Dr. Antenor Velazco Competes in Ultra Marathons, Running 100 Miles or More at a Time
Calling long distance running more a mental than a physical battle, Resurgens Orthopaedics surgeon Dr. Antenor Velazco enters an average of one long distance race each month.
And whether it’s simply a marathon — a relatively short 26.2 miles — or a 100-mile ultra marathon, Dr. Velazco, 61, stays mentally and physically in shape to meet the challenge.
This year he is averaging nearly two long distance races per month. So far in 2010 he has completed:
- The Walt Disney World Marathon Jan. 10 in Orlando
- The H.U.R.T. 100-mile ultra marathon Jan. 16 in Hawaii
- The 50-mile Rocky Raccoon Race in Huntsville, Texas, Feb. 6
- Gasparilla Distance Classic Marathon in Tampa Feb. 28
- The Mississippi 50K Trail run in Laurel, Mississippi March 6
- The 50-mile event at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 27
- The 50K Sweetwater Trails Race on April 3 in Lithia Springs
- The Boston Marathon April 19
- The Dockside 8-hour run in Peachtree City May 15
Coming up, Dr. Velazco is training for the 100-mile “Race Across The Sky” in the heart of the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado, Aug. 21-22. This high altitude race has a low point of 9,200 feet and a high point at Hope Pass of 12,600 feet above sea level.
In the meantime, races on his calendar include: the 12-hour FAN race June 5-6 around Lake Nokomis near Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Big Horn 50-mile Trail Run June 19 near Sheridan, Wyoming.
As an orthopaedic surgeon in the Griffin and Morrow offices of Resurgens Orthopaedics, Dr. Velazco balances his time between the demands of his surgical practice and his passion for long-distance running. He was board certified as an orthopaedic surgeon in 1986, and began running soon afterwards as a way to stay in shape.
After achieving a goal of completing a marathon in each state in the U.S., he started looking for new challenges and began to train for ultra runs. The longest distance he has completed is 135 miles. The most number of races he has run in a year is 25.
An ultra marathon (also called ultra distance) is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometers (26.2188 mi). There are two types of ultra marathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time (with the winner covering the most distance in that time).
“The biggest difference in an ultra run is the mental preparation. You have to be mentally prepared to be out there for 10 hours, 12 hours, or even 24 hours,” he said.
The way Dr. Velazco has learned to complete these long-distance events is to break them up into smaller pieces. “Covering 100 miles is a long distance, so it’s very difficult to think of the entire run. If you break it down into chunks, it’s easier to reach your goals,” he said.
In addition to the organized runs, Dr. Velazco stays in shape by getting an hour of exercise a day, which can be a mixture of activities such as biking, swimming, running, or walking.
Dr. Velazco’s areas of expertise are total joint replacement and general orthopaedics. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He completed residencies at the Hogar Clinica San Juan De Dios in Peru and Emory University School of Medicine. He was a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Health and received his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Mayor De San Marcos in Peru.
Resurgens Orthopaedics, Georgia's largest orthopaedic practice, has 20 offices and six surgery centers throughout metro Atlanta. With 94 physicians, Resurgens provides specialized expertise and broad experience in the areas of sports medicine, joint replacement, neck and back surgery, foot and ankle surgery, non-operative spine care, general orthopaedics, hand surgery, arthroscopic surgery, epidural steroid injection, and trauma care. Resurgens provides comprehensive musculoskeletal care in a single location, from injury diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation services. Learn more at www.resurgens.com.
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