Blog Details
- 25 Sep, 2020
Coaches Corner How To Train Well
So a couple of people have asked me recently why i give examples of how to train well and relate it to how Kenyans and Ethiopians train !
Not so hard to answer , they :
- Win more races
- get injured a lot less
- Manage to train without world class facilities
- Have great discipline and dedication
- Simple wholesome diet that ticks all the boxes
When I first started coaching John Kipyator Mutai back in 1996 the one thing that amazed me most was how slow he would jog in warming up for hard sessions and races when i asked him why he said it was to save energy for when it was most needed, the session or the race !
When i first visited Kenya a year or so later i saw it with my own eyes as groups would happily jog along at 6/7 mins per km in warm up chatting about this and that and then sharpen it up with some strides before the start of the hard work. I also noticed pretty fast how few had injury issues or even mentioned injuries!
Most did not have very good shoes but they made time to warm up properly to stretch, jog slowly upto 5/6 km’s , do drills and strides and then be ready to fly.
After the session it would be reversed and a good long cool down and stretch done to avoid tightness and stiffness the following day then off home or to a local cafe to refuel. Milky Tea bread eggs and fruits within 30/40 mins of finishing the workout. Those who know me are seeing a pattern here ( with small adjustments) and they are also enjoying injury free running!
Note they almost always run on mud roads or grass or tracks, tarmac and concrete are viewed as last resort even if it means traveling 30/40 mins by bus to reach the venue and lets face it a few minutes traveling is way better than a few weeks off with leg injuries from stubbornly running on tarmac roads, sure running on mud might be a little slower but it makes you stronger and the injury risks are greatly reduced. As we say, its not Rocket science as “Rome was not built in a day” … PATIENCE is what Kenyan athletes have in bucket loads and this is something we recreational runners lack and need to adopt. We all want to run faster and injury free, Am i right ?
Cheers have an awesome day 
Ian Dexter Ladbrooke is the Founder & Coach for Running4Health. For Individual training plans to match your needs you can Inbox him for more information. Connect at
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WhatsApp : +254 703 725928
