About Me

About Me. I have been a ‘running prof’ in 2 senses. I am a Professor (Emeritus) of Economics at IUPUI, the urban research and health sciences campus of Indiana University in Indianapolis. Just call me 'Prof.' The other sense is that I am a (semi-) Professional road racer in that I have won cash prizes at a number of national and regional road races.  I was born in 1945 so this blog will contain a lot of information useful for older Masters runners. As I am also pretty fast [a sub 1:30 half marathon and a sub-40 10K at age 68], and only increased my intensity and distance recently, much of what is here may also be relevant for runners of any age. As I have gotten more involved with USATF and Masters LDR, my posts have included a high proportion of preview and recap articles for USATF National Championships.

An article about my participation in the May 2016 5th 3rd River Bank Run is at:http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/04/being_an_elite_runner_in_your.html.

Email: therunningprof@gmail.com

Social Media:
Facebook--
Paul Carlin
Indianapolis, Indiana
Twitter:  @runningprof1 

Mailing Address: 
The Running Professor LLC
P.O. Box 90081
Indianapolis IN. 46290


Long Distance Running Personal Records from October 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014

5K:  19:20*     [6:13.3 pace per mile] 
[Age Grade Score: 88.38% Equivalent: 14:36]  Oct 6 2013  Syracuse, NY 
8K:  32:11       [6:28.7 pace per mile]
[AG Score: 88.08% Equivalent: 24:04] Feb 23 2014  Brea CA
5 Mi: 32:24      [6:28.8 pace per mile]
[AG Score 88.04%  Equivalent: 24:14] Aug 09 2014 Indianapolis IN
10K: 39:52      [6:25.0 pace per mile]
[AG Score: 90.05% Equivalent: 29:45] Apr 27 2014  Dedham MA
12K: 50:15      [6:44.4 pace per mile]
[AG Score: 86.52% Equivalent: 37:35] Nov 17 2013 Alexandria VA
15K: 1:01:35   [6:38.0 pace per mile]
[AG Score: 89.33% Equivalent: 46:04] Oct 26 2014 Tulsa OK
Half Marathon:  1:29:29   [6:49.3 per mile]
[AG Score: 88.4% Equivalent: 1:06:00] Feb 02 2014 Melbourne FL
25K: 1:46:27     [6:51.2 per mile]
[AG Score: 89.03% Equivalent: 1:19.4] May 10 2014 Grand Rapids, MI
Marathon:         3:18:37.7 [7:34.5 per mile]
[AG Score:83.70% Equivalent: 2:29:14] June 21 2014 Charlevoix MI     

* All times are chip times/net times, not gun times, if known; age-grading scores based on the 2010 tables that were approved at the time of the race.

Early Running Background. I went out for the track team in spring of my sophomore year in high school [Lexington, MA.] and was, frankly, not very good. I stuck with it, though, through HS X-country and track seasons, and then took my first semester off as a freshman in college. By fall of my senior year in college I was a journeyman runner, able to pace in the low 5 minute per mile range for X-Country distances between 4 and a half to 5 miles long. I was the Captain of an undefeated small college (Tufts University in Medford, MA.) X-Country team. I was strictly a depth runner, however, coming in as the 4th or 5th runner for the team. Make no mistake, though, it was a great honor to be Captain of such a fine group of runners. I was incredibly lucky.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title:
Athletic Rosters of Tufts University for the year 1966
Citable URL:
Author:
Kenny, Maura; Sauer, Anne; Crowley, Zachary E.
Date:
2007
Citation:
Athletic Rosters of Tufts University for the year 1966. Permanent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10427/37691.
Rights:


Cross Country

  • Coach             Clarence Dussault
  • Captain          Paul Carlin
Varsity Team Record
12
0
0

Varsity



Tufts
21
Boston University
49


Boston College
53
Tufts
20
Bentley
34
Tufts
15
Boston University
34


Brandeis
40
Tufts
16
St. Anselm's
39
Tufts
17
Boston State
48
Tufts
20
W. P. I.
38


Clark
70
Tufts
31
M. I. T.
39


Williams
57
Tufts
21
Amherst
42


4th pl
. G. B. C. C. M.


10th pl
. New Englands

Participants-7

  • Anderson, Arthur R., Jr.
  • Michael E. Anderson
  • Bruce D. Baldwin
  • Carlin, Paul S. (Captain)
  • Ronald E. Caseley
  • George C. Kutteruf
  • Paul D. Thompson
-------------------------------------------------------------- 
After college I said goodbye to distance running to focus on graduate studies. I stayed active but did not regularly run until I hit my mid-30’s and was trying to figure out the next steps in my career. I was a recreational runner then, and took part in a few 10K’s, with times in the mid-30’s. After that I focused on career and raising a family until I was in my late 50’s. I took up recreational running again and decided to participate in a few 5K’s just for fun. I wanted to set a good example for my kids, a teen and a pre-teen, and felt it would be good for my health and outlook and could easily be fit into a busy schedule. 

For the next ten years I ran only about 10-12 miles per week, ran in local 5K races usually in times ranging from mid 20’s to 22 minutes and typically won my age group. 

When I decided to step down as Chair of my Department and began looking towards retirement, an idea started to shape that now might be a good time to extend my training and intensify it to see if I could actually improve my times at age 67 without breaking down. A couple of minor injuries had slowed me down once or twice but those were behind me. In years past I had only trained actively through October, pretty much shutting down training from November through February, to avoid cold, snow and ice, running my first race in late May or sometimes not until June and finishing up by early September.

First Masters Running Exploits. In October of 2012, on my 67th birthday, I decided to extend my racing and training over the winter. I also added a bit to my weekly distance and intensity. I ran in a 10K race in mid-November in 42:38 and got a few raised eyebrows and comments from veteran runners I knew and admired, and mostly chased after, that it was a very credible time. So I took heart and kept my training up with the goal of roughly doubling my weekly mileage. By late November I hit 33 miles for the week and while that was the high water mark, I did keep it up generally in the 22-30 mile range until late December when the snow and ice started to keep me inside. Between then and early March 20 miles per week was typical, but that was still a lot more than I had done in the past. I tried an early 15K in mid-March, my longest race since I had started competing as an older runner, and was delighted to find that I was able to average (just) under 7:00 per mile with a 1:04:58. I decided to try the Sam Costa Half Marathon in mid March, a race of some local renown as it has been run continuously since the late 1960’s. I ran well again with a time of 1:33:21. That encouraged me to contact Don Lein, Chair of USATF Masters Long Distance Running, who told me it was an excellent time. He encouraged me to compete nationally in their championships.


So in October 2013 I made the trek east to Syracuse to the USATF Masters 5K Championships, not really knowing what to expect nor having much hope of a podium finish, just hoping to break 20 minutes as I had earlier in the summer in local races. I took the bronze medal in 19:20 and now there was no turning back.

After that race I competed in national championship races from 8K to Half Marathon, earning an age group podium finish each time and sometimes being among the top masters runners overall on the basis of age-grading performance. I am the 2014 USATF Male 65-69 National Half Marathon Champion with a time of 1:29:29.
   After stepping down as Department Chair I remained on the faculty for one year but found it increasingly difficult to get to national races all over the country and fully meet my obligations to the university. So in June 2014 I became Professor Emeritus and agreed to some light teaching. Here's my retirement pic:

After retiring I ran my first marathon, a Boston qualifier in 3:18,  and raced in Joan Benoit Samuelson's Beach to Beacon 10K (an age group win) at 40:39. Injured for most of the fall in 2014, I was, nonetheless, able to run as part of a Cross Country team I helped assemble, sponsored by Athletic Annex, a running store in Indianapolis. A great bunch of guys and very serious runners, we won the National 5 kilometer Masters Cross Country championship in early November in Indiana. Cheers to Denny, Jerry, Bill, and Alan and our race day Coach, Tom!

The upper hamstring injury I sustained in August 2014 proved more intractable than expected. Three times since then I was back to about 80% of my pre-inury running ability, but each time I suffered a re-injury. During this time I was sometimes able to race. As noted above, I finished 2nd in my Age Group and was part of the winning M60+ team at the USATF 5K Cross Country Championship in November 2014 (where I re-tore the hamstring), finished 6th in my age group at the 2015 National 8K Championship in February, managed an age group trophy (just barely) at the [15K] Gate River Run, and successfully completed the Boston Marathon. But my times at all these races were at a far slower pace than I ran in 2014. I  continued with strengthening, stability and flexibility exercises and ran as much as I was able. I started working with a Physical Therapist in early July with the aim of regaining full fitness later in 2015. 

As of August 2015, I had begun to compete locally and my first national race at a distance over 1 mile was anticipated for Syracuse in early October. Fingers crossed! So how did it go? Mixed at best. I was delighted to be able to run at Syracuse where I had burst onto the Masters scene with a podium finish 2 years earlier but the experience itself was humbling. On the plus side, I was able to break the 7 minute per mile barrier for the first time since the 8K Championship in February but I finished 11th in the age group and more than 2 minutes slower than in 2013. Still I felt I was on the road back. At the Tulsa Run at the end of October, the USATF Masters 15K Championship, I was in an epic duel with Przemek Nowicki of the Shore AC. He led out from the start but then I overtook him and stormed up the first steep hill; after 4 miles he passed me and left me behind. I thought the race was done at that point. But I kept on going. Heading over the Arkansas River, I spotted him up ahead, but falling back as I was getting my 2nd (or 3rd?) wind. I passed him at speed with about 600 meters to go but not enough speed; he passed me back with about 200 meters to go and I had no answer--Great fun! Much slower than two years earlier, but a 2nd place in the age group again. I was looking forward to 2016 as a good year. For the second year in a row, despite losing a chunk of the year to injury and recovery, I managed a third place in the USATF Masters Individual Grand Prix--70-74 category in 2015 after 65-69 in 2014. I hoped 2016 would see a higher finish for me in that contest.

The first part of 2016 went somewhat according to plan as I figured the early part of the year would still be recovery mode. I ran a timid Cross Country race at Bend OR that left me with a disheartening 3rd place, finishing behind Gary Patton, a track expert who was trying his hand at a few of the shorter LDR/XC races and a regional runner, Paul Caisse, who got out ahead of me in the early going. I closed on the final loop, but could not catch him. The 8K road Championships at Brea CA went better. I ran a credible 34:10, close to my time of 2015, but was caught and passed with 100 meters to go by Mr. Patton, who took 2nd behind the sterling runner from Northern California, Len Goldman. I hit my high point at Dedham Massachusetts at the end of April when I was able to get out strong and hold it all the way to the end, winning my 2nd National Championship in 42:19. I ran for my new Ann Arbor Track Club team, finishing as second runner in for the 60+ team; the 70+ team was not competing. But Gary Patton did well too, finishing second in the age division, less than a minute back. Chatting with Gary at that race I learned he would be switching his focus to the track for a while but would be able to fit in the 1 Mile and 5K Championships before going over to Perth Australia for the World Masters Athletics Championships. I figured then I had no chance at beating him in the Mile so the only opportunity would be to beat him in Syracuse at the 5K. I envisioned that as a noble cap, one way or the other, to our Grand Prix contest. One week later that bubble popped. Unlike the earlier hamstring issues which showed up with a tear, this one just came on from over-training or over-racing or a combination. The right one before, this time the left one. I could not run faster than 10 minutes a mile without pain; if I tried to lower it down towards 9 minutes per mile, the pain became excruciating. Back to PT and this time get it right.

Despite my high hopes for the year, I spent the next 3 months battling back--PT sessions 3 days per week and gradually getting back to running. Six weeks later my log for  the day read, "Jog 36 minutes at 11:30 per mile pace and then towards end lowered to 11/mile." And that was typical, not an easy day. By the end of August I was willing to enter a national race to run for my team in the 1 Mile Run at Flint. I had had to jog the previous year, running 7:02. Little did I know then that the following year I would not even manage to break 8 minutes. In one of life's little ironies, it turned out that GVH's top M60 runner, Mark Rybinski, who had finished 3rd to Rick Becker and John Barbour at the previous year's Club XC Championship, was also nursing a hamstring injury and jogged for his team as well. He was more careful than I, jogging around the course 7 seconds slower. So even though I had run very slow, at the end, I could answer the query of "Howdja do?" with a misleading but perfectly accurate, "Well, I was in recovery mode so it was way off my norm, but I was still able to beat GVH's Rybinski by 7 seconds!" A little over a month later I felt recovery was proceeding normally as I broke 7 minutes per mile at the 5K Championships in Syracuse, finishing 5th with a slightly faster time than in 2015. But this time the recovery did not proceed in a straightforward way as I made an error in training. Visiting my wife's cousin in the Twin Cities, I misjudged how much long runs would take it out of me. We were staying in an Air Bnb just a few blocks from the Mississippi River, with a wonderful running path along the bluffs, looking out over the October colors of oranges and reds. By my historical standards, it was not all that much, 20 miles of running in 3 days and 30 in 5 days. But prior to that I was doing 15-19 miles per week. So I had ignored the 20% rule in ramping up activity. In any case it was the return of pain in the hamstring attachment area and an adductor issue as well. Back to alternating a slow running day with a no impact day in the gym. By late October I was able to run a tempo workout on a towpath, covering the last 3 miles at a 7:45 clip. I decided that if I was careful I could run for my team in Tulsa at the 15K Championships. That was perhaps a mistake although who is to say? The left hamstring never loosened up and the adductor was a bit sore. By agreement with my Physical Therapist, I kept the background pain in the 1-3 range, running 8 minutes slower than the year before, but managing an age group 2nd nonetheless  and helping my team to a victory and 100 points in the Club Grand Prix chase.

Speedsters Up Front; I am in about the 3rd row back from John Gardiner, Greg Mitchell, and David Angell who finished 1-2-3 for the Men and Melissa Gacek and Melody Fairchild, who finished 1-2 for the Women

But the pain was much worse over the next week and I had to pull out of the  5K Masters XC Championship in Tallahassee in early November. In my absence, my teammate, Doug Goodhue, returned to action, taking 1st place in the Age Group as the team finished 3rd in a tie-breaker. I knew if I had been able to run we would have had 2nd or maybe even 1st. But there was no way. My regime of one day on/one day off continued through November and I headed off to the Club XC Championships in Tallahassee knowing all I could do would be to run a controlled race for my team, again keeping background pain in the 1-3 range. It was a successful race for me, given expectations, but disastrous for the team as my good friend and teammate, Doug, was unable to finish; his lower leg injury reasserted itself during the race. Without Doug leading the way, I was first runner in for my team, but we had to settle for 5th place, and worry about when Doug would next be able to rejoin the team in a race. So how did the Grand Prix end for me? Well, as expected, Gary Patton took the prize by a long shot. My good pal from Shore AC, Przemek Nowicki, overtook me in the fall and I could not score enough points at Club XC to overtake him--3rd place again for me for the 3rd consecutive year.

So 2017 was a new year. I skipped the XC race at Bend, OR, focusing on building my base and running a couple of 15K races in Florida instead. I ran well at the Double Bridge Run in Pensacola FL, winning a handsome age group trophy for their 20th anniversary, clocking 1:11:35, pretty respectable given where I had been 3 months previously in Tulsa. I thought I could come back 3 weeks later without any problem as I had at times in the past. But I forgot that I was still in recovery mode. Gasparilla was fun but a lot tougher than I had anticipated, or just an off day. In any case I ran 16 seconds per mile slower than in Pensacola, and finished 3rd in my age group. No shame in losing to the great Florida Masters runner, Al Wieringa, but I should have been able to stay closer, even at this stage of recovery. Oh well, live and learn. The trip was mainly fun because my friends from the New Balance Tampa Masters Racing Team hosted me for a delightful evening of grilled pizza and good running talk. Three weeks later, I felt even better. 

I went to  Virginia Beach for the 8K Masters Championships, on a new course in a new city. Starting out at a measured pace, I gathered strength as the race went on. I had to let Jim May, of the Genesee Valley Harriers get out away from me but I figured I was running well and had a chance to keep everyone else behind me. When we crossed the 4 mile mark I could see Jim ahead of me but it looked like I might be closing in on him just a bit. When we rounded the turn and headed onto the Boardwalk again, I saw him ahead of me, and I was gaining, but there was not enough race course left. He had the victory with 13 seconds to spare--great race by Jim! I did get the 2nd place though, so I was pretty happy with that. I did not quite break 7 minutes per mile but that is okay. My goal this year is to be the tide not just one of the breakers. Keep this recovery going until I am all the way back and not break down halfway through  the season. We'll see. 
Pumping the Arms and Feeling the Speed, trying to chase down Jim May as I pass the statue of Neptune [Poseidon to my Greek friends] in the USATF Masters 8K Championship


Next up is the 10K Championship in Dedham Mass at the end of April. The real test comes a week later to see if I can navigate both the 10K in Dedham and the Half Marathon in Newport Beach-My thought is that I can run a good race in Dedham and then take a very easy training week and then ease into the first half of the HM and, if necessary, just take it as a long workout run. Wish me luck!

Oh and this has all been about my running, one of the great joys of my life. I have also become more active in helping out Masters LDR. Not only this blog but I am now on the Executive Committee of USATF Masters LDR and starting to serve, occasionally, as a Race Liaison. It was definitely a treat getting to announce the Award winners of the 8K in Virginia Beach! 

Update Posted September 2020

Here's a brief update on my running since March 2017. I was lucky enough to win the 2017 USATF M70-74 Masters Grand Prix. Piecing together 2nd and 3rd place points along with the 2017 Half Marathon National Championship, I piled up 475 points to just edge Dave Glass who came on strong in the fall, winning 3 National Championships; he earned 465 points for the year. 

The 10K in Dedham went well. I passed Jim May about a mile into the race and led all the way until about 300 meters from the finish when a new teammate of May's, Tony Gingello, came sprinting past me with a full head of steam. I had no answer and had to be satisfied with 2nd in 44:57. A week later, though, it all came up roses in Southern California. First we had to suffer through a deluge for the 10 minutes immediately before the start of the race. Then I battled with Gene French who led me around the first mile or so of the course. I was able to gradually pull away from him on the way down to and along the Ocean drive. The last 3 miles are mostly an uphill climb from the oceanfront drive to a ridge. As we neared a water stop around the 10 mile mark, I saw one of my main rivals, Richard Kutzner, up ahead. I gradually closed on him over the next mile and then went past at a good clip. I did not see him again. After the race he told me he tried to stay with me for a bit, but then focused on keeping 2nd. In the end I had the win and the National Championship in 1:41:42. Kutzner finished 2nd in 1:43:03 with French just 21 seconds back in 3rd. In Syracuse I finished 3rd in the 5K Championship in 21:13, 11 seconds behind my nemesis, Mr. Gingello, who finished 2nd to Dave Glass. My last good Masters Championship race of the year was the 15K in Tulsa. Although I ran almost a half minute faster than I had in 2015, it was a strong field. Glass showed that he could handle the 15K well as he won it in 1:06 and change. Bill Dunn, who had relocated from California to the high plains of Colorado, took 2nd in 1:09:06. Robert Hendrick took 3rd in 1:10:02, and I took 4th a half minute back. Six runners in the 70-74 Age Division cracked 1:14!

Striding for the Finish at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship-2nd Place in M70-74 Division-The other runner in the pic is Francis Burdett M50 who was coming back from an injury.

 

My fastest 10K of 2017 was at the Utah Valley 10K. Lloyd Hansen hosted a retreat for the USATF Masters LDR Executive Committee and arranged for Doreen McCoubrie, Tom Bernhard and me to get entries to the race. McCoubrie was the fastest woman on the day and Bernhard won his age division by a large margin. My day was okay; I ran 43:13 to take first in my Age Division. [Of course, it was a downhill race.] I also ran in Joan Benoit Samuelson's Beach to Beacon 10K and the Medical Center 10K in Bowling Green KY. The Med Ctr 10K is out and back with a serious hill toward the end of the first mile. The B2B runs from the beach up to a lighthouse (beacon), a point to point, but uphill overall. My times were 44:34 in Maine in early August and 44:56 in Kentucky in October. I finished 2nd in the 70-74 division at the B2B and 3rd in the Senior Grandmaster (60+) category in Kentucky to take home some nice prize money. I ran in one  'Bucket' Race in addition to the Beach to Beacon. That was the Utica Boilermaker 15K. Not only did I run, I was lucky enough to win in 1:10:37. The fact that it was not sweltering, as it usually is in July, was frosting on the cake.

In 2018, age 72, I was coming off another rehab period, but by early April felt like I could try the Papa John's 10 Miler in Louisville. Not at my best, but strong enough to win the age division in 1:22:04. I decided to celebrate the 4th of July in Atlanta at the AJC Peachtree Race. It was sweltering and humid but, hey, it is Peachtree. I wilted a bit but still managed a 49:57 to take 2nd in the 70-74 Age Division. Ten days after my 73rd birthday, I landed my only National Championship podium of the year in the 15K Championship at Tulsa. I finished 3rd in 1:13:40.

In 2019, age 73, I captured the M70 1st place at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run. A 10 Miler, like Papa John's the year before, I was able to trim over 4 minutes off my time, running 1:17:29. A month later, I toed the line at another prominent 10 Miler, the Blue Cross Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. With Philly's local hero, Gene Dykes, in the field, I was happy to run a bit faster than in Washington DC and bring the 2nd place award home, running 1:16:55. Later in the summer, I regained my age division crown, running 47:22, at Joan Samuelson's Beach to Beacon 10K. Once again my only National Championship podium was at the 15K National Championship in Tulsa where I ran 18 seconds slower than in 2018, but this time took 2nd place. I ended the year on a high note, especially in terms of hometown cred. At the age of 74, I not only won the M70-74 Age Division at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, but my time of 1:44:25 was fast enough to break the Age Division course record.

Approaching the Finish Line at the 2019 Pensacola Double Bridge Run with a Bright Green Ear Warmer/Headband

In 2020, I started the year well with a win at the Double Bridge Run (15K) in Pensacola FL, running 1:11:16. I ran Gate River in early March but was less successful, perhaps because of the humidity, but who knows. I ran 1:14:48 (with a very windy climb up the Hart Bridge from Mile 7.5 to 8.3) but only managed a 4th place. The rest of the year was a loss for me as for everyone else. The Covid Pandemic came and took away lives and races.

 

Other Contributions to the Masters Running Community

In terms of other contributions in addition to this Blog, I have served as Head Writer-LDR  for National Masters News. I am still active with USATF but stepped off the Executive Committee so I could devote time to helping USATF as a part-time Masters Coordinator. I provide some direct media services, website coordination, assist with Championship planning and operations, and manage their Phidippides Program.