by Dan | Feb 11, 2018 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
The weather has been something to be desired of lately. The extreme cold makes it very difficult to get motivated to get outside, and the treadmill gets incredibly boring after a while. If it would not be for our run club, I would not be outside on Sundays either. Last Sunday was a perfect example of this. -7 degree temp, with -30 degree wind chill! No way I would have gone out their on my own otherwise. That is what makes is so special having a training partner, or a group of dedicated friends who help push each other to get out there and get it done. More important though, we enjoy just getting together and going for a run, and talk. We get each other caught up on the latest things that have been going on for each of us. We get to vent…chat…support…and listen to each. We just have to be prepared to handle the cold weather as well. If you are smart, it can still be done, but you have to be safe too.
This was our dedicated group last week. You can see the frost built up on us, and eyelashes covered with frost. We stood still long enough to take the picture, and then got in the car and left to go warm up. Yes it was cold…but still worth getting out with our group. Those of us who finished first still cheered on the rest of us coming in after.
When we got done running, several of us were able to head to Caribou for a coffee and a time to get warm. One of our members Jason, just had surgery the week before for his hip, and we wanted to see how he was doing. He could at least join us for coffee, as did Paula. It was also another great opportunity to talk and laugh, and yet be warm. One thing is for sure, we may all be a part of this because we like to run, but this is not about running. This is about friends being there for each other, and helping each other achieve goals, many of which may be similar, but yet, many are still different. We support each other as a group, but can still all be individuals. We are all living life to the fullest. No excuses! All working together, yet individually. That is what is nice about running. If fulfills all of this. We are all working on our own health as well. Some days are easier than others, no question. But the good days far outweigh the bad.
If you are around here, join us sometime. We meet during the Winter every Sunday at 7AM, and then starting in the Spring we will start meeting out at Jackson Park, same day and time. We also start adding Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM at Brown Clinic Northridge parking lot. You don’t know what you are missing until you come and give us a try. Our run club achieved some amazing goals last year, not only individually, but as a group as a whole. That was our biggest achievement…our group as a whole. We ran to Team FARA…Friedreich’s Ataxia…to support members of our own community. Don’t ever tell a small group, or a small community, that you can’t achieve big things! We did…and I have written about those accomplishments in the past. That is what running with friends can accomplish. Nothing can stop us! And that goes for all of you too…regardless of the weather or conditions…so keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3784
by Dan | Feb 4, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
If you want your kids to be active, you have to help show them the way. Earlier I had posted about when my kids were little how we tried to keep them active, and was mainly talking about my twins. Now many years later, as my twin girls are 23, it is just as important to make sure they continue to stay active as well. We still push them, but we try to have as much fun along the way as possible.
In the days when they were back in high school, Molly was the runner, and Megan was a swimmer. Both very different sports, but each of them loved what they did.
Molly has been running yet, and Megan swims every chance she can get. But Megan too has been running as well. She is out in Virginia, and even when she gets home, she is always eager to do more walking as well, because that means she can spend more time with Zeus as well. He, of course, loves it!
But as they get older, I now get to spend time going to races with them, and running with them…which I love. A few years ago, Molly joined me for the Fargo 5K.
And this Summer, they were all home, and my girls had their boyfriends with them, and they all ran together in the Hump Day 5K! It was great having them all home, and they were all out running too! I love it! I have to think deep down we did something right by instilling in them the importance of exercise, and taking care of themselves. I will be talking about Nick coming up in the future posts. But, this last month, when my twins came with us to Orlando to run in the Disney World half marathon, I was very excited, and proud, to have them tackle a half. Neither one of them had gone this far before. I ran with Megan, and Sarah ran with Molly. Lots of pictures along the way, and quality time outside in Florida…running together. I don’t know who was happier about this…me, or them. It was a great trip. I hope there are more in the future for us to get to run together…and then also with Nick too! Here Megan and I are hamming it up for one of the photographers on the course, and Sarah and Molly after they finished!
Memories I get to keep forever! It takes work to exercise, and try to stay healthy…but it is much more fun when we do this together. Get going! Enlist your friends, your family, and get out and get moving. These times make for memories forever! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3777
by kelsey | Jan 31, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Wellness/Health
With it being the middle of winter, it’s more challenging to be outside and stay active….especially for our kids. Children need at least 60 minutes of activity a day. Meeting this activity recommendation will not only promote a healthy weight, but also ward off diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This 60 minutes does not have to be all at once though…it can be spread throughout their day. You may consider the following tips to help you and your child be more active:
- Join a sports team or try a new physical activity.
- Take a walk or turn up the tunes and do some dancing indoors after your supper meal.
- Instead of catching a movie or watching TV, pick an activity that requires movement such as laser tag, bowling, or family swim.
- Give children toys that encourage physical activity like balls, kites, hula hoops, Frisbee and jump ropes. You could do some of these in your basement or garage if it’s too cold to get outside.
- Limit TV time and keep the TV out of your child’s bedroom.
- Plant a garden this spring. Kids love to water plants, and they’ll get excited weeks later when they see their flowers bloom or vegetables grow.
- Practice what you preach! Kids will be more apt to engage in activity and stay interested when their parent or family is doing it!
Create a positive environment with encouragement and reinforcement–this will help your child live a long and healthy lifestyle!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by Dan | Jan 28, 2018 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health, Winter
We all have those struggles when we finally get motivated enough to go outside either for a run, a bike ride, or a walk, and we encounter hills! Some hills are worse than others, but they all present different challenges. Personally, I like hills. They are a great way to work on leg strength, and they definitely build confidence. If you can take on hills, then you feel like you can take on anything. The other important point: What goes up, must come down! Life has its ups and downs too! Sarah and I were out in Deadwood these last few days for our annual Family Medicine Conference. It was held at The Lodge. For those of you familiar with this place, it sits on top of a hill…more like a mountain! So no matter what direction you take off for a run, you are going to encounter big hills. We went on our usual 4 mile run. The first mile is all up, then the second mile all down, turn around, and come back. That 3rd mile coming up I think we needed a rope! We had to stop twice because our lungs and legs were definitely burning! It was a workout. Sarah is looking at me as we are climbing, and wondering: What the Hill???
This is what we were looking at!
The next shots are each of us as we continue to climb up hill…again, more like up mountain!
This next shot is what greeted us at the top of the first mile.
The road was named “Moon Mountain”! How appropriate! Hills truly are a good thing. You definitely work harder when you are running, or walking/biking them. Many people fear them. Just think of them as opportunities to prove to yourself that you are stronger than you think! Don’t think of them as hills…think of them as “mounds of opportunities”!
Life has its times when there are ups and down. Things are not always pleasant, but when you get done “climbing” some of those obstacles in your life, you feel better about things, and yourself. You feel like nothing can stand in your way. Bring it on! See the benefits hills can bring. I hear it all of the time when it comes to our annual Hospital Hill run itself. “Why do we have to do this hill?” “Why does the finish line have to be at the top of the hill?” REMEMBER: “Mounds of opportunities”! Hills build strength, character, and confidence. Don’t fear them…take them on! Challenge yourself! You will surprise yourself what you are capable of doing! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3770
by Dan | Jan 21, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Those early days seem a long time ago. I remember like yesterday the day my twin daughters were born. It was one of the happiest days of my life. My twins now are 23 years old…my how time flies! Those early days were so busy a lot of it is still a blur. These were our first kids, and we had no idea what we had gotten into. When people say they “fly by the seat of their pants”, how true this was. Every day was new. We also got a lot of attention wherever we went with them as well.
They were both always “hamming” it up for a camera, or other people. Much of this is still the same today! But one thing was for sure, Sarah and I still wanted to be active ourselves. The same was true then as it is today…we were going to stay as healthy as we could so we could spend more time with them. Many of those first days, one of us would run, or workout first, and then the other. But many of those times, we all went together. So we had to figure out how to have them included.
We bought a Burley at that time, and we could put them both in there, and then go running, walking, or biking with them. We all still got to spend time together, but we got to exercise as well. We set the tone right from the beginning…in this family, staying active was important, and we led by example…then, and now.
We would all spend time riding our bikes together. When we started the Hospital Hill run, now well over 20 years ago, the kids participated as well. They participated not only by running, or walking, but also setting up, and taking everything down. It became a family event every year.
The kids all went along to the marathons that I did as well. They were the top cheering section anybody could ever have!
They were there to support me, and cheer me on. I will never forget one of the marathons…Grandmas…when I was coming along mile 24, and just feeling like I had enough. I heard them cheering from the sideline, and I looked over, and almost lost it right there! I had no idea they had this planned out. Sarah had made T-shirts for the kids, and the front of them said one message, and the back said another. After I saw them, then they all turned around at the same time, and I will never forget it. This image is permanently burned into my brain. It remains today my favorite pictures, and memories!
They were cheering me on…being there for me. We tried to do this for them for all of their events as well when they were growing up. Next week I will have other pictures and a story about our recent half marathon we did together. Another event that will remain with me forever. A family that works out together, stays together…and hopefully has a lot of time that they get to spend together, making more memories. Keep moving everybody! Somebody out there wants you around a long time!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3770
by Dan | Jan 14, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It was a busy week last week, but a very fun one, and one that will go down in the books as a memory forever. Our family, except for Nick who had to stay back for school, and our second family, Steve and Carletta Hauck, and 2 of their kids, went to Orlando last week to take part in their Run Disney events. 4 days, 4 races, beginning with a 5K, then the second day a 10k, third day a half marathon, and the final day, a full marathon. You can pick and choose one or more, or all of them. Steve and I signed up for what is called the “Dopey Challenge”…you run all 4 events over the 4 days. The last time we did anything of this was 5 years ago, and we did the “Goofy Challenge”, which is the half marathon, followed by the marathon.
Steve and I were signed up to do the Dopey, but he hurt his knee and was unable to do this. He was able to “gut” it out, and he ran the 5k with me.
The weather was kind of a shock…28 degrees at the beginning of the 5k. The tough part of all of this was getting up at 2:15 AM every day, getting bused out to Epcot, which is where the start and finish of all of the races took place. Start time for the race was 5:30, and you are all assigned a corral to be in for the start. Between 20-25,000 people were in each race, and my daughters had never run a half marathon before, so we were assigned the last corral for all of the races. By being in the last corral, that meant we did not start the race until approx. 6:30 every day, so we had to stand outside for over 3 hours every day! That was harder than the run. Steve and I had a ball for the 5k, then I did the 10k myself the next day, and on Saturday, Sarah, my girls Molly and Megan, and our neighbors son Noah Hauck, all did the half marathon. Megan and Noah ran with me, and Molly ran with Sarah. It was a thrill! We got to run together, go through the them parks, high five all of the characters out on the route, and lots of pictures to be taken. Here are several:
We all had fun! I have always wanted to run races with my kids!!! Then, Sunday, it was time for the marathon…26.2 miles. I did not know how much I had left. I had already put in 22.4 miles in 3 days! Carissa Hauck, Steve and Carletta’s daughter, ran the marathon with me. She was very reluctant to do this, and her longest run had been 8 miles, done several months before this. She had never come close to running 26.2 miles at one time. She is in the military, stationed at Fort Bragg. She may not have been in running shape, but this kid is in incredible shape otherwise. If anybody was going to be able to do this, it was her. She ran with me from start to finish, and we picked up the pace as we went. Our second half was 10 minutes faster than the first half. We were on fire! So many people, so many things to do…I had not felt this good in a marathon ever! Here we are coming across the finish!
The medals were amazing. They all got one as they each ran one race. I got 6 medals! One for each of the 4 races, one for completing the Goofy, which was the half and full marathon, and one for the Dopey…doing all 4 races! People have asked me if I was crazy! How could I do this much at one time? What possessed me to do this? Why would anybody want to do this? It was called the Dopey Challenge…it was a challenge! It was a goal! I had never done this before. You never know as an individual what you are capable of doing. Several quotes stand out to me with this event: “It’s up to you how far you’ll go. If you don’t try, you’ll never know”. “You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them”. How true! The biggest thing out of all of this…I got to run with my kids, and my second family, and their kids. I have memories for a life time!
We all have memories for a lifetime! Bottom line, your only limitations are those you set for yourselves. If you think you can’t, you won’t. And if you think you can, anything is possible. The sky truly is not the limit…but your mind is! You can do this. No matter what your goal is, sometimes we all have to go out on a limb, and be a little “Dopey”…we don’t know what we are capable of until we try. Focus on your potential, not your limitations! Now Megan has told me she can’t wait to do another race with me. Nick is running in college, so when he gets done with school, I hope to run a race with him as well. If anything, my kids, and future grandkids, are going to know the importance of staying active, and living life to the fullest. Living life with adventures, challenges, setting goals…and they are even better when you have someone to do them with! This 4 days has to rank right up with some of the toughest I have ever done…and with the memories I have out of them, the run we had, I would not trade them for anything. Yes, I may be a little “Dopey”, but it was worth it. Find the “Dopey” that is hidden in all of us, and find out what you are really capable of doing. If you don’t start, you will never know. Put one foot in front of the other, and go! Strive to Survive! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan (aka “Dopey”)
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3763
