The Kenya Experience Interview with John Beattie

In the second of the series Gavin Smith from The Kenya Experience (www.traininkenya.com), chats to John Beattie about his training and experiences in Iten, Kenya

John is one of the UK’s most exciting distance running prospects, and proof that success as a youngster is not always a requirement to a successful senior career. Six years after struggling to make his county cross country team as a junior he has now emerged as a serious contender to make the GB team for London 2012. He was 4th fastest 10,000m runner in the UK in 2010 and competed for England in the Commonwealth Games. He has personal bests of 28.32 for 10k and 13.42 for 5k.

John has recently returned from a spell of altitude training in Kenya where he stayed at The High Altitude Training Centre in the home of Kenyan running, Iten.

Kenya Experience: After competing for England in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m you trained in Kenya at the UKA/London Marathon Training Camp at Lornah Kiplagat's High Altitude Training Centre in Iten. Was this your first time in Africa and how did you find Kenya?

John Beattie: It wasn't my first time in Africa but was my first time to Kenya. I have previously been to Botswana, South Africa, and Tunisia (if that really counts as Africa!). I absolutely loved Kenya - the people, the culture, the environment - it was such a great place to be. The people never seem to get stressed and even though a lot of them are very poor, they will usually be cheerful and have time for anyone. A far cry from what it's like in much of the western world! Regarding Lornah's training centre, I cannot speak highly enough about the place. The facilities were excellent, the staff were some of the nicest people I have ever met, and I never realized how much Lornah has done for her Kenya as a result of her own successes. 

KE: You were there with the UKA team - did you train exclusively with them or did you train with the local runners?

JB: The first week I ran mostly with the Brits, though once acclimatized to the altitude and environment etc I thought that it would be silly not to make the most of the chance to run with some of the Kenyans! The best run I can think of was a 75 minute progression session. They start at shuffle pace, gradually pick it up as the run goes on and by the end you almost have to sprint to keep up! I later found out that the group of about 40 athletes that we ran with included numerous major city marathon champions, someone who was world number 1 for 10 miles a couple of years back, and almost all of them had ran 2.10 or faster in the marathon - something only a handful of Brits have ever done, and this was just one group! (There are numerous gatherings like this in the mornings in Eldoret and Iten). 

KE: You have trained in some of the worlds best locations including Font Romeu, Flagstaff Arizona, Albuquerque New Mexico and Boulder Colorado, how does Iten compare to these locations?

JB: Whilst all of these altitude locations are great for training, in my opinion Iten is head and shoulders above the rest. A few reasons include...

• The weather is not far off perfect most of the year. Being on the equator there is not a huge amount of seasonal variety. The other altitude venues I have been to are great in the spring and summer but turn into ski resorts when the snow comes in Oct/November!
• The running terrain. You can run any direction from the door in Iten without going near concrete. With only one 'proper' road going through the town, every run can be done off road and you could go a different direction each day without crossing the same tracks twice. Places like Font Romeu or Boulder are good but they are built up towns. That means driving to runs or searching maps for new places to run - something that the Kenyans never have to do. 
• The culture. The population in Iten is around 4000, and it is estimated that around 1000 of these are runners, you will always have someone to train with. It certainly makes it easier to get out of the door knowing that a group of 40 will be meeting. This is something that I am yet to see anywhere else, even places like Flagstaff are nothing in comparison. 
• The food is unbelievably good. Any meat is local and is killed fresh the day it is eaten, and likewise with the fruit and veg. Chances are that they will have come from the ground or trees no more than a few miles away from where it is being eaten. No need for chemicals, pesticides etc and no doubt this is far better for the body after a tough days training! 

KE: What lessons did you learn in Iten and have you managed to incorporate these lessons into your routine back in England?

JB: How seriously they take their running. They live and breathe athletics 24 hours a day 7 days a week! When I asked one of them on a run why there was no talking going on, his response: 'It is time for training, we can talk all day after if we want to.' A simple explanation but something Westerners would probably struggle to grasp. 

• Running is a way out. The Kenyans don't tend to run for enjoyment, they do it to try to make a better living and force a way out of poverty. A couple of interesting points regarding this. I was at the University track and there was a competition going on. Strangely to me the standard looked pretty average, even poor by Kenyan standards. I asked one of the locals why this was the case and he responded by saying that you go to university to study to become a lawyer, doctor, accountant etc, and not to become a runner. These university athletes were amongst a rare group who were just doing it recreationally and had academic ambitions as priorities. 
• I also learnt that Kenyan athletes who achieve success very rarely have this followed by their children. This would be because the athlete parents have money and would leave absolutely no reason for the children to go through the tough regime that is required to make it as a distance runner. 

KE: What about from a training and running point of view? Anything physical or is it a matter of attitude/belief?

JB: There is a lot that can be learned from the way they train. Whether it be a specific workout or just a casual morning run, there is always some kind of stimulus each day. Every morning run they will be working towards the end, even if its just a couple of miles at 6.10 mile pace to get the heart rate up. This may sound easy but at 7am at 8000ft altitude on tough hills they are definitely working. Also the fact that the general intensity is pretty high 6 days a week means that many Kenyan's happily take Sunday as a rest day and will spend it in church / with family.

In terms of physical advantages, this is something that is hard to comment on. It is probably more situational in my opinion -They are born and raised at very high altitude, and without being a physiologist this surely has to be worth something! General lifestyles are also healthier than in the western world. The Kenyans are on their feet all day and from a very young age are involved in quite tough manual labour. Therefore, before they even start training they are almost certainly going to be fit and healthy. 

KE: Having now trained in Kenya what are your thoughts on western runners competing with Kenyans? Has it inspired you to match them or do you think the Africans are out of reach?

JB: It is obviously possible to compete with Kenyans and various athletes have shown this over the years. However, in my opinion this is more on an individual basis rather than collectively as a team or a nation. It is easy to name Chris Solinsky, Craig Mottram, Paula Radcliffe as individuals who have ran with and beaten the Kenyans. These are the ones who give hope and inspiration and might be the ones who are able to outwork the Kenyans or perhaps have more talent and I am sure that there will be more like them in the future. Galen Rupp, Steph Twell, German Fernandez etc to name a few upcoming stars. However, no one ever talks about the chances of a US, Australian, or GB team beating a Kenyan team and having now been to Iten I struggle to see how this could happen. Just a sheer numbers game shows how hard it would be to get a group that could collectively beat them. Every single day many groups of 50 or more athletes are out training hard, and I will be amazed if a western nation was ever to beat Kenya in a medals table or team event.
  

KE: Is there a 'secret' to Kenyan running success?

JB: Emphatically no. Any Kenyan you speak to will emphasize how simple the sport really is. Many of the Kenyan runners don't have coaches, personal training programs, and live in the most basic conditions. They will tell you that anyone can do it who sticks with the training and works hard enough. 

KE: So is 'The Magic of Iten' just a myth?

JB: It depends on who you ask! To the Kenyans there probably isn't a thought that Iten is a magic place! Athletes are not celebrities like premiership footballers are in the UK and everyone generally goes about their business quietly and without making a fuss. However, I couldn't help but be inspired by the place. To name drop just a few of the athletes I met shows what we are dealing with: Asbel Kiprop, David Rudisha, Moses Massai, Daniel Komen etc, I could go on for ages. For a tiny little town to have produced so many champions definitely suggests that there is something magic about the place. 

KE: Kenyan running is known for its simplicity and the runners will often do nothing in a day but eat, sleep and train. They take a very relaxed, uncomplicated and unscientific approach to training. Some of the top western runners such as Dathan Ritzenhein of the US are known to use very scientific methods with the latest gadetry to try and maxmise performance. Would the Kenyan's be even better if they engaged the scientific approach that Alberto Salazar uses with his athletes such as Dathan Ritzenhien?

JB: An interesting question, and something that I thought about whilst in Kenya. Its hard to say for sure whether it would or wouldn't work if the Kenyans started down the scientific route, perhaps it would work on some of them, like the ones who have been in Europe or the US a lot and have experienced a bit more of the outside world. For example I have heard about Kenyan runners being spotted in Bushy Park London (where the track runners are based in the summer) running with ipods. One thing is clear though, results show beyond dispute that it certainly doesn't do the Kenyans  any harm not to have access to any of the modern scientific methods. Likewise with Ritzenhein and others, if it works for them and they have access then there is no reason to doubt what they are doing.  

KE: And where do you stand on the simplicity - scientific continuum?

JB: I have always leaned towards the simplicity end. Like the Kenyans, I have never really counted my mileage or been into heart rate monitors, gadgets etc. However, now that I am at Loughborough there are more opportunities to get involved in the scientific end if I want to. For example, I did lactic threshold tests before and after going to Kenya. That way physiologists were able to specifically record what changes had occurred in my body after a month of training at altitude. 

KE: Now you back from the training camp what is your racing plan?

JB: My first race will be the national indoor 3000m championships. I have always enjoyed running indoors in the past and find it a good way to stay in touch with speed during the winter. After this I may do one or two more XC's and road races including the Inter Counties XC in March. The major goal for the first half of 2011 is to go to America and make the most of the high quality races in California. I am also looking forward to seeing my old team mates at Tulsa. I will race a 5000m at Mt Sac and then a 10,000m at the Payton Jordan meet held at Stanford. How these races go will probably dictate what happens heading into the summer track season. As with any year, my major goal is to stay healthy and injury free. I have been lucky to do this since I started running seriously about 6-7 years ago so hopefully more of the same! In terms of specific targets, the IAAF standards (for World Championship selection) have just been released and I would be delighted if I could hit the B standards in the 5000m and 10,000m of 13.27 and 28.00. Not only would these be huge pb's, it would also put me in the position where I could be selected for the World Championships on the track. 

If you want to train in Kenya then visit www.traininkenya.com for details of an exciting training camp for runners of all levels called The Kenya Experience.

The camps are designed for runners of all levels and abilities and offer a unique opportunity to train at altitude, with expert personal coaching, guided runs, training seminars and practical workshops, in the beautiful surroundings of The Great Rift Valley. Learn how to train the Kenyan way and meet the stars of Kenyan running.

The trips include all internal transport, accommodation and are offered on a full board basis. For full details please visit www.traininkenya.com or email info@traininkenya.com

Next week: Hill training the Kenyan way!