Thoughts of a Kenyan Runner

I came across this amazing blog entry called “It’s not easy to be a Kenyan runner” written by an elite Kenyan runner. It’s long and rambling and kind of diatribe-y at times, but it’s a compelling and honest piece of prose. I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

At times it’s hilarious. He starts by ridiculing the whole barefoot running movement – and this from a guy who actually grew up running barefoot to and from school because there was no money for shoes:

“So when I remember those moments and think about what people say about running barefoot, I’m convinced someone is out of their mind or they just want fame or money.”

Great stuff!

And he reveals the not-so-secret secret of Kenyan runners:

“I share the same fate with most of Kenya’s runners and that is ‘running from poverty’.”

He talks a lot about what running means in Kenya and the kind of discipline and suffering it takes to drive your body single-mindedly towards being the best in (perhaps) the most competitive sport on the planet:

“Often people ask me how many miles do you cover per week, what do you eat, do you think running barefoot can help my run. And to be honest I came to find out that running with a watch that keeps track of my miles and heart rate affects my training, I like to keep it real by running in hours or in minutes, forget about the heart rate, how do you expect to improve while you are setting limits on yourself? For me I’d rather die doing something that means something in my life than die being afraid of it.

Here is the difference between a Kenyan runner and an American runner. It is what they are running for. Most American runners will tell you they are running for fun, and some will say they run because they love it, but for a Kenyan runner is far from that, even for me. I hate running but I love what it does for me when I win or make money out of it.

We run because we want to make our life better, we want to help our siblings get better education, we want to have a big house and everything good that comes with it - that will make me happy when I’m old till I die. Heh no one wants to die poor! We run with a sense that I want to own something, something bigger that people thought I will never own, and to show them, you go out and win a race and come back home and build a building so everyone can see, respect and be inspired by you.

And with this burden at our back, we find ourselves with a lot of pressure and guilt to overcome, we have nothing to do but devote ourselves into nothing but training 3x a day, eat and sleep. Running becomes a god that you worship, and your faith dwells in a belief that if you plant everything right, you will reap abundantly, so everyday a sacrifice is and must be made.

There is no other way or shortcut but to train hard without holding anything back for later, and all you think of so you can make it to the top is to train more than anyone else, train till your ribs become like guitar strings. Ignore the pain, never quit, even when it rains there is no excuse for not training, for this is a battle of life, and when in a race, you run because your life depends on it.”

My own running is a joke compare to this – tepid. And it’s hard not to feel a little inadequate next to this guy’s intensity. Hard not to feel how easy I’ve had it. But his mindset is a kind of glorious madness, isn’t it?

Or is this just the mechanics of greatness – settle on one thing and drive and drive and drive until you reshape yourself into the best at your chosen pursuit – and then keep driving? But there is a steep cost: as this guy says, he doesn’t love running – he runs to fulfil a vision of a better life. The running is a means. That’s it. And it’s the money and the desire to escape poverty that fuel it. No romanticism here. Romantics are slow. Love of running won’t make your ribs like guitar strings. It won’t buy food.

But what about the love of running in and of itself? Is this just middle-class self-indulgence? Is it something we should feel stupid about – we who aren’t haunted by material need? Or is it a privilege – its own kind of greatness?

I’ve touched a little bit of the psychology of driven people (although certainly not to the same extent) – I was driven as a student in university – and I did finish top of my class. But by the end of my university days, I hated what I was doing – and when I lost the need to be the best and to win scholarships, my work fizzled and died. My need wasn’t enough – but the need of Kenyan runners is most definitely enough.

Makes you wonder, though – I read an interesting observation in an article once: you don’t ever see the children of great Kenyan runners becoming world-class runners – they don’t go through the suffering of it because they don’t have to. They don’t have to run to school; they get rides.

Oh well. It’s only life, after all.

2011 Navy 10k Round Up

The 25th running of the Navy 10k (and 5k) went last Sunday. The conditions were okay, but they weren’t ideal: the day got hot quite quickly. For an August race, though (where you’ve got to expect some heat), the day was good. And the heat didn’t stop J-A from running a PB in the 5k!! I’m so proud of her for getting out there and doing it even though her training got pushed aside over the past couple of weeks. She ran awesome – and now she’s gearing up for her first 10k in PEI in October!

The 10k unfolded pretty much as expected – although the times were slower than usual, probably because of the heat. Greg took the race in 33:22. I was thinking he would run under 33 (maybe even under 32), but there was nobody pushing him – no reason to put in a maximal effort. Rob (go Antiques!) crossed 2nd in 34:20. He told me he was looking for something around 34:10, so the result was excellent, given the heat. It’s great to see him working his way back into fast running. I’m sure he’ll be back into sub-32 form in no time. Jonathan rounded out the top 3 with a 36:26. He told me he went out conservatively, and I can believe it – a 36 mid is not a fast result for him. But he made a move on a couple of guys over the second half of the course, so it must’ve been a little more interesting for him.

I must admit, for one of the biggest 10k races in the province (555 finishers), the times were a little lacklustre -- not that I’ve ever run under 35, but I’d expect more guys running 33 and under. Maybe next year will be a little more competitive at the top – if Rob and Rami are healthy and Toby is running, then there should be a few more battles for first. And rumour has it – well, I’m starting the rumour – that A. MacLeod may take a stab at fast running and racing next season. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be a contender too.

As for the women, there was no surprise at the top – Rayleen took it in 37:36 (go ‘Tiques!). Nobody was even close. With Denise out and Erin and Caroline not running this one, there was nobody to push her. Rayleen wanted to break 37 - she was certainly capable - it just didn't happen. I wonder if she just needs someone to scare her into faster races – hopefully she doesn’t get too frustrated – there’s always Fredericton in the fall. Leslie and Leah (two more Antiques) had excellent races – they both went under 40 min – and this was Leah’s first time under 40 – yay Leah!

Mike (another Antique) had a good result, finishing 3rd in the Masters category and missing a sub 39 by 1 sec -- 39:00 on the nose – that’s gotta hurt, Mike!!

A couple of other friends were running the 10k as well. Thomas went in hoping for sub 45 but missed it by 2 seconds. Blame it on the heat, Thomas! But the other inspiring performance of the day (other than J-A, of course!) came from Steve who absolutely crushed his PB and tore across the finish line like Usain Bolt. It was awesome! He was smiling and running right up on his toes. The heat didn’t seem to slow him down at all – it was a pleasure to watch.

Like the 10k, the 5k held few surprises in terms of the winner -- Solomon took it handily. The only surprise was how slow his time was – 17:20. For a guy who says that he’s gone under 30 for 10k, that’s a very slow time – you’d expect that to be barely a threshold pace. But I don’t know what the deal was – he may have been jogging it just to enjoy the sunshine. I’ve seen him run some beautiful intervals at the track, but he’s yet to stun the local scene with a really fast time – can’t wait for it to happen.

Two other good friends braved the hot 5k and netted 2nd place finishes in their respective age categories – Patricia and Delthia both ran awesome and found themselves on the age-class podium. I’m thinking they should get comfortable with the view from up there!

All in all, the morning was a success. The race finally got the distances right, and I heard few complaints about the course. I’m not a fan of running in the heat, but I may put this one on the calendar next year, especially if it’s going to be well contested – it’s so much fun being part of fast races, even if I finish well back.

Maybe RNS will even consider putting the race back on the series.... but that’s another story (and not mine to tell).