'Death Race' doctor

This ultramarathon-running doc is more than a 'survivor'

By Julian Rosenberg

"It's called the 'Death Race' because it practically kills you," says Dr Neety Panu. "You run 125km over two mountains, gaining over 5km in elevation." The postgrad in diagnostic imaging at the University of Saskatchewan wants to let you in on a little secret: the Canadian Death Race ultramarathon in Grande Cache, Alberta, can be � despite its terrifying moniker � part of a balanced lifestyle for the very fit.

"You've got to run for at least 50km, or it isn't an ultramarathon. Mostly you run through mountainous terrain, with lots of up and down," she explains. On their website, the Death Race organizers carefully dash any lingering illusions: "We designed the Canadian Death Race to ask one question and one question alone, 'Are you tough enough?' It's time to put up or shut up."

It all started innocently enough. Dr Panu ran in 'normal' races throughout high school. But eventually she tired of running in paved circles � so she switched to trail running, and thus began the slippery descent into the wild world of ultramarathons. In the last two years, she's run five ultramarathons across Alberta and found herself on the podium twice, earning one second place and a third place showing.

Why, pray tell, would a perfectly sane doctor subject herself to a gruelling 24-hour race up a mountain? "They get addictive," she admits. "Your body is so spent and you can't imagine going any further, but you keep hammering away. Before you know it, you forget the fact that a few kilometres ago you threw up everything you ate!"

"I know, I know," she laughs, realizing she's not helping her own 'healthy' cause much. "My parents freaked out when I told them. I guess I'm a pretty intense person." Her brother Anu, a med student, is equally perplexed. "It's a pretty extreme race. Most people don't know that anyone is crazy enough to run for 24 hours, but my sister likes to push the limits."

BOVINE EYES
But is there anything particularly illuminating a doctor might learn from a 24-hour slog over rough, hilly terrain? "Well, for one thing, cows eyes glow in the dark," she laughs. "Once, while running up a mountain, we had to climb up ladders to get over fences in a cow pasture. It was already after 9pm, so it was dark, and I kept seeing these glowing lights rushing past me. Who knew that cows' eyes glowed?"

Dr Panu clearly has extraordinary stamina, but how would she fancy being on the top TV arena of endurance, Survivor? "No way. Survivor is ultra commercial," she laughs. "They get fed every day, they get to stop and start. For me the challenge is: how much can I push my body? I would do anything to be on Amazing Race. There's a start and a finish, you don't get to stop � it's a race!"

KARMA CHAMELEON
While her hobby has her straddling bodily extremes, Dr Panu still believes in approaching life with balance and adaptability. Growing up, she moved around a lot. Her father, a Professor of Civil Engineering, took the family all over Canada � Vancouver, Mississippi, St John's, Thunder Bay � and even to India. "Moving around makes you a more versatile person � you have to adapt to new circumstances," she says. "Adaptability helps in medicine because there's so much going on. I like that things are continuously changing."

So who or what inspired this born-to-run doc to go into medicine in the first place? "My grandfather practised Ayurvedic medicine in India, where we would visit when I was young," she says. The experience gave Dr Panu a different outlook on medicine and life. "In Ayurvedic medicine, patience and positivity have a major influence on healing. As a healer, the physician is there to support and guide treatment: you look at the whole person. Ayurvedic medicine uses a lot of natural things for healing, and it puts some responsibility on the individual. It has a different perspective that I like. It's influenced me as a person in all spheres in my life."

For the first time during our interview, Dr Panu slows down when she's talking about her grandfather. "I saw him provide a lot of free help for people in villages in India. At some point in my life I'd like to do that," she says. "My brother Anu is in his second year of medicine and sometimes we talk about opening a hospital named after our grandfather in India."

X-RAY VISIONARY
While ultramarathons are her addiction, Dr Panu has glowing praise for her day job as well. "In radiology, you're always at the brink of something new. Radiology is very technology driven � there are new things and new equipment going on every year," she says. "It's like having your finger on the pulse. In the hospital, you're central � you're seeing all the pathology that comes in, because you're imaging it."

Is there anything that Dr Panu would give up her beloved marathons for? "Wow. That's a tough one," she says. "I can't imagine a day without sports. Hmm... maybe environmental issues. SUVs really get on my nerves. Being environmentally sound is the responsibility of everyone." She adds, "When you're a doctor, a lot of people look up to you and you have the ability to influence people in the community. People in medicine should be role models: you've got the financial capabilities to act environmentally responsible."