Penguin World Conference IV
Toronto, Canada
May 24 to 27, 2002The first international Penguin encounter and the first encounter outside of the United States
Race Report from Ken Myers of San Diego, Calif...
Date: Tues May 28, 2002
Subject: Race Report: BQed at Burlington
Greetings all, Short version: 3:24, and a Boston Qualifier!
Long version: It was a great weekend in Toronto. Our hosts did outstanding work to provide many enjoyable events. The race was well organized. The weather gods smiled upon us and provided a nice cool running environment.
I started my training several months ago after a disappointing performance at Pittsburgh. I had a stitch in the final 2 miles there and it took away the possibility of a qualifying time. My training had been going well, so I expected a good race in Burlington. But a few days before the race, I banged my left knee, and it really ached after a fairly short run just 4 days before the marathon. So I was a bit apprehensive. Luckily all the body parts generally cooperated during the marathon. Though several are not currently functioning to the original manufacturer’s specification.
I actually liked have a course marked in KMs. It seemed like as soon as you were past one, you could see the next one. The only disconcerting piece was the overlap of the marathon and half marathon course and the markers varied by about 100 yards. So I have several wacky splits in the first 15K or so.
My plans were to run a couple K at an 8:00/mile pace. I hit the first one right on. I was generally checking at every 8K(or 5 miles as I normally do). As I was running, I planned on my heart rate and speed. I expected some cardiac creep and planned for that. I was hitting the 8K marks within seconds of the plan I’d written.
About 15 miles into the race, I was a bit worried. I could feel my left hamstring. It didn’t hurt, but I was worried about having 11 miles to go if it was complaining that early. Luckily it only continued to complain mildly. Scenery? Yes, there were some nice homes along the course and a couple cemeteries. Generally I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to that though. I was using the HRM to speed me up at times and slow me down at times. It became a regulator to hold my effort constant and my pace steady.
I drank a 20oz bottle of water at the start, so I skipped the first water stop. But after that, I was drinking at every one. I had enough GU (which I had to borrow! It isn’t sold in Canada!) to take about every 6K. I stretched it a little farther than that, but I think I managed the calorie
intake and water intake close to perfectly. I also took lite-salt at 30K. I think that worked to my benefit as well.I had planned to really push the final 3K after I passed the Penguin Brigade manned water stop. However, I knew I was on pace and didn’t need to. Also, the fear of another cramp like I got at Pittsburgh restrained me. So I just held to the plan. I knew I had the qualifying time if I just held on for 15 more minutes. I was doing quite well too. I was still hitting the markers at the planned 5 minute marks. So as I got closer and closer, my confidence that I’d get under 3:25 grew. My plan called for a time of 3:24:10. When I stopped my watch, it said 3:24:09. I thought I’d exceeded the target by a mere 1 second. Today, I checked the results page. 3:24:10 chip time. A PERFECTLY EXECUTED PLAN!
Oh, and I’m going to Boston in April of 2003!
Ken Myers
San Diego, CA
Followup from Ken Myers:
Greetings all,
During my presentation last week at PWC4, I made the point that runners of any ability experience the same levels of discomfort at equal intensity. During John's talk, he basically made the same point. That effort can be equal, discomfort can be equal, and only pace varies. All Penguins feel the same at the same effort.
John also mentioned to me how boring it was running through hundred year old trees. There is just little difference between them. Magnificent, but once you've seen it, what point is there to gazing at it for hours during a race?
Julia also told me of an upcoming race where she didn't care what the scenery was going to be like. She was only going to see asphalt.
I had split the difference at the RnRCanada Marathon. For most of the time, I was looking inward to keep my pace where it should be. But on occasion I noticed a cemetery or nice homes. Near the Penguin Brigade Water Stop at 39K, I was nearly hit by a car. It didn't register with me. I was only concentrating on passing over asphalt. The car was irrelevant. Later when it was mentioned to me, I did recall it, but it wouldn't have been an event I'd have remembered to describe as part of my marathon experience.
We all make a choice before a run or a race about the effort we're going to put into it. A hard workout will be introspection and asphalt. A social run will be scenery and wondrous observation. Each one of us can choose a very divergent goal that yields an equally valuable experience, whether you soak up the sights or tear up the asphalt.
Ken Myers
San Diego, CAClick here to return to PWC IV Reports Index
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