Iron man: One workout is rarely enough for 63-year-old doctor

Published 7:15 pm Friday, August 20, 2010

Art Grossman was thinking about participating in a half Ironman competition in Lake Stevens in August, but he had a problem.

For the uninitiated, a half Ironman is a triathlon consisting of a 2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.

Grossman, 63, wanted to participate in the event but wasn’t sure if he could fit it into his schedule.

In addition to teaching cycling and “core blaster” classes for Everett-area YMCAs, Grossman works as a family practice physician for Western Washington Medical Group. Between his classes and passion for fitness,

he sometimes works out three times a day.

That’s when he’s not doing 10-hour bike rides.

“That will be my only workout for the day,” Grossman said.

In late July, Grossman participated in RAMROD, the one-day, 154-mile bike ride around Mount Rainier.

“RAMROD was just fantastic,” Grossman said. Despite the 11 hours and 55 minutes of cycling, “I was wide awake and excited all the drive home.”

The next day, he went to his 5:45 a.m. spin cycling class, biked to work and swam 1.5 miles. The following weekend, he ran the equivalent of a half marathon — 13.1 miles.

Understand why he might have a little trouble fitting an Ironman into his schedule?

Grossman said intense workouts have been part of his life since he graduated from college.

“When I started getting interested in bicycling, that’s when the longer days of exercise really took off,” he said.

He has run more marathons than he has kept track of, but guesses they number about a dozen. He said he quit participating in full marathons because of the pounding on his body, and decided to switch to half marathons.

Recovery from those events is much faster, he said. “You can get back to running a day or two later.”

Grossman said that on his best days, he can run 8-minute miles.

“I certainly don’t want to feel like I’m boasting,” he said. “There are lots of other people at the Y who do much more impressive things than I do.”

They include men in their 50s and 60s who compete in full Ironman competitions.

“I think we’re rewriting the book on how you’re supposed to act when you get old,” Grossman said.

Oh, and that half Ironman at Lake Stevens? He had to pass. Not enough time to practice his lake swimming.

But there’s another one coming up at the end of September. And that one he might just have time to squeeze in.

Profile: Art Grossman

Lives in: Everett.

Graduate of: Brown University, University of Washington School of Medicine.

Bikes: About 1,000 miles a month.

Runs: 3 to 4 times a week; one weekly run longer than 10 miles.

Swims: At least 5 times a week.

Favorite running event: Rock and Roll half marathon, Seattle

Advice on sticking with an exercise program: “You must find something you think is fun to do to be able to stick with it. If fun is walking alone to get away from it all, perfect. If fun is walking with a large group and chatting all the way to help the time pass, find that group. If fun is moving your body to Zumba, all the power to you, but just keep doing it.”

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.