Week 7. My final week in Kenya. The good news was I had been selected to represent my country at the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Wales. It was to be my third time representing my country at this competition, having also been to the 2012 and 2014 editions. I was keen to have a good final week of training, then rest up and prepare my body for the test to see how far the 7 weeks in Kenya had brought me.

Unfortunately, I would be hit with my most challenging week yet in Kenya. In week 6, I bruised the top of my left foot from tying my shoelaces too tight. That led to changing the mechanics of my left stride to protect the bruised area. This caused me to have an extremely tight calf after the half marathon tempo.

Day 1

AM: 10.2 miles easy (left calf soreness)

PM: -

Day 2

AM: 10 x 1k Intervals w/ 2' rest. (3:10+/- )

3 miles warmup Splits: 3:15, 3:15, 3:20 (stopped, calf was tight) 3 miles cooldown 8.6 miles total

PM: 6 miles recovery

*These kilometer repeats, done at 7800ft altitude and on a dirt track that runs a little long, makes each kilometer feel about 5-7 seconds harder than it would feel at sea level.

PM: 6 miles recovery

Day 3

AM: 10 miles easy (82min)

PM: 4.5 miles recovery in the forest + core

Day 4

AM: 10 miles easy (calf still tight but better)

PM: 6 miles easy (calf better)

Day 5

AM: 11.5 miles easy (6:47/mile) *ran on Moiben road - flatter course. calf fared much better

PM: 5.5 miles recovery + core

Day 6

18 miles – approached the run telling myself that if my calf is feeling 95% or better, stick in some 3' intervals after 1 hour. Something like 6-8 x 3' on/1' off starting at 1/2 marathon effort and progressing down from there. Did 6 of these pickups. Total time: 2:01:57 (avg pace 6:44)

Day 7

REST

Week total: 88.1 miles

Training hard is easy by itself. Training hard while staying injury free is the hard part. I started off Week 7 on a bad note, being unable to finish my Tuesday track workout due to a tight calf. After being moody and upset with myself for a while, I soon realized that nothing was going to be accomplished by being negative about it. I sought help from my foam roller, trigger ball, and the various masseurs in town. One benefit of being in Kenya? You can get a 60-80min massage for $5-10 USD.

I managed to piece my calf back together and get back into decent running by the end of the week. However, my old injury of plantar fasciitis in my left foot started to act up again, probably an issue connected to my calf. It wasn’t exactly the lead-up to the World Half Marathon Championship I was looking for, but it was the hand I was dealt. I had to believe that the weeks and weeks of good training I had prior to this would not be undone by one less-than-perfect week. Despite all the frustration and disappointment we feel when we get injured, it is really a first world problem. Being in Kenya and seeing real problems that people face reminded me of that.

With a sore foot but steely determination built from training with the humblest, most hardworking, toughest distance runners in the world, I looked forward to a showdown at the world championships in 6 days.

For after spending 7 weeks in Iten, "Home of Champions", trying to figureo out the secret that makes the Kenyans so good, I discovered this:

There is no secret, no magic, no special training program. Nothing that corporations can package and sell as the newest training fad.

It's the natural, chemical-free food, the thin air, the year-round ideal climate and hilly, undulating terrain. It's the lack of alternative career opportunities - not many chances to be a doctor, lawyer or banker. It's the dense, intense competition that keeps athletes hungry, humble and hardworking.

It's how the Kenyans attack hills, seeing them as opportunities for training harder, for growth, rather than an obstacle to be feared. It's how they work their butts off, day after day, desperate to break out from the poverty circle. It's how they go out at 2:04 pace in every marathon, no matter how fit they are, believing that one day, they will hold that suicidal pace to the end.

It's the food, physical environment, social environment, and attitude. 

It's everything, yet nothing.