Faculty Wellness Spotlight

Not only are the surgeons in our department incredibly impressive at work, when they leave these walls and those scrubs behind, they are out there in the wild conquering the world and doing astounding things. Here at THE WELL, we want to highlight the achievements of our colleagues so that we can learn about eachother as human beings and inspire each other to pursue those things that make us happy, healthy, and whole.

For our inaugural spotlight, we have none other than Annie Moore from the divisioin of Acute Care Surgery. I recently sat down with (and by sat down with, I mean emailed a list of interview questions to) Dr. Moore to talk to her about her love for running and how it contributes to her wellness as a surgeon.

How did your relationship with running start? Did you have an early introduction through school sports, were you talked into it by a friend like I was, or was it a way to not succumb to the stress and demands of residency/fellowship?

"I’ve been a runner on and off most of my life.  My parents would sign us up for local 5Ks as kids.  I ran cross country in high school, but focused on swimming and ballet in college.  I ran some races in med school, but took all of residency off from racing and didn’t get back into it until fellowship.  I am in awe of all the residents who are running races – you inspire me!  I started running much more at the start of the pandemic to cope with stress and have an outlet for all the pandemic-related anxiety from work and parenting." 

People have all sorts of reasons for getting out there and putting in the miles day after day. Some people say it's the physical shape it keeps them in, or the runner’s high they get after some absurd number of miles, or that it is something they read about longevity or cardiovascular health. What is it about running makes you keep coming back for more?

"I run because it keeps me sane and balanced.  Being physically active is important to me, but running is something different.  It’s my “me” time – especially early in the morning, when no one else is up, and it’s cool and dark and quiet." 

What is your mental process for continuing to make time and space for running with your busy clinical schedule and the ever-increasing number of roles that you take on?

"I run early in the morning, usually around 4-5 am most days.  I set out all my stuff the night before so I can just roll out of bed, get dressed, and go.  That way, I know I’ll get my run in no matter how the rest of the day goes." 

What is your most recent major running event? Anything memorable from the trip or the run?

"I ran the USATF Cross Country Championship Race in Lubbock, TX in January.  Cross-country racing is a whole different beast compared to road racing, and it was humbling to see so many fast runners from all over the country."

Do you have a moment in your running “career” that you are especially proud of?

"I’m most proud of my performance at the Chicago Marathon last fall, where I finished in 3 hours and 30 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon.  I’d never thought I could run a Boston Qualifying time, but I worked with a coach for a year and slowly built up speed and endurance.  I shaved off over an hour from my first full marathon in 2022."

Do you think that running plays a role in what you consider to be your wellness?

"Absolutely – just ask my family how crabby I was last spring when I had a stress fracture and couldn’t run for two months!" 

Any single piece of advice for someone in the department who may be on the fence about starting running?

"We are already really good at hard things, so surgeons have a clear advantage in endurance sports.  Both surgery and running require deep mental fortitude– so use your inherent grit and you’ll be capable of more than you can imagine."

Well if you're feeling a strange mix of slow, awe struck, inadequate, and inspired, you're in good company. However, I think the moral of this story is that we can always improve when we have the right help and teachers and that we should never stop putting ourselves out there in the midst of people who may be better or faster.

A million thanks to Dr. Moore for sharing a piece of her wellness. Better not slow down becasue the chase is on.