DATE: Thursday, May 15, 1997                TAG: 9705140115

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: MR. ROBERT'S NEIGHBORHOOD 

SOURCE: Frank Roberts 

                                            LENGTH:   69 lines

LAKEVIEW DOCTOR STAYS ON THE RUN

The internist cuts it close.

Once, he had to do it under three hours and 25 minutes and made it by six seconds; once he wanted to do it in three hours and 25 minutes and did it in three and 26.

That's brow-wipin' close.

Dr. Joseph Verdirame's theory is - what you do outside affects your insides.

An internist, with offices at the Lakeview Medical Center, he tells his patients to ``get some form of exercise - something you enjoy doing.''

Verdirame enjoys running and participated in the 1992 and 1996 Shamrock Marathons in Virginia Beach, and the Boston Marathon in April.

``You run long enough,'' he said, ``you think - I wonder if I can do a marathon.''

He did half a marathon, first, in Williamsburg. That means, obviously, he ran half the distance.

``It was 13.1 miles,'' Verdirame said. ``I fared pretty well.''

Next, he set his sights for the Shamrock run.

``My first goal was to finish, and I did. My second goal was to do it under four hours,'' Verdirame said. ``I did the '92 Shamrock in four hours and nine minutes. In '96, I ran the 26.2 mile course in three hours and 24 minutes.''

That qualified him for the Boston run.

``You have to qualify for that marathon by doing better in certain time frames in another - lesser - marathon,'' Verdirame explained. ``Males from 45 to 49 years old have to run the Boston in less than three hours, 25 minutes. I made it by six seconds.''

The Boston Marathon is run April 21, Patriot's Day, a state holiday in honor of Paul Revere who rode, not walked, around Beantown.

``They usually have about 11,000 people the day of the marathon. It's one of the biggest,'' Verdirame said. ``There were more than 40,000 runners last year because it was the 100th anniversary of the marathon.

``The first 16 miles of the Boston are flat, then there are four big hills. The last one is known as Heartbreak Hill,'' he said. ``After the hills, the last five miles, you're running into the wind.''

At home, Verdirame runs every day, sticking to a strict schedule.

``I start every morning at about 5:30. It's a daily ritual. I average about 4 1/2-miles - take about 35 minutes,'' he said. ``It's a good workout. It gets your blood circulating.''

Another Verdirame blood circulator is rowing his shell. He likes to row, row, row his boat in local waters.

His less physical activities include collecting coins and a variety of memorabilia, and reading books and articles about his alma mater. He describes himself as ``a University of Virginia history buff.''

Verdirame also enjoys reading mysteries, particularly books by Robert Ludlum.

Sometimes, he puts the book down and turns on the television set, usually to watch some sports and detective shows.

``I stay away from medical shows,'' he said, a slight sneer curling on his lips. ``They're not very accurate.

``ER was accurate during the first couple of episodes. After that, it got outlandish,'' said Verdirame, who is married to the former Nancy Clarke of Smithfield.

They have three children - Claudia, 14; Michael, 22 and 18-year-old Justin who goes to college in Boston, giving him the opportunity to watch his dad - the marathon man. ILLUSTRATION: Photo courtesy of Dr. Joseph Verdirame

Dr. Joseph Verdirame, internist, participated in the Boston Marathon

in April.

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