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| Dr. John Scott, Myanmar |
Career-profession? I am a board certified internal medicine physician. I am a fellow of American College of Physicians. I
have been in practice for 37 years, all in Quincy, IL.
When did you start running and why? I started in 1980 when we moved from the University of Missouri-Columbia to
Madison, WI for my residency program. I started because I ran to a code in the hospital, and the nurse asked if she should code me before the patient? Apparently, I was badly out of breath. That made me think I should begin actual running.
How much did you run in your peak years, miles/week? In my peak years, I ran about 50-60 miles per week.
What were your top race performances or running achievements you are most proud of? My first marathon was in 1988. The weather was so bad the airport was closed for a time: cold and snowy. With terrible wind. But I finished. I have done two 24 hour ultra marathon equalizer races in Des Moines, Iowa. In October 2005 I placed 5th with 76.2 miles.I like to run different races. My wife and I do international medical missions and in January, 2016, we participated in a running race in downtown Yangon, Myanmar. I ran a couple of the River to River relay races in southern Illinois – the Mississippi River to the Ohio River, a total of 80 miles total with 8 runners.
I also had the great fortune of helping to start two local races. One was the area's only night race, but it no longer exists. The second is a fundraiser for Med Assist. It's called the "Bridge the Gap to Health" race. It crosses over the Mississippi two times. This coming May 16, 2020, is the 20th anniversary. In 19 years, we've raised $842,771.49 actual dollars, which has been leveraged into $19,863,459.79 worth of prescription medications for those benefiting from this program.
An estimate of your total lifetime running miles? Over 58,000
How much are you running and cross-training now? I am doing 15 miles per week now. Strength work? No. Stretching? Only when my muscles hurt.
Any recent race results? Bridge the Gap, May 2019, 5K in 36:39
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| Scott finishes the race he founded, the "Bridge the Gap to Health." |
How have your diet and weight changed through the years, if at all? I am probably 20 pounds heavier. My diet is a local Mexican restaurant with pizza and beef nachos on the weekends. During the week, I eat Lean Cuisine or chili. I love to run outside in all four seasons here in Illinois. I do take a multivitamin and calcium.
What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years? I suffered I had a T 7 compression fracture on 11-30-15. I had osteoporosis so I now take vitamin D, and multi vitamins with
trace elements. After being under the care of a Bone Health specialist at Barnes Hospital West in St. Louis, my dexa scans are phenomenal. I have endured bone-on-bone in my right knee for years. And all the common over-use injuries.
A favorite inspirational quote? "Health: It's physical, mental, and spiritual."
Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners?
1--Speed kills.
2--Do not compete.
3--Enjoy the outside world that the Lord created in all the glorious seasons.
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| Amby Burfoot, Candy Scott, John Scott, Quincy Bayview Bridge across Mississippi. |
How does running and fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis? I am not obese. It makes me take care of my health. I can still run the grandchildren and adult
For runners, I encourage them to do one more race above
what they have done. Running is a good time to remember to pray and be grateful.