Eyeworld

EW IN OTHER NEWS September 2011 97 Doctors push their limits in the world's toughest endurance challenge D avid Stager Jr., M.D., sure could use a 28-hour day. The Dallas-based pe- diatric ophthalmologist, husband, and father of three not only runs his own prac- tice, he also co-founded an interna- tional humanitarian organization, One World One Vision, which sends him packing to developing countries to treat strabismus and pediatric cataracts. He writes articles for peer- reviewed journals. He's authored ophthalmology textbook chapters. He's a clinical assistant professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Somehow in the midst of all this, when most people would be crawling to their couches, Dr. Stager is lacing up his running shoes, put- ting on his swimsuit, or strapping on his cycling helmet. Dr. Stager is a triathlete, competing in Ironman Triathlons since 2010. "I've always been involved in fitness and exercise," he explained. "About 3 years ago I bumped into a colleague of mine, and he told me he did an Ironman. It really peaked my interest. I've always been one who loves to take on challenges, and it just seemed like the ultimate chal- lenge as far as endurance and fitness goes." You wouldn't assume it, but the Ironman Triathlon has many con- nections to ophthalmology. The Ironman brand was co-owned by a cataract surgeon from Florida named James Gills, M.D. Dr. Gills bought the Hawaii Triathlon Corporation, owner of the Ironman brand, for $3 million in 1989 and established it as the World Triathlon Corporation. Although he sold the company to Providence Equity Securities for an undisclosed sum in 2008, Dr. Gills remains a legend in the Iron- man community at the age of 76. His athletic resume is mind-blowing, packed with superhuman accom- plishments such as running an aver- age of 33,000 miles a year for 30 years. Dr. Gills put more mileage on his legs in 365 days than most peo- ple put on their cars. "I was getting up every morning and running 12 miles to work," he said. "For 18 years I didn't have a car. I'd run or bike everywhere." An Ironman Triathlon is not for the physically or mentally weak. Full Ironman competitors run, bike, and swim a combination of 140.6 un- fathomable miles in a maximum of 17 hours: a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon. Dr. Gills took it to another level entirely, finishing six double Ironman com- petitions, the last one in his 60th year. Double Ironman competitors have 36 hours to complete 280 miles. "It's a conditioning thing," Dr. Gills said. "How many people at 60 can do a double Ironman? It was a matter of staying in shape, and it's a little bit of pride, too." Before someone can even think about racing a single Ironman, let alone a double, he or she has to get through the grueling training pe- riod. Athletes typically use the peri- odization method, which slowly adds hours over time. For example, the first week of training may only require 8 hours and focus solely on swimming. The second week could be 10 hours and focus on running, and so on. Dr. Stager's training takes up anywhere between 8 and 22 hours in 1 week, although others train up to 30 hours. "I work full time, so it was chal- lenging," Dr. Stager said. "I'd get up early and do an hour at 6 a.m. I'd take an hour at lunch and go swim. I'd get home and ride a bike for an hour. On the weekend, I'd ride for 4 hours. There were some weeks when it was a huge amount of time. It was a real sacrifice." Then there are the diet restric- tions. Nutrition is a big part of train- ing because triathletes need to be extremely lean. That means eating as healthy as possible, staying away from processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and so forth. What on Earth possesses people to put themselves through this not just willingly, but eagerly? "We're all cut from the same mold," said Matthew Wilson, M.D., professor of ophthalmology, Univer- sity of Tennessee, and Ironman triathlete 19 times over. "If you look across the spectrum of triathletes, September 2011 by Faith A. Hayden EyeWorld Staff Writer Ophthalmology's Ironmen Dr. Stager has been competing in Ironman Triathlons since 2010. Ironman competitors run, bike, and swim a combination of 140.6 miles in a maximum of 17 hours Source: David Stager Jr., M.D. continued on page 98

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