Rebecca Phillip

Residence: Colonie
Age: 40
Occupation: Cardiac Surgeon, St. Peter’s Hospital
Pets: Dog, Phoenix; Cat, Waldo
Primary Sports: Cycling, Skiing, Running, Hiking 

By Aubrey Schulz

While cycling side by side with Rebecca Phillip along the Erie Canal trail this October, I was struck that her story was worth telling and sharing it might resonate with others. Here is a woman who endured four years of medical school, and seven years of residency training, along with the resulting relocations and lifestyle switches that come with a career in the medical field. And here she was, joyously pedaling along the Erie Canal excited for the direction her life was headed, with a renewed perspective on health and physical activity. 

Rebecca grew up in households where being active was an important part of family time. She spent a lot of time biking, hiking, and skiing. Being outdoors was a priority. She played softball, soccer, and she danced competitively. 

When Rebecca moved to Colorado Springs, Colo. to attend Colorado College, the adventurous opportunities expanded. Here Rebecca discovered “a new box of fun activities” like trail running and rock climbing. During college, and this time of flux and change, running was a source of consistency. She “could do it anywhere, everywhere it didn’t matter.” She continued to ski, dance, and play softball and soccer in leagues – just like she did growing up. 

After college, from 2005-2010, Rebecca moved back east to live closer to family in Connecticut, and East Greenbush – where she grew up. One of the rewarding experiences during this time was becoming a yoga instructor through Kripalu Center in Lenox, Mass. She also amped up her running volume and consistency and enjoyed running half marathons. Some friends nudged her to train for a half ironman triathlon. Unfortunately, a hurricane caused the cancellation of the race and she sadly never completed it as medical school was fast approaching. 

Life shifted when Rebecca decided to attend medical school. She moved again and traveled to the Caribbean island of Grenada to attend St. George’s University. She found time in her schedule to teach yoga on campus as well as in the community at a wonderful yoga studio on the beach. She continued to enjoy running. On the island she learned about “hashing” – the name given to social trail runs happening on Saturday mornings. After traveling through mud, water and the verdant jungle, there was a large vibrant BBQ celebration afterwards.

Moving back stateside, Rebecca moved to Upper Black Eddy, Pa., where one of the highlights was running along the extensive Delaware Canal Trail. She has fond memories of living in a cool cabin alongside the canal. Running along the path was beautiful and peaceful. It was wonderful walking to get groceries and explore quaint cafes and coffee shops. The downside was the hour drive to the hospital during her clinical years of medical school, but the location was worth it. Being a runner in medical school was one of the easiest and most efficient ways to get exercise. She didn’t want to leave. 

Residency, for one year at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and then six years at University of Kentucky in Lexington, was a world of hurt. Sleep became a priority in any time out of the hospital and everything was a tradeoff. The easiest thing to squeeze in was a simple run. Other times, yoga or strength training at home sufficed. Surgical residency is rough on the body and its demanding nature took its toll. A back injury plagued Rebecca in her final few years of training. During this time, it was so hard to take care of herself, despite her knowledge of what she should be doing. 

Completing graduation in June 2023, Rebecca accepted a job at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany. This was close to family and in the community where she grew up. One of the first things she did was start physical therapy. Physical therapy was instrumental in fixing her back, helping her regain lost strength, and feel like an athlete again. She had a strong desire to be active and skiing was on the top of her list. She didn’t want to miss a ski season with her family. Two years without exercise is a long time and Rebecca wanted to start adding adventures back into her life. She added swimming to her routine and it became a game changer. Several years of inactivity caused Rebecca to be a miserable person. With the reintroduction of health and fitness in her life, she was re-emerging as an active individual again. She thought, “if I can ski, I can go back to biking and I can go back to running.” 

In May, Rebecca got a phone call from her sister Kelley Lawton, asking if she wanted to join her and two friends, me and Jodi Polsgrove, on an eight-day cycling adventure on the Erie Canalway in October (Community, October 2024). Rebecca had fond memories of joining her mother on a two-day fundraising bike ride across Connecticut, the Angel Ride. The idea of riding across New York State seemed cool. Cycling the Erie Canal Trail seemed like a good and worthwhile goal. With an unpredictable work schedule, it’s hard to find time to train with a workout buddy. Fortunately, she was able to virtually join her sister for 5am Peloton rides. Longer weekend rides were difficult to fit into the schedule. She had high hopes to get in all these long rides, but work or life got in the way. 

Lots of things about the cycling trip were new. Panniers, borrowed from her mom, took some getting used to. Her new Salsa gravel bike felt different than the 18-year-old Giant road bike she was accustomed to – and yet, she did it! From Buffalo to Waterford, Becky pedaled 370 miles, averaging 47 miles a day. On day three, in Port Byron we fortuitously passed Herbst Pharmacy and newly purchased knee braces helped, as did nightly icing in the hotel room. Not once did Rebecca doubt that she would complete the ride.

The trip had many wonderful highlights. On day two, with moderate temperatures and sunny skies, the ride out of Medina was delightful. Everyone encountered on the trip was supportive and helpful. The best town award goes to Little Falls, which was so cute and awesome. Another group of riders suggested dining at Keep Right Cafe in Canajoharie. It was a tasty, worthwhile stop that might have been overlooked were it not for the recommendation. Her sister, Kelley said, “After over 10 years of my sister living a plane ride away, it was just the adventure we needed together.”

As a busy cardiac surgeon with a high stress job, one of the things Rebecca appreciated the most was the lack of mental stress. The trip was just what she needed. It offered “physical exertion and no mental stress. Watching the leaves fall, watching the colors change on the trees, watching the water on the canal. It was so relaxing.” She just pedaled. Rebecca has been fortunate to have taken lots of vacations with a combination of family and friends. This trip, biking along the Erie Canal, was one of the least stressful trips. There were very few decisions to make along the way. Wake up in one town and the day’s job was to bike to the next spot. The reprieve from daily decision making was restorative. It was a true rest and recovery vacation. She rotated between two outfits for the evening. The big decision of the day, “Do you want pizza or Greek food for dinner?”

Settling back into the routine, Rebecca has begun to think about what’s next. Foremost in her mind is ski season. She recently purchased new ski equipment for the first time in 19 years, and commented that, “it feels amazing to have brand new gear.” In addition to skiing familiar spots on the East Coast with family, there’s talk of traveling out West or to the Alps to make new memories. 

Training time is certainly a limiter in her life. Finding the time to train for running is easiest. Thinking about the unfinished business of the half ironman, feels daunting. Perhaps an Olympic distance triathlon may be in the future. With an interest in travel and spending quality time with her sister, Rebecca signed up for the New England 10 Miler Series races, which are held in Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. She says “I love what I do, but I also love a lot of other things. It’s easy to be a heart surgeon if you don’t love other things, but if you love many things, it’s a harder choice.” In residency there were feelings of self-loathing and failure, because 80 mile bike rides, or marathons, were unobtainable. With a different mindset, Rebecca now views shorter distance races as a reasonable and valued goal.

Spending hours in the cardiac surgery operating room is a different type of endurance for your body. At the end of the day, feeling broken is not uncommon. These days she is greatly committed to self-care in order to be both a surgeon and an athlete. 

She feels fortunate working at St. Peter’s, with its strong commitment to the community. Rebecca is also on the board of the American Heart Association of the Capital Region, and she tries to be a positive representative. She participates in the annual Heart Walk and is involved in community events like CPR training. She wants to see people active and taking an interest in their heart health. 

For Rebecca, just like so many people, finding the balance between work and her health requires effort. Her job is the heaviest weight that she carries and to do that well, an active lifestyle is so important. Perhaps because she sacrificed her health during the seven years of residency, regaining her health has been so monumental. Now Rebecca is on a quest to redefine it. “You identify key important areas of your life, some weeks some things get more attention than others” she says. It’s less about doing races and more about taking care of your body, feeling good in your own skin.

Aubrey Schulz (aubs15@gmail.com) lived in Troy for 30 years before relocating to Granby, Conn. Her passion to get out and play hasn’t wavered. She loves trail running, cycling, swimming, snowshoeing and hiking.