, nobody said those days could not be incredibly fun along the way! Enjoy life to the fullest. Stay active! Keep moving everybody!
Eating healthy on the go can seem difficult at times, however there are many things you can do to make it a little easier! With life picking up again, I thought this was a fitting topic to discuss. Here are some tips that will save you time while still eating healthy nutritious food!
• Plan Ahead: On Saturday or Sunday, take a look at what your week ahead is going to be like. It can be very helpful to write out your schedule so you can see the times in your week where you may be on the go and extra busy. From there, decide on a few meals that would be easy to prep and that will provide you with energy for those busy days. Also, decide on some easy to grab snacks that you can keep with you.
• Meal Prep: If you have looked at your week and you know you will not have time to cook for yourself, meal prep a few staple items that you can easily grab out of the fridge on your way out the door. This can be something as simple as brown rice, baked chicken, and a side of vegetables. A few breakfast ideas include overnight oats, protein balls, hardboiled eggs, and precut fruit that you can throw in a blender and make a smoothie with. Whatever your food choice may be, meal prepping can be a helpful way to prepare meals for a few days at a time.
• Prepare Extra Food: If meal prepping isn’t really your thing, it’s okay! Another easy way to save time is to prepare extra food when you do cook. If you have time to prepare a healthy dinner, make a few extra servings that you can save for lunch the next day.
• Snack Up: Having healthy snacks on hand will keep you from purchasing quick and unhealthy choices when life gets a little busy. A few good ideas include fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, trail mix, cheese, pretzels and hummus, yogurt, and peanut butter on whole wheat bread.
• Hydrate: This last tip is so important! The last thing you want to happen when your busy is to become dehydrated. Keep water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. You can always spice your water up by adding in fresh fruit or sipping on unsweetened iced tea. Utilize a few of these tips to make healthy eating a little bit easier when you have a busy schedule or when you are on the go! Eating healthy and staying hydrated will provide you with the energy that you need to get through your day! -Kelsey
I always found it a little difficult to put into simple words what running means to me when trying to explain it to somebody who does not run. Yes, not all days are good days. Sometimes you wonder why you even go out some days. But those days when everything falls into place, and you are in a “zone”, you just lose yourself in that moment, and everything is just perfect! You are moving smooth. Your breathing is efficient. You don’t even feel like you are working. The scenery around you is easy to lose your thoughts in. Most of those running times it is just me and my thoughts. No other outside stress. No other distractions. Just you. So the best description I can really have is that it is a feeling. A feeling like no other. Those days when that feeling is there, it makes all of the other days that may not be going well, worthwhile.
Like everything, it does not just happen. Practice makes perfect. You have to put the effort in to enjoy the rewards. This is not something that is just going to get handed to you. If you want it, you have to earn it. Getting started is always the hard part. It takes practice, patience, and determination. This week, Wednesday June 3, was National Global Running Day. It was the perfect time to get out and run. For those of you who can’t run, go out and walk. My walks in the evening are my recovery times. I always have my phone with me during those walks. I don’t have it so I can talk on the phone, but so that I have my camera. This last few weeks the sunsets at the Lake have been breathtaking. I went Friday night for a 4 mile walk, and ended spending an additional 45 minutes taking pictures. Peaceful. Relaxing. It was actually quite easy to forget about everything else. It would have been no different with running…but for me, it is tougher to stop and take pictures compared to walking. Once I get going, I just take pictures with my eyes.
I have had a permanent training partner with Sarah. We both love to run. That is how we started dating. I would run past her house and notice she would be watching me out her window when we were in Med School. Then we started running together, and have not stopped since. Running brought us together, and has kept us together. We plan vacations/trips to involve running. We have seen new places because of running. We have gotten all of our kids to run, so it is now another means of being able to spend time with them. Just wait until grandkids start coming! Running has been a huge part of our lives. Our social activities and friends are all due to running. I promote to my patients every day the importance of exercise. I promote by example. Someday we may not be able to run anymore, but I will worry about that then. For now, I will keep putting one foot in front of the other, and continue to see where this helps steer out lives.
Nothing is going to change this. It is who I am. It is who “we” are. It truly has taught me how to hang in there when times get tough, and to keep looking for the next finish line. I have to admit, I don’t know how to give up, and I hope I never do. After each tough “race” in life, it has always been worthwhile, and something has been learned. We learn from our experiences. That is truly how we continue to grow in life.
Sarah and I will continue to run until that final finish line comes. In the meantime, there are so many more adventures to enjoy, and life to live. Take advantage of what you have. We don’t know when we are not going to have it anymore. Live for today, and look with anticipation to tomorrow.
Enjoy the journey. There are lots of things to see and do yet. Enjoy each sunrise and sunset. They truly are all different. Enjoy the ride. There may be days where we have to hold on tighter, but they just seem to go smoother after a run, or a walk, or any workout. Move. Use it or lose it. You ask those people who have been runners, and for whatever reason they can’t now, what they think of it. How much do they miss it? How much did they enjoy it? How much more fuller was their life when they ran? Each of us needs to find out on our own. Keep trying…keep moving everybody!
