Penn State Fayette coaches lead by example
There are coaches at all levels that talk the talk while very few walk the walk.
However, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, head cross country coach, Joe Carei, and his assistant, Dr. Julio Palma, fall into the latter category.
The pair ran the Morgantown (West Virginia) Marathon Sunday with Palma finishing third among the male runners with a time of 3:05.11, while Carei finished 30th among the men with a time of 3:52.29.
Both coaches spoke about the importance of running and setting an example for their team.
鈥淭here are plenty of good coaches that don鈥檛 run marathons,鈥� said Carei, who is in his fourth season as the program鈥檚 head coach. 鈥淚 think running them gives us some juice.鈥�
鈥淚t is important for our team to see that their coaches are passionate about running, and even though our college years are behind us, we still have goals and want to put new and higher limits in our running career,鈥� said the 36-year-old Palma, who is a chemistry professor at Fayette. 鈥淭here have been many long runs and workouts where they have seen us pushing hard with them.鈥�
PSU Fayette Athletic Director Lou Zadecky is highly impressed with how the duo leads by example.
鈥淥ne of the hardest challenges for coaches is being relevant in the eyes of their athletes and Coach Joe and Coach Julio live by example when it comes to integrity, fitness, personal challenges and striving to be your best,鈥� Zadecky said. 鈥淭hrough these qualities they are instilling the tools in their student-athletes every day to be successful in the classroom and in running.
鈥淭he athletes see what the coaches accomplish in these running events and it drives them to work each day knowing there are no excuses because if their coaches are doing it, they can too!鈥�
The Morgantown Marathon wasn鈥檛 the first race that Carei and Palma did together.
On June 9, they did the Laurel Highland Hiking Trail Ultra.
鈥淟ast November, Joe turned 50 and I told him to get a new challenge, maybe a 50-mile run or a 50K,鈥� Palma said. 鈥淲e signed up this past December.鈥�
Carei said he was hesitant.
鈥淚 was talked into it by Julio,鈥� Carei said of Palma, who he describes as a serial Ultra-Marathoner. 鈥淚 am primarily a 10K and down runner, and although I am a lot slower than I used to be, once in a while I will win a local 5K.鈥�
Carei went into more detail about how it came to be.
鈥淚 turned 50 this past year, and Dr. Palma said that I should do a 50K in my 50th year,鈥� he said before trying to maintain laughter while talking. 鈥淚 did not agree, but I eventually relented.
鈥淚t is kind of funny how the chemistry professor talks the cross country coach into a run and not the other way around!鈥�
Carei was unaware of what he was in for.
鈥淟ittle did I know, it was one of the more difficult Ultras in the country,鈥� he said. 鈥淒uring the race, I ran with some runners from Canada who came down for the race each year.
鈥淭hey do them all over the country and said that this one was the most technical runs they do, and I think they meant difficult when they said technical.鈥�
Carei spoke more about the race.
鈥淭he first nine miles were brutal, but after that, it was rolling,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was easier, but keep in mind miles 16-18, we were on the Seven Spring ski slopes so you can imagine what miles zero through nine were like.鈥�
Carei is proud of finishing in the top 20 percent of the finishers.
鈥淚 finished in seven-plus hours, which was pretty good considering it was my first one,鈥� he said. 鈥淒r. Palma kicked my butt, though.鈥�
Palma finished 11th with a time of 6:01.46 while Carei placed 32nd with a time of 7:25.31.
The effort that Carei and Palma set forth is a prime example for their student-athletes.
And when they talk the talk, they also walk the walk.
Actually, Carei and Palma run the run.
Pitt, PSU pick up wins
Pitt earned a much-needed win over Georgia Tech in ACC action Saturday while Penn State rolled over Kent State.
The Panthers head to North Carolina Saturday looking to pick up their second consecutive conference win while the Nittany Lions open up Big Ten play Friday night at Illinois.
West Virginia was canceled at N.C. State because of Hurricane Florence.
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