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TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHONOctober 31, 2014Mary KeitanyNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Q.  Now you are going to run the third time here in New York and you finally expect that the third time is the right time to win? MARY KEITANY: Possibly. I'm excited to be in the city. I think it will be third time competing in the marathon. I think I'm in good shape. For me, I will try my best on Sunday to run. Q. Will you ever go out as quick as you did the last time when you ran the race? MARY KEITANY: This is my first marathon since a long break. I think what I'll do is that maybe this event is good for me at least to move. My shape is back. It's been two years since I've run a marathon. I did a 10K, one half marathon. This a good time to run for me. I hope to try my best, at least to see my body, if I am back to marathon or not yet. So it will be seen on Sunday. Q. So do you have a race plan to go out hard or to race to win? Do you have a time in mind or just to win the race? MARY KEITANY: No, I don't have any time to run the race. I did finish a half marathon. I don't mind about the time, only to finish the race. Q. What has changed for you after you gave birth to your child? It took you a while to come back, but now you have run a very fast half hire marathon. So you feel in good shape? MARY KEITANY: What I can say is that my body has done well in the 10K and half marathon. On Sunday we will see if I am fit enough and if my body has resumed back as it has for the 10 kilometer. What I can say is I've trained enough, and my body is still good. I expect that I am fit and hope to run well on Sunday. Q. Have you been training alone, or have you been training with the others, with Edna? MARY KEITANY: In Kenya, I have my groupmates, and we have been training together. We have been training well. Q. So anybody who is also running here? MARY KEITANY: No, no. Q. How do you normally cope with windy conditions? You're one of the lightest of the elite women. Do you normally run okay in windy road races? MARY KEITANY: Sometimes maybe‑‑ it depends. If the wind is coming at you, I think you slow down. But if it's coming towards‑‑ pushing you, it's okay. So the weather condition could be either way. Q. So you get behind Jelena Prokopcuka?  She looks the biggest. Would you tuck in behind Jelena Prokopcuka? She's quite tall. MARY KEITANY: No. Q. The start for the women is separate from the men. So you're running with the women only. Do you prefer that over a mass start with the men? MARY KEITANY: I have no problem. It's okay. If we are starting with ladies alone, no problem. We'll go with the ladies. Q. Do the World Championships next year feature in your plans? Are you hoping to be selected for Beijing? MARY KEITANY: For now, not yet. When I'm done with the Marathon on Sunday, I think we'll see and if I'm ready or not. For now, I don't know. But I'm happy if I could represent my country. Q. I apologize if this was asked before, but with the Jeptoo news, I've been asking folks about what their thoughts about whether doping has been an issue on the women's side of the sport and kind of any reaction you have. MARY KEITANY: For me, I never understood, and I know nothing about this. What I'm seeing is that I don't know what is going on, but maybe say sorry. I don't know because this news just came in now when we were coming into the press conference. So I know nothing about this. Q. Do you think it's an issue in Kenya? Do you think there are a number of athletes testing positive and taking substances, or do you think these are just one‑offs? MARY KEITANY: For now, I don't know that. I don't understand. Q. Do you train with Rita? MARY KEITANY: No. We are not training together. Q. I know you just had your second baby. Is it a boy or girl? MARY KEITANY: A baby girl. Q. Girl? MARY KEITANY: Yes. Q. Name? MARY KEITANY: Samantha. Q. When was she born? MARY KEITANY: 4th of February. Q. And your other child is a boy or girl? MARY KEITANY: A boy. Q. How old is he? MARY KEITANY: 6 years. Q. Will they be here in New York? MARY KEITANY: No, they are in Kenya. Q. Mary, there's obviously no pace makers on Sunday. Do you have any idea how you might run the race or maybe what you learned from a few years ago when you went out pretty fast on your own? Do you have any tactics for Sunday? MARY KEITANY: No, I don't have any tactics for Sunday. Q. And it's obviously pretty windy and reasonably cold. Do you think that will make much difference in the race? MARY KEITANY: I don't think weather really matters. Q. You're fine with any weather conditions? MARY KEITANY: Yes. Q. Do you think it's a good thing there are no pace makers in a major marathon, or would you prefer there to be pace makers? MARY KEITANY: It doesn't matter. Q. Do you prefer races without pace makers? MARY KEITANY: Sometimes I prefer pace makers, but this marathon, you run alone. So it's good to go with the pace alone. Q. Was it harder to come back after your first baby or second baby? MARY KEITANY: Both of them was same. Q. Easy or not so easy? MARY KEITANY: It was not easy. Q. What was the most difficult part? MARY KEITANY: Starting from the first day was not easy. Q. Can you tell me a story about the first day? MARY KEITANY: First day maybe I was running, maybe five minutes I stop. And then after some times I go again. Q. Did you run while you were pregnant? MARY KEITANY: No. Q. So when did you start training again? MARY KEITANY: When my baby was 7 months, 8 months. January 2014. Q. Mary, were you surprised or shocked about the news about Rita, the positive tests with Rita? How did you react to that when you heard? MARY KEITANY: So for me, for this news, I was just hearing now when you were coming to the press conference. So I was very sad to hear, but I don't know nothing about this. Q. How close are the two of you? For those of us who don't know. Are you friends? Do you know each other well? MARY KEITANY: We train 200, 300 kilometers away from each other. 100 kilometers between the towns. Q. Mary, Paula's world record stood for a long time, and the women have not been running much faster. Do you think that they will start to run faster soon? Do you look for a fast time now that you're fully back into running? MARY KEITANY: The marathon for the ladies, it's difficult for us, maybe 2:17, maybe in the future we will do it. Q. But you need to go somewhere other than New York to do that? MARY KEITANY: I think there are many Kenyan ladies, about six, so maybe one of us in the future will break it. Q. Do you have any strategies this year that are different from the last time you ran, the last few times? MARY KEITANY: I don't have, no. Q. Do you think you will go all out in the beginning or save a little maybe? MARY KEITANY: I don't know the reaction of my body on Sunday. So I will follow my body and go with my best. Q. How do you feel fitness‑wise compared to the last time you raced a marathon? MARY KEITANY: Sorry? Q. How is your fitness compared to the last time you raced a marathon? MARY KEITANY: I think the body is okay. Q. Your training's gone well then? Any injuries or setbacks? MARY KEITANY: No. I am ready for the race on Sunday. Q. Mary, did you learn anything about this course from the last time you raced, from going out so hard and what it can do to you in the later stages? MARY KEITANY: I think I learned a lesson: I think I will be careful this time. Q. Do you still think about that last New York City Marathon, or is it behind you? MARY KEITANY: I'm still thinking about it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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