A LEADER BY EXAMPLE
Athletes have been an inspiration to many throughout the years. Their dedication to being healthy and setting goals can be infectious. This is not limited to athletes who make the big screen but those who are hitting the pavement and the pool each and every week in our own community. Dr. Arundati Ramesh is one of those athletes.
Since moving to Murfreesboro in 2004 Dr. Ramesh and her husband Dr. Ramesh Gowda have made Murfreesboro home. Their daughters, who are now adults, one at Vanderbilt and one working in Chicago, grew up here attending Mitchell Neilson, Siegel and the Webb School. Dr. Ramesh practices geriatric medicine with a focus mainly at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic.
In addition to her work with senior citizens, Dr. Ramesh is an advocate for staying healthy both physically and mentally. One of the ways she is doing this is by participating in an Ironman triathlon. “Being a geriatrician, I see that physical fitness is so important to longevity,” she explains. “It is like you need to use it or lose it. This keeps me inspired to continue do lead a healthy lifestyle.”
Dr. Ramesh did not start her running career with a triathlon, but started slowly. “I started running in residency, short distances like two miles,” she explains. A colleague encouraged her to take up running. They were living in Brooklyn at the time and some of her colleagues were participating in the New York Marathon. She would watch the marathon pass but didn’t think she had what it took to compete in a long-distance race. “I was doing three miles runs for a long time,” Ramesh explains. “I use to do two and a half to three miles every day on the treadmill when my kids were little and my husband was away. I didn’t have much time.”
After moving to Murfreesboro, she continued to run three to four miles in the morning before her children woke up. One of her colleagues suggested she run a half marathon around the time that the Middle Half started. “I was doubtful that I could do it but he gave me some ideas {for training},” says Dr. Ramesh.
“I finished that and I felt super, super, super good. It made me feel good and it’s a stress relief too.” In 2012 she competed in her first full marathon with the help of the Boro Divas running group. Dr. Ramesh didn’t stop with a marathon but continued to pursue fitness to the next level. “I saw one of my friends, Dr. Elizabeth LaRoche, do a triathlon and she inspired me,” explains Dr. Ramesh. “I would always look up to her as a big role model.” When it came to an Ironman Dr. Ramesh wasn’t sure if that was something that she could do but another colleague, Dr. Allie, who is an ultra-marathoner, encouraged her to start training. He got her a coach to put a plan in place for training. “I think I have changed my lifestyle a lot because I am doing all three things; biking, swimming and running,” explains Dr. Ramesh. Swimming was something that she used to do but not consistently and since beginning training in 2017, swimming has been added as part of her fitness and training routine.
Training for an Ironman requires a lot of dedication and hours committed to fitness and the goal of finishing and pushing your body past what you believe it can do. Dr. Ramesh has continued to do this through first adding swimming and then biking to her routine. “Doing all three together is very exciting,” says Dr. Ramesh. “I feel like I am stronger than when I was just running all the time. With cross-training I feel like I am reaping more benefits and using different muscles.” She also practices yoga to help keep her calm.
Dr. Ramesh tried her first Ironman in May but didn’t finish due to the time limit required with the race. “I didn’t get to do the second loop of the run but I am not going to let this get me down,” she explains. “I am going again in three days and worst case scenario I am already better than I was.” While Dr. Ramesh continues to inspire through training and fitness she is also inspired by friends and colleagues who push her to believe she can. “I think it is just the determination and wanting to do it,” explains Dr. Ramesh. “There is a lot of goal setting and time management.”
Many marathon and ultra marathoners spend long hours training and pushing their bodies. Dr. Ramesh explains that they wake up early to train so that it doesn’t interfere with their families. “I start at 4:00 a.m. on the weekends and I am back home by 8:00 a.m. to take care of the routine daily activity,” she says.
Dr. Ramesh is an example to many people and women who want to incorporate physical fitness or training into their daily lives. Most importantly, she is an inspiration to her daughters. “I am an example to my children,” she explains. “Both my kids are running half marathons now and they want to do a full.” Dr. Ramesh laughs that she is trying to convince them to get through college and their training before taking on a full marathon. “My goal is that one day all three of us can do one together,” she says.
“It is being an example by doing it in action rather than just saying it in words.” She is also able to use this same inspiration for her patients through practicing what she is preaching to them.