GOING THE DISTANCE
only as Ironman announced a race right in Louisville where I was in residency . After that race , I thought , “ Nice , won ’ t do that again ” then signed up again the next day . After 27 full distance Ironman races later , I ’ m still planning the next one . Accepting different goals has been a part of continuing in the sport for me : managing a 33rd place overall finish and being the physical course leader at Ironman Louisville through 42 miles on the bike another year . Now , I aim for a good race for the training I did or accumulating points through multiple races ( 2019 – 30 world and 9 in-country points ). The time required to be at peak performance is more limited now .
This brings me to another often asked question , “ How do you find time to train ?” Well , I don ’ t understand how people find time to play golf . It is harder than it used to be . The priority is family and job . As time has gone by both have required more commitment . Laura works full time as a busy pediatrician . She is very supportive of course . Training and racing are my social , relaxation and stress relieving activities , other such activities are limited .
Much of my training is done before everyone else is awake . Odd moments are not wasted . There are running shoes and clothes in my car at all times . There is a treadmill in the Louisville Pulmonary Care call room . My basement has two types of training bikes . Scheduled swim training has been eliminated to save time ( my swim time winds up about the same anyways ). I hope to continue my racing and training as long as I can , so I try not to make it a burden on anyone else . As a resident / fellow , I took vacation days at opportune times to get in the long bike rides . Race dates don ’ t involve any sort of pampering or recovery . I have gone from the finish line of Ironman Louisville to work a night call shift as a resident ( thankfully Dr . Jignesh Shah told me he was covering for me and made me go home ). I have gotten up at night to feed our baby daughters the night after a race . Travel for races is carefully crafted to maximize activities for the family , not focused on my race . Last year at Lake Placid , my two daughters and wife even got to enjoy a day at the spa while I was out on the course . We have hiked in Glacier National Park and ridden horses in Zion National Park the day after races .
“ How do you have energy to exercise ?” is another one I hear . Well , how can I afford not to ? After all , it ’ s hard for me to relax unless I ’ m a bit exhausted . As an introvert , I like the time alone . Usually a good improvement in my mood and energy follows a work out . The exercise provides the opportunity for stress relief , a sort of meditation . Mental exhaustion and physical exhaustion are different . Even recognizing this , motivation can be a barrier to having the energy to exercise .
Staying motivated has some tricks . Having a friend to hold you accountable can really help . Since residency , I have been running with a medical school classmate , Dr . Ryan Haulk . Getting out of bed at 3:45 a . m . on Sunday is easier when you have someone else crazy enough to meet you for that long run . Putting races on the calendar helps . Goals help , like finishing a marathon in all 50 states
( I have repeated quite a few states , with 18 states plus D . C . despite 52 marathons , 27 of them as part of an Ironman ). Lately , beating my qualifying time for the Boston Marathon at that race has been my motivation . The thought of some longer trail races or stage races or more swimrun races has piqued my interest . I will throw in some trail races , half marathons and half Ironman races for variety . I do go through shoes – even rotating them , I ’ ll get a new pair about every three months .
Stories of endurance races , endurance and survival in general have fascinated me , both the physical and mental aspects . As a physician , the biology is quite interesting , from the physiology of exercise and response to extreme conditions , to the psychology of human endurance . Is it joy in suffering or is it celebrating our capacity to endure ? It ’ s hard to go off and hike the Appalachian Trail while still maintaining a pulmonary practice and a family , but I can still do some crazy things and be home for dinner : swim 2.4 miles in the Gulf of Mexico , bike 112 miles through a canyon in southern Utah , ride straight up a mountain and back . I ’ ve run 26.2 miles in a hailstorm in Texas .
Some mornings , adventure is running halfway across Louisville and over the Second Street Bridge in the morning dark , with the lights of downtown blurring on the sides of my vision – all in time to hit the call room shower before work .
After all , don ’ t most of us grow up dreaming of adventure ?
Dr . Kellie is a pulmonary and critical care doctor and managing partner with Louisville Pulmonary Care .
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