by Dan | Aug 16, 2026 | Etc.
Watertown held their Senior Games this Friday and Saturday. We just got done doing the state games in Huron last week…4 days. We weren’t sure how much energy we still had left. I had Saturday morning free, so decided to sign up for the walking events. I need to learn more on this power walking. It truly is different from running. I signed up for the 400 meters, 800 meters, and the 1600 meters. They combined the 800 and 1600 due to the amount of people overall in them. So for the walking events, I won my age group. I was waiting for the 400 meters, scheduled to be the last event, when they were getting ready to do the 800 and 1600 meter runs. Only one person signed up for these 2. Several people were doing the 50 and 100 meters, but not the longer ones. Carol, who is part of our Watertown Area Running Club, was signed up for these 2 events, and no one else. Our motto for run club is, and always has been, “we leave no one behind”. No one should have to run alone. I did not know how fast I was going to do this with my knee, but told Carol I would run with her, and if she wanted to go faster she could. I just did not want her to have to run it alone! We ended up running them together…start to finish! Neither of us ran alone! We were actually having a discussion during the run…just like during run club. Every lap we were getting cheered on! Keep going!! Both of us earned some more medals. But, it was not about the medals. We ran together. We both are staying active. We both ran together so “no one would/should have to run alone!”
Welcome to life! Because haven’t we spent a lot of our lives doing exactly that for one another? Sometimes we’re the faster person. Sometimes we’re the slower person, or hurt and can’t run. Sometimes we’re the one saying, “Come on, I’ll go with you.” And sometimes we’re the one who needs somebody beside us. I have members of our run club now hanging back and running with me as I recover with my knee injury. I love this! “No one should have to run alone!” This is life. And the rest of the week were other examples of life.
Sarah and I went to Minneapolis to go see Nick and Hannah. We went on a run with Nick…attempted run…he is too fast for us! Then we got to go to a Twins game together, and our daughter Megan was at this game as she was in the cities for a work related conference, and a bunch of people from the conference went that evening to the game. It was great!
The best parts of this week were not about the things we did…it was about who we did them with. I’ve spent a lot of years trying to see how fast I could get to a finish line. Maybe I’m beginning to understand that who crosses it beside you matters a whole lot more! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 900
by Dan | Aug 10, 2026 | Etc.
Thursday morning Sarah and I loaded up the car and headed to Huron for the State Senior Games. Between us were events we’d done for years…and events we’d never even tried before. There would be basketball shooting, strength contests, road races, power walking, softball throw, and javelin. We weren’t chasing medals. We were chasing something much more valuable…the opportunity to learn. The biggest things for me, with my health issues these past few months, and the knee injury, I was just thankful that “I got to do this!”
Sarah did the 5k and 10k run, where I did the 5k run. The win for me with this…I ran the whole thing without having to walk! I was trying or planning on doing a walk/jog just to see how the knee would do. I just kept an easy pace, and did not have to walk at all because of the knee. I am making headway! We both did very well with the strength contests, setting personal best in many of the events. For me, 71 pushups, Sarah did 60, both bests. Sarah had a plank of over 6 minutes, and I was over 4 minutes. Even Sarah’s mom, who is 83, participated, and did many events. She had never done a plank before, and we had to show her how right before it was her turn to compete, and she went just over 2 minutes! Holy cow!!!
A prior Watertown run club member Paula was there for both the 5k and 10k as well. We had a great time! If you have never heard of the senior games, or have never participated, you don’t know what you are missing. Everybody cheers each other on! The goal is to move, and maintain your health. Learn new skills and abilities you never knew you had in you. It is a great way to make friends as you see many of the same people each year. We are all there to compete, but more important, to move and make friends. I was in 14 events, medaled in 12, 8 gold, and 4 silvers. But, when I looked back over the weekend, I realized the medals weren’t what stayed with me. It was the privilege of still being able to participate. At almost 62 years old, after everything life has thrown our way over the past few years, I kept coming back to one simple thought…”I got to do this!!!”
Keep moving everybody!!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest Streak: # 894
by Dan | Aug 2, 2026 | Etc.
I had an incident this week where a former patient came up to me and told me: “I am sure glad of who you referred me to take over my care after you retired. She has a great sense of humor, and when I give her some grief she dishes it back! Everything is going to be just fine!”
At the time, I thought he was referring to himself. Looking back and thinking about this…maybe he was also talking about me. Since retiring, I’ve had time to…
watch my grandchildren grow.
Take more photographs.
Continue to exercise every day, but am much more flexible of the time of day when I do.
I have had time to write on my book I am working on.
Spend afternoons and evenings doing things I never had time to do before.
Then…maybe everything isn’t perfect. My knee still reminds me I’m 61. I still have difficult weeks. Life still has surprises. But…then I look at Sarah…and our grandchildren…our kids…and I realize…Everything really is going to be just fine!
I struggled at the beginning of retirement, asking myself “did I retire too early?” “Am I still useful?” “Should I still be practicing?” “Will my patients be taken care of?”
That patient gave me peace that day. My family gives me proof of it everyday!
Nothing is better than being swarmed by my grandkids…especially all of the snuggles from Caleb! This particular patient may have been saying he was going to be just fine, but deep down he was telling me something as a caregiver for almost 35 years, that “You’ve done your work. It’s ok to enjoy the life you’ve earned.”
If nothing else, my grandkids are going to learn, by example, how important it is to help take care of your own health. You have to work at also. You can never take your health for granted, or think things are just going to be good “just because”. We will be having lots of future workouts in the “Reiflex Center”! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak #: 886
by Dan | Jul 26, 2026 | Etc.
This week I was able to run on four different days.
I was able to take pictures of a Monarch butterfly while I was out running.
Thursday was National Gorgeous Grandmother Day!
But the moment I’ll remember most happened in a nursing home.
My daughter Molly was feeding her son, Caleb, my grandson, and my mom’s great grandson, in the middle of a table in a nursing home dining room. He was just being happy, smiling, laughing, and truly getting the attention of all of the staff, and residents. Without me even initially noticing, I saw my mom’s hand holding onto to Caleb’s foot! She had a huge smile on her face. You can never take the mom out of her. She was beaming! She did not want to let go. She kept softly rubbing his foot, while Caleb just kept opening his mouth to get the next spoonful! Both of them were happy! Caleb and my mom may not remember much of this moment later…but I sure will!
One life just beginning. One life rich with decades of memories and experiences. And for those minutes, they were just enjoying each other’s company…and I was just enjoying watching!
4 generations gathered around the table…to eat…to talk…to spend time together…to make memories.
I was thrilled to find a monarch that I saw on the grass when I was out running. Last month we found a monarch caterpillar. Was this the same one?? Who knows. Funny how life often gives us reminders of the different stages in life.
I love to run, but this week was not about getting back to running. It was about a 61 year old carrying his grandson, standing with my daugther, to go see a mom, a grandma, and a great grandma. A medal can’t give you that. A great race time can’t give you that. Even a successful career can’t give you that by itself. These are the moments we hope our lives make possible. And maybe that’s why I keep running…why I keep trying to recover…why I refuse to just sit in a rocking chair. It’s not about adding years to your life, but about adding life to your years. It was fitting that this past Thursday was Gorgeous Grandmother day…that fits my mom well! But…
…it also fits perfect for my Sarah! Keep making memories. Keep adding life to your years. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest Streak: # 879
by Dan | Jul 19, 2026 | Etc.
This morning I ran 3/4 of a mile. Not fast. Not continuous. But I ran! I have not been able to run for almost 3 months. Years ago I would have laughed at the fact I only ran 3/4 mile. Today, it was a huge milestone for me, and I am grinning ear to ear. My knee finally had no pain. I took Dakota for a walk, and we went 2 miles, and then I walked/ran for 1 1/4 miles, of which 3/4 of it was running. No pain!!! It topped my week. The week started out awful. I had vertigo and was leaning to the right all week. Dizzy, running into the wall. Nauseated. I was on a continuous merry-go-round that would not stop. It is now much better, not gone, but much better.
Friday I went to Brookings and met my daughter Molly and grandson Connor, and granddaughter Tessa, at the Children’s Museum. 5 hours of non stop play!! It was Connor’s 5th birthday, and we had a ball. Running, shopping, climbing, pretending he was a Vet, a farmer, and swimming and fishing!!
Tessa is a natural shopper, and she loves bread, so her cart was “3/4” filled with bread. Smiling all day.
Saturday we drove to Sioux Falls to see my mom, and my brother Rich flew in from Albuquerque for the weekend. Saw my brothers Ray, Tim, sister Mary, sister-in-law Joni…went out to eat. What a great day!
With the vertigo, I got to spend some more time riding my stationary bike. I couldn’t fall all of this! No matter what, I still find ways to keep moving.
I also got to spend some time taking some pictures of flowers. The skies were not as cooperative this week, so I got some practice in with these kind of pictures:
I love this last one. The words behind it says it all, and overall, this ended up being a great week. Appreciate the wins when they come, because everything is not always going to work out the way you want it. There are silver linings hidden everywhere, sometimes we just have to look a little closer. This is not a story about running, but a story about returning, and taking the good things when they come. I can say today topped what ended up being a great week. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but none of us do. Go with it. Keep trying. Stay positive. Be grateful for those good moments. Sometimes you have to pay a little more attention to things to realize when those moments are. Keep moving everybody…”3/4 of a mile at at time!”
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 872
