Navy dentist hopes to qualify for Olympic marathon trials

What makes Lt. Amanda Rice, DMD, run? The dream of competing in the grueling 2016 Olympic marathon in Rio de Janeiro.

Lt. Rice is a general dentist who treats sailors and their dependents at the Atsugi Branch health clinic at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. But her passion is running. So she often gets up at 3 a.m. to start her grueling workout before going to the clinic, often running 18 to 22 miles a day to train.

Lt. Amanda Rice, DMD. All images courtesy of U.S. Navy.

Lt. Amanda Rice, DMD. All images courtesy of U.S. Navy.

"It's definitely a lifestyle one has to adapt to," Lt. Rice told DrBicuspid.com in a telephone interview from the Ayase-shi Navy air base, about 90 minutes southwest of Tokyo. "It takes an amazing amount of self-discipline and perseverance. It can definitely be exhausting, but it's also definitely rewarding."

Having already posted a personal record of 2:38:57 in the 2011 Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN, and having run 2:42:44 in the Tokyo Marathon -- both under the 2:43 time needed to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials -- Lt. Rice knows that running a competitive marathon is within her reach.

"It's definitely something I know I can do," Lt. Rice said of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Trials.

The Portland, OR, native used running as a "stress reliever" while she was a student at Willamette University in Salem, OR. Lt. Rice then attended the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry as part of the military's Health Professions Scholarship program, which paid for her training in return for a four-year stint in the Navy.

Lt. Rice often gets up at 3 a.m. to start her grueling workout before going to the dental clinic, often running 18 to 22 miles a day to train.

Lt. Rice often gets up at 3 a.m. to start her grueling workout before going to the dental clinic, often running 18 to 22 miles a day to train.

Lt. Rice gets home once or twice a year, but this is the fourth year of not being home for the holidays. Although the military program means she won't be saddled with huge loan debt, Lt. Rice acknowledges that it would be hard being stationed abroad for those with families. And, fortunately, she's not in a war zone.

Lt. Rice was inspired to go into dentistry by her uncle, Dr. Keith Stenshol, a central Oregon dentist.

"When we got together for our annual summer family reunions, I saw his passion for dentistry and the love he had for the profession, and I wanted to have the same in my own rofessional pursuits," Lt. Rice recalled. "Through his guidance, I was encouraged to travel to Guatemala and Samoa to provide dental care to those most in need."

She started running seriously in 2010 during her general practice residency at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. At age 29, she's now about halfway through her tour of duty, working with six other dentists treating aircraft carrier crews and their families.

While in dental school, Lt. Rice was on the track one day when she met Richard Lovett, who has coached her through many races, from 1,500-meter races to marathons.

Her highlight races came in 2011 when she ran the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia half marathon in 1:14:36 and a 5K race in 17:12, in addition to posting her personal record at the Grandma's Marathon in Minnesota. "It was a good year," Lt. Rice noted proudly.

Lt. Rice works with six other dentists treating aircraft carrier crews and their families.

Lt. Rice works with six other dentists treating aircraft carrier crews and their families.

She also competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials in Houston, running a 2:41:06, and ran the Chicago Marathon this past October in 2:46:10. As part of the Navy running team, Lt. Rice participated in the International Military Sports Council (CISM) World Military Cross-Country Championship in Serbia in March as part of the U.S. military team competing against international military teams. "It was an amazing experience," she said.

Now, Lt. Rice is running about 70 miles per week training for the 5K and 8K races in February for the USA Cross Country Championships in Colorado, where she'll compete with the Navy running team. She does "fartlek" training, a running term which means "speed play" in Swedish that refers to short bursts of speed.

"It's good for training your body to adapt to the lactic acid buildup and aerobic conditioning so you can recover quickly," Lt. Rice explained. "As you get older, stretching, core strength, and nutrition become more important. Every couple of seconds count more now. You're competing against times that are harder and harder to achieve so every little bit helps."

Having the support of her colleagues is important, she noted. "In the military especially, they know that physical fitness is important, and they've been very helpful giving me extra time for training so I can be successful."

Every professional level athlete experiences burn out, and for Lt. Rice, it came this year when the heat and humidity of Japan's summer forced her to train on indoor treadmills for three hours.

"As runners, we love to be outside, to get out in nature," she noted. "Running on pavement and making distance was trying for me. I had to kind of regroup and re-evaluate why I run, but it makes me stronger and able to compete this year and qualify."