‘Purdue Pursuits’: Becoming an A.H. Ismail Center member

Center’s training sessions help endurance runner Charlie Catalano earn ‘super slammer’ ultramarathon title

Charlie Catalano

Charlie Catalano, an assistant professor of practice in the Brian Lamb School of Communication, frequently visits Purdue’s Ismail Center to train for ultramarathon events. (Purdue University photo/ Rebecca Robiños)

Charlie Catalano doesn’t back down from challenges; he runs toward them. It’s been a part of his lifestyle since 1998 — the year he completed his first marathon. Since then, he’s added 33 marathons, two duathlons, three full Ironman triathlons and 19 ultramarathons to his ever-growing running resume, including his most recent accolade, completing the Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning.

Defined as footraces exceeding the 26.2-mile length of marathons, ultramarathons are epic endurance events designed to push runners to their limits — both physically and mentally. The Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning is no exception. The event features five 100-mile races held in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana that challenge participants to traverse 15,000-30,000 feet of elevation for hours on end in all types of weather conditions, all while battling their bodies’ demands for a change of clothes, a proper meal and some well-deserved rest.

After running, walking and shuffling a total of more than 147 hours and 1 million steps throughout the event, Catalano, an assistant professor of practice in the Brian Lamb School of Communication, was one of only three runners to complete all five races, earning him the title of “super slammer.”

“It’s punishing, but it comes with a lot of internal reward,” Catalano says. “If you have to choose between finishing the race or sleeping, assuming you can continue to function, you’re going to continue moving. It’s tough to be in that position because you’re battling your body and your mind while you’re still giving everything you have left in your reserves to just cross that finish line and collapse.”

Crossing through that final finish line is something Catalano had been working toward for over a year with the help and support of staff at Purdue’s A.H. Ismail Center for Preventative and Lifestyle Medicine. Located in Lyles-Porter Hall, the center provides state-of-the-art cardiovascular, resistance, balance and flexibility equipment — along with other amenities like fitness classes, personal training packages, and health and wellness clinics — to Purdue faculty and staff, graduate and professional students, and community members.

Charlie Catalano works with his personal trainer, Shannon Scheetz, an undergraduate Health and Kinesiology student. (Purdue University photo/ Rebecca Robiños)

As a collaborative effort between the College of Health and Human Sciences’ departments of Health and Kinesiology and Nutrition, the center also serves as a centralized hub for multidisciplinary research — a place where faculty and students can tackle challenges related to health, exercise and nutrition. Students involved with the center also have the opportunity to refine their professional skills by supervising fitness assessments, training sessions and clinics.

The center isn’t only open to those with extreme fitness goals. Ismail Center director Jason Chrapek says individuals at all fitness levels are welcome to join the facility’s noncompetitive environment and exercise at their own pace.

“One of the most beautiful parts of the Ismail Center is that you will have members of the Purdue family from all walks of life and fitness levels working out with each other,” Chrapek says. “Charlie will be working hard in preparation for his tremendously grueling endurance events while a 76-year-old retiree is doing strength training in preparation for hip replacement surgery. The center provides the opportunity to take care of our own health so that we can best serve our families, our students, the university and the world around us.

Multiple times a week, Catalano can be found at the Ismail Center as he powers through cardiovascular workouts on the treadmill or elliptical, builds his muscular endurance with free and machine weights, and tracks his progress with a student trainer who’s helped him build and maintain a personalized fitness plan designed to prepare him for his ultramarathon pursuits.

It’s not just the staff who motivate Catalano to live a healthy lifestyle. The center’s family-friendly, relaxed atmosphere has made it easy for him to cultivate new relationships with other employees and community members who exercise there regularly.

“Prior to joining the Ismail Center, I didn’t focus on strength training or flexibility; I was largely one-dimensional,” Catalano says. “I consider the Ismail Center and the people who work and exercise there to be my accountability partners. They know what I’ve been aiming for, and they’ve helped motivate and inspire me along the way.”

Catalano’s fitness goals extend beyond participating in ultra-endurance sports. As a Type 1 diabetic, he strives to lead an active life that allows him to not only survive with the disease but also thrive with it. This, coupled with his rewarding yet bustling teaching schedule, continuously motivates him to maintain his commitment to living the most fulfilling life he possibly can.

“While I am a Type 1 diabetic, I do believe in ‘prepare and prevent’ versus ‘repair and repent’ when it comes to your health and wellness,” Catalano says. “Teaching and running are both ultra-endurance events. I want to perform my best both on the running course and in the classroom, and I think they go hand in hand. Each one helps me be a better and stronger version of myself.”

Though Catalano has had little time to fully comprehend the magnitude of his recent accomplishment, he’s already anticipating and preparing for additional ultramarathon races in 2024. 

Next spring he’ll be celebrating his 53rd birthday in North Carolina, ready to tackle Badwater Cape Fear, a 51-mile-course known for its 39-mile stretch of sand. During the summer, he’s planning to traverse 206 miles with nearly 80,000 feet of elevation change in the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run, and later that fall, you can find him participating in Illinois’ Hennepin Hundred.

He may even apply for the Badwater 135, the crown jewel of ultramarathons that many ultra-endurance athletes are familiar with, but few get to experience. Crewed by a team of four people, runners trek from the lowest to highest points in the continental U.S. in conditions hot enough to fry an egg on pavement and melt the soles of tennis shoes.

Students in COM 495 (Executive Communication) pose with instructor Charlie Catalano and the belt buckle awards he earned from each of the five races in the Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. (Photo provided)

“You finish by climbing three mountain ranges, so we’ll see,” Catalano says with a grin.

Ahead of each of these events, he’ll be training alongside Ismail Center staff, whom he says played a key role in his success in the Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. 

“I don’t think I could have completed those first two trail races with only five days between them had I not been able to attend the center,” Catalano says. “It’s a very welcoming place, regardless of your age or fitness level. I genuinely believe everyone is welcome there and can find the help they need and something to do to become a better, healthier version of themselves.”

How you can join

Annual and semester membership fees and personal training rates for Purdue faculty, staff, graduate and professional students, and community members can be found on the Ismail Center’s website.

Purdue faculty and staff can elect to become annual members of the Ismail Center through a payroll deduction option.

Individuals who have questions or would like to schedule a visit to the center should contact the director at jchrapek@purdue.edu.

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