WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. — David Kittleson, a retired orthopedic surgeon, started running back when he was a resident.

“I ran my first marathon in 1989 up at Grandma's,” he said.

For some people, it’s one and done, but that’s not what happened with David.

“It's a lot of work and by mile 20 you say, 'I'll never do this again, this is awful,' and then you cross the finish line, and it's such an exhilaration and so much fun,” he said.

Once he started feeling better, David started signing up for another — and another. Throw in 13 full Iron Man triathlons, half marathons and countless other races, and you've got yourself a full-blown obsession.

“I think I'm up over 30 states now that I've run in,” said David.

Every race has a story: Carlsbad, California, on his 60th birthday; Grandma's Mara

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