Bernard Lagat Can't Be Counted Out, On His Upbringing in Kenya and Recent Return
The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show
CITIUS MAG
4.9 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2020
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Bernard Lagat was the subject of a Sports Illustrated story that I wrote this week titled: "Before Attempt at History, Bernard Lagat Returned to His Roots in Kenya." The story shares how Lagat returned home to Kenya to train for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where he will be vying to make his sixth Olympic team at age 45. He holds a marathon personal best of 2:12:10 from last year's Gold Coast Marathon and enters as one of the most intriguing dark horses in the men's elite race.
The story and conversation also examine how Lagat has made himself one of the faces of American distance running when it's less than 20 years since he made the allegiance switch from Kenya. He's the second-fastest 1,500 meter runner in history and owns two Olympic medals from his time competing as a Kenyan. He switched in 2004. What was the reaction by Kenyans? How was he received by Americans? And what was the importance and role of immigrants in the revitalization of U.S. distance running?
More also on: Growing up in a family with 12 siblings, his first running shoes, when he first returned to Kenya in 2007, training with Eliud Kipchoge, AlphaFlys and shoe technology and much more.
Read the story on SI here: https://www.si.com/olympics/2020/02/25/bernard-lagat-us-olympic-marathon-trials
Support for this episode comes from Stryd. They’re helping ensure that you nail the perfect pacing strategy so you can keep a consistent effort in challenging conditions - all in real-time. I’m digging all the data that it’s collecting and you’ll see a bunch of people wearing them on their shoes at the US Olympic Marathon Trials. Learn more by visiting STRYD.COM/CITIUS
ATL LIVE SHOWS INFO
FRIDAY - 9 a.m.
Guests: Keith and Kevin Hanson
Where: Switchyards Downtown - 151 Ted Turner Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
We'll discuss their influential work with elite U.S. distance runners and their team over the past 20 years.
FRIDAY - 11:15 a.m.
Guests: Matt McDonald, Alyssa Bloomquist, Ann Mazur and Duriel Hardy
Where: America’s Marathon Weekend Experience - Georgia World Congress Center, Hall A3
We'll meet these 9-5'ers and talk about how they have found ways to run fast while being full time workers and students.
All CITIUS MAG in Atlanta information here: http://citiusmag.com/2020-us-olympic-marathon-trials-events-schedule/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today's episode of the Citius Mag Podcast network is brought to you by stride. |
| 0:05.6 | Here's a problem that nearly every runner faces. We all know that even pacing is |
| 0:10.2 | important, but it's hard to pace your runs in challenging conditions. |
| 0:14.3 | Sometimes you're facing rolling hills, other times you're running into the wind, the heat and |
| 0:19.0 | the humidity can slow you down, and depending on where you are are altitude can also play a factor. |
| 0:25.2 | All these forces are constantly causing you to change your pace when you're just trying to |
| 0:28.4 | stay at an even consistent effort. |
| 0:31.0 | So I got this tool that I've really been enjoying that makes even pacing possible in |
| 0:34.7 | difficult conditions. It's called Stride. It's a super lightweight pod that sits on my shoe |
| 0:40.4 | and talks with my Garmin watch. Essentially it provides a grade |
| 0:44.0 | adjusted, wind adjusted, heat adjusted, humidity adjusted, and altitude adjusted number |
| 0:49.8 | to my watch called Power. Instead of trying to change my pace in these conditions to keep an even effort, |
| 0:55.0 | I can simply aim for a consistent power |
| 0:58.0 | from start to finish by looking at my watch. |
| 1:00.0 | Over two dozen Olympic Trials Marathoners will be running with Stride in Atlanta |
| 1:05.2 | where even pacing is going to be very difficult due to the hilly course. |
| 1:09.3 | So if you want to learn more about Stride, go to Stride.com slash Sidious. That's S-T-R-Y-D dot com slash Sidious. |
| 1:20.0 | I've really been enjoying using my Stride pod, now it's time for you to go and check it out |
| 1:25.2 | My guess for today's episode needs no introduction and I realize that every single time that I say that I end up giving a little bit of an introduction |
| 1:32.0 | But that's because not every single |
| 1:34.0 | listener of this show knows everything. |
| 1:37.1 | Some people are newcomers. |
... |
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