Distance training the Kenyan way

[John B]

"More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way" is authored by Toby Tanser, a former professional runner who is now director of the New York Road Runners (the world's largest running club), member of the advisory board of Runner's World, and author of several books on running. The book is his take on why Kenyan runners have come to dominate distance running and what lessons can be taken from their training and applied elsewhere to non-elite runners of all abilities and ages.

Tanser went to Kenya to observe several running camps and to interview both coaches and elite distance runners. He writes about various training regimes, discusses competing theories as to why runners from the Rift Valley area have come to dominate world distance running, and provides profiles of dozens and dozens of elite runners who specialize in everything from the steeplechase to the marathon to cross country. It's a great book and one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys running.

Near the end of the book, he talks about 15 ways to adopt a Kenyan method to your running training. For those who want to improve their trail running, I'm going to mention just a few that he emphasizes:
1. Forget about adding up weekly mileage. Just focus on the given day.
2. Do block training with non-active rest periods. Also, forget cross training on scheduled rest days. Tanser said that very, very few Kenyan runners do any cross training whatsoever.
3. Train off road. Hard asphalt and concrete contribute to impact injuries and kill speed.
4. Run for set periods of time rather than set distances (ex. do a 2-hr run rather than, say, a 13-mile run) In that context, all the high-tech toys of western running (GPS, heart rate monitors, computer graphing and charting) are not used.
5. Run in groups when possible, the idea being that groups tend to push harder, it teaches running off pace, from behind, or pace setting, etc.
6. Don't try to run through injuries.
7. Simple, lightweight, flexible shoes are preferred not because of weight, but because Kenyan coaches find that the allow for better muscle development in the feet.
8. Long hill runs can't be emphasized enough.

There is a lot more to the book and each technique is covered extensively. Give it a read if you have time -- you'll get a lot from it.

[Homer&Marje]

I grew up in Hopkinton MA where they start the Boston Marathon....we had the opportunity many years in school to have the elite Kenyan runners and other elitists come and talk to us.

This was almost 20 years to 15 years ago that I remember them in our school, before the big hype about how good they actually were.

When a large group first started traveling the world and winning marathons they used to run upwards of 30 miles every other day, sometimes doing it bare foot! They considered 20 miles or less a very short run...all designed around doing a 26.2 mile run at 13 mph!!!

I remember meeting Abraham Hussein...won the Boston a few years in a row and a real class act.

[Egads]

Long hill runs can't be emphasized enough.

I don't imagine that includes down hill runs

[Mags]

When I used to live in the Northeast part of Boulder (called locally "Gunbarrel"), I would often see the members of the Kenyan national team training in the AM.

Man, did they look impressive.

[dreamsoftrails]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

[Mags]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

For what? Running?

This may help:
http://www.google.com/search?q=parks...ient=firefox-a

To get on trails? You have to do what I did when I lived in the heavily urbanized RI...find open space for local hikes...and travel a bit for backpacking.


The start of the AT is less than two hours from you. I had to drive 2.5 - 3 hrs to get to some real mountains. (Berkshires or the start of the Whites. Further into the Whites..it was even a longer drive. )
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...1,2.469177&z=9

Perhaps some other people in Atlanta can help more.

With my google-fu, I found these listings:

http://www.hotlantaadventures.org/
http://www.oacs-atlanta.com/
http://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/ (This one lists LOCAL hikes for after work, too!)

I am sure there are more.



Good luck!

[rcli4]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

go find a 17 year old kid riding around in a Mercedes. Knock on his window, when he rolls it down, slap him side the head. You'll learn to run further and faster then anyone in Boulder running on a track.

Clyde

[superman]

I was at the New Haven Road Race on Labor Day. For years africans from one country or another have won that race. This year there was a heard of guys from Arizona that took most of the top positions. Something has changed...again. I didn't get the memo what it was that changed.

[Mags]

This year there was a heard of guys from Arizona that took most of the top positions. Something has changed...again. I didn't get the memo what it was that changed.

See the above concerning Mercedes..but substitute Phoenix.

[John B]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

You're not far from Berry College, Rome, GA. Personally I think that it would be a great place to go running. It's on an enormous campus, tons of dirt roads, relatively car-free asphalt roads on campus, and on their "mountain campus" there are plenty of trails to run.

Here's a link to their March half marathon and shorter races. I'm attaching it because you can click the links to the maps to get an idea of what a great course it would be to run. I'm entering this race for no other reason than the course layout looks outstanding.
http://www.berry.edu/academics/educa...lfmarathon.asp

One of my all-time favorite links is www.mapmyrun.com You can enter your zip code and find dozens of runs or you can chart out your own regardless of the location. It gives precise distances and elevation profiles for any section you map.

I live in a city, too, albeit no where near as huge as Atlanta. That said, most of the local parks in my area have walking paths/running trails that are not paved. Too, nearly every city has at least one non-chain store place for running gear, and they often serve as a great place for info on the local running scene. And I have to say that local running clubs can be found almost everywhere. I belong to two in Lexington, and I'd bet there are dozens of active clubs in Atlanta. Give them a try -- it's a great place to get involved with group runs and find additional info.

Good luck!

[garlic08]

One pet theory of mine on why Africans and some others have dominated the US in long distance running is from my own experience that running was always punishment. The coach thought you sucked at practice, you ran wind sprints and laps (quite often in my case). I never ran for fun or to get somewhere--it was always painful. In other countries, though, I believe kids run for transportation and to get places to play and do something fun as they grow up. I think it's cultural, not genetic.

[modiyooch]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

The Publix 10K into Smyrna pass Dobson Air Force Base is one of the hilliest 10Ks. Also, you have Stone Mt.

[modiyooch]

I tend to believe that the Kenyans success in running is tied into their body structure.

[modiyooch]

I tend to believe that the Kenyans success in running is tied into their body structure.

I'm referring to speed, not distance.

[Phreak]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

I do my long training runs on the AT in GA. My daily runs are at Kennesaw Mtn, sometimes at Sweetwater.

[take-a-knee]

what do you do when you are stuck in the middle of a city like atlanta?

Try this and you won't be only a weakling who can run.

http://www.crossfitatlanta.com/

[take-a-knee]

I tend to believe that the Kenyans success in running is tied into their body structure.

East Africans dominate distance running, due in no small part to the altitude they train at. West Africans and their descendants (like Jamaicans) dominate short distance running. Look it up.

[Mags]

I never ran for fun or to get somewhere--it was always painful. In other countries, though, I believe kids run for transportation and to get places to play and do something fun as they grow up. I think it's cultural, not genetic.

I had a Kenyan roomie for a period of time. That is basically what he said. In Kenya, they ran EVERYWHERE. As more Kenyans won international races, it became more and more the national obsession, too.

[dreamsoftrails]

Try this and you won't be only a weakling who can run.

http://www.crossfitatlanta.com/

but all i want to be is a weakling that runs...

[take-a-knee]

but all i want to be is a weakling that runs...

Be all you CAN be. I've never heard anyone complain about being TOO strong, until maybe now.