Counting Steps Adds Up!

Since getting my Nike+ Fuel band watch, I have been keeping track of my daily steps.  It makes a big difference when you where this, and then go run a marathon.  Wow! 

At roughly 2000 steps/mile, you can see what kind of mileage this leads too.  With the cold spell hitting here right now, even though it was hot and humid at the Disney marathon, I really appreciate it more now.  I would rather put up with the heat versus the cold.  Sometimes, you just have to go back and relook at things to remind you of those better weather days as well.

Looking back at how things looked then, when it is cold here, brings back those memories quickly, and can still fire you up to get motivated.  Anytime we go somewhere warm during the winter, this helps keep your attention, and remind you of those fun times.  It sure helps keep me going!  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1954

 

Disney Half Marathon

Sarah competed in the Half Marathon at the run Disney weekend.  She did a great job!  Here she is coming through Epcot.  Originally were told that there were 39,000 people registerd for this, but 23,126 finished.  Sarah finished in 45th place for her division, and 484 for female finishers.  She came in at 1:55:57, and her goal was again to break 2 hours.

She is coming across the finish line here, with all of the confetti on the ground.  She too had a great time, and wants to do it again next year.

Here she is proudly displaying her medal for finishing!  It is great when you can accomplish your goals, and then get a medal to show for it as well.  It was great the rest of the time we were in Disney, because all of the finishers for the half marathon and marathon wore their medals each day while at the theme parks, all grinning ear to ear, and proud of what they had accomplished.  It made the moment even bette!  Keep working on your goals, whatever they may be.  No goal is too small or too big, as long as you make it for you!  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1947

 

Disney Marathon Finish

Here Steve and I are following the marathon showing off our medals.  It was very warm and humid, but we had a great day!  Steve finished his first marathon, and is now ready to take on some more.

Here we are coming up to the finish line, raising our arms in celebration.  It has been a year long of training, and getting ready for this day.  There is no feeling like coming across the finish line at this point.

Of course, after all of that work, we needed to celebrate a little bit, and get some calories put back in.  The reward for all of the work!

It goes to show, if you set a goal, and stay focused, you can achieve it.  It always helps when somebody else is there to help push and motivate along the way.  We accomplished it, and are ready for the next goal.  Stay tuned as I show off some other pictures, and stories from the marathon, and events of the weekend.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day#:  1940

Run Disney or Bust!

We are taking off for Orlando tomorrow.  Some good friends are coming with us to take in the Run Disney Half Marathon/Marathon this weekend.  Their daughter Carissa and Sarah are running the half marathon on Saturday, and Steve Hauck and I are running the marathon on sunday.  Steve and I have become good training partners this past year.  We originally were going to do Fargo in May, and Steve had health issues and we had to shut him down.  I posted on this earlier last year.  Well, now he is healthy, and we are ready to take on his first marathon.  They will be cheering loud for us, and know where we are from when we are wearing these shirts that day.

It has been a lot of work, and we are ready to take this on, and our families are ready too!  The only goal of this marathon for me is get my training partner across the finish line.  That is our first goal.  A secondary goal is to break 4 hours.  Regardless of our time, the journey has been a lot of work, but it has been a lot of fun.  When you go through this with someone, you start creating a bond that can last forever.  When it comes to our health, everything else should be secondary. 

Like the back of our shirts say, Success–A Journey, not a Destination.  This whole training plan has been a journey, and adventure.  We will finish our marathon this sunday, but by no means will it be our final destination.  Steve will accomplish his goal of finishing his first marathon, but the running will go on.  It will be an end to a chapter to this story, but the beginning of another.  Take care of your health.  You don’t always get second chances.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1932

Nike+Fuelband–Great Christmas Present!

I got a great Christmas present from Sarah this year.  The Nike+fuelband watch.  It calculates how many calories you are burning while doing activity, counts how manysteps you take, and can even be used as a regular watch.

Here it shows how many steps I took on this particular day.  It attaches to your computer by USB, and you can register it to yourself, with your weight, height, and age.  You can keep connecting to the computer and it will continue to keep a log/journal of your activities–steps taken, calories burned, on a daily basis.

You can have it set for different goals, and once you achieve them, it lets you know that you have made it that day.  It is a great way to keep track of all the activity you do for the day.  You can use when you are actually doing exercise, or wear it all day long so you have an idea just how many steps you actually take in a regular day.  Very convenient, and useful.  You are doing walking everyday, why not count it besides!  Keep moving everybody!

Maybe this will help me actually keep track of the number of consecutive days.  Somewhere in the last 2 months I started going backwards instead of forwards, and have been listing the days 100 less than it should have been.  My consecutive days should actually as of today be 1928.  Now to keep track more closely as I go.

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1928

New Year’s Resolutions

Here is a recent photo of scenery here in SD when the trees are all frosted.  When you have scenery like this, it makes it much easier to get outside and exercise.  This is the last day of 2012.  Time to start getting our plans prepared on how we are going to help take care of ourselves, and be healthier and more active going into 2013.  I just recently talked about maintaining your focus.  Every once in a while you can look at the big picture to see how you are doing, but along the way, you may have to focus on some of details.

Those details can offer a lot of assistance in helping to overall keep us on track.  Just remember, don’t get overly hung up on the small details.  We have to find that blend between each detail, and the overall picture.  At this time of year, you can’t focus solely on the weather.  You just need to get out and get going.  If we waited for the perfect day, we would never get started.  So along the way, occasional look at the details, but stay focused on the big picture.  In the long run, you will be much happier, and hopefully, be more healthy as a result.  Happy New Years eve, and keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1822