If Kari Bertrand is any indication, maybe one woman really can
do it all.
If Kari Bertrand is any indication, maybe one woman really can do it all.
The Gilroy resident, an obstetrician/gynecologist with her own practice here, last Saturday qualified to compete in the Olympic Trials for the second time in her running career.
With her first marathon victory in Las Vegas, Bertrand qualified to run in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, which will be held in St. Louis April 4.
Her time of 2:45:46 is a personal best and fulfills the goal she set three years ago after coming close to a qualifying time in the first marathon she ran.
“I didn’t realize how hard it would be to obtain (that time) again, but I got the bug,” she said.
It is that bug that motivates Bertrand to do her running in the early morning, usually slipping into her shoes at 5:30 a.m.
“When I was training pretty hard, I was running about 90 miles a week,” she said.
She also incorporates evening cross-training workouts, usually 30 to 45 minutes long.
“It’s a good thing I don’t cook,” she said. Neither does her husband, A.J. Matthews. “We tend to eat out a lot.”
Between workouts, Bertrand juggles baby deliveries, both expected and unexpected, and scheduled appointments.
“Obstetrics is a 24-hour job,” she said.
So much so that she carries her pager and cell phone on runs. Although deliveries can happen at any time, Bertrand said she usually manages to keep her work day in the 9-to-5 range, visiting patients staying in the hospital during her lunch hour.
The medical practice is a large part of the reason Bertrand – who was an NCAA All-American in indoor track and field athlete while at Georgetown University – took up distance running.
“With marathon training, you don’t need as many resources,” she said. “I just love it.”
In her debut marathon in New York in 2000, Bertrand finished in 2:47:45, a time that could have qualified her for the trials. Unfortunately, the qualifying window did not open until January 2002.
The 33-year-old competed in three marathons last year, each time hoping for a repeat performance.
In February, she crossed the starting line at the Las Vegas marathon, but stopped before reaching the finish – wind gusts were reported at 45 miles per hour.
In June, she ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., in 2:50:25, within two minutes and 25 seconds of the qualifying time.
Bertrand’s hopes were high when she returned to her native New York in November. Her husband and family were there to cheer her on. She finished in 3:02:29.
“I was very disappointed,” she said. “I had been training pretty hard, and I was back in my old neighborhood. … It was just sort of a disaster.”
When weather conditions were favorable at the start of Saturday’s marathon, Bertrand’s hopes were buoyed again.
“Up until mile 18, I felt very comfortable, and I know (qualifying) was a possibility because at that point, you’re usually hitting a wall, but I was still OK, I was on track,” she said.
When a strong head wind picked up, she sheltered herself behind another runner – with his permission, of course – for about two miles. After that, there were only two miles left. Bertrand, a self-trained marathoner, won first place and a chance to compete for a trip to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
This is actually the second time she has qualified. In 1996, she took a hiatus from medical school to train with the Reebok Enclave team and qualified for the 1,500 meters. She was a semifinalist in the trials.
Bertrand said she will train lightly for the next few weeks, do five weeks of core training and taper off for the two to three weeks before the St. Louis marathon.
“I have no coach – it’s just me,” she said. “I can, hopefully, learn some stuff along the way from some pretty good coaches.
“I’m definitely learning more about it, the more I do,” she said.
The never-ending support of her husband helps, too, she said, although Matthews “only runs if there’s a ball involved.”
The two share a medical office in Gilroy: Matthews is a plastic surgeon.
“It’s an odd combination, but, surprisingly, there’s a lot of crossover (of patients),” she said. “Our bodies don’t always look the same after childbirth.”
Judging from a schedule that keeps her hopping day in and day out, Bertrand’s practice is thriving. She and Matthews moved into their first home last June.
“Whenever you start a business, things are a little touch-and-go initially,” Bertrand said. “I think my side of it took off pretty quickly. … I think we’re probably just hitting our stride.”
Bertrand manages to find time for other hobbies. She and Matthews like to travel and take their two dogs to the beach.
“But right here in Gilroy, there’s a lot to do; it’s right in the middle of everything,” she said.
The couple moved to Gilroy in 2001 from New York, where they met during residency at New York University.
A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Bertrand said the adjustment to California living has been an easy one.
“I definitely love the weather compared to Syracuse,” she said. “I do miss a lot of the conveniences of New York City, but I do like the people and the hospitality of a smaller town.”
Owning a home makes her feel like a grown-up, she said.
“When you live in New York, you don’t own anything.”
Given that she delivers babies for a living and now owns a home, are there plans for a family ahead?
“Not yet, that definitely would be impossible right now, but hopefully after the trials,” she said.
Or, perhaps after a visit to Athens this summer.
