PITTSBURGH, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- COVID-19 might have put a stop to the Pittsburgh marathon, but it didn't stop a group of Pittsburgh runners from planning their own. During the wee hours of the morning Friday, March 27, elite athlete Jeff Gleason and his running buddies will go the distance – running while the rest of Pittsburgh sleeps.
His small team is nothing short of extraordinary: "Wayne Kurtz is our de facto race director -- he actually ran 30 full Ironmen over 30 straight days," says Gleason. I'll serve as co-pilot and Bill Thompson, ultra-runner extraordinaire, will be my wingman. He ran across the entire state of Tennessee for no particular reason."
When the alarm rings, they will lace up their running shoes and strap on head lamps. Starting somewhere between 1 and 2 a.m., they will track their miles by Garmin and finish long before the city wakes. And afterwards, they are planning to go to work.
Gleason is not a quitter. In addition to medaling in marathons, he has completed over 70 ultramarathons. His "never say die" attitude got him through four 135-mile crossings of the Mojave Desert in unbearable heat and Big Foot, an excruciating 200-mile race through mixed terrain across the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
More on The PennZone
That perseverance also came into play a few years ago, when debilitating knee pain knocked Gleason off course. Several physicians told him knee replacement was necessary, and he would never run again. After searching high and low, he found Richard Berger, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, who performs joint replacement without cutting muscles, ligaments or tendons. Because of this, the recovery is faster with less scar tissue build up. That means within months, athletes like Jeff can return to their sport. In fact, three months post-surgery, Jeff completed the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. In hindsight, he says, "I could have done the whole [26.2], but my wife would have killed me."
In addition to the Pittsburgh Marathon, Jeff was planning to complete his 30th 100-miler ultra in New Jersey—which was also cancelled. But even with no foreseeable races in his future, he found a silver lining. "Fortunately (or maybe not so fortunately)," says Gleason, "I have some friends who are crazy enough to run over 26 miles in the middle of the night."
Above all, Jeff is just happy to be running again—pain free. "There is a running God," he admits, "and his name is Dr. Berger."
SOURCE Jeff Gleason
His small team is nothing short of extraordinary: "Wayne Kurtz is our de facto race director -- he actually ran 30 full Ironmen over 30 straight days," says Gleason. I'll serve as co-pilot and Bill Thompson, ultra-runner extraordinaire, will be my wingman. He ran across the entire state of Tennessee for no particular reason."
When the alarm rings, they will lace up their running shoes and strap on head lamps. Starting somewhere between 1 and 2 a.m., they will track their miles by Garmin and finish long before the city wakes. And afterwards, they are planning to go to work.
Gleason is not a quitter. In addition to medaling in marathons, he has completed over 70 ultramarathons. His "never say die" attitude got him through four 135-mile crossings of the Mojave Desert in unbearable heat and Big Foot, an excruciating 200-mile race through mixed terrain across the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
More on The PennZone
- New Study: MindSciences Unwinding Anxiety App Reduces Physician Anxiety and Cynicism by Half
- Gov. Wolf, Sec. of Health: Pennsylvania on Statewide Stay-at-Home Order Beginning at 8 PM Tonight, "Most Prudent Option to Stop the Spread"
- Thomas Lane named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. N
- Bellefonte MedTech Company Shifts to Producing Face Shields During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Advanced Fever-detection Technology to Protect Against COVID-19 Launched by National Life Safety / Security Provider
That perseverance also came into play a few years ago, when debilitating knee pain knocked Gleason off course. Several physicians told him knee replacement was necessary, and he would never run again. After searching high and low, he found Richard Berger, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, who performs joint replacement without cutting muscles, ligaments or tendons. Because of this, the recovery is faster with less scar tissue build up. That means within months, athletes like Jeff can return to their sport. In fact, three months post-surgery, Jeff completed the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. In hindsight, he says, "I could have done the whole [26.2], but my wife would have killed me."
In addition to the Pittsburgh Marathon, Jeff was planning to complete his 30th 100-miler ultra in New Jersey—which was also cancelled. But even with no foreseeable races in his future, he found a silver lining. "Fortunately (or maybe not so fortunately)," says Gleason, "I have some friends who are crazy enough to run over 26 miles in the middle of the night."
Above all, Jeff is just happy to be running again—pain free. "There is a running God," he admits, "and his name is Dr. Berger."
SOURCE Jeff Gleason
Filed Under: Business
0 Comments
Latest on The PennZone
- Air King Earns 2020 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award
- IAOP Announces New Initiative with Its Impact Sourcing Champions Index
- UGE Signs Three Agreements, Including Largest US Project in Company's History
- AFOP Announces its 2020 Farmworker Children Essay and Art Contest
- Care Packages to Frontline Workers Delivered by Erasable Inc. of Tampa with Partners ZO Skin Health and HydraFacial
- Pennsylvania: Gobernador Wolf: Solicitud de declaración de desastre mayor aprobada
- Exquisite home for sale in an equestrian community!
- Pennsylvania: Gov. Wolf, Sec. of Health Extend Stay-at-Home Orders to Seven Additional Counties, 33 Counties Now Ordered to Stay Home
- Pennsylvania: Governor Wolf: Request for Major Disaster Declaration Approved
- Affordable Dental Solutions in Reading Remains Open During COVID-19 for Emergency Care
- The Next Tech Billionaire Andrew Sobko Announced New Artificial Intelligence for Transportation
- Tip: COVID-19 hand dermatitis prevention
- edjuster Ensures Continuity of Services Across North America During COVID-19 Impact
- Helping to Build Ventilators in the Coronavirus Pandemic
- New Book Announcement: Executive Engagement Strategies—How to Have Conversations and Develop Relationships that Build B2B Business
- Harrisburg Orthodontist Offering Braces for Only $3,995
- Selectech Launches Healthcare Division
- STG Logistics handles first FEMA charter of medical supplies
- COVID-19 UPDATE: Coronavirus Positive Patients' can use Sargas' Remote Monitoring platform to free up hospital beds and Medical Staff
- PREIT Takes Steps to Improve Liquidity Position