New York City Marathon 2021 |
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- Exercise=Medicine...Think about that for a minute. From a young age we are taught that the key to a healthy lifestyle is a balanced diet, 7-8 hours of sleep and daily exercise but somewhere in the choas of life those 3 became less important. The day Jason was diagnosed in 2014 he weighed 292 lbs (today 208), worked out maybe a couple times a month and slept a couple hours a night. Keep in mind that at the time of diagnosis we had 4 kids under the age of 5, good excuse right! We learned that day that exercise is the only way to slow the progress of PD and helps to ease some of the symptoms, so exercise=medicine.
2023 Highlights:
- With 4 children in traveling sports, 2023 was a difficult year to maintain the workout schedule I did for so many years before. But I knew if I didn't have a date on the calendar to train for (Chicago 10/9/23) then I wouldn't push myself as much as I needed to maintain an edge over PD. It wasn't pretty and I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, but I finished thanks to Michelle who also was running with Team Fox (Her husband has PD).
- In November Charlie and I flew to Florida for a couple of days. Charlie spent a few days with my parents while I ran in the Florida Trail Ragnar with Team Synapse. This was my first trail run! I learned that a guy with PD who, when tired, doesn't lift his left foot all the time will catch and take a tumble. A couple bruises and a lot of dirt and NO SHOWERS!
- Boston Marathon! It lived up to all the hype! The course is lined with so many spectators cheering that it made a guy with PD feel like an elite runner! PR at Boston!
- MN Ragnar in July was my first experience with relays! Hot, humid, packed van with 5 other runners for 36 hours. You Betcha!
- Blue Ridge Mountains Relay with 11 others diagnosed with PD from we formed Team Synapse to prove to the 12 people will concur this mountain! We did it and came away with many new friends that are ready for any adventure Bill throws at us!
• started 75-day hard training program on 3/14/21 (less than 4 weeks after DBS Surgery)
- Completed TC Marathon and NYC with personal best time within 5 weeks
- Completed the Elm Creek half marathon with Kerry Gautsch in personal best time!
- Luca completed the TC 10 Mile with Mike Pantaleo
- Multiple other 5K races completed with family and friends
2020 Highlights:
- Jason completed the Dopey Challenge, 48.6 miles in 4 days (5k, 10k, Half and Full Marathon).
- Kristi (10K and Half), Luca (5K), Henry (5K) and Bonnie (10K) also participated in the race
- 2020 TC10 Mile, Luca, Jason, and Soren (Matt Erickson completed the virtual Marathon!)
2019 Highlights:
• Team Kopacz ran/walked/biked over 4300 miles on the Charity miles app
• Jason ran just over 1100 miles
• Our story was featured at the MN Diamond awards
• Jason completed the Twin Cities Marathon and qualified for the Boston Marathon!
• 14 races: 1 Marathon, 4-Half Marathons, 1-10 Mile, 1-10K, 1-6K and 6-5K’s (results below)
5Race Schedule (Completed):
1/12/2019 Disney Half Marathon, Time: 2 hr 47 min
2/9/2019 Valentine's day (5k), Time: 36 mins
3/23/2019 Hot Dash (10 Mile), Time 1 hr 59 min
4/7/2019 Goldy's (5k), 32 mins
4/13/2019 Shake it off 5k, 29 mins 30 secs
5/11/2019 Maple Grove (10K) 63 mins
6/1/2019 Lola's Half (Waconia), 2 hr 37 mins
7/4/2019 Red, White and Boom (Half) 2 hr 36 mins
7/13/2019 Twin Cities Fox Trot (5k). 27 mins
8/3/2019 RBC Race for the Kids (Half) 2 hr 49 mins
9/29/2019 Vikings TCO 5K, 32 mins
10/6/2019 TC Marathon, 5 hr 59 mins
11/28/2019 Turkey Trot (6K), 37 mins
12/14/2019 Reindeer Run (5k), 33 mins
1/9/2020 Disney 5k, 35 mins
1/10/2020 Disney 10k, 72 mins
1/11/2020 Disney Half Marathon 2 hrs 59 mins
1/12/2020 Disney Marathon 6 hrs 7 mins
10/10/2020 TC 10Mile (Virtual) 2 hrs 9 mins (Luca: 1 hrs 42 mins)
5/2/2021 Goldies Virtual (5K)
9/17/2021 Elm Creek Half Marathon 2 hrs 25 mins
10/3/2021 TC Marathon 5 hrs 42 mins
11/7/2021 NYC Marathon 5 hrs 29 mins
11/25/2021 Turkey Trot (6K)
4/18/2022 Boston Marathon 5 hrs 25 mins
July 2022 MN Ragnar (3 runs, 18 miles)
August 2022. Blue Ridge Relay (3 runs, 13 miles, Team Synspse)
10/2/22 TC10 Mile 1 hrs 54 mins
10/2/23 TC10 Mile (Canceled, Heat)
10/8/23 Chicago Marathon 5 hrs 49 mins
December 23 Ragnar Trail Run (16+ Miles, 3 runs, Team Synapse)
1/12/2019 Disney Half Marathon, Time: 2 hr 47 min
2/9/2019 Valentine's day (5k), Time: 36 mins
3/23/2019 Hot Dash (10 Mile), Time 1 hr 59 min
4/7/2019 Goldy's (5k), 32 mins
4/13/2019 Shake it off 5k, 29 mins 30 secs
5/11/2019 Maple Grove (10K) 63 mins
6/1/2019 Lola's Half (Waconia), 2 hr 37 mins
7/4/2019 Red, White and Boom (Half) 2 hr 36 mins
7/13/2019 Twin Cities Fox Trot (5k). 27 mins
8/3/2019 RBC Race for the Kids (Half) 2 hr 49 mins
9/29/2019 Vikings TCO 5K, 32 mins
10/6/2019 TC Marathon, 5 hr 59 mins
11/28/2019 Turkey Trot (6K), 37 mins
12/14/2019 Reindeer Run (5k), 33 mins
1/9/2020 Disney 5k, 35 mins
1/10/2020 Disney 10k, 72 mins
1/11/2020 Disney Half Marathon 2 hrs 59 mins
1/12/2020 Disney Marathon 6 hrs 7 mins
10/10/2020 TC 10Mile (Virtual) 2 hrs 9 mins (Luca: 1 hrs 42 mins)
5/2/2021 Goldies Virtual (5K)
9/17/2021 Elm Creek Half Marathon 2 hrs 25 mins
10/3/2021 TC Marathon 5 hrs 42 mins
11/7/2021 NYC Marathon 5 hrs 29 mins
11/25/2021 Turkey Trot (6K)
4/18/2022 Boston Marathon 5 hrs 25 mins
July 2022 MN Ragnar (3 runs, 18 miles)
August 2022. Blue Ridge Relay (3 runs, 13 miles, Team Synspse)
10/2/22 TC10 Mile 1 hrs 54 mins
10/2/23 TC10 Mile (Canceled, Heat)
10/8/23 Chicago Marathon 5 hrs 49 mins
December 23 Ragnar Trail Run (16+ Miles, 3 runs, Team Synapse)