Kathleen Shook

Photo courtesy prettysporty.com
World Indoor Record breaking W40-49 4x400M team L to R,
Kathleen Shook, Charmaine Roberts, Terri Cassel, Terri Rath

Kathleen is responsible for developing medical policy, reviewing new technologies, managing a staff of around 34, and overseeing case and disease management for members and patients. She has two graduate degrees, a Masters of Health Administration and Doctor of Medicine. She works 45 to 50 hours a week.

Her first priority, though, is her family – a "multi-sport" family, as she describes it. She is married with four children, ages 12, 14, 17, and 19. They’re all athletic, involved in sports from diving, swimming, soccer, baseball, and football to track.

During free time, Kathleen enjoys helping her children with their practice. "During baseball season I hit balls, pitch and catch as requested," she said. "I am a pathetic quarterback, but a very decent receiver per my youngest son."

In addition to being a doctor, executive, and mom, Kathleen, is a member of the Athena Track Club, the nation-wide club for masters women. She races mainly the 100, 200, and 400 meters. She has won ten masters titles, been a member of a world record 4 x 400 relay team (40 to 49), and a member of the team that set the American club record in the 4 x 100 (40 to 49). She set the American record in the 400 meter hurdles at 45.

One of her favorite memories was winning the masters exhibition 400 meter championship at the Outdoor National Track and Field Championships in 2006. "I had never been to an elite championship, so I was very surprised to be escorted off the track to receive a medal, a bouquet and get interviewed on the big screen," she said. "It was way cool for an old chick from Indiana.”

She enjoys the camaraderie at the masters track meets, which she often attends with at least one of her children. "Everyone is friendly and always willing to share training tips," she said, adding "I typically bring one or two of my children with me to the national championships so I’m not so homesick. They have some away time with mom and they can meet my friends," she said.

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In case you’re wondering whether she has time for anything other than family, work, and track, she does. She is the sprint coach for the Zionsville Middle School from March through May and during the school year she teaches CCD (Sunday school) to fifth and sixth graders.

How does she fit in all that? you might wonder. She offers an explanation: she goes to bed early, around 9 p.m., and she’s an early riser – a very early riser.

"On a typical day I am up by 3 am," she said, "without an alarm. I have my clothes out for the day, read my Bible, and then do my exercise before the family is awake – my husband is not an early riser."

Kathleen’s weekly training involves about 13 to 15 hours of training: five to six hours of running spread over three times a week and eight to nine hours of weight training. On running days, she incorporates lower body workouts including squats, walking lunges, and calf raises. On non-running days, she focuses on core and upper body work.

She runs intervals either outside on a nearby middle school track, an indoor track during winter months, or on a running trampoline in her basement. She likes the trampoline because, she says, she is able to do high intensity intervals and drills.

The drills include “A” and “B” kicks simultaneously with upper body movements like upward rows and bent arm flys which raise her heart rate for 40 or 70 seconds – to simulate the duration of 200s and 400s. These drills help her focus on striking with the balls of her feet and also on high turnover, essential for sprinters.

If she doesn’t use her indoor trampoline, she heads to the outdoor middle school track. “I get to the track by 4 a.m. – it’s dark outside,” she said. “It's beautiful running that early in the morning. The school is surrounded by soccer fields and quiet residential streets. There’s no traffic. The moon and stars are out.

"Sometimes I am the only person but often other neighborhood people will also drop in – distance runners, some out there doing 800 – and I am not the only one," she said. "I like to be in the shower a little before 6 a.m. so I can make sure everyone else is eating breakfast and has everything packed for the day."

If Kathleen’s story sounds too much like a "running" fairytale, it’s not. She’s had her share of injuries and setbacks. When she turned 40, she was unable to exercise for several months, hospitalized for and recovering from septicemia, an illness involving bacteria in the blood that caused excessive weight loss.

She also got an injury in 2007 when, after she accidently ran into a middle school soccer player, she tore her plantar fascia from its insertion at the heel. Rehabilitation with a boot sidelined her from competition for nearly a year.

After the indoor nationals in 2008, she began having problems lifting her left leg. She learned it was a complication from shingles that she had contracted in 2006. "My history with shingles left me very concerned about being able to run again as my doctors were unable to give me any prognosis or guarantees. I continued to be blessed though, and the paralysis resolved completely."

Looking back on her running history, Kathleen has always made changes in her running goals according to her stage in life. While she was a sprinter in middle school, high school, and in her first year of college, she quit the track team because she needed to work to pay her way through school. For the rest of college and while getting her post-graduate degrees and having her family, she ran distance – up to 3 miles – to stay in shape.

Since she entered the masters scene in 2002, she’s been willing to try the Pentathlon involving the hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, and 800 meters. “I had never learned the shot put before that – I was 44 at the time,” she said. “I also tried the 400 hurdles,” she said.

"I encourage people to try new things," she said. "We are capable of so much more than we do. We tend to place limits on ourselves, and if we try, we can amaze ourselves with how much we can do."

She says she feels blessed, and wants to give back to others. "I am blessed to be doing these things and I want to give thanks by giving back – by helping my family, coaching, or teaching CCD. Sharing and learning is how we improve ourselves."

Cathy Utzschneider Ed.D. (human movement), M.B.A., professor of goal setting and competitive performance, Boston College; coach, Liberty Athletic Club, MOVE and Women-Running-Together.com.

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This article was originally printed in National Masters News.

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