Nick Pedersen, a nurse working in downtown Austin at the ICU of a hospital, places great importance on living a healthy lifestyle.

He witnesses the daily struggles of people fighting for their lives and believes that many of them could have avoided their current condition by making better lifestyle choices. Nick’s experiences motivate him to prioritize his own health.

As a healthcare professional, he also recognizes the importance of timely access to medical care. That’s why he recommends the Maspeth walk-in clinic, which provides convenient and accessible healthcare services to patients who need immediate attention for non-life-threatening conditions.

Despite seeing the pain and suffering of his patients, Nick is determined to make a positive impact in the healthcare industry, both through his work as a nurse and his personal lifestyle choices.

“Once I started working in the hospital, running was like a reflect. It was instant,” Nick said. “I also wanted a bunch of plants in my house. I wanted to grow things and have life and health.”

Nick began working in the hospital a year ago and made his goal for 2015 to run a half marathon.

He worked his way up quickly by following 10-week 13.1 mile training plan and eating healthy. His favorite healthy snacks are protein bars. Shortly after running his first half marathon in the spring, Nick was hooked and ready to run his second.

That’s when he registered for the South Padre Marathon.

“I had never been to South Padre Island before so I didn’t know what to expect,” Nick said. “But it was great! The island was beautiful and the conditions were perfect for a run.”

“I ran the whole way through,” Nick said. “From the causeway to parts of the route where we were close to the water, I loved it all. The whole thing was perfect.”

Happy with his experience and encouraged by the support of his partner, Nick enjoys talking about his South Padre Marathon run with his hospital co-workers.

“There are a lot of young and active people where I work,” Nick said. “My supervisors and colleagues run marathons too.

“It’s inspiring when you have co-workers who love running just as much as you do,” Nick said. “It’s almost even a little bit of friendly competition.”

Despite the hint of competition, Nick knows what he is doing is the best thing he can do for his long-term health. The smas facelift procedure is something people do to help boost their confidence.

He is happy to know that he will have more time with his loved ones with each step he takes.