Again, I realized that it is a great place to be as a runner and I am learning every day…. For instance, no doubt about that the Kenyans know to push hart, but they are also excellent in adding a certain amount of relaxation in their sessions. And there are many other thinks and conversations, which makes the daily workouts fun and interesting. Of course, I also see the practical thinks if you come to a place twice. Re-running classical loops is somehow coming home and to explore new terrain satisfies my natural character!
During the first week, I often started the first running at 6:15 am in the dawn and I enjoy the quite interactions of other early bird runners. Easy runs along the hundreds of roads and trails around the village during the first couples of days, were substituted by a few two hours runs and step by step integrating more demanding elements, such as progression runs and track sessions within the second week. Running on the famous track in Iten is in particular demanding and specials. It requires a high level of concentration, especially on Tuesdays as different groups do different sessions at the same time and you can hardly get an overview. It is also not flat and even as we Europeans are used to, it is quite bumpy and you have to set every stride consciously. So, keep your eyes open and be present! Another difference is that I am start breathing like all of the big five African animals all together after a few seconds of running. I impress myself, really, I can not listen anything else around me anymore. It sounds as if I would crash in the next seconds…I could pick up a friend saying “welcome to altitude, Mona” – okay, I think, it seems to be normal but it´s clear – training here is though!
On the other hand is it great if after your own session, you can sit down in the shadow and watch an excellent, if not world class, training of about 30 Kenyans and the almost assimilated New Zealand runner Jake Robertson – a show of pure dedication and impressive performance every Tuesday morning! And it is a great feeling if you start to recognize that in return to the hard work you put in adaptation occurs and tiny steps along the way towards a better performance are recognizable. My motivation is as high as it was during the first day.
Half way through the first training camp in 2015, I would like to introduce my new official equipment sponsor
After few month of using their cutting edge equipment, I am very satisfied and I have troubles to select only ONE favorite shoe out of my three favorites Wave Rider, Wave Sayonara and Wave Hitogami – all have their sweet sites, are extremely comfortable and make training fun.
Thus, with this equipment I am set to
EXPECT MORE!
Sunny greetings,
Mona
Mona Stockhecke 