Forums >Racing>Sergey Bubka, CalBears, and Joey Chestnut
... all guilty of purposely setting tiny PR's so they could continue to break their own records year after year.
Today Joey Chestnut broke his own world record at Coney Island by eating 74 hot dogs in 10min.
Here is his suspiciously orderly progression:
2018 74 dogs
2017 72 dogs
2016 70 dogs
2013 69 dogs
2012 68 dogs
Have you ever backed off a bit, to give yourself room for a future PR?
Mother of Cats
... all guilty of purposely setting tiny PR's so they could continue to break their own records year after year. Today Joey Chestnut broke his own world record at Coney Island by eating 74 hot dogs in 10min. Here is his suspiciously orderly progression: 2018 74 dogs 2017 72 dogs 2016 70 dogs 2013 69 dogs 2012 68 dogs Have you ever backed off a bit, to give yourself room for a future PR?
Never. Partially because I race watchless, and so I can't calibrate things that finely. And partly because I"m old enough that my window for PRs is limited - I don't want to waste any efforts.
Also, I take pride in the absolute value of my PR, not how many times I've PR'd. I'd rather run an 18:30 PR in the first race followed by an 18:35 than an 18:41 PR in the first and an 18:35 PR in the second.
The calculus may be different for a professional athlete who gets a bonus if they set a world record. I've heard of sprinters holding back or skipping meets until they have a solid contract so that they don't set records when they are not compensated for doing so.
Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.
And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.
One day at a time
On our local radio station this morning, they first reported who won the four-mile road race near us, then announced the winners of the hot dog eating contest. Sigh.
delicate flower
Legend. Appreciate the greatness while it is here.
<3
Old , Ugly and slow
I don't like hot dogs enough to eat more than 2.
I could do a cake or donut eating contest
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
I lost my rama
I think Chestnut needs to be drug tested. And where's CalBears been???
3/17 - NYC Half
4/28 - Big Sur Marathon DNS
6/29 - Forbidden Forest 30 Hour
8/29 - A Race for the Ages - will be given 47 hours
Mmmm Bop
Calbears is lurking....but he’s planning to poison the England football team if they meet Russia in the semi final of the World Cup. 😳
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
Pace Prophet
Por que no los dos? By which I mean, our local club does a Hot Dog Mile, analogous to a Beer Mile. Four quarter-mile laps, one hot dog per lap. And before you ask, no, I don't do this event!
Calbears is lurking....
I was hoping a little provocation would lure him out of his cave!
not bad for mile 25
There are people, perhaps on these pages, dumb enough to try los dos.
So ya think Joey gets to around 70, then says to himself "whoa buddy, slow down," then leisurely savors the last 4, making sure to down 1 extra in case of counting error? And is he actually counting, or like any experienced athlete, is he pacing himself by feel?
Dave
As a former pole vaulter, I used to follow Sergey back in the 80's.
Calbears, he's a definitely a sandbagger, he probably could have run a 2:45 in Boston if he wasn't worried about the weather or his AirBNB being dropped at the last minute. I wish he would come out of hiding, I could use some of advice... see I'm dating this Russian woman that I can't figure out, not sure if it's because she's Russian or a woman. (scratching head)
Joey Chestnut probably makes more money on side action than in competition, that's what those pool player and poker players do.
https://www.strava.com/athletes/2507437
PR's - 5K - 17:57 (2017) | 10K - 38:06 (2016) | 13.1 1:23:55 (2019) | 26.2 2:58:46 (2017)
2020 Goals - Sub-2:55 Marathon Up Next: TBD, Boston on 9/14?
There must be an app for that. Maybe Garmin has something.
m: 2:55:04 | 10k: 37:14 | 50mile: 9:35
I would be curious to analyse the footage to see if he ate a 37/37 even split. If he scoffed say 40 hot dogs in the first 5 minutes and only 34 in the second half then I would be inclined to share the OPs suspicions that Joey sets tiny PRs so that he can keep breaking his own records. That wouldn’t be cool.
We all know, ultimately we race against ourselves.
And in that vain, i think it's like this: he only goes as far each year as he needs to do to beat his former record (and to win, of course). It is not that he is saving his full potential for some future year, but rather that he goes only as far as he needs to go to keep the dream and legend alive. Why would he go further? Do you honestly think that 76 or 7 or 84 hotdogs has any real and discernable meaning to us? Of course not.
Eating that many frankfurters is hard work and no doubt quite a bit unpleasant. Why eat more than you have to? Well, just to stay on a positive track of improvement and ongoing predominance.
That's my take.
Joey Chestnut is a man with a plan, and that plan spans many years. He's pacing himself over a career that he only has himself with whom to compete. And the best way to do it, is to take the necessary and systematic steps to keep it on a positive, upward progression. By doing so, he increases the likelihood that each subsequent year, he resumes his onslaught against his former accomplishments with all the positive psyche an upward progression can bring.