by Dan | Jun 9, 2013 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
The Watertown Area Running Club began again this AM. We are meeting at Jackson Park starting at 7AM on Sunday mornings. If you are free, please join in. Mileage can range anywhere from a few miles, to 6 or more miles. People can run at the pace they want, and as far as they want. It is meant to be more of a social gathering, so don’t let the thought of this scare you off. We may have other locations where we start change as the summer goes on, but for now, will leave here at Jackson Park. Please leave a message if you would like to join, or email me at dansar4@iw.net if you want to be notified of changes, or different plans as we expand on this over time. Otherwise, just show up! It is meant for getting out to exercise, and no pressure. Join us! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2083
by Dan | May 15, 2013 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
The Fargo marathon and half marathon are this saturday. The time is now…the nerves are building, the excitement, anxiety building…what will the weather be like? Did I do enough to get ready? Above all…Remember to have FUN! There will be a large group of “Watertownians” there this weekend, and a lot of us are meeting friday night to have some good food. Jill, Jackie, Steve A, Tim, Tracy, Holly, Beth, Megan, Tom and Sue, Steve H and Carletta, and Sarah and I. “Gettin’ ready for a good time!” This morning when I went out for a short run, the double rainbow was staring right at me…I had to quit go back in the house to get the camera, as it was all done in about 10 min.
Now, I don’t know if there is actually a “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow, but it was sure cool to look at. It made for a great, relaxing run. Just time to think. Maybe today this meant I was going for my goals, that I had worked hard to get ready for this day coming on saturday. The biggest joy of all of this is I run because I can! Many people cannot. Sometimes for those of us who do run, we get more worried about our times, when we should be realizing what we really are getting out of all of this. We run because we like it. It does not really matter our time. We made the effort to go for this goal, and it is coming soon. I felt really relaxed running seeing this before hand. Maybe the marathon should have been today…I think I would have been flying!
So, to all of my fellow Watertown friends going this weekend…Good Luck! Be safe! Have fun! This is what it is all about. Don’t make this another stress to have in your life. Enjoy it for what it is. Relax, and go show YOURSELF how YOU can do, because YOU are the ones who put in all the work! Good Luck!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2058
by Dan | May 5, 2013 | Exercise, Goals, Wellness/Health
Attention everyone! Here is an application for the Hospital Hill Run/Walk 2013. They are also located at the clinics, the rec center, and Prarie Lakes Hospital website. Come join the fun. Whether you are a serious competitor, or out for fun, it does not matter. It is a good social event as well. Proceeds are going to go for the Caring Club House, and a portion of this will go to Park and Rec for upkeep on the bike trail, which the majority of us use. Hope to see you there!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2048
by Dan | Apr 16, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
As a finisher of 8 marathons, soon to be doing the 9th in Fargo next month, where do you start to describe the scene near the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday? At first, shock, disbelief. Then denial–afterall, how could someone possibly do this? Now today, anger. The whole spectrum of emotions. A lot of these same emotions you experience when you are actually running a marathon. You start off excited, overjoyed, and can’t wait to get started. You are just soaking up the entire atmosphere, relishing in the fact of how hard you have trained to get ready for this event. It is fun, but make no mistake, it is work! After awhile, you get into a groove, and are just running. Somewhere along mile 15, fatigue starts entering into the picture. A little anxiety creeps in, and then as you get further into it, somewhere around mile 20-21, you start to get worried. The exhaustion starts setting in, and you begin to wonder “am I going to be able to finish?” Panic starts to set in, and you keep telling yourself, remember all of the work I have put into this, the hours running, and you are telling yourself “yes, I can do this!” You start to get within a half mile of the finish line, and you are fired up. The end is near. It is so close, it is like you can taste it. You approach the finish line, and everybody is out there, cheering you on, your family is out in the crowd, yelling your name. They have stood behind you always, and in particular, this last many months as you are training for this. You have trained to feel the joy and overwhelming emotion of crossing the finish line. You have done it! 26.2 miles! You start being overcome with emotions…tears come, exhaustion has reached its max, and you are happy and thrilled that you have completed your goal. Here is Steve and I as we finished the Disney marathon this January…the look of exhaustion on us, the emotions of tears starting on Steve’s face. No other words to describe it.
Now…go to yesterday afternoon. The shock, fear, chaos, all of this happening just before the finish line. You are overwhelmed with emotions already from running, and now several bombs are going off…your family who is out there to see you and cheer you on, are now hurt. Now to make matters worse, they held off all of these other runners back from the area…they no longer can finish when they are this close, and they have no idea if members of their family are ones that are hurt. Now talk about undescribable emotion! Where do you even begin? The race no longer matters…it is now about your family, and other peoples family who are hurt. How can an activity that can bring so much overpowering joy and emotion, become so devastating in the blink of an eye.
Running the Boston Marathon has been on my bucket list for the last 21 years. I have never qualified for it. I have never been able to run in it. This does not mean I still don’t want to. I could run it as a member of the medical team, but I have always wanted to run because I earned it. That does not mean any marathon, or other race I run, I would not help someone who needed medical help. That is a given…I would just do without thinking. This is what one running physician did yesterday. He was approaching the finish line when the bomb went off…he never crossed the line. He turned around and began helping whoever he could. One of the interviews on TV I saw say he was covered in blood, and someone asked him if he was hurt. His response, “I am a doctor, and I just want to help”. Nothing else matters at that point. It is no longer about a race. It is about life. Remember these runners, and their families going forward. I may not have been running Boston, and I may not have qualified for Boston, but I am still a runner…and if I have anything to say about it, I always will!
Keep moving everybody! Keep these Boston people in your thoughts and your hearts.
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2029
by Dan | Apr 7, 2013 | Exercise, Goals, Wellness/Health
The snow is getting less and less all of the time (we won’t talk about the upcoming forecast though!). Soon, we will be able to have full access to all of the bike trails here in town. For the Watertown Initiative, H20-20, (also symbolic for the consecutive exercise day for me today!) I am chairman of the Watertown Bike Trail Systems committee. I would take any input anybody would have as to ideas of how to improve the trails.
The city gets so much funding each year, and is able to set aside only so much each year, for upkeep, re-paving, and development of future trails in the city. Their is a plan in place to continue adding onto the existing trail over the next 5 years. In the meantime, we would like to know what else could be done. Signs, such as distance markers, bench seats, bike racks, port a potties, drinking fountains, bike rental stations, or anything you can think that would be of benefit out on the trail. This goes for everybody…walkers, runners, and bikers.
How can we help maintain the bike trails? Can we have sections where individual, or group volunteers, are in charge of keeping the trail clean: picking up garbage, sweeping the trail to keep glass and garbage off, and to help keep it safe for everyone to use. This also could include more drop points of having garbage cans around to dispose of the garbage. Get your thinking caps on. This trail system benefits us all in Watertown. We have a great trail system, and want to continue to maintain the current system, plus continue to develop more trails, particularly around the lake. Any suggestions would be of benefit.
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2020
by Dan | Mar 24, 2013 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Click below to hear Dr. Dan’s “surprise” on KXLG’s morning show.
Day/2K KXLG Radio Show
Wednesday this week I went to the radio station, KXLG, to do what I thought was going to be a talk on our wellness program, Strive 2 Survive. Instead, it turned out to be a “set-up celebration” to recognize the 2000 days of consecutive exercise I have done. This was originally to be on monday, which was the actual 2000th day, but with the snow storm we had, I rescheduled because I could not get there. I did not know this was planned.
Sarah was there, after leaving earlier than me that morning, telling me she had to go to the hospital to do rounds first. Very nice surprise! It was great having her there. Afterall, if it was not for her, I would not have been able to stay on task to do the exercise. Thank you Sarah!
Here is the rest of the group…co-workers, friends, training partners, and radio station employees. A special thanks goes to Carol Zillgitt at KXLG radio station, who planned all of this, made the Tshirt, and worked with Barb at the clinic to get all of the set up. Very nice surprise! Thanks to all of you, especially to you Carol!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2006
