by kelsey | May 30, 2012 | Goals
Watching my brother Micah run in the Buffalo Marathon was my second experience with cheering on a brother in a marathon. My oldest brother and his wife ran the Chicago Marathon a few years ago and we were there to support them as well. Both of these experiences have amazed me. Running a marathon or a half marathon is a huge accomplishment. For one it’s a HUGE time committment and of course involves a lot of determination, motivation, and strength to get through it! There are always going to be professional runners in these races, but there are also a lot of just every day people running for a cause, their own personal goal, or to just stay fit. One of the most amazing people we saw running was a woman in her 30s, who was pushing an adult male with disabilities in a stroller. So not only was she running herself, she was pushing the stroller! She was really amazing! Determination and motivation come from within and it takes some personal meditation and thinking to stay positive about your goals. Having cheerleaders and a support system are always going to help you be more successful but the first step is to believe in yourself and your capabilities. Self worth and a positive attitude are keys to being more successful. The easy way out is to give up or fall off the band wagon and in turn you start the cycle all over again. Staying positive with positive self talk and feelings will help you stay more determined and motivated.
As our STRIVE 2 Survive spring program wraps up next week, we will be celebrating with many of our participants, but at the same time, we’ll be coaching those who need a little more help to stay on track with their goals. Weight loss isn’t easy and the weight isn’t going to fall off in a day like we all want it to! Staying determined, motivated, and positive about your goals and your accomplishments will help you be successful in the long run. Celebrate each baby step along the way and before you know it you’ll be celebrating the bigger accomplishements!
Below is a picture of Micah just a few blocks from the finish line. He’s all smiles and giving us the thumbs up. This is what accomplishing your goals looks like and of course it takes a lot of determination to get there! In the end, the big goals like finishing a marathon or the little ones like reducing your pop intake, getting that 30 min of exercise in a day, or eating more fruits and vegetables are worth celebrating as well.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 29, 2012 | Goals
I have been trying to figure out how to write this post for about a month now. You have all heard from us about the importance of setting goals that are measurable, but what happens when you can’t fulfill them?! Usually that results in disappointment, giving up on yourself, and falling off the band wagon with wellness as a whole sometimes. Well the reality of goal setting became very real to me about a month ago. My older brother Micah decided to sign up for running the Buffalo NY marathon in January. His reasoning behind this big goal was that it was something he has always wanted to do, to help get him back in better shape, and of course (like many) to improve his health to be around a long time for his family. When I found out he signed up, it sparked my interest as I was needing a little kickstart to my exercise routine. I didn’t have much desire for running the full marathon, but I learned that the half runs the same course as the full and starts at the same time so I signed up for that.
I was super excited to train and bond with my brother during this experience. I was doing well with my training and celebrated many new personal records along the way, until I hit about 10 miles in my training and the chest pain ans shortness of breath came on. I have a congenital heart murmor that has never given me problems until now. Well I thought maybe it was the wind, the temperature, or the humidity, but everytime I tried to do my runs after that (no matter what the conditions were) the pain persisted and the shortness of breath would come on during the longer distances. I decided I better get checked out…and after many tests, Dr. Shah, PLH cardiologist politely told me, “what your mind wants to do and what your body is going to let you do are different.” At that moment, Dr. Shah confirmed I am never going to be able to engage in long periods of vigorous activity like running a marathon, biking long distances, etc due to my heart condition. Well it was an easy decision to not run because it’s really not worth going into cardiac arrest and dying from it, but it did challenge me personally as I was not going to meet my goal…and that doesn’t happen real often for me.
This last weekend, we cheered my brother on in the Buffalo Marathon and he did great! It was so much fun to be a part of his success. I have decided to adjust my goals and run in shorter races like 5 and 10k’s of which Dr. Shah thought would be better for me. This experience showed me how important reality is in setting goals. Even though I follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly, running a half marathon was not in my cards. This applies to many other goal setting principles. When setting goals, you need to think about what’s most realistic and achievable for you and your body and your capabilities. Many times, I’ll have patients look at the BMI chart and say, wow…the last time I weighed that was in high school and they are now in their 50’s. Well obviously that weight is not realistic, so let’s compromise and meet in the middle.
Life is about give and take and prioritizing…. and we are here to help you with that! Our whole STRIVE 2 Survive team really makes efforts to practice what we preach in efforts to be good role models for our patients and participants and we are human just like you which does include bumps along the way. In my next few posts, I’m going to discuss some other highlights of our trip. We took our 83 year old grandma with us and she continues to show us how to make the most of life….stay tuned!
Above is a picture of “Team Likness”. Tabby had shirts made for all of us to help cheer Micah on. They were all pretty comical! My shirt said, “that’s not sweat, it’s your fat cells crying,” my Dad’s said, “RELAX! You’re not going to win!”, and Micah’s said, “26.2…I need a new hobby!”
-Kelsey
by Dan | May 26, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This was the common question going around in Fargo the day of the half marathon and marathon. Everybody asking “How ya doin’?” following the race. They want to make sure everybody is recovering, and nobody having any health issues following the race. I had to keep asking myself this same thing during the race, and wondering whether I really was or not. When the fatigue starts setting in, your mind starts playing tricks on you, and you have to try and convince yourself that you are OK. At least I did not have to worry about my latest training partner, Steve. I knew he was at the finish line waiting. As I mentioned in the last several posts, he had been having some issues with his heart that were brought more to light several weeks before the marathon day.
Here he is pointing at me, and congratulating me after finishing, and breaking the 4 hour mark. I was happy to have him there, and I am holding my finisher medal over his chest/heart. I wanted him running that day too, but it was much safer for him not to. I would rather have a friend forever, than to have a running partner for 4 hours that day. Having him be safe was far more important than some race. He was with me that day, and especially those last few miles. I kept telling myself: “What would Steve be telling me now? Steve, Carletta, and Sarah are waiting for me at the finish line…keep moving, one foot in front of the other.” Things are improving, and hopefully soon we will be running together on some long runs again. Initial plans and talks may be involving the Walt Disney World marathon in mid January. Some people might think that doing this is just plain “Goofy”, but when you are a runner, or you exercise regularly, you understand. If you don’t have goals in your life, then things just kind of stagnate. You have to be willing to push yourself (as long as it is safe!), in order to really experience life to its fullest. Life brings us challenges everyday, and we deal with it. Knowing that some of these challenges you create for yourself are attainable, it makes some of the everyday challenges we deal with so much easier.
I am going to discuss more over the next several weeks issues in relationship to heart disease, and how it impacts all of us, either directly or indirectly. Exercise is still very important, and very helpful in controlling heart disease, high blood pressure, and all the ramifications thereof, but you have to listen to your body. You have to be aware of the risks involved, and you have to get those risks under control. Once this is done, you can move on and enjoy life much more, and hopefully, it will be a long life.
Keep moving everybody, and be safe!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1703
by Dan | May 24, 2012 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Getting ready for the marathon last saturday. Getting my garmin ready for the start of the race so I can also keep track of my pace and the distance. I was very nervous that morning. My training partner was there to cheer me on, but would have liked it better to have him in the race with me. Even though I was worried how I was going to do this on my own, I would have been more worried had he been in the race with me.
Once I got into the starting area, I started calming down a little more. With almost 2000 people, I guess I was not running alone. Here I am in the middle, with the white cap. As I was coming between mile 24 and 25, one runner collapsed towards me coming around a corner, and I helped get him to the side. Before I even realized, there were 3 medical personnel there to help him, and telling me to go on running, that they had things under control. That last 1 1/2 miles I did even more thinking, glad who I had trained with was waiting at the finish line, and this was not happening to him. I will elaborate a little further as the next posts will discuss issues with heart disease, and what it could me for all of us. For now, everybody keep moving.
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1701
by kelsey | May 23, 2012 | Weight Management
Each month Dr. Dan and I contribute exercise and nutrition articles to South Dakota Wedding Style’s website. Our articles are typically focused on preparing the brides for their big wedding day, however many of the topics can relate to every day life as well. This month one of my USD Dietetic Interns, Allison Jones, discussed empty calories for my post. If you, friends, or family are planning a wedding, I encourage you to check out the website. They have a lot of really great tips and recently started a magazine!
Below are a few of our tips to limiting the empty calories found in sugar and alcoholic drinks that are so prominent at wedding showers, celebrations, etc. This topic can also relate to every day living, especially with summer picnics and gatherings coming up. Be sure to check out the full post at their website or on their facebook page (see links below)!
- Coffee drinks: Get the small or 12 oz sizes and try substituting skim milk and sugar-free flavorings to cut back on calories.
- Alcohol: A serving of alcohol is considered 12 oz beer or wine cooler, 5 oz wine, and 1.5 oz of hard liquor. For mixed drinks, try using diet pop or light juice as the mixer. It can be easy to consume a large amount of calories when drinking alcohol, especially in social settings. Alternating an alcoholic drink with water or diet pop can help reduce the amount of calories you consume in one night, and it will also help you feel better the next morning!
- Punches/Juice: Try experimenting with sugar-free options such as Crystal Light and be aware of how many times you go back to refill your glass.
http://www.sdweddingstyle.com/2012/05/empty-calories-midwest-wedding-health/
http://www.facebook.com/sdweddingstyle
Also, if you already haven’t check out our STRIVE 2 Survive page on Facebook and “like” us! http://www.facebook.com/BrownClinicStrive2Survive
-Kelsey
