The slow run

Kenyan athletes dominate running competitions like no one before. Why is that?

This is the main plot of the book. It follows the story of an English journalist and runner who moves with his entire family to Kenya to train, learn and find out their secrets.

The author finds himself in a totally different world: one in which people don’t run because it’s fun or because it’s healthy. No; they run because that’s how they’re going to feed their families and get out of poverty – that for them means buying a lot of cows. It’s a totally different culture.

What I found from the book to be the Kenyans secrets is a mix of:

1. A very strong “Why” that gives them both motivation and meaning. They run to create a better life for them and their families. Winning a major western competition can change their lives.
2. Consistency and dedication: the Kenyan athletes literally just Run, Eat, Sleep and repeat. Everyday for years. It’s their full time job. Even before winning any competition, they decide that they will become professional athletes and they do just that.
3. Confidence: They believe they can beat records, run faster than anyone else and they actually do that a lot of times reinforcing that belief. 
4. Mindset: When they see the incline building up a hill, they don’t slow down, they increase the pace. They take the obstacle head on and take it as a blessing, a blessing that helps them get stronger.
5. Humility: The top runners don’t start enjoying a luxurious life. They keep training just like before and they even clean the toilets in the training camp themselves. Why? For the edge. Because that gives them the needed toughness to cut 3 seconds off their personal best to take first place in the next competition.
6. Upbringing: they run everyday as a child to school and back, maybe accounting for 10 km per day. That’s huge for a child. Also, they don’t want to be late because they could get in a lot of trouble, the physical type, so they might even run those 5 km to school at the pace of a strong training for a western athlete 
7. Running barefoot, because you know, they’re too poor to afford running shoes. But it’s actually working for them. This strengthens their feet and makes them naturally develop a very efficient way of running: landing on their toes and barely touching the earth. This perfect stride trained in years of barefoot running in their childhood then helps them run very efficiently, using very little energy for every step.
8. Training conditions: the high altitude. In Iten, the place where the author went to train, the altitude is 2400 meters; that’s a lot. High altitude running is proven to improve endurance during intense exercise. It may increase aerobic capacity, lactic acid tolerance and oxygen flow to the muscles. Imagine doing only this kind of high altitude training your entire life.

BONUS: Ugali – the african polenta. This is more of a joke; the Kenyans joke about this themselves saying this is the ultimate secret to their performance. But there is some truth to it. The carbohydrate rich diet could be of help in running.

All in all it makes sense why they’re so good. And I’m really happy they are, they deserve it. They work so hard and their dedication deserves a great reward. I’m not going to start training like a Kenyan. I’m a slow runner. I run for fun and wellbeing. I’ll just enjoy seeing them run, it’s art on the move.

If you want to get immersed in a totally different culture and better understand the Kenyan mindset I totally recommend reading this book. It was a pleasant and entertaining read.