January 9 2003
|
Nicholas Clark eyeing personal best in Saturday's Disney World marathon BY DEAN GREENAWAY While most of us were gearing up for the holidays, enjoying the festivities of the season and beckoning the new year, Nicholas Clark was pounding the pavement in preparation for Saturday's Disney World Marathon on Orlando, Florida. Merely four months ago, Clark was among 34,000 participants competing in the New York City Marathon, which he finished in 3 hours 52 minutes and 08 seconds. Saturday, marks the third time Clark will run at Disney World, where he set a personal best 3:40 last year. What is he looking for this year? "I don't know whether I'll be able to run the same speed as last year, but, I'll be pleased to run about 3:45 or something like that," Clark said, noting that the temperature is projected to be hotter than last year's race. "It will be in the mid 60s and that might be a negative factor in doing a good speed," Clark said. "But, it's such a fun occasion anyway I'll just have fun doing the race." Clark said his time in the New York City Marathon which is tougher course than Disney, proves that he can break the psychological four hour barrier. He said it is not a question of breaking the four hour barrier anymore, but now concentrating on getting a personal best. "My biggest challenge will be pacing myself and making sure I don't go out too fast," Clark explained. "One of the benefits of running on Tortola is that you are out on your own with very few people with you. The chance to run with extra people brings out the best in you on the day. The challenge will be making sure I keep a good pace and going all the way." The Sunday after Christmas, Clark completed a 20 mile run then began backing off three weeks before Saturday's Disney Marathon. He ran an eight miler over in his last outing before departing for Orlando on Wednesday, and rested before the 26.2 mile race. "I have to make sure my diet is balanced and build up on the carbohydrates, but, I'm feeling pretty good," Clark said. Since competing in New York in October, Clark said he reverted to his 18 week training program. He began by taking a week off after New York. "Then I worked back from when the Disney World marathon is to where I should be in the 18 week program and started from there," Clark said. "I treated the training as though it was a fresh marathon again."
Copyrighted © 2003 by SUN ENTERPRISES (B.V.I.) LTD. |
