Below, my article about Wanders, which I was not able to post. Thank you.
Training：13 sessions per week
Half a day rest every week
3 quality sessions per week
on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The other days are mostly steady running with gym work, and core exercises.
Average of 180 km per week
9 hours sleep per night, and siestas lasting 1-2 hours.
His goals in 2018 - World Half Marathon, Barcelona, end March.
Euro Champs, 10 000 and maybe 5000.
When he was young in Geneva, Switzerland, he played soccer, badminton, and tennis. Started running, at age 6. But in Switzerland, the young athletes do all the events, when young, including running, jumping, throwing,
He began to specialize in middle distance at age 15.
His parents were musicians in Geneva. Mother is a violinist in the Geneva Symphony Orchestra. His father is a high school Chemistry teacher, and also a violinist in his spare time. So his parents had no background or interest in sports.
When Julien passed his Swiss high school leaving cert. he stopped studying, much to the regret of his erudite parents. Despite his parents' initial reticence of his runnung career choice, he ended up convincing them that he had made the right choice, especially after they visited him in Iten last year.
Julien moved to Iten on a permanent basis at age 18 with help from a Tanzanian runner. He lived in very spartan conditions - no running water or electricity.
Now he rents a better apartment, and bought his own furniture.
In Kenya, Julien realized that anyone will improve dramatically there because of the environment, training groups, and trails.
In the beginning, Julien had a lot of trouble coping with the hills, but over time, has adapted to hills, probably helped by his assiduous gym and core work routine, most days.
He is coached by email and text messages from Switzerland. He trains with a group of 15 sub elite Kenyans.
One unusual aspect - Julien works with a 'sophrologue' a kind of psychologist. He feels this really benefits him.
He really has no problem running 180km per week, mostly on soft terrain and trails. In addition, he does several massage sessions every week, costing just 5 euros per hour. He does up to 5 massage sessions per week, so that really helps avoiding injury.
Since 2013 he has not had any injuries, and has not missed more than two weeks training since then.
His only concession to the spartan, monklike existence in Iten, is a once a week visit to Eldoret, on Saturday afternoon, when his group goes shopping, followed by a 'cheat meal'
That is the life of 'monk' Julien Wanders...but his girlfriend is with him in Iten, so I guess the moniker 'monk' should not really apply.
Ghost in France