by Dan | Dec 9, 2018 | Equipment, Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Well, it is now 2 weeks without running, and I honestly have not noticed anything different with my foot. I was hoping it would be around 4 weeks to get back to running, but may be more like 6 weeks or more now. I have to say, I am learning a ton with swimming, and maybe deep down this is what it was going to take in order to get me to swim better. I am taking a page out of my daughter Megan’s blog…swimming through life. She talks about her adventures, struggles, and accomplishments through her blog, and through swimming, like I do with running. But now the table is turned. I gave her pointers with her blog, and with her running, now she is giving me motivation and tips on swimming. I get a lot out of reading her blog as well, and would highly recommend it to everybody else as well! The aspect about swimming that is so foreign to me is the total concentration it takes for the timing of my breathing in conjunction with the arm stroke, and leg kicking. It is definitely all about timing. It is getting easier, and I am hoping as time goes, I won’t have to think so much about while swimming. That is what is so enjoyable about running…I don’t have to think about running, I can think about everything else in my life, and come up with solutions during that workout. I am like Forrest Gump…”I just like to run!”
It has been 2 weeks now, and I have swam 3 days a week. When I first started, I could not get across to the other side without stopping. I was in a hurry, and could not relax. Jason has been telling me and telling me, the whole thing is to relax, and go slower, and in the long run, you will become much more efficient. How true! My total distance the first day was 350 yards, and 3/4 of that was using fins! This last Thursday I could make it to the other side 8 times now without stopping, each of them one at time, and made it a total of 800 yards for the morning! It is coming. I am making progress each day. I still am constantly thinking of every movement, and the timing of my breathing, so by the time I am done and I am physically and mentally drained.
I am shortening the time I have at each end to rest. How many times I would hear from my daughter, and other people who swim, that running to them makes them feel “like a fish out of water”. Now I can safely say I feel “like a runner in the water”. They are completely different sports. Each takes practice. That is why I always tell people the best activity to do is the one you like to do, as that is the one you will stick with. No differences here either! For me, though, swimming is a lot like dealing with the struggles that come up each and every day. You have to keep focused, you have to concentrate. If you let your guard down, things start to fall apart, and you struggle. That is also what is great about Megan’s blog as well. I helped her come up with the title of “Swimming through life”, but she writes everything else. At this time, I am swimming through life, and can’t wait until I can get back to running through life again. With swimming, because you have to slow down, and relax, that is really what life should be like. It does not have to be this “hurry up” pace, and see “how fast can things get done”. Injuries in and of themselves are depressing, but you can learn other things from them. Take advantage of those opportunities when they come with the positives that they can bring. We always can learn something new. That does not mean it will be easy, and come naturally. But don’t give up! Keep “swimming” or “running” through life, just make sure you enjoy the adventure along the way.
Sarah has been coming with me to the pool at least once a week too. She does not like the water, so for her to do this, is great. It is another 45-60 minutes I get to workout with her, and spend time together.
Here she is by a bunch of the different type of equipment we can use to help get down some of those swim strokes. They really are helpful. The only way though that I/we are going to get any better swimming is getting in the water. So here is to “swimming through life”, one day at a time! Keep moving everybody, and never give up on yourself!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4092
by Dan | Dec 2, 2018 | Equipment, Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
The recovery from injury continues. I thought I was just dealing with plantar fasciitis, but the pain was getting worse. So on MondayI had an x-ray taken, and sure enough, I have a calcaneal stress fracture. A stress fracture is a tiny crack in the bone, usually due to overuse, but it is still a fracture. I can tolerate walking, but no pounding from running or jumping. If I still had a lot of pain walking, I would have to be on crutches. I still have plantar fasciitis as well, but progressed also to a stress fracture.
The pain on the side of the heel is what was getting worse, and the Turkey Day 5k tipped me over the edge. I was limping for the next 3 days, so that is why I decided to get the x-ray. I cannot run for 4-6 weeks, and then will re-x-ray, and go from there. For someone whose favorite sport is running, this is very tough for me. Wednesdays and Sundays are gonna be the toughest. Those are the days run club meets for runs, and I cannot go. These run club days are not just about running, but they are a very important social time. It is forcing me to learn how to swim. No longer can I use the “Reiffenberger stroke” during the triathlon…stand up and run like hell! Some of the guys from run club meet multiple times a week to swim, so that is helping me get pushed out the door. Jason has been great with tips on swimming, and telling me about some you tube videos to help teach swimming, so I am learning about how to do this better. The first picture, and the next one, were me swimming this Summer in a mini-triathlon.
My stroke may not be too bad, but my head is not in the water! This is such foreign territory to me. I do not have to think about breathing while I run or bike, but I have to think about breathing with every stroke swimming. This injury is finally forcing me to get into the pool more often, and truly learn how to do it right. In the long run, this will be good for me. I am realizing already that even though I have not made it a full week off yet, how much I miss running!
The Wellness Center pool is great to go to, and for those of you who swim, or want to learn to swim better, take advantage of this. The only way things are going to improve is by doing it. I am eating my own words as I type this all out. I am just not a swimmer. My daughter Megan is a swimmer, and if I could swim half as well as her, there would be no stopping me. She is learning to run more, so I guess I can learn to swim. I can keep my exercise streak going as well. So bottom line, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright!” Make no mistake, running is still my favorite sport…and always will be! I have to keep referencing my son’s shirt that he has. It pretty much sums it up!
Yep! Not running sucks! I have to find other alternatives instead of running. So besides swimming, I am on the stationary bike, and have been all this week. Next week I will try alternating with the elliptical. It still has more of a running motion, but not as much direct pounding. I purposely laid off of it this week to try and really let this calm down.
If nothing else it is teaching me to be patient. There are other alternatives of doing exercise, and ones that can be done when you are injured. Just because of an injury does not necessarily mean you can’t do anything. That would just be another excuse. We all otherwise have plenty of excuses not to exercise. It is time to come up with excuses to exercise, including different ways of performing exercise. In the long run it will make me appreciate running even more. To all of my run club friends…hold down the fort while I am unable to be there. I may not be there physically, but I am definitely there in spirit, and wishing I was! Keep going. Just remember, even on those cold days, wind blowing, rainy or snowy days, even a bad day running is better than not running. I would trade any of this to be back out running with all of you. Hopefully I will continue to stay in running shape so I can pick up where I left off. And…learn how to swim in the process. We all have things we don’t know, or need to learn about, so take advantage of those times when they come. Things happen for a reason. Keep your head up…in this case with swimming, keep my head down…and keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4085
by Dan | Nov 25, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
With the Thanksgiving holiday this past Thursday, it was a good time to reflect back on all of the things to be thankful for. Friends, family, fun, food…doing activities that a fun, just to name a few. So on Thanksgiving, it was time again for the annual Turkey Day 5k run/walk. Even though I am dealing with an injury, I decided to run, but would take it slow. Tom is recovering from an injury as well, so we decided to run together. It was again great just to be out and run with my long time training partner/friend! We did not set any records, but we had a good talk for 34 minutes while we were running…and were just happy to be able to cross the finish line.
I can never not mention all of the good food this time of year. Turkey with all the other traditional foods that go along with it, is my favorite meal! It was great! Our motto on Thanksgiving: Before you can stuff your face, your have to finish the race!
Here Sarah is coming across the finish line. Molly and her fiancée Tanner were in Marsahll, MN running the Turkey run there. It is becoming a family tradition…in this family, you get to exercise, and eat well!
Tom and I got to run another race together. Thursday was not about time though…it was about spending time together, both recovering, or in the process of trying to recover, from injuries. The fact that we even got to run made an even more memorable day. We ran together from start to finish. Our time was irrelevant. Tom was hoping during the run we would not be last. I reminded him that the day was not about our time. Nobody else was in our shoes, just like we were not in theirs. We had a social run together, once again just shooting the crap talking while out for a run. Those are the days to remember. Our times are not important!
We once again got to run and hang out with a bunch of friends, old and new. All of these people came into our lives because of running. Incredible!
Of course, I got to run another race with my Sarah! Running brought us together some 30 years ago, and to then be married over 28 years ago. Running has been a big part of our lives, and will continue to be as long as we are alive. The memories keep building, and I would not trade any of them! Start making memories for yourself! Make events like these a new tradition for you, and in the process, help take care of yourself to be around longer to enjoy all of the things in life. Give thanks to what you have now, and what you have to look forward to later…new adventures, new friends, new races…new memories! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4078
by Dan | Nov 18, 2018 | Equipment, Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There is no question, my favorite sport for me to participate in is running. I do other exercises at different times just to help break things up a little, but end up doing more of these different activities whenever I am dealing with a running injury. One of those times is now. You start to realize how important your feet our for every day things, not just running. It is a continuous reminder all day long when your feet are hurting.
I have always tried to get good running shoes, and change them out frequently. Now I am trying some different brand shoes to see if this will be any better. Right now I am dealing with plantar fasciitis in both feet. The left foot I can contend with, the right one has been a pain, literally, now for the past 2 months. I have to get to the point where I have to take a break from running. Even if I only do our Wednesday and Sunday run club 4 mile runs, I am limping for the next 2 days. I guess my body is trying to tell me something.
For those of you who don’t know what plantar fasciitis is, this picture shows where it hurts. It is a disorder of the connective tissue of your arch, which supports your foot. It results in pain I the heel and bottom of the foot, and is usually the worst first thing in the morning when you get up. The causes are not really well known. It is believed to result from overuse, long standing or doing a lot of exercise, or in my cases, doing a lot of races. I ice, massage, wear night splints, better arch supports for my everyday shoes, different running shoes…I just have to give it a rest from actual running.
These are some of the different night splints I have been using. It keeps my arch stretched during the night so it won’t be so sore when I first step on it in the morning. They do help, but I guess I need more help with patience!
I have been on my elliptical and bike more because it puts lets strain on my foot. I have to try and get going on swimming as well…I am just trying to convince myself I don’t have to resort to swimming, but I am starting to realize I am losing this battle! I want to get back to running, and I suppose now in the Winter time is a better time if I have to back down things. The other activities get boring, and is harder to motivate to use. I am keeping my exercise streak intact though…it will take a lot more than this to bring that to an end. I want to get back on the “racing circuit” with Sarah and the rest on run club. I am still planning on doing the Turkey Day 5K…slow…then recover again after. Will see how it goes. It is not fun staying back from running when you see other people, especially your friends, out running, and you can’t be with them! To all my friends in run club…keep holding down the fort. I have to take a break for awhile, but guarantee will be back, and ready to go again. We have all had to deal with injuries at one time or another, and they are always tough. Running and exercising are tough, but not doing it is even worse! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4071
by Dan | Nov 11, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Last week I wrote about my training partner and friend, Tom. This week it is time to talk about some other training partners/friends. It was a busy week this past week for several members of our run club. Erika and Jill went with Amanda to New York City where Amanda was registered to run the NYC Marathon! She was going to run as a representative for Team FARA…Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance. Many of us did the Twin Cities Marathon a year ago where 21 of us from Watertown were running for Team FARA. Several people have FA in Watertown, and were raising money for them. I have written several times on this in the past. But this time, Amanda was going to run alone.
Several of us were in Denver several weeks prior to that running the Rock n Roll Half Marathon representing Team FARA. It was a great time, and a great way to run a race together. But again, Amanda was going to run the marathon on her own.
Jill and Erika were helping her to get fired up for this. It is a challenge running a race, much less a marathon, on your own. There is no question it is great having people cheer along the way, but it gets tough keeping the concentration with running that far on your own. She was getting into it though!
She was running mainly to represent and raise money for Team FARA, and here she is posting her wish on the wall.
Here is a close-up. I have to laugh as well…of course she added world peace to her list as well! Keep the faith Amanda!
She not only did a great job raising money and awareness for Team FARA, but she also ran a personal record…on her own…and qualified for the Boston Marathon with her time of 3:31:17! For those of you who don’t know, the Boston Marathon is a goal all of us runners would dream of running in. You have to have a qualifying time to do this, meaning somewhere you had to run a marathon fast enough to achieve this. Personally, I have tried 16 times, and have not gotten a qualifying time. It takes a lot of work, dedication, concentration, and I think, incredible effort. Not only did she run this on her own, but qualified for Boston! I am still in awe Amanda! It is incredible beyond words. You accomplished your goal of representing Team FARA, and topped it off with your long term goal of being able to go to the Boston Marathon. You ran 18 minutes faster than your previous best marathon! Incredible! Our run club is a close group here. We were all cheering and following you from back here, besides Jill and Erika being in New York with you following, and waiting at the finish line for you!
Our run club had our signs up that morning cheering you on. But what sums up that concept I talked about last week about training partners…friends…was Jill waiting for her at the finish!
This one needs no words to describe! No words to describe the friendship that comes from our running group. We are all there for each other. A memory for a lifetime! Another member of our run club, Cory, ran the Twin Cities Marathon last month, on his own. We were all cheering from back here, and following along. He ran a personal best as well, and the rest of us could not have been happier for him! We all run together…train together…spend time together. The emotions that go along with all of this is hard to describe unless you are part of it. Anybody is always welcome to join us as well. Lifelong exercise…lifelong friends…lifelong memories! What are your goals? What memories do you want to make? It truly is up to you! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4064
by Dan | Nov 4, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There have been a lot of memories coming back these last few weeks, some bad, but mostly good. I also found as I was going through some of my things at home I ran across the newsletter that Prairie Lakes Hospital puts out, and this one was dated back in 2002. The article was “The Road to Boston” and it was about my training partner, and friend, Tom Beaudry. Reading that article brought a lot of happy things to mind of those days we were training to try and qualify for the Boston Marathon. It also brought up some issues in relation to running, and injuries. Tom and I were training together for Grandma’s Marathon, which was June of 2001. A week before the marathon, I tore my arch in my foot, the plantar fascia. Many of us may have had issues with pain in our arch, called plantar fasciitis, but that particularly year I actually tore mine. I tore it a week before Grandma’s marathon. I was devastated. Tom and I were both wanting to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Now I was hoping I was just going to be able to run. It was the 25th Anniversary of Grandma’s marathon, and I decided I was going regardless. Qualifying for Boston was no longer in the cards for me, but it was very much a reality for Tom. He did it! I still managed to come in at 3 hours and 48 minutes, but I was off by 28 minutes for a qualifying time. Tom came in at 3:24:36, and he needed a 3:25! This picture is us at the finish line. Tom looks great…I look half dead! But we were both there, and we both had trained, and we were their for each other. Now Tom had to train to keep going to run Boston by April of 2002! I have more pictures to share of Tom at Grandma’s, and then portions of the story that are in quotes came from the article about Tom in the PLH newsletter.
For Tom, it was a dream come true! This was his Road to Boston! “Unlike my past marathons, when only a handful of people would even know I was going to run one, this marathon had me receiving good wishes from friends, other runners, fellow employees, physicians, and many people in the community. The Watertown Public Opinion called and wanted to do an article before I left and KSDR wanted a live interview after my return. The support was incredible, many of the people would say they now know someone who is running the Boston Marathon, it made that person and me feel good. I knew with all the encouragement I was getting that this was bigger than I initially thought.”
“During my long-training runs at home, Dr. Dan Reiffenberger would join me at mile 11 and the route was planned so we would end up at the base of 14th Avenue below the Tree Farm hill at mile 16.5 and then do multiple repeats three to four times up and down, and then go on to finish out 22 miles. I also incorporated that hill into my tempo and race pace workouts two other times each week. The hill work paid off in a big way, as I got stronger as the race went on.”
“My back 13.1 miles were faster than the first half, and I ran my third-fastest marathon. I qualified at Grandma’s Marathon in June 2001 with a time of 3:24:36 (7:49 pace per mile). My chip time in Boston was 3:32:23 (8:06 pace per mile), which I was happy with as this was intended to be a celebration run.” A celebration run it was! I have never qualified for Boston yet. Some day, maybe. But I could not have been happier for my training partner to accomplish this feat! To say it takes a lot of hard work is an understatement. He had his license plate changed to this:
Perfect! What brought all of these memories to light now? Tom sent me a picture that he has hanging in his office. He is getting ready to retire at the end of this year, and it brought up memories for him as well as he starts to get things organized of what will have to be moved.
I gave Tom this picture a year after that Boston run. We did the Twin Cities Marathon together. We have had many long runs together over these many years. And yes, Boston was always the carrot that tried to motivate us, but the real adventure, the real benefit out of all of those runs together…we got to talk! We learned a lot about each other. We became good friends…friends that loved to run! That was what was important out of all of this. It was not the actual time, or where the event was at, at those were all over in under 4 hours. It was the months and months of training together before each one. I believe Tom has done somewhere around 10-12 marathons, and I did my 16th in January this year. Every one of them taught us something different. We were just in Denver a few weeks ago to do the Rock N Roll Half Marathon with a bunch of other friends from our run club. Tom was there, but he could not run as he was injured. He was out there in the crowd cheering us all on, but something was missing. I did not have my long time friend out there running with me. Once again, I have plantar fasciitis, but at least it was not torn this time. I ran just to run, and to be with our other friends that were out there. We were running for another cause, Team FARA this time. But the bottom line cause we were running was to be with our friends, and when one of them is missing who is supposed to be out there, something is definitely missing. Over the years all of us on the run club have had injuries, and have missed time, and there is always something missing when they are not around. The really important part about running is not there…the friendship, the memories! That is what is important.
Here I am at Denver coming over to the sideline just before the start as we heard Tom and Sue cheering us on. I had to go over and give my training partner a high five for luck! Sarah and Jill are in the middle of the picture as we get ready to start. The three of us ran together from start to finish, and now we have memories to build on. I can’t wait for Tom to get back and join us! We will have more races, and someday I may get to Boston, but I would not trade it for any of our training runs where we had time to talk, learn about each other, figure life out, and get through all of its up and downs. All of us have something to teach each other as well, and here Tom and I discuss things after one of our Sunday runs.
Boy, talk about a lot of running knowledge in this picture! We have both learned from each other, and we realize there is always something else to learn from somebody else as well. Races come and go, but friends are forever!
Thanks for all of the memories over the years Tom! I am confident that we have a lot more memories to make. Right now we both need to heal up, and then figure out what adventure we want to take on next. “Success is a Journey, not a Destination”…one of my favorite quotes! Keep moving everybody! Run on!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4057
