Kenyans particularly the Kalenjin tribe of Kenya are known to be champions in long distance running competitions on the international front. To get to run and be a champ like them, here are some ‘hacks’ you should know about these special breed of athletes:
Kenyans feed on less junk and more on fresh food. The Ugali ( a porridge made from water and maize) and milk are sole ingredients (if not the only ingredients) that forms most Kenyans’ diet.
Reports say that Kenyans generally in their country have no sports bars, no electrolyte drinks, no protein powder “recovery shakes” or chocolate bars as are common with Western athletes. Whatever eaten is always fresh. There is no fridge to fall back on. There are no cookies in the storage room.
Pointer: Long distance runners should probably stay away from junk food to be the best in that field.
Genetics might play a role
Scientists have researched and postulated that the shape of the bodies such as in their ankles and calves helps these marathon Kenyan runners. They say “body build is particularly important in running because your leg is like a pendulum. The more weight you have farther away from your center of gravity, the more difficult it is to swing.” To further drive this point home, a renowned sports editor said “If you were to go to the Olympic starting line and measure everyone’s ankles and calves before the race, you could predict, statistically, who’s likely to win.”
Mental Toughness
This definitely cannot be written off. Mental toughness of those Kenyans definitely must be a major factor. They are determined to go all the way no matter the odds.
Consider the famous 1,500-meter upset in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Kalenjin runner Kipchoge Keino defeated world-record holder Jim Ryun. That day Keino not only won gold, but he also ushered in an era of Kenyan dominance.
The amazing thing is that doctors had ordered Keino not to run the race at all. He’d been diagnosed with a gallbladder infection just a few days before. A gallbladder infection is incredibly painful. It hurts the most when you breathe hard, when you’re running. Keino not only won the race, but he also set the Olympic record.
Perhaps, the next point can further buttress the mental toughness factor.
The Kalenjins go through intense initiation ceremonies
As teenagers, some Kenyans recounted the ordeal of passing through the initiation ceremony, a rite of passage that’s all about enduring pain. For example they were made to crawl mostly naked through a tunnel of African stinging nettles, then they get beaten on the bony part of the ankle, their knuckles were then squeezed together, and then the formic acid from the stinging nettle was wiped onto their genitals.
But all that was just warm-up; early in the morning they get circumcised, with a sharp stick, with the conviction that circumcision teaches kids to tolerate pressure and withstand pain, and ultimately is what makes them a man or woman.
The new generation of Kalenjins however have said they will not pass on treatment like circumcision to their own kids as a way of teaching them perseverance. They are of the belief that there are better ways to teach and train their kids to be champs on the tracks if they do decide to pursue a career in that path.
I certainly agree with the new generation of Kalenjins. There are definitely more decent and effective ways to prepare your mind and body to become a world class champion on the tracks or in any other sport for that matter. My two kobo...what do you think guys
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