The training info that I was able to provide was fairly minimal, which is regrettable (from a personal perspective this is mainly because I would like to become known by some as a great sports writer, this is my first book) given that a lot of runners seek out this stuff. But are you hoping/aiming to run/train like El Guerrouj or Hissou?! An incredible amount of natural talent is firstly required before one could even contemplate churning out sessions of a similar quality. Anyway, read below for the latter section of the books introduction. This will perhaps explain better, the sort of content that this story contains.
"Many books do not dare to mention the use of performance enhancing drugs in their sport, but as this is a topic discussed by most fans, I thought it relevant enough to discuss in some detail. Some may think that by encouraging thought on the topic, that I am bringing undeserved suspicion to Kada’s athletes. However, I believe that by not brushing over this topic, I’ve actually enhanced their reputation. Moroccans have tested positive to performance enhancing drugs, so to not mention this at all would indicate that there’s something to hide. Therefore, the points that I’ve raised, which distance El Guerrouj, Hissou and Ezzine from the likes of Boulami and Mourhit, give them their own positive result.
As many of the races include direct quotes made during the events, I thought it sensible to describe some of them in the present tense. I endeavour to have the reader feeling like they are there, as the races take place. It is an attempt to put the reader trackside at Brussels, Zurich, Athens, etc.
In “Moroccan Success ~ The Kada Way,” I discuss why the bulk of the world’s top runners come from just a couple of areas of the globe.
My greater love for the sport has always been in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres events, rather than say the 1,500 metres. Another reason for starting a book on Salah Hissou (as well as being one of his fans), is that Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie already had books published about them. These stories are decent reads in their own way, but differ to this text in the subjects tackled. The Tergat book has a lot in the way of good training information and Gebrselassie's book goes into great detail of Haile's personal life, telling us of the man behind the running legend.
To my knowledge, not many running books have been written in a way that celebrates both the athlete's career and those who surrounded it. To fill this void I give much more space to other athletes, specifically the most significant runners that El Guerrouj, Hissou and Ezzine competed against. My book is therefore about an era of a sport as much as it is about the outstanding careers of three runners and their coach who made it all possible. From a personal perspective, I would also prefer to read about the great contests in races than simply read of an occasional result, before the next few pages revert back to 'mileage'.
So this book is certainly not a scientific read, nor one that is filled with training logs for the average fun runner. It is not a book that attempts to teach you how to run like the best Moroccans. My target audience is sports fans, specifically the fans of distance running, and why shouldn't it be, since I am a fan myself and not an athlete, coach or doctor? My target is not the runners themselves, though I realise that in many cases a runner and a fan of the sport are one and the same. This publication was never going to be about page after page of training information. There are more than enough books, which have been written for the fun runner or serious athlete for self improvement.
I am writing to celebrate the runners’ success, the excitement of the sport, the thrill of competition, the rivalries of the individuals and the countries that make it a terrific spectacle. If you are a devotee of distance running, and want to learn more about the Moroccan success in men's distance running, then read on. I hope you enjoy it."