Pete Rettler hasn’t missed a day of running in nearly 28 years! On this week’s show, Pete talks all about his running streak, how it got started, what his personal rules are for the streak, and even what kinds of shoes he prefers. We also talk about the Rettler Run, coming up New Year’s Eve at the Kewaskum Annex Building. This year’s run will again support the Wisconsin 9/11 Memorial and Education Center.
Learn more or register for the Rettler Run here: http://rettlerrun.com
[00:00:00] Fuzz Martin: Season’s greetings! Hope you’re having a great December. I am Fuzz Martin and this is Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz, a show about all the good going on in our area. And by our area, I mean in and around Washington County, Wisconsin. Each week I speak with people about their organizations, events, businesses, or even themselves to help spread the word about positive things in our community.
That said, I’m also considering another podcast with some more humorous content, but Shanna, my wife, said I need to have another podcast like West Bend Needs Another Quick Trip. So we’ll see what happens. And I digress. Pete Rettler is the Dean of Moraine Park Technical College’s West Bend campus, and he’s got an interesting story.
For almost 28 years now, Pete has been running every single day. That’s more than 10, 250 miles. And this New Year’s Eve, he’s hosting a running event at the Kewaskum Annex Building to raise money for the Wisconsin 9 11 Memorial and Education Center. It’s called the Rettler Run. Tickets are 28 a piece, and you can buy them at rettlerrun.
com. R E T T L E R run. com. Plus, everyone registered will have a chance to win some great door prizes from Jeff Spirits on Main. And with that, here’s Pete Rettler on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.
Pete, thanks for joining me on the show. Now, uh, first question I have for you is, did you get your
[00:01:38] Pete Rettler: run in today? I have not yet run today. Okay. I’m, you know, I usually, if I’ve got a board meeting or something at night, I’ll get my run in in the morning. Uh, usually it’s a night run, I’ll come home after work and, and take off, although this time of year, when it gets dark already at 4 o’clock, it’s, I’m always taking a little bit of a chance running in the dark, so.
Sure. But it’s, it’s hard for me to get motivated in the morning before work to get my run in.
[00:02:05] Fuzz Martin: Yeah, I, I, I used to be a morning workout guy and now I’m. Uh, now I’m an I need to go workout guy, but otherwise I’m usually an evening workout guy. Um, you’re coming up on 28 years of your running streak, and I know you’ve probably told the story a million times, but how did this all get started?
[00:02:23] Pete Rettler: So it started back, uh, sometime in 1993. I, uh, I was a high school and college wrestler for UW Eau Claire in college, and we had an alumni meet. Probably sometime in November of, uh, 93 and I was there and I was just ashamed at how much weight I had gained. I, you know, I wrestled at 126 in college and was probably pushing over 200 pounds and, and the guy, Phil Scherenbrock, who wrestled 142 for Eau Claire at the time I was there, he was pushing 222 and we both just had a conversation.
We’re like, We need to get in shape, and so we made a commitment that him and I were going to run every day of 1994. And, and you did it. I, yeah, so I, we both did it for a year. Okay. And Phil could not wait to stop. He was just, he, and I’m, I don’t enjoy running at all. Sure. Fuzz, I, I don’t, but it, it was just about the streak and I thought I’m just going to keep going as long as I can.
[00:03:24] Fuzz Martin: And then here you are coming up on 28 years. So was it New Year’s Eve that you started then?
[00:03:29] Pete Rettler: No, it was New Year’s Day. Okay. And I remember it, uh, 1994 because, uh, I think the Badgers were in the Rose Bowl that day. Oh yes, they were. Uh, I can’t think of the name of the quarterback right now that led them to the title, but he’s like an offensive coordinator now for the Seahawks or something.
[00:03:46] Fuzz Martin: Yeah. I, I remember watching that game. I was a sophomore in high school and we were in my, Parents Basement. Darryl Bevel. Darryl Bevel. Yes. Good call. Wow. Memories. Um, you have some rules that you set for yourself for the streak. What are those rules? So,
[00:04:03] Pete Rettler: so originally that, that first year, um, the minimum had to be a mile.
Okay. But this was back in the days before GPS watches and all that stuff. So, It was traditional that we’d take a car and drive and try to figure out where the routes were. And, and so it, it became 1. 2 miles because, you know, you drive this car and it was this, it would show up. So I wanted to make sure it was a mile.
So it was 1. 2. And that’s sort of what we, and it’s, I know it sounds weird, but that’s what I settled on for the last West Bend, Kewaskum, Slinger, West Bend, Kewaskum, Slinger, West Bend, Kewaskum, Slinger, West And then take two days where I just do my minimum run.
[00:04:59] Fuzz Martin: What is your, uh, how
[00:05:02] Pete Rettler: long does it take you to typically run that mile?
Oh, I’m getting slower and slower. , and it depends on who I’m running with. My Okay. If I’m running with my daughter or one of my sons, it’s, uh, typically faster, but Sure. I would have to say right now I’m probably at about, if I’m on my own and I, I’m not in a hurry at probably nine 15 mile. Okay. If I’m. I think I could do sub seven if I’m with my daughter or my son, I still think I can do sub seven, but nothing like I could, you know, when I started, I could do sub six pretty easy.
[00:05:33] Fuzz Martin: Sure. Sure. Um, I’ve never been able to do sub six, um, or even sub eight, um, but, uh, I can get pretty close. Um, You also only run
[00:05:45] Pete Rettler: outside, right? Correct. Yeah, that was one of the things is it can’t be on a treadmill or anything like that. So, or on an indoor track or anything, so. So, when it’s negative 65 with the windchill, you’re still out there?
Yep, yep. And, and I, people always ask, what’s the worst conditions? And it was, I’m on the Fair Park board and one year we were up at, uh, Up at Wisconsin Dells for the, uh, annual, uh, county fair convention with, I was with Sandy Lang that year. And I’ll never forget it. I don’t know what the exact wind chill was, but it was, it was 60, 70 below zero.
I think the temperatures were like 25 to 30 below, but that was probably the worst that I’ve ever run in.
[00:06:27] Fuzz Martin: Now, when it’s that cold, do you go to typically your Sunday run lengths, or do you, do
[00:06:33] Pete Rettler: you still push it? I push it, and the reason is, you know, I could do 1. 2, but that’s like, oh, yeah, you wimped out and did your Oh, yeah.
So, I always try to challenge myself. In fact, that day, I think I went two and a half miles just to get my My, my average run in, um, and, and honestly, Fuzz, I’ll take that temperature any day before 100 and humid, you know, because you can, you can cover up and I wear a bandana over my mouth and nose and I’ve never gotten frostbit or anything like that.
[00:07:04] Fuzz Martin: Yeah. You can always warm up. It’s harder to cool down. Exactly. Um, at least did not get a, uh, indecency ticket. Yes. Um. What other, besides the weather, what kind of other challenges have you had in making sure you complete the streak over the years? Well,
[00:07:20] Pete Rettler: I’ve got four kids, so when my wife was getting near delivering, I always had to really plan well because I, I didn’t want to be in the hospital and, and, you know, not have my run in and leave my wife’s side as she’s delivering a baby.
So I do remember with the first one, Jack, uh, my wife’s like, I think I’m going into labor. And I’m like, do you think I can get my run in? And she said, go, but go right now. So I went and And whatever. And the other ones, I just, I planned really well. I, those were typically morning runs that I would get in.
So.
[00:07:54] Fuzz Martin: Hey, honey, how come you drove around the hospital three times? Oh, I just wanted to get the distance. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:07:59] Pete Rettler: It’s, yeah. So that, that’s been one of the things, uh. It, uh, you know, this has sort of become a way of life. So I’ve got four kids, none of them, they’re all under 28 years old. So none of them ever remember the day without me running.
Sure. Oh yeah. They all ran. I had a running stroller that I wore out that they all rode in. After that it was, you know, they’d jump on a bike and they’d bike with me and then eventually they’d run with me. So that’s been fun. But other challenges, uh, uh, probably the Two worst ones, uh, one was quite a while ago, but, uh, I got kidney stones, and, uh, I went, I thought I was dying, I didn’t know what was going on, and I went to the hospital, and, uh, that’s when the hospital was still here in West Bend, and, uh, very quickly they realized I had kidney stones, and I, I remember asking, The doctor, I’m like, um, can I run yet?
And, uh, and the doctor’s like, why would you want to? And my wife said, well, he’s got this streak going. And, uh, so the doctor’s like, you can run, but I suggest you run while the morphine’s still in you when you get home. And that night, Fuzz, I had no pain whatsoever, but, uh, yeah. And then a few, few years ago, maybe two years ago now.
I was, my neighbor got a brand new boat, Dennis got a brand new boat, and uh, I went water skiing, I love water skiing, and it was early in the spring, and I think the water was a little cold, and I was getting out of the water and something popped in my hamstring, and I thought my I thought my streak was over and, uh, got into the boat and I, I think I even tried to like run a little bit in the boat to see if I was still okay.
And, and as soon as we got to land, I, I ran and I could, I could get through it. And it was a painful, probably six months. I mean, I ran every day, but I wrapped it up. I heated and iced and, and a couple of times when I was making my way back, I would re injure it. And, uh, I’d have to go back to square one again, but eventually I got through it.
Good, good. Yeah, that’s, uh,
[00:10:17] Fuzz Martin: uh, that’s just sounds pain. I’m, my leg hurts thinking about it. Um, how many pairs of shoes do you go through on a yearly basis? About
[00:10:27] Pete Rettler: two. Oh really? Okay. Depending, uh, on, on, you know, the quality of the shoe. I buy, I buy, Pretty much the same shoes every time. What’s your brand? Uh, Brooks.
Okay. The last few years it was a D, or excuse me, Nike for many, many years. And my, my, uh, uh, son last year, my son, Drew, bought me a pair of HOKAs. Oh, yeah. For Christmas and I like them. Uh, but it’s, uh. Those are very expensive shoes, but I just got another pair of Brooks, so. Gotcha. We need to get you a shoe
[00:11:01] Fuzz Martin: deal.
[00:11:02] Pete Rettler: Yeah,
[00:11:03] Fuzz Martin: yeah. Coming up on New Year’s Eve, you have the Rettler Run 5K. This year will benefit the Washington, or excuse me, the Wisconsin 9 11 Memorial and Education Center, um, as it has for the last couple of years. Um, so, when did you officially start doing this charity run on New
[00:11:20] Pete Rettler: Year’s Eve? Uh, year 20.
Okay. So, year 20, I was meeting with one of our marketing, uh, uh, people at, at Moraine Park, Judy Urban. And, Judy’s like, you should do something to raise money for the foundation, Moraine Park’s foundation. So, for the first First four years, I ran for the foundation and we would get scholarship dollars for Washington County high school graduates to attend Moraine Park.
So we did that. It was a smaller event. I mean, it was at my house and then we moved to the mayor at the time, Craig Sedonico’s house. He hosted a couple of years. It was a nice event and then year 25 we really got big. That’s the year that I was president of the board for United Way and came up, me and Kristen Bradner came up with the idea of 25 Runs of Gratitude.
And that year we raised 1, 000. With matching funds, about 34, 000. So, that was a, that was a great year. And then, since then, I’ve been with the 9 11 Memorial. And, uh, I, I met Gordon Haberman and Jerry Gosa, and really fell in love with that project. And, and, um, I, uh, decided, I think Gordon approached me about having to run out there.
And, uh, That’s worked out really well. We’re at the annex. I don’t have to, my wife doesn’t, you know, get all worried about having all those people at our house and, and so that’s worked out really well and the other thing about the memorial that I just, you know, I remember when I first got to know them, uh, Gordon gave me the book, A Few Sleeps Away.
Yeah. And I read that book about Andrea and, you know, what happened and it just made me think about how ironic it is, the incredible bad luck she had, uh, and many others, obviously, and the incredible good luck that I’ve had. I mean, if you look at it, Fuzz, 28 years, you know, without spraining my ankle or breaking a bone or, having to have a appendectomy or something that normally happens to people.
So, I’ve, I’ve, it’s just, I’ve thought about that quite a bit, you know, with, with, since we’ve been running for the Kewaskum Remembers 9 11 Memorial is the, you know, I, I have to keep doing this because I’ve been blessed and as long as I’m being blessed, we need to do something good for something, somebody.
Uh, whatever. So, uh, that’s, that’s one of the things that I’ve really thought about that since we’ve been with, uh, Kewaskum.
[00:13:59] Fuzz Martin: Sure. And I’m going to knock on wood. So, uh, my apologies to listeners, uh, for hearing that through the, uh, through the mic, but the, you know, just want to make sure you stay safe. And, uh, there’s a lot of people with, uh, phones and cars and things, and I want
[00:14:14] Pete Rettler: to just Fuzz, I’ve predicted many times that I’m going to be taken, taken out by a texting driver.
That’s because I can tell you the, if I wouldn’t be watching out for myself and I intentionally don’t wear any earphones or anything like that because I can’t tell you how many times that somebody has not seen me and I wear, you know, pretty, you Pretty bright clothes and whatever, but, uh, I’ll be taken out by a texting driver at some point.
Okay,
[00:14:41] Fuzz Martin: well, we don’t want that to happen, but, um, the, uh, all of the numbers unfortunately seem like they add up that way. Um, honestly, I used to ride road bikes. And I stopped, I bought a mountain bike because I, once my youngest daughter was born, I thought, I’m going to get smoked out on the road. And it’s, uh, it doesn’t matter how bright my clothes are or what lights I have on the bike that people are staring at their phone.
They can’t see if their head’s looking down. Yep, exactly. So, uh, coming up on Friday, December 31st. Noon till 3 p. m. It’s the Rattler Run. You can go to rattlerrun. com or go to the Wisconsin 9 11 Memorial website and click on the big banner. Um, the event’s officially a 5k, but
[00:15:25] Pete Rettler: it’s not a race, right? It’s not a race and, and many people just do a lap around.
You can bring your dog and walk your dog. Uh, I do a 5k last year. I pushed my, my first granddaughter. I’ll probably do the same thing again this year. Fun. But it’s, uh, definitely not a serious run. You’re not going to find, uh, You know, people warming up before the run, you know.
[00:15:47] Fuzz Martin: No chip timers, no official course, just a bunch of people having fun and raising money for the memorial and helping you celebrate your 28th year of the streak.
Last year you raised, uh, almost 5, 000 for the memorial. What’s your goal for this year?
[00:16:01] Pete Rettler: Our goal is 5, 000 this year. I’m hoping we can surpass that, but, uh, I think that’s pretty doable.
[00:16:07] Fuzz Martin: Yeah. And, uh, it, if you don’t want to come to the Kewaskum Annex building, uh, you can do it virtually, right? Correct. Yeah.
And, uh, but if you do come to the Annex, we’re going to have some great food and refreshments from Alec Dunn Brothers, Keith at Cousin Subs. Thank you both for participating in that. And then, uh, we’ve got, uh, well, first of all, you got some great prizes from Jeff Spirits on
[00:16:29] Pete Rettler: Maine. So we’ve got. I’ve got, um, uh, this year eleven other sponsors, uh, besides Dunn Brothers and, and, um, uh, Cousins and also, uh, David Tennis over at, at, uh, uh, at the hardware store in, in Kewaskum.
I’ve got eleven other sponsors that put together a Two hundred bucks each. And so Jeff and I, Jeff, uh, from Jeff Spirits on Main, we went and picked out, uh, twenty eight different, uh, bourbons that we’re going to give away as door prizes. And, uh, like the, the least valuable door prize you can leave with would be a, a bottle of Buffalo Trace, which is a pretty darn good door prize.
So, uh, some of these, uh, uh, bourbons are incredibly expensive and, and rare. So, uh, Looking forward to that.
[00:17:14] Fuzz Martin: Yeah, that was pretty fun. Uh, last year, uh, watching, uh, I think it was your daughter that was running the, uh, the randomizer to, to pick our winners. Correct. Yeah, it was great. So, um, I have the list of sponsors in front of me and I’m just going to read those off.
Uh, Wallace Lake Supper Club, Schlemmer Law, uh, American Companies, Mike and Kay Chevalier. Chevalier. Uh, you, Pete Rettler, Duquesne Concrete, West Bend Elevator, Candyman on Main. Epic Creative, Baird, the NOAC group, uh, Jeff Spirits of Maine, Cousin Subs, Dunn Brothers, and Teddy Says Hardware. Correct. So, uh, thank you to all of them, and of course, thank you to you for, uh, putting this all together.
If you want to buy tickets and register for the event, uh, there’s a, uh, Facebook event. If you want to search it on there, you can go to RettlerRun. com or again, go to the Wisconsin 9 11 Memorial. Website. Tickets are 28 bucks a piece for the 20th anniversary and, um, people can sign up the day
[00:18:09] Pete Rettler: of the race too, right?
Yes, they can. And also, um, we’re probably going to have hard copy tickets available at Jeff Spirits, so you can sign up there too. Jeff wanted that available, so. Some people like doing it that way, so.
[00:18:20] Fuzz Martin: Great, um, yeah, so, and I keep calling it a race, but I mean a run, again. It’s, uh, it’s not super competitive, though Josh Shulman will probably show up and, uh.
[00:18:29] Pete Rettler: Well, well, the two top runners the last few years have been my son Drew and Josh’s son Kale. Yeah. Who’s a state champion this past year in the 800s, so I’m sure the two of them will be leading the way again.
[00:18:42] Fuzz Martin: Yeah, I once had a, um, when I was on the radio, our, uh, weather guy from CBS 58 was a runner for Penn State and he came and ran, I think it was the 5k for kids, uh, for the United, or for the, uh, big, um, Boys and Girls Club.
And he ran it in, I don’t know, it was like 15 minutes or something. And there was some other top runner who normally wins who was mad. It was pretty funny, but yeah, this is not that kind of race. No, it’s not. So. So, but, um, anyway, Pete. One, uh, look out for deer in cars. Uh, two, uh, thank you for all that you do for this and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
And, uh, thanks for coming on the show. All right. Thank you, Fuzz. Again, I highly encourage you to help the Wisconsin 9 11 Memorial by registering for the Rettler Run. Visit the Memorial website. Or go to RettlerRun. com. R E T T L E R R U N. com. Even if you’re not going to run, you’ll be helping a good cause.
I’m not going to run, but I am signing up. If you like the show, please subscribe in your favorite podcast player. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at FifteenWithFuzz. All the episodes are also available at FifteenWithFuzz. com. Have a great rest of your week, and we’ll talk to you next Monday, right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.
