Congratulations to neurosurgeon, nutrition and fitness expert Joseph Maroon, MD on completing his fifth Hawaiian Ironman World Championship Triathlon. Regarded as one of, if not the most, grueling athletic competitions in the world, it punishes competitors with a 2.4-mile open water swim, a 112-mile bike ride through the Hawaiian lava fields, and a full 26.2-mile marathon. Dr. Maroon’s time was 16:03:48.
As an experienced triathlete as well as team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers among many other professional achievements, Maroon knows how to prepare for an event of this magnitude. Before departing for Hawaii, he noted in his blog, “As usual I’ve included several turkey sandwiches and my specially formulated drink bottles. I plan to include D-ribose resveratrol … to help me get through the race.”
After the race Maroon commented, “I used (ribose) in my water bottles for the run and bike, and truly believe it made a difference in my endurance. My slow time in the marathon was due to a bad knee not my conditioning.”