The brightest lights sometimes shine for the shortest times

If you don't follow the world of professional running then this story may not mean much of anything to you ... but I was shocked to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of Kelvin Kiptum.

He was magic on his feet, and the world was his for the taking.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68274984

 

 photo credit:  Katie Chan

The brightest lights sometimes shine for the shortest times

160km to Kenya

i never thought for a million years that i'd be able to help a kenyan become a better runner.

for one thing, i'm no coach like my pal stan (be sure to check out his latest venture here: http://adaptiverunning.com/).  i pretty much trip over my own two left feet.

for another thing, i'm so removed from the kenyan running culture and general ethos that i'm not sure that any insight or advice that i could offer would be helpful.  especially after having read adharanand finn's running with the kenyans (one of my favourite running reads, by the way) i can appreciate that the success experienced by east africans in the arena of competitive running has to do with so much more than just their environs and physiological makeup.  there's simply no way for a first-world wannabe athlete to replicate the conditions of running for survival and livelihood.

but even considering all of that, next summer i will be helping to train the next great runner from kenya ... with the help of the TRANscend Running Academy and the ENDURRun race event.

the ENDURRun is a multi-stage, multi-surface race that takes place over eight days.  while there are various entry options to tackle some or all of the seven different stages, i am registered for the 'ultimate' category which means that i will be a team of one competing in all seven.  the ENDURRun also presents the opportunity for a segment of the racers to also be fundraisers, and so after some discussion with my fellow Barrie RunNinjas i am officially attempting to raise $1000 in support of the TRANscend Running Academy.

the Academy is the brainchild of elite marathoner and kenyan parliamentarian wesley korir along with the filmmaking team behind TRANscend.  their efforts are directed toward providing promising young student athletes with the ability to access a secondary school education, leadership training and running coaching - none of which would otherwise be an option to them because they are not affordable for villagers living at the subsistence-level (even the great mary keitany tells of barely finding her way off the family farm).  so in a very real way this is about so much more than just giving someone a chance to become a better runner - it's about unleashing possibilities for a brighter future in education, work, and quite possibly reinvesting back into the kenyan community.

why $1000?  that's the estimated cost per student per year in the Academy.  to us that's less than three dollars per day - and if every one of my Facebook friends donated $0.75 towards this effort i would immediately exceed my goal.

i'm looking forward to running the ENDURRun as a training segment in preparation for my planned first-ever attempt at a 100-miler (at the Run Woodstock Hallucination run).  but more than that i'm excited about the possibility of being a small part in shaping the future of a runner, his or her family, and quite possibly the entire country of kenya.

would you please consider partnering with me on this?  if so, please visit my fundraising page here:  https://raceroster.com/events/2016/6288/the-endurrun-2016/pledge?id=34&type=participant

have you competed as a charity runner at any events?  what causes move your heart the most?

160km to Kenya

pack mentality

off-season is a great time to make some changes ... or so i've heard. 

i'm trying to maintain a base until mid-january of about 50-60km per week, with a view to ramping up my next marathon training schedule to peak in and around 110-120km. in some conversation with my pal stan i've come to believe that i'm one of those runners who is better suited to more mileage in preparation for races.  i've managed to run injury-free for about 3-1/2 years now, topping out at about 3700km (projected) this calendar year.  hopefully the winter conditions in south-central ontario this season won't be too daunting as i press on through the holidays.

one of the things that i've started doing in the last few weeks is running with a group.  as a noted introvert, i've mostly enjoyed solo runs - and when i run with a partner it's usually been as a deliberate means of keeping my pace easy (often with mike) or up (often with trevor) - i've written about this already in a post earlier this spring.  but the barrie roadrunners are the local running club and their outings coincide with the running room's free training runs, so i thought that it would be a good opportunity to connect with others in the local running community and try to unlock the secret that the east african runners have known for a long time.    

it's only been a couple of runs with the group so far, but i've already got a few observations to share:

1. it's providing me with the experience of running at a different time of the day.  normally i wake up around 5:30am to go out for my run (no matter the time of the year), but this group sets out at 6:30pm - so my biorhythms are completely different, my energy level is different, and i have to be a little more aware of how i'm fuelling throughout the day.  i can't say that i'll convert to nighttime running, but it's a welcome variation in the schedule.
2. in-run conversations have offered some interesting personalities and running tips.  while i've already been identified as the 'chatty-cathy' new guy, it's been great how personable and generous the other runners have been with their stories and advice.  already i've met someone from my hometown who's migrated here to barrie, as well as a veteran ultramarathoner who has shared insights and training tips as i plan for my first trail ultra next summer.
3. there's no way that i would be working this hard right now without them.  the last two runs have been tempo runs with the group, and while i probably fall smack dab in the middle of the bunch in terms of age, they're hoofing it at a really solid pace.  it's been a great way to maintain decent stride form during this off-season while reminding myself that i'm not losing too much of an edge from my racing speed.

are you a pack runner?  what recommendations do you have for me to help me get the most out of (and contribute the most back into) this running group?

pack mentality

group running vs. running alone

i just noticed today that this article was released in iRun Canada's magazine about the process of determining whether or not retaining a coach is right for you, and how to go about it.  it's almost as if they'd read my mind (or at least my previous post)!

and while i'm exploring the possibilities of entering into a coaching relationship, there's also the option of participating in a group training program which can serve a similar benefit (as noted in the iRun magazine piece).  with the benefits of being a more pocketbook-friendly version of an instructional environment and providing additional social interaction, many runners flock to group running as a great motivational tool.

i mean hey - even the kenyans are big on running in groups.

but what's one to do when one is a rabid introvert?

generally speaking, i'd prefer to be alone than to be with others.  that's my optimal, recharge time.  maybe that's why i run pre-dawn, when most of the people in my neighbourhood are still hitting the snooze button ... or on the squalling, -30°C not-fit-for-man-nor-beast days.  alone time is pretty precious to me, and so i'm often loathe to give it up.

that being said, i have two friends who are regular running partners - one on saturday, the other on sunday.  both great guys, both ironman triathletes, and yet distinctly different in terms of running 'function' - one helps to keep my pace quite moderate to easy (so i don't overtrain), while the other pushes me to run long runs at almost a marathon pace clip.

i'm thankful for both of those guys - and most weeks i look forward to the time that i get to spend with them.  i do feel like i'm a better runner because of what each of them bring to the table - from conversation to competition - and appreciate having someone with whom to share running exploits and tales.  and when i finally do race, i tend to be the guy who is a chatterbox with the other runners in the pack with our pace bunny of choice.

still, the introvert in me savours the isolated country road runs - kilometres on end with no music, no dialogue, just birds and breeze and a keen sense of the presence of the Creator.

so if you see me plodding by you with no wink, wave or other acknowledgment, don't take it personally.  i like to distance myself from everyone without prejudice.

group running vs. running alone