by Dan | Jul 3, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This Friday was the kickoff to the 4th of July weekend, and it started out with the Freedom 5K run, put on by DASH of Watertown. It was a great run, great weather, and here are the members of the Watertown Area Run Club who participated, along with the 2 up and coming members, the McElroy girls! It was a great event for friendly competition, fun, and spending time with friends.
Even though it was fun, the start can be intense in every race!
Every race has its moments, but again, all in fun. Here Sarah and I are getting are game faces on, especially when I told her she was “going down” in this race!
And we are off! It is fun watching the little kids take off…they go like there is no tomorrow, and then start fading fast. It is nice to see them out and trying though!
Even though Sarah and I can have some friendly competition, we are also best of friends! It is great that we both love doing this. It is a great way to spend time together. The start of the race was a mile from our house, so we walked over to it, ran the race, and walked back home. Lots of time for talking as well!
Another set of friends can relate. Two very good friends, and my nurses, one current, one from the past. Susan and Chris. They are sticking to it, backing each other up, and having a good time doing their running!
Way to go you two! Smiling and enjoying life! But that is what is great about friends. They are there when you need them, they have your back, and are someone you can count on…especially to go running or exercise with! So, whether Susan and Chris, Sarah and I, all of our Watertown Area Run Club members, or whoever, the important thing in life is your friends. Those are the people that matter in your life. They are the people who will miss you if you were gone! They are the people you can count on! Run on!
Friends are truly what matters in your life!
Now, just remember this weekend, with it being the 4th of July, the true meaning behind it is Freedom! We are lucky to have had people fight for our freedom in the past, and those who continue to do so for us. Because we have freedom, we are free to choose what we want to do, such as participate in fun runs, spending time with friends, and having fun.
Be thankful for what you have, and who you can spend time with! We have that freedom to choose. Enjoy the weekend…enjoy life…and all the adventures it can bring! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3201
by kelsey | Jun 29, 2016 | Etc.
With the 4th fast approaching you are most likely preparing for your holiday functions. Be sure to think about your menu and ways to make your food choices healthy, or at least have a few healthy options available! I am bringing a fruit bowl to our family gathering! Stay hydrated–the hot temps and indulgence of alcohol can cause dehydration so be sure to stock up on water and low cal electrolyte drinks such as G2 Gatorade. And get active! Look at ways to incorporate activity into your holiday gatherings–go for a walk or bike ride, go swimming, play yard games, etc. Make your holiday weekend a healthy and happy one! The Watertown DASH will be holding a 5k Freedom run on Friday night. The run starts at Jackson Park at Lake Kampeska and highlights much of our beautiful trail. If you’re looking to start your weekend off in a healthy way, be sure to click the link below for more details and get signed up! We wish you all a Happy 4th of July! Thank you to our military men, women, and families for preserving our freedom!
http://www.allsportcentral.com/EventInfo.cfm?EventID=61903
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jun 26, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There are all kinds of fun runs/walks during the year, and especially during the Summer, to be able to participate in. It is also a time when you can include your friends, or family, and have fun with it…or maybe even show how tough you can be getting ready for it. Here Molly, Nick and I are getting ready for the Fargo 5k in May. Sometimes though, we just need to convince ourselves that we can do it.
If we can convince our minds, our bodies can handle it! I had to keep talking Molly through it that night as well…to help convince her that she still could do it.
We all need some extra support sometimes…to help us realize what we are capable of doing…to help get past our fear of the unknown. It was great running a 5k with my daughter! There have been several other events so far this Summer…just last week we did the Race for Chase…a 10 mile race where you have a 2 person team. One person rides a bike, one person runs. You have to start together, and finish together, and you can trade off biking and running whenever you want…but you both are covering 10 miles. Sarah was my team mate. We won our age group category! Here is a group of some of the people participating.
It was a good time…and something different to do. Of course, I had to have a little fun along the way and hold up a trophy (which we did not win!) before hand as I was giving some of the other people who are on our run club a challenge as to who was going to get it!
Of course we also had the Hospital Hill Run. Another great turnout for our 20th anniversary. Here is everybody at the start this year.
Here is a good example when it comes to all of the events: You need to have the courage to start! Everything in life has obstacles, but those obstacles were meant to overcome. If you don’t push yourselves, you will have no idea how far you can go. You have to start in order to finish! Once you finish, you will be looking for more challenges…more experiences…more adventures!
You just have to remember it does not have to be a competition against somebody else. It can be a competition with yourself though…a competition to show yourself what you are capable of. What are you made of? How are you able to overcome challenges in your life?…Setbacks in your life?…Difficulties in your life? Are you going to be able to push through and create and experience new adventures in your life? You might actually like it too! For many of us, wouldn’t that be a surprise? I have talked about Dr. George Sheehan in the past…the cardiologist who helped promote the running boom in the 1970’s. He was wise beyond his years! What a great summary to keep in mind for all of us!
Convincing ourselves is the challenge…and if we convince our minds, we are half way there! Don’t worry what somebody else may think…worry about what you are going to think! Take care of yourself, and have great adventures along the way. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3194
by kelsey | Jun 21, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Food
With the 4th of July right around the corner, you may be busy making plans with friends and family which always involves planning a menu. Summer gatherings are known for picnics and outdoor eating, and often times food safety is overlooked. One small mistake of food safety can result in foodborne illness and sicken your whole crew. Here are some tips to avoid foodborne illness.
1) Wash your Hands: many times foodborne illness can be avoided by simply practicing proper hand washing techniques. Be sure to wash your hands before cooking, after handling raw meat, and before eating. If running water is not available, bring hand sanitizer and rub it all over your hands, inbetween fingers, and around your nails.
2) Use sealed containers for packing your coolers: If juices from raw meats drip into your cooler and mix with other items, it creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grown. Use ziplock or sealed tight containers for packing your goods. If running water isn’t available, be sure to wash your produce before you leave home!
3) Avoid cross-contamination: bring two sets of utensils and plates to avoid cross contamination. One set for the raw food and one set for the cooked food.
4) Use a good cooler: Make sure your cooler is up to par for keeping your foods cool and be sure to leave enough room (1/4) of it for ice, ice packs, etc. Pack cool and hot foods separately and be sure to use your thermometer to check the temperature of the cooler throughout the day. Temperatures should be under 40 degrees.
5) Dont’ let food sit out: The danger zone for bacteria growth is between 40 and 140 degress F. Bacteria can double in a matter of 20 minutes when in this zone. Do not let any food sit out for more than 2 hours and if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees F, food should only sit out for an hour. Be especially mindful of meats, salads made with a mayo base, and anything dairy.
6) Use a thermometer: Meats needs to be cooked to certain temperatures to ensure doneness and eliminate bacteria. Hamburger must be cooked to 160 degrees F and chicken- 165 degrees F. If you are unsure of what temp your meat should be cooked to, please refer to this chart: http://homefoodsafety.org/cook
Enjoy and be safe!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jun 19, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There were lots of fun times spent with the kids growing up. A lot of these memories start flooding back when I go looking through all of the pictures. Everybody here was so proud of the fish they caught. The kids always came with us when we went to go run races too.
Here are my twins one year after doing Grandma’s marathon. It was great having your own cheering section along the route. As they got older, I returned the favor by cheering them on at all of their sport events. It was just as much fun watching them as it was participating in the events myself. As a Dad, it was fun watching them evolve and change, and grow up!
They are all in college now…where has the time gone! That is what makes pictures such a treasure…you can always look back and feel like you were right back at that moment again. Forever a treasure.
Many of us can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad! Things may not always go as planned, and life throws a lot of curve balls, and problems along the way. At times there always seemed to be something more stressful that had to be worked on. That is where the exercise came into play. It was an escape valve. A way to unload some of that pressure, blow off some steam…just have time to think.
But, what I think was more important about being a Dad, especially for my kids, was to see how Sarah and I got along. When they see how much we care for each other, and do things for each other…there is no stronger bond. Lead by example. You can say anything you want, but if you don’t show it with your actions, it means nothing.
Parents set the tone for the kids…mom and dad both! If you don’t work as a team, nothing gets done, or at least not done very well. The kids bought us tickets to go on an adventure…Chanhassen to go see a play, Beauty and the Beast, followed the next night to a Twins game. This was our Mother and Father’s day present from them. It was great.
Here Sarah is at the play. It was a great gift!
Father’s Day now leave a gap with me since my Dad passed away 1 1/2 years ago. Maybe time will continue to heal, but not yet. It is a tough day for me. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him!
But, I have lots of memories to keep looking back at! There were lots of things he taught me as well, and led by example. It takes a special individual to really be a Dad!
Hopefully I have been doing this for my kids…at least trying! We all make mistakes. That is what makes life an adventure. Things are never predictable, and it is always easier to come up with the right way to do things once the problem or issue is over. Trying to do it right at the time is what is hard. I still have my mom to bounce things off of, but there are still times when I wish I could still ask my Dad for advice.
Miss you Dad! Everybody else have a good Father’s Day…remember why we have these days. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3187
