Marathon Man

Master’s candidate Bernie Muller fits in a lot of running in between his classes — a lot of running. Muller recently completed the Boston Marathon, placing 47th with a finishing time of 2:29:10. This is the second marathon Muller has entered, having completed the New York Marathon this past year.

A long distance runner since high school, Muller has continued to dedicate his time to running even while carrying a full course load in the Higher Education Program.  It certainly wasn’t easy, though, especially considering that he also participates in an internship. Throughout the year, Muller creatively managed to squeeze in 10-15 mile runs in between classes and work. “I was glad to be in Boston, going to Harvard, and running the marathon,” Muller says. “It was worth it.”

However, competitive running isn’t necessarily something he would recommend to incoming graduate students. When Muller’s running teammate told him of his plans to attend HGSE this fall, Muller suggested that he might want to take a sabbatical from running while pursuing his degree. “[Doing both] is like having two full-time jobs,” he says.

Not that Muller would take his own advice.  Despite all the extra time and energy it takes, running actually offers Muller a respite from graduate school, even at times aiding him in his studies. “If I wasn’t running, I wouldn’t be a good student,” he says, noting that running helped him to focus. Although, with his demanding course schedule, it was sometimes hard to justify spending three to four hours a day exercising.

When Patriot’s Day rolled around, Muller felt well-prepared to run the marathon, his ultimate goal being to finish in the top 50. Many HGSE supporters — several classmates and even Professor Judith McLaughlin, director of the Higher Education Program —cheered him along the marathon route.

As he prepares for graduation in a few weeks, Muller is looking forward to being “out in the real world.” This doesn’t mean, though, that he’s going to hang up his running shoes. This fall, Muller will compete in the Chicago Marathon with hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Trial in 2008.

Muller has no reservations about trying to fit in full-time work with a full-time training schedule. “It always has a way of working out,” he says. “I’m only 24 once, so I’m trying to seize the day.”