Keeping Pace with Baylor's Dr. Jane Corboy

Dr. Jane Corboy

Sometimes Dr. Jane Corboy runs late. Literally. That means her 5:30 a.m. six-mile run might not start until 6, or she might postpone her workout until the evening. But regardless of the mileage on her running shoes, it doesn't interfere with her treating patients and training residents at the Baylor Family Practice Center.

In fact, some of those patients share Dr. Corboy's passion for running.

"I've been fascinated by the growing number of women in their 30s and 40s who have become very fitness-conscious and are training for their first marathon," says Dr. Corboy, assistant professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Though some people cannot even begin to fathom why anyone would want to sweat, pant, and pound the pavement for 26.2 miles, Dr. Corboy has no trouble relating to her patients' desire. She has completed 11 marathons herself.

"That we can train our bodies to run this unbelievable distance is an amazing phenomenon," she says. "Crossing the finish line gives you a sense of power. There's clearly a feeling of accomplishment because you've trained long and hard to reach your goal. And even though you're tired and sore at the end of the race, emotionally you feel great."

Dr. Corboy is quick to point out, however, that you don't have to endure marathon distances to enjoy the sport of running and the variety of health benefits it offers. For women in particular, running several miles several times a week can decrease the risk of osteoporosis, gynecologic cancer and, most importantly, heart disease.

"More women die of cardiovascular disease than of breast cancer," Dr. Corboy says. "Running can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, so it's an ideal sport for preventing a major health problem in women."

Footwork can also be good for the head. "Regular exercise like running helps reduce stress-related anxiety and depression," says Dr. Corboy, who uses the time spent jogging to collect her thoughts privately or to share ideas with her running partner and husband, Dr. John Rogers, Baylor professor of family and community medicine. The two actually planned many details of their wedding while running around Memorial Park, along Buffalo Bayou and throughout River Oaks.

Recently certified in sports medicine, Dr. Corboy has both professional and personal expertise for patients who seek advice on exercise or treatment for such athletic injuries as foot pain, knee pain, low-back pain and tight hamstrings. "The most common sports-related complaints involve overuse injuries," she says. "Or Houston heat."

Dr. Corboy, who insists she's "not talented but tenacious," sets an admirable example for her sports-minded patients. She runs more than 30 miles a week year-round and is now training for October's Chicago Marathon. She hopes to beat her personal record (3:20:22), which she ran at age 27 in Dallas's White Rock Marathon - her first marathon. Dr. Corboy was just 29 seconds shy of breaking that record when she finished the Austin Motorola Marathon earlier this year. Considering that she's now 41, it's obvious that Corboy has maintained muscles and motivation.

Perhaps some of Dr. Corboy's patients will be encouraged to follow in her footsteps. Literally.

- B. J. ALMOND

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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