Carl is an avid runner and has been a returning patient at Fitzgerald PT on various occasions. He’s also been a member of the Melrose Run Club for 4 years. He lives in Saugus with his wife Elana. In addition to running, he enjoys hiking, aviation, & travel.

Q: When did you discover your love for running?

A: Someone convinced me to sign up for a 5k around 2010 and I enjoyed it.  I ran a bit here and there over the years, but I really got going once I joined MRC.  Being amongst your people made it a lot easier.

Q: As a runner, what types of injuries have you sustained over the years?

A: One bout of plantar fasciitis was really the only longer-term injury I’ve encountered.  That was a humbling experience as you really need to work against the impulse to not work to actually get better.

Q: When did you first come visit us at Fitzgerald PT, and how did you hear about us?

A: Put up with the PF symptoms for a number of weeks before I took the advice of a club member to come in.

Q: What was your experience like at Fitzgerald PT? What did you enjoy the most?

A: The work we did was targeted toward getting me back running right from the start.  That’s huge when your identity defining activities feel like they’re at risk.  I run and I hike so both of those felt like they were going to be a thing of the past for me.  It sounds dramatic to me now, but I really did feel that way before coming in.

Q: What would you say to someone that is hesitant to try PT or claims that “it doesn’t work”?

A: For me, PT worked both because of the work done in the clinic, but also what I did at home.  If they’re hesitant, I would try to fix them on the end goal and advise them to trust the process.  In modern work, there’s often a disconnect between your work and your reward, but PT is about as straightforward as it gets in this regard.  If you’re committed to the end point, the work will move you in the right direction.

Q: What is on your race calendar thus far for 2026?

A: This year I’m trying for 100 racing miles for the first time ever, so I anchored my year with two marathons – Vermont City (May) and Amsterdam (Oct).  Completed VCM with a PR in some bad conditions but feeling great.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?

A: Once we were past the acute pain of my injury, Dr. Rachel helped me understand some important concepts around strength that have stuck with me to this day.  The idea of a system of muscles working together is logical, but I never considered how to train them as a system. 

When I came in a half marathon would bring me to my limit.  The smart use of strength training has helped improve my running and durability.  I would feel completely destroyed by a half marathon in the past and now I have two of them scheduled in the same year with 4 halves for good measure.

Best of luck to you Carl – we know you are going to kill it out there! We are so happy to have you as a part of our #Fitzfam!