Penguin FAQ
Penguin Frequently Asked Questions Index
Edited by Glenn Gabriel, "Grand Poobah" of the Toronto Penguins Running Club1A. Who is John Bingham?
1B. Why The Penguin?
2. What Is The Penguin Brigade?
3. Why Is The Marine Corps Marathon Important?
4. What Are The Major Penguin Mailing Lists?
5. What Is The Toronto Penguins Running Club?
6. What Is The Penguin World Conference?
7. What Are Some Popular Penguin Encounters?
8. What Are Some Penguin Acronyms And Phrases?
9. What Are Some Popular Penguin Web Sites?
10. What Are The Top 20 Penguin Rules?
1A. Who is John Bingham?
John “The Penguin” Bingham is the guy who started all this. He writes a column for Runner’s World magazine called “No Need For Speed” and is the founder of the Penguin Brigade. It began when John was a member of another “virtual” training group called the Dead Runners Society. He started writing about his experiences as a slower runner and eventually took the persona of a “Penguin.”
At that time, John was also training for the 1996 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. He started his own e-mail mailing list for DRS members who were training for MCM and called it the “Penguin Brigade.” Today, in addition to the Runner’s World column, John has written several popular running books and is one of the busiest speakers in the running world. Currently, the Brigade is more than a thousand members strong.
Return to index1B. Why The Penguin?
Early in his running career, John ran by a window expecting to see a sleek, fast gazelle-type figure. Instead, he saw a waddling penguin! As John explains in his first Runner’s World column in May 1996:Why a penguin? Because metaphors usually used to describe runners--fleetfooted gazelles, cheetahs and wingedfooted Mercury--don't have much to do with my running style. I tend to resemble a penguin waddling across the frozen tundra more than a thoroughbred in the homestretch.
Return to index2. What Is The Penguin Brigade?
When people use the phrase “Penguin Brigade” in the running community, it refers to a group of runners (and other athletes) who identify with John Bingham’s writing and philosophy. John’s motto is: The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. His attitude struck a chord with many runners, especially those at the middle and back of the pack who felt ignored by the traditional running community.Historically, the original “Penguin Brigade” were members of an e-mail mailing list training for the 1996 Marine Corps Marathon. Today, there are thousands of Penguins around the world. Most Penguins communicate online via e-mail distribution lists. However, there is a significant number of Penguins who don’t use computers at all!
What is a Penguin? Trust me: There’s no simple way to answer this question. My advice: Read John’s column to get an idea of the philosophy behind the Penguins. My personal definition of a “Penguin”: (a) Someone who runs or is interested in running, fitness or activity, (b) Someone who supports other runners or athletes — not necessarily Penguins, and (c) Someone who identifies themselves as a Penguin. In Toronto, we’ve modified this somewhat: A Penguin is someone who (a) runs with us, and (b) eats with us! Sometimes, we’ll settle for the latter ;-)
BTW, the official foods of the Penguin Brigade are the Moonpie and the Krispy Kreme donut. The official clothing item is the pink hat. Why the pink hat? Ken Myers of San Diego, one of the original Penguins training for the 1996 MCM, explains:
In the early '90s, in Europe, there was a military intramural softball tournament. One of the teams was comprised of Marines (I was not among them) and they chose the name of Dingo Dogs. (Devil Dogs being a common description of Marines, courtesy of the Germans during WWI.) Dingo Dogs were supposed to be wild and ferocious. They also chose to wear pink shirts and hats.
One of these intrepid warriors returned to the U.S. and at his next location, in Chicago, gave a pink hat to any Marine that chanted cadence during group runs. This is where I acquired my first few copies. I always wore a pink Marine Corps hat in races so I could be easily spotted, as the individual that gave me the hat managed to do when I was on the 14th St. bridge during the Marine Corps Marathon.
When the Penguin Brigade was young, we were looking for something distinctive to identify ourselves. A hat was the chosen article, but a color needed to be chosen as well. John, being the consensus builder that he is, called for a vote. Pink garnered 2 or 3 votes, including mine. Orange and green seemed to be the favorites. I thought the winning color was orange, but not hunter orange. Someone told me it was actually green. But I still clamored for pink. Alas, I lost, and consented to the will of the majority.
Unfortunately, Ann Berg couldn't find an orange (or green) hat for under about $20. I offered my opinion that the PB wasn't going to pay $25 or so for a hat. My pink hat cost under $5. So I gave Ann the phone number of a source for cheap pink hats. So pink became the PB hat color through financial default. Also, Marines tend to be a little on the authoritarian side, so it didn't bother me at all to make a decision in the best interest of the misguided majority. :-)
Consequently, we've had pink hats ever since.
Special Note: Penguins wear their pink hats at all races except the Race/Run for the Cure. At the RftCs, pink hats are traditionally worn by cancer survivors.
Return to index3. Why Is The Marine Corps Marathon Important?
The 1996 Marine Corps Marathon is where the Penguin Brigade gathered for the first time. Held annually in Washington, D.C., “MCM” is one of the biggest and best marathons worldwide, and it’s considered one of the best for first-timers. Case in point: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey (1994, 4:29) and former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore (1997, 4:58) ran their first marathons here. In October 2000, nearly 100 Penguins visited Washington to run and cheer at the 25th MCM, which was also the fifth anniversary of the Penguin Brigade.
Return to index4. What Are The Major Penguin Mailing Lists?
Penguins communicate primarily through the Internet (specifically, e-mail). With that in mind, here are the three most important mailing lists:Penguin Runners (aka “The Big List”)
sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/PenguinRunners/
The original Penguin mailing list. Formerly the Penguin Brigade list and originally an offshoot of the Dead Runners Society mailing list. Heavy traffic. All kinds of topics are discussed here, especially training and race encounters, but not all topics are running-related! Sometimes there are a lot of inside jokes and stuff that you can’t really “get” unless you’ve been on the list for a while (or read this FAQ!) Note: The phrase “The Big List” is used interchangably to mean the PR list and the DRS list (its original meaning). List owner: Karen Havill Bingham.Courage to Start (aka “CTS”)
sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/courage-to-start/
CTS was created as a beginner-friendly Penguin list, especially for those who felt intimidated by the big list. There is a strong emphasis on support. The list is hosted by Yahoo! Groups and there are currently 1,000+ members.Penguin Athletes
sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/penguinathletes/
Penguin Athletes (formerly “Team Penguin”) is another Yahoo! Group list, originally considered the middle step between CTS and the big list. Fewer members and messages than the other two lists, but still very active. Moderated by Nancy Toby.Other Lists
There are quite a few race encounter mailing lists on Yahoo! Groups as well as regional lists (e.g., Toronto, New York City, Chicago). There are also “specialty” Penguin lists (e.g., Penguin Swim Team, Eat Smart, Tri-Penguins).
Return to index5. What Is The Toronto Penguins Running Club? (aka “TPRC”)
We are the Toronto “chapter” (for lack of a better word) of the Penguin Brigade. Like the Brigade, we communicate primarily through our e-mail distribution list. We also host our own Web site. However, the Toronto Penguins Running Club also functions like a traditional running club. We hold regular weekly runs. We organize social events. And we run many local and international races, sometimes with Penguins from outside Toronto.
Return to index6. What Is The Penguin World Conference?
Started in 1999, the Penguin World Conference is an annual event that brings together Penguins from across North America. It’s an opportunity to meet each other, learn and run together. The 2002 Penguin World Conference was held in Toronto, attracting more than 100 Penguins from across Canada, the United States and Germany!
Return to index7. What Are Some Popular Penguin Encounters?
Because the Brigade is Internet-based, there are many “Penguin” events located across North America and the world. Here is a very small sampler of events that have special significance to the Penguin Brigade:Walt Disney World Marathon, Orlando, Fla. (January)
The Disney Marathon has a reputation as “beginner-friendly” because of its generous finishing time (7 hrs) and excellent organization. FYI, the finishers medals are shaped like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck — for the marathon and half-marathon, respectively.New York City Marathon (November)
Charlotte Penguin extraordinaire Ron Horton calls it a “26.2-mile standing ovation.” Wear something with your name on it and people will respond! Canadians can participate in the International Fun Run the day before the race. And don’t miss the excellent pre-race pasta dinner organized by NYCE Penguin Daniel Wellner. Every year, a big group of New York City and Environs (NYCE) Penguins participates in the marathon.
Return to index8. What Are Some Penguin Acronyms and Phrases?
Sometimes, reading Penguin e-mail can be like reading a foreign language. Here are some acronyms and phrases commonly used on the mailing lists:BAP - Bay Area Penguins (San Francisco area)
Beagle - More usually known as a BAGEL.
Becky Buckeye - The unofficial "good luck" mascot of the PB. She's a buckeye nut from Ohio that Penguins have carried at various races around the world!
Big List - Originally the Dead Runners Society (refers to the fact that the Penguin List was an off-shoot of DRS); now often used by Penguins to refer to the Penguin Brigade.
BMZ - Bite Me Zone
BMQ - Bite Me Queen
BTW - By The Way
Dead(s) - Member(s) of DRS
DNF - "Do nothing foolish" (traditionally "did not finish")
DNS - "Did nothing stupid" (traditionally "did not start")
DRS - Dead Runners Society (the Penguin Brigade was an off-shoot of this email list)
Encounter - A face to face meeting of Penguins (usually involving food and/or beverage!)
ERIC - Euphemism for "crap"... which is a euphemism for... Originated on the DRS list.
FBF - FrostBite Falls (a January PB tradition when everyone sets a goal to run X number of miles. We all "meet" at the end for hot cocoa, bagels, etc.)
Goating - To stink after running, as in "If we go eat without cleaning up we will be goating the place up for sure"
Goomies - This term is used to describe POST RACE food, as in, "the goomies were bagels, pizza, gyros and beer." A contraction of "GOOEY" and "GOODIES"
Gnak - The opposite of "Kang." In other words, participating in the race/run, but skipping the meal/encounter afterwards!
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
Job Bra - A Jog Bra (from a typo)
Kang - Skipping the run and going directly to the meal, as in "We ended up pulling a Kang and went straight to the restaurant." Named for Harriet Kang of New York who had a habit of doing this. See also "Gnak"
LAP - Los Angeles Penguins
LIG - Life Is Good
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
LSD - Long Slow Distance run
Lurk - To be very quiet on the list, and not post very often.
MBM - Myrtle Beach Marathon
MCM - Marine Corps Marathon (the Mother of all Penguin Marathon encounters)
MF - Most Fun (generally used to describe a race run for fun instead of speed)
Moonpie - The official penguin food, since MCM '96 when the Binghams transported cases of them from Tennessee to DC for the penguin pre-race encounter. Canadians have a similar food called "Wagon Wheels."
NEP - New England Penguins
NRC - No Running Content, used in a subject header to warn readers that there's no running content in the message.
NYCE - New York City and Environs
NYCM - New York City Marathon
Odark30 - Very early in the morning
ORN - Obligatory Running Note. Attached to the end of posts to indicate what you've run that day. It's also a sly way for some people to post non-running content in the guise of a running post!
O**N - Obligatory whatever Note... is a variation on ORN, such as OWN (Obligatory Walking Note) or OSN (Obligatory Swimming Note).
OTOH - On The Other Hand
PB - Penguin Brigade
PMP - Pee my pants (usually used in tandem with LOL)
PORN - PLANNED Obligatory Running Note (get your mind out of the gutter!)
Post - To send a message to the list.
PR - Personal Record (your best ever running time at a particular distance), sometimes written as PB (personal best)
PWC - Penguin World Conference. Started in 1999, an annual event where Penguins gather to run, learn and celebrate.
Rick - To really rock, as in "You Rick!" (from a Penguin typo).
RNR - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego
ROTF - Rolling On The Floor
Rule 12 - the PB rule for volunteering. If you suggest something should be done, you have just volunteered to do it. See Rule 12 in the PB Handbook.
Singlet - Sleeveless tanktop.
Sniglet - Same as singlet.
Splits - Time it takes to run a specific interval of a race or training run. Usually refers to mile or kilometre splits, but can be quarter or half-mile splits as well.
Negative splits - running your laps/splits at a progressively faster pace (this is a good thing).
Taper - A 2-3 week rest period or cutback in training mileage right before a marathon or long race. The person tapering will often suffer from assorted silliness. Some people engage in compulsive behavior (like shopping) to compensate for the lack of running.
Taper Madness - When large numbers of Penguins are tapering at once, usually right before a major event, and a general craziness prevails. Also known as "taperitis" and being "taper nutty."
Thread - A topic or subject on the list. When several people respond to the same message, a "thread" develops.
TIA - Thanks In Advance
TMI - Too Much Information
VCM - Vermont City Marathon
VRP - Virtual Running Partner
VTP - Virtual Training Partner
Whatnot - horizontal cross-training (sex)
WDW - Walt Disney World Marathon
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary (used as a disclaimer).
Return to index9. What Are Some Popular Penguin Web Sites?
www.johnbingham.com/
John Bingham’s Web sitewww.tricharlotte.com/
Formerly cltpenguin.net, this is the Web site of the Charlotte Area Penguins, created by Ron Horton. A regional site much like the Toronto Penguins.www.pathcom.com/~ggabriel
The Toronto Penguins Web site.
Return to index10. What Are The Top 20 Penguin Rules?
Date: Fri May 30, 2003
Subject: Top 20 from the Penguin Brigade Rule Book
From: Ken MyersExcerpt from the Penguin Brigade Rule Book.
1. Pace is irrelevant. Being a Penguin means we encourage all to go out and run or walk. Any other physical activity is also encouraged.
2. Self destructive behavior is never condoned. Pushing through an injury in training or races when the safe thing to do is stop will never be praised.
3. Always extend a greeting to oncoming runners, a head check, a wave, or a verbal greeting.
4. Never run with a headset on. If you can't hear danger, you can't avoid it.
5. Spitting is a perfectly acceptable act as long as you make sure nobody is coming up behind you from the direction you will be spitting.
6. Use of an air hankie is a perfectly acceptable act as long as you make sure nobody is coming up behind you from the direction you will be blowing.
7. Penguins never leave Penguins on the course. We're there when you start, and we're there when you finish!
8. Don't litter. Bring back what you take out.
9. Run with ID.
10. We love nature, so there is nothing wrong with answering nature's call. Just be discreet, if possible.
11. Don't compare yourself to others. It's a frivolous exercise. You're fast, you're smart, and you're gorgeous - deal with it!
12. Whatever you suggest as a good idea certainly is, and you have therefore volunteered to do it, since you already accept that it is a good idea.
13. A half marathon is a LONG way to run.
14. You must know how far it is before you run a marathon. Your sanity is in doubt if you run it anyway!
15. 3 days before a marathon, trim your toenails.
16. Never run with more than 2 abreast. Don't block running paths.
17. Move to the right to let faster runners pass.
18. We like to connect with other runners, we do NOT like to connect with automobiles, potholes, low branches, or other hazards.
19. Grease boys will never charge a fee for their services.
20. Life isn't fair.
* New rules and modifications must be approved by Satch.
Home About Us Calendar T.O. FAQ Photos Links The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.
— John "The Penguin" BinghamFAQ last updated: Aug 22/06