Dispatches from a Kenyan running camp

Mzungu = White person

Friday was my fourth day in Kenya. My first day was spent walking around Nairobi for a few hours and then hitting up the treadmill in the hotel because the streets there are busy and polluted. I was glad to fly to Eldoret and make my way to the HATC (High Altitude Training Camp) in Iten.

There are about 70 people staying here at the HATC and another 30 runners staying at Kerio View (just over one kilometre away), it seems like there are a lot more Mzungus here this year than last. There are some fast Brits staying here too, Paula Radcliffe, Mo Farah, Hanna England, Helen Clitheroe to name a few. Paul is also here with me for two weeks doing some filming, and so far he has some good footage.

I met up with about 50 Kenyans and a few other Europeans for an hour and 10 minute run on Friday. We met at 6 a.m. when it was still dark but by 6:15 it was light out and we started our run. The first 2K was really easy at 5:00 per kilometre, followed by 2K around 4-minute-per-kilometre pace and then it got pretty serious after that. By 7K all the other Mzungus excpet Arne (13:26 5000m) and myself were gone, so were the Kenyan women and about 15 other guys. After 7K there were about 25 of us running about 3:30 per kilometre over hills at 7800 feet.

In one section the road was flooded and we had to make our way around in single file, I was towards the back and once I got around the water the leaders were way ahead and I didn’t feel like runnig any faster to catch them. I kept running around 3:30/km and passing all the guys falling off the pace. Finally I reached a group of 5 guys (there were still a handful 400m ahead) and I ran in the last 5K with them around 3:50 per kilometre. These guys were really surprised when they saw me catch back up to them, like they saw a ghost.

I had a big breakfast, now it’s time to sleep, eat some more, run some more, eat some more and then sleep some more. Run, eat, sleep, you get the picture.