Well, you can chalk up another Half Marathon Finish for Sarah. She competed in the Half Marathon around the Lake Saturday, even with the heat and humidity. She has been a runner for many years, starting in High School. She has done countless Half Marathons. She always followed me around to races/marathon that I was in those first years when the kids were small, because she held back to keep an eye on the kids. She started her Half Marathon debut in 2006, and has continued since then. I did not run this race this weekend. Physically, I am not able to handle this heat yet. So, I rode my bike to help provide water, and give cheer support for her. It was my turn! She did very well, in spite of the terrible heat and humidity. It was at least better than it was on Friday. I don’t think they would have been able to have the race if it would have been on Friday. She was nervous because she knew it would be hot, but we had a lot of people from our Run Club who were also running in it.
Sarah is on the far left, as they were just taking off. The rain the night before helped cut down on some of the humidity, but only slightly.
They followed the Lake during the run. They are coming around one of the corners here, and she is still hanging with a bunch of them from run club. The further the race went, the more separated people got. The heat and humidity can change even the best of plans, or the best of training.
Here she is giving the thumbs up after just going up the hill by Memorial Park. She is one tough individual. Her feet got chewed up pretty good because of the heat, so then she was limping around Saturday afternoon. We as the run club are going to be doing a virtual Wonder Woman 10k coming up soon, wearing our Wonder Woman gear. It really won’t be any different for her, as far as I am concerned. She has always been my Wonder Woman! Life is busy as a physician, being a mom, a wife, cooking, running, and her favorite escape/hobby, sewing. She can do it all. She too leads by example. It was my turn to support her during a race. I did some cheering on the sidelines last year for her during some of them, but riding along beside her most of the way was a first. Running is what got us going out together. Running helped us raise a family. Running is helping us as we get older as well, and hopefully will get to do more of this when we retire. If we can’t run, we will bike. But, regardless, we will be spending time being active just like we always have. Good job this weekend Sarah. I know it was hot. I could not run for you, but tried to help you get through it as easy as possible. You are tough, determined, and always positive, and I am lucky enough to have you as my wife. Love you Sarah! Keep moving everybody!
Activity in the summer has challenges just like winter– we often use excuses like “we’re too busy, it’s too hot out, it’s raining, etc” to not stay active. Check out the ideas below to help you stay active in the summer and make the most of the nice weather while we have it! These ideas will help you get your 30 minutes of exercise in/day.
•Check out the awesome trail we have–get out walking or on a bike and enjoy the scenary!
•Take in the zoo! You’ll get to explore and check out the animals, but also enjoy a nice walk. My son Corbin loves the zoo–the picture above is of him checking out the tiger.
•Take a walk through the park! We have many nice parks in town and at the lake–explore and enjoy!
•Most yard work is great exercise that will burn tons of calories. Try using a push mower over a riding one for exercise!
•Are you competitive? Join a softball team or go golfing. If it’s rainy outside, bowling is also a fun activity for indoors.
•Sign up for a 5k race! If running isn’t your thing, you can always grab a friend and walk together.
•If you don’t belong to a gym, try exercise videos at home when the weather is acting up.
•Work your muscles if you’re on the lake or river! Waterskiing, tubing, kayaking, and paddle-boarding are great workouts.
My daughter Megan did her first solo mini triathlon this weekend. Way to go! She is an excellent swimmer, and since she has been home, she has been doing a lot of running with us, but the bike for her is more unchartered territory. I got her bike ready (previously Molly’s), and she got in a few rides prior to this weekend. She was nervous, but very excited to “Tri” this on her own. She has done this one before on a team, and of course, she was the swimmer. It was really a perfect day for a triathlon. Sarah and I were spectators for this one. It was the first one we have not done in many years. Sarah is planning on doing a Half Marathon next weekend, and for me, well, my recovery is still taking time, and I do not do as well in the heat yet. So, hopefully, we will both be back at it again next year too!
With everything going on with COVID, they had individual starts for everybody, 10 seconds apart. Here Megan is getting ready to jump in the water. I have to admit, I can tell she is my kid. There are many similarities with her and I, but there are also some differences as well.
This is one of Megan swimming. And, wait a minute, she is actually swimming! This is for sure where she and I differ. She does not have to do the Reiffenberger Stroke…which means you stand up and run like h@#$! I am terrible at swimming, and have to say, I really don’t like it. Give me the bike and/or running any day. She is the total opposite!
Here Megan is at the first transition, going from swimming, and getting ready to get on her bike. But, she had to fix her hair first! Now, I have to admit, that is not something I have had to do, or worry about, for a long time! She is going to have to work on this as you can lose a lot of time in these transition zones. She will get it!
Here she is coming in to finish the bike section. 14 miles around Lake Kampeska. Everything went well for her! I fixed a tire for her earlier in the week, so I too was very relieved to have her come in and we did not have to worry about a flat tire during the race!
Here she is stopping to get off the bike to again enter the transition zone to take off running. This is definitely one similarity, and I think it is safe to say it is similar for everybody doing the triathlon. As you get off the bike to get ready to run, you look at all of the trees around you and realize your legs are now about as flexible as those trees! It is such a hard feeling to describe until you actually experience. It takes the first mile of the run, at least, to try and get loosened up to feel more comfortable running. The run in this race is a 5k, or 3.1 miles.
She is coming around the corner to the finish line of the run. She is about to finish her first “Tri”!
She can definitely see the finish line here! From this side view of her running, if it weren’t for the pony tail, this could be me! She definitely has my running form as well. I will make her a true runner yet. I wanted to do something this day since I could not do the whole race. I ran the run portion of this with her, waiting for her right around the corner at the start, and letting her finish it on her own. When you are tired, and it is getting hot, any kind of encouragement is appreciated. It was great for me to be able to run with her, and “Tri” pushing her. I kept pointing out the person ahead of us, and would tell her that was the next goal. She would pass them, and we just looked at the one ahead of us again! She did great!
Last year I did the triathlon as one of 3 on the team, and my portion was the run. Here Sarah is helping me down the final stretch, pushing me, and encouraging me to keep going. This was only 4 months after I had been sick, so I think this was because she wanted to keep an eye on me than anything else, but don’t tell her that I already knew that was what she was doing! The point is, we can all use some help at times. We do not have to always do things by ourselves. Those accomplishments when we do complete them on our own are definitely more meaningful, right Megan?
This was a shirt Megan bought for me for Father’s Day a couple of years ago. It says: I’m a Runner Dad…I’m like a normal Dad, only much cooler! Right on Megan. I am proud of you this weekend. This “Tri” took work, and you did it! We can all take a lesson from this. Once we put our mind to it, we can “Tri” anything, and accomplish anything! Hopefully next year Meg we will all be doing this triathlon! And for everybody else, shoot for the stars. You have no idea what you are capable of achieving until you “Tri”! Keep moving everybody!
Many of us enjoy one or more cups of coffee each morning and although the caffeine and wake-up call it provides may be the motivating factor, perhaps some of the drink’s other benefits can play a role in your continued enjoyment of it! Coffee has been shown to help with brain function, perhaps prevent some diseases, and increase calcium intake when milk is added. Coffee also contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, niacin, vitamin E and magnesium are also present in coffee. One thing to keep in mind about your morning pick-me-up may be to choose wisely. Some of the fancy coffee drinks found at popular coffee shops can also contain loads of sugar and fat, which may contribute empty calories to your daily intake. When choosing a coffee drink, choose low or non-fat drinks or plain coffee, or plain coffee with milk to ensure the most benefit from your coffee. During the hot summer months, enjoy cold-brew coffee or iced coffee as a seasonal way to reap these benefits! -Kelsey
