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 212), 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.
There is no doubt that 2020 was difficult for various reasons, but for Jason it was difficult to maintain his momentum. It's tough for Jason to pass the blame to external circumstances but having a year of lockdown and distance learning made it difficult to maintain the active lifestyle we had prior to March of 2020.
With a tough year behind us we approached 2021 with renewed optimism and focus. Jason recovered quickly from DBS surgery and crushed his 2021 goals. Our exercise goals are still under development for 2022 but the first goal of the year is the Boston Marathon in April (winter marathon training in Minnesota!).
2021 Highlights:
• started 75-day hard training program on 3/14/21 (less than 4 weeks after DBS Surgery)
2020 Highlights:
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)
There is no doubt that 2020 was difficult for various reasons, but for Jason it was difficult to maintain his momentum. It's tough for Jason to pass the blame to external circumstances but having a year of lockdown and distance learning made it difficult to maintain the active lifestyle we had prior to March of 2020.
With a tough year behind us we approached 2021 with renewed optimism and focus. Jason recovered quickly from DBS surgery and crushed his 2021 goals. Our exercise goals are still under development for 2022 but the first goal of the year is the Boston Marathon in April (winter marathon training in Minnesota!).
2021 Highlights:
• 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)
Race 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)
10/2/23 TC10 Mile 1 hrs 54 mins
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)
10/2/23 TC10 Mile 1 hrs 54 mins