Mile # 6 - Carl Cook NC State and National Senior Games Athlete Medal Winner in Track

Carl Cook:  Details on his Will Caviness Award 

https://greensboro.com/blogs/wooten_running_shorts/carl-cook-receives-will-caviness-award/article_d5fb16ba-ffba-11e7-8ac5-6b208777685b.html

 

Below is from an Article from the National Master's News

 

Dixon “Carl” Cook remembers in high school being way too shy to
join any team. But he liked to play football outside on a vacant lot and run around during the game. Now fifty years later, he’s come full circle, both in life and on indoor and outdoor tracks. He found out he’s fast, and no longer shy.

“It’s funny how you remember certain things about races,” he said.
“In 1983 I ran a 5:11 pace on the 16th mile of the marathon at the St.
George Marathon, and ended up with a time of 2:37.49.  But he didn’t know that speed and endurance were in him until he took up running in his thirties to lose weight. A few years later he qualified and entered the Boston marathon. He had his plane tickets and was ready to run but got sick and had to bow out. He quit running in his 40s and didn’t
take it up again until age 62.  Carl was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, the older brother to two younger ones, and later earned a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from North Carolina State University, and a Masters degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in chemistry. He was lured to Denver, Colorado, at age 31 by a job offer as a chemist for the EPA, and later moved on to Salt Lake City and worked for OSHA before retiring.  “When I was 62, my daughter wanted to run so I said I’d run with her,”  Carl said. “We did 5k runs, which I never took seriously when I was younger. After all, I was a marathoner!”
Two years later, the head of the Piedmont Pacers Track Club called
and invited him to join. “When I got the call, I thought, ‘Great! I always wanted to do that!’  It’s more fun to be part of a team. It was the first running club I ever belonged to.” With the Pacers he started running in track events. “I was nervous about using it because I’d never run on a track,” he said. “Seven weeks after I ran on that indoor track for the first time, I entered the Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships in Landover, Maryland.”

In that 2013 meet, Carl, 66, took second for his age group in the mile
with a time of 5:48.78. He finished third in the 800 meters in 2:38.33.
His most memorable race was the National Senior Games in St. Paul,
Minnesota, in 2015. He won the 1500 meter race in his 65-69 division,
finishing in 5:19.92. He now limits his running to middle distances between the 800 meter and 10k.

“I’ve been told that I race way too much, and I know that I do!” he said. “I probably ran 35 to 40 races last year, and that was typical for me. I
haven’t entered any world meets yet but like to do national indoor and
outdoor events.”

His biggest strength is a good sprint, and he likes to pick it up at the
end of a race. He likes speed workouts, and leads a Pacers group every
week. He’s trying to cut his training runs back to three days a week.
“I’ve been talking to many people about training,” he said. “Some of
the best runners my age run 15 to 20 miles a week. I was doing 30 to 35
per week and am cutting back to 20. I cross-train on off days once or twice a week with bicycle, lifting weights and the elliptical machine. I try to do one long run and one speed workout a week, and stretch a lot every day.”

He had a stroke 6 years ago and had to run some of his races
with a heart monitor, and then after angina during a 5 mile race (he finished the race), he had open heart surgery. While recovering from that he had serious back pain and thought he couldn’t race any more. That’s why he started swimming.
“It seems to me that everyone should be able to run.” he said. “I don’t
like walking. It just feels relaxing and comfortable to run. When I run, I like to feel like I’m sitting on a platform cruising and looking around, relaxed and effortless.”

If he were to advise other runners, he would tell them to run with a
group if possible, especially for a long run. And join a team like the Pacers for support and comradery. They cheer you on and vice-versa
before a race when you’re nervous, and after a race, too. Plus, he said, it
helps before and after a race to have someone to talk to.

Carl commented after his national meet in 2013 that the 70-year-olds
looked too young to be 70-year-olds, the 60-year-olds looked too young to be 60-year-olds, and the 50-year-olds looked too young to be 50-year-olds.

His brother Tom and he both noticed that, and wondered if it’s because
running really keeps you young. He said he likes to think so.
“Running has given me more self-confidence,” Carl said. “I was
always shy and wouldn’t go up and talk to people. Now I enjoy talking to
people. I enjoy the social aspects of running as much as any other part.”