Our Ironman Veteran, Dr. Chris Mathis!

We would like you to join us in congratulating our very own Dr. Chris Mathis on an amazing recent accomplishment. Dr. Mathis completed yet another "Ironman" competition! Watch out Robert Downey, Jr., there's a new Ironman in town.

The Ironman competition is considered to be one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the entire world. You can only become an Ironman after completing an unimaginable triathlon in a time limit of 17 hours. To be specific, competitors must complete a swim covering the distance of 2.4 miles, followed immediately by a 112-mile bicycle ride, then followed immediately by a marathon run of 26.2 miles.

Dr. Mathis became an Ironman in San Lucas, Mexico, in April of 2013. In that competition, he completed the event in 14 hours and 58 minutes. Incredibly, just a few weeks ago in Chattanooga, Dr. Chris completed the Ironman over two hours FASTER than he did in Mexico! In Chattanooga, he registered a time of 12 hours and 44 minutes.

We mentioned this after Dr. Mathis's last Ironman, but it is worth repeating again: The distance of the Ironman is the same distance as traveling from Memphis to Little Rock! Now, imagine doing this without a car, on your feet, on a bike, and in over two miles of water.

Said Dr. Mathis, "The best part of long distance racing for me is the training with friends. The Ironman is not a team sport, but training for one is!"

Congratulations to Dr. Mathis on this amazing accomplishment. He is setting a great example to our Pediatric Consultants family on how to live a healthy style...to the max!

To view Dr. Mathis's full results, click here!

Iron Doctor

Please join us in congratulating Pediatrics Consultants' own Dr. Chris Mathis on recently finishing the IRON MAN race in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! The Iron Man is a grueling competition that combines incredibly long distances in swimming, biking, and running. It is viewed as the the ultimate athletic endurance competition in the world.

Just how far are the three components of the Iron Man? A 2.5-mile swim along the azure blue waters of the Sea of Cortes kicked off the Iron Man for Dr. Mathis, which was immediately followed by a 112-mile bike ride. Finally, the athletes have to run the marathon distance run of 26.2 miles between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, a feat of athletic endurance in and of itself.

To give some perspective on the astonishing length of the Iron Man, here are a few things to think about. The total distance for the competition is about 140 miles. That is the distance between Memphis and Little Rock, Arkansas! The running portion alone would be the equivalent of running from the Mississippi river all the way to our Pediatric Consultants office in Collierville!

Dr. Mathis completed the Iron Man in 14 hours and 58 minutes, all in the blazing heat of the Mexican sun. To combat the intense rays, he wore long sleeves and high SPF sun screen. Locals along the way referred to him as "the ghost" because of his white sunscreen appearance, but it was important to keep his skin well-protected!

Joining Dr. Mathis in the Iron Man Competition and in training was fourth-year medical student, Cayce Nawaf. Cayce created the University of Tennessee College of Medicine's 5K Race last year to raise money for scholarships for the medical school. The second annual installment of the Medicine in May 5K race will take place on May 18 at 8:30am at Health Sciences Park (formerly Forrest Park) and will include music from the midtown band The Vintones.

Dr. Mathis hopes that his achievements in the Iron Man will serve as a reminder for the importance of exercise in our lives, and also, the importance of wearing sunscreen. The next time you see Dr. Mathis at the office, make sure to give the Iron Man a high five!