While most professors spent their time preparing lectures or grading assignments, Dr. Nathanael Heyman, director of basic science professor of physician assistant studies, went the distance as an ultramarathon runner.
Growing up as a student athlete, Heyman played soccer and ran cross country in college. Because of this athletic background, he considered himself an avid runner before the busyness of life got in the way.
“You know, life happens and I got out of shape and I needed to get back in shape,” Heyman said.
About eight years ago, he made the decision to return to running and jumped into the deep end by starting with ultramarathons.
“It works better for me to have a specific goal instead of like, ‘I’m just gonna get in shape.’ I thought I would try to do a 50K race,” Heyman said.
His first race took place in Big Bear, Calif., close to where he lives, and he continued to attempt ultramarathons in that area. The Kodiak 100 is a recurring ultramarathon in Big Bear, Calif. ranging from 10K to 100K, and even a 100-mile race that Heyman participated in multiple times.
“I’ve tried to do it six times now, I’ve attempted it,” Heyman said. “I finished it four out of the six, but so the first time I didn’t make it cause I passed out at mile 80 or whatever, and then this year, I definitely was not in good enough shape. I kind of knew that going in… but I made it to about mile 58 and my legs were just toast.”
Participating in these ultramarathons is no easy feat and required excessive training and discipline both physically and mentally. In addition to his academic responsibilities as a program director and professor, Heyman makes time to train and prepare for these demanding races.
“Training is just trying to squeeze in running as much as you can in between all the other things you have to do in life and making sure you train at altitude, which is lucky for us because we live in the mountains, and train on trails as well as just running on the road,” Heyman said.
While physical endurance played a major role in these races, mental endurance was equally important. Heyman spoke candidly about facing those challenges during long hours on the trails.
“You have to just mentally try to stay with it and hopefully realize that, ‘I’m having a rough time right now but if I just keep going it’ll get better.’ It doesn’t always but you try to think that, right?,” Heyman said with a laugh. “It’s pretty challenging to keep a positive mental [mindset].”
Despite the challenges, Heyman found balance by involving his children in physical activity.
“My experiment with all this is trying to find a way to [train] in basically as little time as possible because life is busy and I have two kids and they’re super fun but they like to do stuff,” Heyman said. “My daughter, she’s 12 but she did a 30 mile bike race… so I was out there riding with her.”
Heyman’s dedication to both his family and his running was evident, and he offered advice for others trying to juggle similar commitments.
“You have to try to prioritize your time and, in recent years, I think those things have taken a little more of a priority over some of the training and that’s okay. It’s just kind of learning to balance out life,” Heyman said.
Heyman’s experience as an ultramarathon runner, professor and father serve as a testament to perseverance, showing that limits exist to be tested and success comes to those who persist.
