Train Hard, Win Easy
By
Woody Green
of
RUNNERS NICHE
Those of us living in North America often consider Kenyan
runners as mysterious, phantom runners who appear at the
start of major races, dominate the final standings, and
disappear richer but still unknown personalities. Sure, we
have come to know a few Kenyans well. Kip Keyno, Henry Rono,
Tegla Loroupe and Paul Tergat are names that come to mind.
Still, there are literally hundreds of top Kenyans we know
very little about. Frequently the media's pre-race favorite
at large road races is "one of the Kenyans," without a name
being attached. There almost seems to be a conception that
all Kenyans are running machines, seemingly interchangeable
and without individual identity.
Additionally, there is only a smattering of information
available about Kenyan training plans. We often wonder about
their diet, is there something magical about the Kenyan maize
used in many of their meals? What about the effects of living
and training at high altitude as almost all of the top
Kenyans do? Is it true that all Kenyans run to and from
school every day and this sets the ground work for their
competitive success? The little bits of information we have
gotten develop into a sort of modern folklore which
classifies the Kenyan runners as untouchable super humans.
In his new book TRAIN HARD, WIN EASY (Track and Field News
Press) Toby Tanser, a top English road runner, answers many
of the common questions about the dominant Kenyan running
corp.
Toby lived and trained in Kenya for five months. He recorded
his observations and talked with many of the top runners and
coaches, yet he did not originally plan on writing a book.
After being "inundated with so many questions" from those
anxious to know more, he wound up putting the book together.
This book is broken into two sections. The first describes
running in Kenya, with an emphasis on typical training
methods, the normal Kenyan diet, and some theories on what's
behind their success.
The second section profiles many of top runners and coaches
past and present. It is in this section that the mystery
devolves and we discover the individuality of each runner.
Personalities, training regimens and backgrounds differ
greatly from one runner to the next. We discover the human
side of the running legends that the western press has spent
so little time investigating.
While reading this book I found it easy to imagine living in
the Kenyan highlands and training two or three times a day on
the characteristic red dirt roads and trails. The
descriptions of Kenyan training camps, where dozens of
runners do nothing but eat, sleep and train together, give
some insight into the single-minded fanaticism that builds so
many champions. It also becomes clear that the real reason
the Kenyans compete so well is plain old hard work. They
believe they will win races because they know they work
harder in training than their competition. They have to work
that hard just to compete with other runners in their
homeland.
As with most publications produced by Track and Field News,
there is a good deal of individual and national statistical
information presented. Some readers may see this as so much
trivia. Others will find it a treasure chest of information.
The real substance in this book is the colorful description
of the runners, coaches and countryside. This will provide
great entertainment and keep the reader entranced. It may
force some to take a closer look at the way they approach
running, and it might give others notions of boarding an
airplane to visit the legendary Rift Valley.
Toby Tanser may not have envisioned writing this book when he
made his trek to Kenya, but he certainly has written a
winner. I highly suggest that runners add this gem to their
library!
