Twenty twenty

Iten four weeks today. Time flies and just days left before heading back to a snow covered Scandinavia. A few hours ago I finished the last long run for this time, a nice run from Iten to Eldoret, and by finishing in Eldoret I also fulfilled my training plan.

From snow in Karlstad...

...to bananas in Iten

I have done more than running but most of the days are filled with running related activities. From morning sessions through three or four meals to afternoon sessions followed by dinner and an early evening.

06:00 First run 20-23k
08:00 Breakfast
Rest
10:30 Chai and snack
12:30 Lunch
Rest/Buying mangos and avocados
15:30 Second run 20-23k
17:30 Gym
19:00 Dinner
21:30 Bedtime

Iten is an inspirational place for any runner. Many great runners come from this area and many more come here to train. When writing this text at Keirio View, I am hearing a constant flow of Italian words exchanged between two legends; Renato Canova, one of the world’s best running coaches and Giorgio Calcaterra, three time world champion 100k. HATC the place I am staying at is a running camp where athletes from all over the world come to stay and enjoying its facilities as a fully equipped gym and a tartan track. Meals are prepared in a basic kitchen and served as a buffe. Plain local food that gives all the energy needed for tough and easy sessions throughout the weeks. Kale, ugali, cabbage, beef stew, chicken, mixed vegetables, rice and chapati are the most common items on the menu. We all eat together at fixed times in the dining room.

Giorgio Calcaterra listening to Renato Canova

Me and Calcaterra ran Gobi 100k last September

Typical dinner with ugail, kale, chapati, vegetables, chicken and water. Mango private

Robin, Finn (concentrating hard on the food), Michael and Tugba at dinner

I love being at this place, makes me feel like being home. I can run as much as I want and my legs allow. It has a positive atmosphere and things that people in other places might consider a problem, like an uncomfortable activity that might be slightly painful is here considered a great opportunity for improvement. Of all places for training this is my favorite. It does not get rougher than here where you got wind, hills, dirt roads and above all high altitude. If not tough enough, run in mid-day heat. Long intervals at the track feels like dying a little bit and every hill make you breath heavily. After many visits here in Iten it is not too hard to find the reason to the Kenyan wonder of running. Kenyans train more, they train harder and their arena for training is top notch, stimulating every bit and piece of a running athlete. However, there seem to be some runners coming here trying to avoid hills as much as possible. Hills makes you strong and tough. The effect from the high altitude training only lasts for a few weeks while the effect from the hills lasts for a very long time.

Peanuts in paper cones for peanuts at Iten market

Fruits and vegetables at Iten market

Curious and happy

On Christmas Eve I was invited by Toby Tanser, a philantropist and runner staying at HATC, to join for a Christmas celebration at the Shoe4AfricaChildren’s Hospital. A group of athletes from the camp went and handed over gifts, sweets, ice cream and cake to children. An amazing and happy day, the essence of Christmas.

Some friends from last year, Marcus and Camilla, are renting the same house as last year and before New Year their little daughter Edda celebrated her second birtday. It was a party with well-behaved children waiting patiently in line to get birthday cake. Of course it was all done in Kenyan style, the three o’clock party had almost no guests until after four o’clock. Why hurry in Kenya?

Children waiting for cake at Edda's birthday party

Dancing after cake

On New Year Eve I joined Marcus and Camilla to Keirio View for a dinner toghether with a family visiting from Sweden and the landlord family. A big buffe was served with enough food for twenty but we were only twelve. Never be on time and never serve to little, Kenya in a nutshell. Grace, the mother in the landlord family was drinking wine with straw and first we all thought it was Coca Cola but when we realize it was wine, we got curios. Asked her – Why drink wine through a straw? She smiled, looked at the glass and looked back at us, smiled even more and said – Freedom!

Marcus and Camilla's landlord Grace. Photo: Camilla Frick

First week of training here was planned to be easy since it takes two weeks for the body to realize the change of environment and another week until you can provide your muscles with enough oxygen to push hard. Easy running with a planned total of 250 kilometers. Twenty k in the morning and twenty k in the afternoon and on Saturday a four hour jog. Execution without any problems.

Core training at Kamariny

Finally

Second week I had written down 300 kilometers in my notes and I had to increase to 22k both morning and afternoon. Saturday another four hour jog followed by a very easy Sunday since I had already done most of the mileage for week two.

Track session at Lornah's with Robin, Tugba and Ruben 

My plan for week three included a day off on Monday to allow my body to recover. 180 kilometers to jog including a progressive tempo run and some easy intervals on the track. Another week in the log according to plan.

Tuesday track at Kamariny

The fourth week included a slightly increased milage from week three and my intention was to add a few moderate runs in addition to the progressive tempo run and the track session. Same tempo run as previous week but the track session would be something including speed. An easy start of the week followed by Tuesday’s tempo run, which was awful. I felt weak and slow. Had to stop after 10k and almost threw up. Later same evening I caught a slight cold and I had a stuffed nose. The morning after I had a heavy head. Decided no moderate run, only easy jog. Next morning a little bit better. 10 x 200 metres at Lornah’s track. Nearly died after five intervals in a lactate attack. My legs were wobbling and I could not keep the pace on the fifth. Jogged back and replaced the last five intervals with a progressive downhill run of 4k from 4:00 min/km pace to 2:50. Same evening runny nose again and a heavy head next morning. Rest of the week easy except from today´s run to Eldoret. It might have been a bit too early for a moderate semi-long run because I am loosing my voice right now. Tomorrow will tell. Log filled according to plan, but average pace slower than intended.

Now I only have one little detail to take care of before going home on Tuesday.

After run snack

On this trip it took a long time before the oxygen levels increased. Maybe cause of last week's illness?