To Do The Impossible

DR. ADAM BRIGHT

Age: 44

Occupation: Orthopedic surgeon; past president of the Sarasota County Medical Society.

RECENT FITNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT: Bright recently completed the Burning River, a 100-mile endurance run through Cleveland and the surrounding area, including Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Bright finished the race, which was held July 31-Aug. 1, in 22 hours and 56 minutes.

The race started with 300 runners and only 160 finished it.

Bright also ran in the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado in 2009. The 100-mile course includes two mountain peaks of 12,000 feet and a 30-hour time limit. Bright completed that race in 29 hours, 5 minutes.

NEXT EVENT: Bright hopes to be accepted to race in the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2011. The Badwater is a 135-mile race that begins in Death Valley, Calif. and ends on Mt. Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous United States. Temperatures rise to 130 degrees for some of the race. The last few miles, in fact, are so hot, that race organizers suggest runners keep their feet on the white lines, otherwise their sneaker soles could melt.

The race only accepts 90 applicants a year. “They say it's the world's hardest race,” says Bright.

HOW HE GOT INTO FITNESS: Bright says he gained 20 pounds between college and medical school 20 years ago and he felt generally out of shape. “I wasn't a good role model for my patients,” he says. “I wasn't ill, but I wasn't as healthy as I could be.”

Bright's first fitness accomplishment was a 300-mile bike ride in the late 1980s. He soon got into running and swimming and by the mid-1990s he was doing at least one triathlon or marathon a year.

TRAINING REGIMEN: Bright runs at least three days a week, with the distance depending on what race he is training for. He does core exercises at least one day a week, normally on Saturdays.

Bright almost always exercises in the morning. He says it helps him start the day. But he has a more medically focused reason, too: He's a skin-cancer survivor. “I like training in the dark,” says Bright.

Bright has made exceptions to his training in the morning rule. For example, when he trained for the Leadville Trail he ran after work, at night, to simulate running while tired. Some of those post-work runs went 50 miles.

HOW HE BALANCES FAMILY LIFE, WORK AND TRAINING: Another reason Bright likes to train early in the morning is it allows him to be with his family at the end of the day. Bright has four children, ages nine, 12, 15 and 18. All of his children run or participate in sports. Sometimes he trains with his kids.

TRAINING RITUAL: Bright doesn't listen to music while he runs. Instead, he always runs with a friend — someone he says can push him to do more. “I try to run and ride with one person who is faster than me,” says Bright. That's how I learn their tricks to get better.”

MUST-HAVE GEAR: Bright tries to get the best stuff for each race, to gain an edge any way he can. “I do a lot of research,” he says, “so I know more than most competitors.”

That goes from food to shirts and sneakers. For instance, for Burning River, Bright used a specially made shirt with pockets in the front for ice and long sleeves, so he didn't have to put on suntan lotion. It's a shirt some triathlon competitors use.

Bright is also loyal to Nike Lunar sneakers when he runs because he likes his soles to be thin.

INSPIRATION: Once Bright got into competitive racing, he found himself constantly seeking more. He has completed the Boston Marathon four times and the Disney Marathon three times. He has finished two Ironman Triathlons.

“I've kept challenging myself to do harder things,” says Bright. “I like to do things people say are impossible to do.”

FUEL: Bright eats mini boiled potatoes during a long race or training run. For Burning River, Bright ate some every 10 miles. Boiled potatoes are easily digestible, Bright says, and he doesn't get a sugar high off them. Bright also likes to eat pasta before and after a race.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Bright will occasionally have a glass of red wine. “I avoid a really good steak,” he says, “even though I really want it.”

FITNESS TIP: Bright says the best way to get going and stay with a program is to work with a friend. “Whatever it is,” says Bright, “you need to have some peer pressure to get out there.”

— Mark Gordon

RECENT FITNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT: Bright recently completed the Burning River, a 100-mile endurance run through Cleveland and the surrounding area, including Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Bright finished the race, which was held July 31-Aug. 1, in 22 hours and 56 minutes.

The race started with 300 runners and only 160 finished it.

Bright also ran in the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado in 2009. The 100-mile course includes two mountain peaks of 12,000 feet and a 30-hour time limit. Bright completed that race in 29 hours, 5 minutes.

NEXT EVENT: Bright hopes to be accepted to race in the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2011. The Badwater is a 135-mile race that begins in Death Valley, Calif. and ends on Mt. Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous United States. Temperatures rise to 130 degrees for some of the race. The last few miles, in fact, are so hot, that race organizers suggest runners keep their feet on the white lines, otherwise their sneaker soles could melt.

The race only accepts 90 applicants a year. “They say it's the world's hardest race,” says Bright.

HOW HE GOT INTO FITNESS: Bright says he gained 20 pounds between college and medical school 20 years ago and he felt generally out of shape. “I wasn't a good role model for my patients,” he says. “I wasn't ill, but I wasn't as healthy as I could be.”

Bright's first fitness accomplishment was a 300-mile bike ride in the late 1980s. He soon got into running and swimming and by the mid-1990s he was doing at least one triathlon or marathon a year.

TRAINING REGIMEN: Bright runs at least three days a week, with the distance depending on what race he is training for. He does core exercises at least one day a week, normally on Saturdays.

Bright almost always exercises in the morning. He says it helps him start the day. But he has a more medically focused reason, too: He's a skin-cancer survivor. “I like training in the dark,” says Bright.

Bright has made exceptions to his training in the morning rule. For example, when he trained for the Leadville Trail he ran after work, at night, to simulate running while tired. Some of those post-work runs went 50 miles.

HOW HE BALANCES FAMILY LIFE, WORK AND TRAINING: Another reason Bright likes to train early in the morning is it allows him to be with his family at the end of the day. Bright has four children, ages nine, 12, 15 and 18. All of his children run or participate in sports. Sometimes he trains with his kids.

TRAINING RITUAL: Bright doesn't listen to music while he runs. Instead, he always runs with a friend — someone he says can push him to do more. “I try to run and ride with one person who is faster than me,” says Bright. That's how I learn their tricks to get better.”

MUST-HAVE GEAR: Bright tries to get the best stuff for each race, to gain an edge any way he can. “I do a lot of research,” he says, “so I know more than most competitors.”

That goes from food to shirts and sneakers. For instance, for Burning River, Bright used a specially made shirt with pockets in the front for ice and long sleeves, so he didn't have to put on suntan lotion. It's a shirt some triathlon competitors use.

Bright is also loyal to Nike Lunar sneakers when he runs because he likes his soles to be thin.

INSPIRATION: Once Bright got into competitive racing, he found himself constantly seeking more. He has completed the Boston Marathon four times and the Disney Marathon three times. He has finished two Ironman Triathlons.

“I've kept challenging myself to do harder things,” says Bright. “I like to do things people say are impossible to do.”

FUEL: Bright eats mini boiled potatoes during a long race or training run. For Burning River, Bright ate some every 10 miles. Boiled potatoes are easily digestible, Bright says, and he doesn't get a sugar high off them. Bright also likes to eat pasta before and after a race.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Bright will occasionally have a glass of red wine. “I avoid a really good steak,” he says, “even though I really want it.”

FITNESS TIP: Bright says the best way to get going and stay with a program is to work with a friend. “Whatever it is,” says Bright, “you need to have some peer pressure to get out there.”