Well, I am going to run another Marathon! 16 completed, and the number will continue. I am going to run the Fargo Marathon in September with my daughter Megan, and Sarah. I have always wanted to run a marathon with my kids, and she will be the first one. I will see what time brings for Nick and Molly. We began following a schedule over a month ago, and we are doing our long runs each weekend. I was not sure I would do this again after my health issues 2 years ago, but as long as it is not too hot that day, I have been given clearance to run this. I am looking forward to it! This will be Megan’s first one, so the time it takes us does not matter. We will be helping each other, and Sarah will be along to keep an eye on both of us!
I posted this picture last week also. They have been going along with me for years to marathons…as spectators. Now Megan will be a participant. The run bug bit her hard!
This was after our 12 mile run Saturday morning. We are still looking pretty good. We got done before the rain came. Each week we keep building the mileage. With help from our run club members, we will do this. Many of them are going as well to do either the Half Marathon, or full Marathon as well. It will be a good get away weekend.
We are keeping track of our mileage, and of course, we have to spend time in the Reiflex center doing strength workouts as well. After all, we need our arms, and core, for this as well, not just our legs.
And of course, Dakota has to get in on it too. We are, after all, family! She helps keep us motivated as well.
We are going to keep running along, working hard, spending time together, and making more memories. The running is only part of it. The best part is the time spent together, talking, laughing, giving each other “crap”, and keeping each other motivated! The plan is to run together start to finish…and like I said earlier, Sarah is running with us to keep us both in line!
There will be more posts in regards to our training. After all, it is a marathon. We have months ahead of us yet. Hopefully, everything will be good for all 3 of us, and that we will have a great day, and enjoy the experience. Who knows what Megan will think of it. Sarah said she would only do one, and this is now her second one. Time will tell. I am ready to make more memories. Keep moving everybody!
Mindful eating is a way of eating that promotes health, wellness, and peace, control, and balance with food. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is being aware or conscious of whatever it is you are doing at that moment. It is being fully present. This may seem like an easy concept; however, I think many of us are eating and surrounding our food with very mindless actions and thoughts. What are you doing when you eat? Are you watching TV, driving, reading, or scrolling on your phone? All of these are examples of mindless eating. Even when you are cooking your food, are you paying attention to what you are doing or how you are cooking? Or are you again watching TV or talking on the phone? There are so many places we can incorporate mindfulness into the process of preparing and eating our food.
Benefits of Mindful Eating
• More satisfaction
• Less chance of overeating
• Acknowledge your internal body cues
• Avoid emotional eating The benefits of mindful eating far out way not being mindful.
When preparing your food, paying attention to how you are making it and all the time, energy, and love that goes into it can lead to a greater appreciation for the food. Having a greater appreciation for your food will hopefully lead to a greater appreciation for feeding your body the healthy food it deserves. When actually eating your food, being mindful of each bite and chewing slowly will allow you to pay attention to your inner cues of being satisfied and stop you from overeating. You will also fully taste the food you spent your energy making and again, create a greater appreciation for the process.
Tips for Mindful Eating:
• Pay attention to how you are preparing your food and appreciate the time and energy spent on this.
• Sit down at a table to eat with no outside stimuli.
• Chew slowly- put down your silverware between bites.
• Drink water in between bites.
• Pay attention to your internal cues for when you are full and satisfied.
• Ask yourself, “Why am I eating right now?” or “Is this what my body needs right now?”
• Pay attention to your emotions while you are eating. If you are not even hungry but you continue to eat, slow down. Maybe take out a journal and write down your feelings. It sounds cheesy, but it works.
• Eat foods that are beneficial to your body’s wellbeing.
I hope some of these tips and tricks help you out with your mindful eating! It is hard at first to break certain habits surrounded by mindless eating, but I promise your body and mind will thank you. You may even be able to work through certain emotions and things -Kelsey
Here is to all you Fathers out there! Enjoy your day, and spend some time with your family. Time goes fast, and before you know it, they are grown up! I soon will graduate to Grandfather at the end of next month, and can’t wait to experience this next phase.
There were many times when my kids came along with me to my races. They were my support, and my cheering section. Now in September I will get to run a marathon with Megan. It will be a first for her. I have always wanted to run one with my kids. I am definitely looking forward to this as well.
This was my Father’s Day present from Megan a few years ago, but, what can I say? I am a “Runner Dad…just like a normal Dad, but much cooler!” Right on!
Like I said, they grow up fast. Here is my Dad with Nick. This was about 23 years ago. Wow! A lot of things have changed in that time. But family is still priority. I learned the Father things from a great example. It has been over 7 years since he has been gone, and I still miss him everyday!
Nick and I were trying to get our own tradition going by hitting Vikings games. COVID brought it to a halt last year, so will have to see what we can keep going. Otherwise, we start coming up with a new tradition!
These 3 made me a Father! There were stressful times, but many more good times. Growing pains we all experience. They have all become great adults, and are beginning to work on there own lives now. But, they will always be my kids. Life continues to be an adventure, and we have to just go with the flow, and take it all in.
Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads. You always have to keep working at it, but it is worth it. Enjoy that time for as long as we can. There are always adventures to be had. Keep moving everybody!
Summer time heat raises the risk for dehydration and heat stroke. With the high summer temps and humidity lately, it’s extra important to make sure you get enough fluids! It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day, as it is too late, if you wait to get a drink when you feel thirsty. Especially for those older adults, it takes longer for them to feel thirsty even though they may be severely dehydrated.
Tips for getting adequate fluids:
• Keep a glass or bottle of water with you during the day so you can sip on it. Drink when you are thirsty and even when you are not thirsty.
• Drink more water instead of sugary beverages, milk and juice to avoid those extra hidden calories. Alcohol will increase your water loss. Plain water always works the best.
• Increase your fluid intakes if your diet is high in fiber, protein or salt.
• On days where you may be sweating alot or burning extra calories such as an all day softball tournament in 80-90 degree weather, or doing yardwork/landscaping in the heat all day…you may need to add electrolytes such as Gatorade or Powerade. I prefer G2 Gatorade as it’s lower in sugar, yet still has plenty of electrolytes. **Please note, these drinks are not necessary when you’re doing less than an hour of light activity or more sedentary activities as they just add extra calories and sugar.
• Consult with your doctor or dietitian if you are on a fluid restricted diet and would like further help with your hydration needs. Use the above chart to determine your hydration level by the color of your urine.
Sarah and I finally got away for a week. We went out to the Black Hills to enjoy some hiking, biking, and just plain get away time. It was hot, but we got going early each morning, and then just relaxed the afternoons. Here we are hiking one day in Spearfish Canyon, checking out the numerous water falls that are out there.
The vacation started with the Volksmarch up to Crazy Horse. Almost 6 mile hike up and down, but got up close to Crazy Horse. I got to touch his chin!
We saw plenty of buffalo out in Custer state park. We managed to keep our distance from them though!
We saw deer out hiking up to Little Devils Tower, then off to Black Elk Peak, formerly Harney Peak. That day was about 8 miles total, but took us 4 1/2 hours. Up the mountains, and back down. It was work, but enjoyable.
We spent several days out on the Mickelson Trail biking. These were challenging. You spend many miles going up, then down. We had one stretch of going up 15 miles. It was time for a break after that! But, the views were incredible!
As long as we carried enough water with us, we were fine. We may have spent the week with all the hiking, biking, and sightseeing, but truly many of the things we saw we would not have seen had we not been doing these activities. I took literally hundreds and hundreds of pictures. Words can’t describe what you can see off the beaten path. It made the exercise part of it very relaxing. Even though we were working at it, we took a break when we needed it. The views were amazing. It was a perfect place to get away from all of the busy part of life, and just unwind. We all need to make more effort to do this. The better condition we are in, the more we can see, and enjoy. You don’t know what you are missing out on until you do.
Our last hiking day was at Sheridan Lake. The water was blue, and crystal clear. We saw other water falls off the trails that we did not know even existed. You need to get out and explore. That is how you strive to survive. Push past some limitations and enjoy. Most of the time you will find that those limitations are only in our minds. Our bodies can do a lot more than you think! Keep moving everybody!
