End of year update/Plans for 2024
Well, I haven’t posted in a while. I thought some people might be interested in what has transpired wrapping up 2023 and what I have planned for this coming year of 2024.
All in all, 2023 was a pretty good year. I am super satisfied that I was finally able to finish the Yukon Arctic Ultra 430-mile distance after having not finished the 300 mile three times. Perhaps that will serve as an example to others of the importance of not giving up and having resilience and tenacity. There is something to be said about good old-fashioned great. Sometimes it is good to be stubborn!
Professionally, I have been thriving professionally, I have been thriving as a traveling physician working in emergency departments in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, I do not like being away from my wife and daughters but professionally it is very satisfying to be providing excellent medical care and smaller towns. Between shifts, I am able to run and explore the rugged wilderness recharging my soul.
I had to work a lot this past year because of some unexpected expenses at home. (Our pool had three small leaks costing a tremendous amount of money to fix and insurance did not pay for it!)
It is interesting working in different practice environments. The emergency department population in and the cases we care for are exactly the same no matter where you go.
The other big news is that I have written my first book after encouragement by so many people. Once I made the decision to actually do it, it has been very rewarding. It is titled In Pursuit of Extreme Greatness: An ER Doctor and Ultramarathoner’s Prescription for Elevating Your Life Beyond Limits.
It will be available January 16 on Amazon and all the major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Walmart and Target. I have written it primarily to serve as a curriculum/foundation for public speaking/motivational speaking. I am confident my message can transform people's lives so they can be as Great as possible.
My heart––My Achy, Breaky heart!
Our Dear Mother Nancy Faith Reinbolt passed away December 11 after experiencing two strokes. A warrior all her life, her body could not take any more after contracting COVID from a nursing home. She died peacefully. Therefore, I am at peace knowing she had a wonderful life and was ready to go. I will miss her tremendously. Losing her though of course breaks my heart.
I am still having my stupid heart issue and that my heart rate frequently drops during exercise making me very short of breath. I am still working with my cardiologist to determine the cause and to see what can be done. To continue doing what I love, I may need a pacemaker that will stimulate my heart to beat faster at high intensity exercise. As long as I keep my heart rate up below 110 or so, I don’t have any problems.
I try not to think too much about it, but I c. ot help but note the irony of an ultramarathoner who may need a pacemaker of all things. Of note, the pacer would not give me an unfair advantage. It would just make my heartbeat at the appropriate rate that it’s supposed to in certain situations.
Plans for 2024
I’m in the thick of training (to the extent possible) for the 300 Mile version of the Yukon Arctic Ultra again that starts in early February. I will have a completely different approach having finished the 430 last year. I will be pushing a little more aggressively but will be able to enjoy the experience much more without the pressure of worrying about finishing or not. During the race last year, I swore to myself I would never do an event like this again but as almost always the case, we ultramarathoner's end up going right back out there. In March I will start doing motivational public speaking as that will be the focus of next year.
I will promote my book on Extreme Greatness. Also, I will be writing additional books catering to select audiences, for example teenagers, athletes and those in business.
If I can obtain enough high-quality content in the Yukon, I hope to complete a full-length documentary on doing ultras and those extreme environments. It is just so exceedingly difficult to record in such rugged conditions and in the throes of such an arduous race.
In my family life, I am super excited for my older daughter who will be selecting her college choice soon. She is going to thrive, for sure. My younger daughter continues to excel athletically and has a very bright future as well, looking like she will have a career in the real estate world. She is amazingly “street smart” and able to solve seemingly all problems she faces.
What are your plans for 2024? Dream big and GO FOR IT!
