Ryan Hall Training in Kenya

I ran and competed in the CIS (for those who know what it is), and I see Guelph's success as a microcosm for the East African success. They are perennially a powerhouse that attracts a ton of talented runners. These runners are basically put through an aggressive training program that burns a large number of them out. Those that make it through, however, are national-beaters.

I see the East African success as the same thing - a numbers game. These guys throw themselves in with the wolves. The few that make it out are world-beaters.

"The tea is ridiculously good and they drink it in mass quantities." LMFAO. Sounds like a traveller's report to civilisation in the 1840s...

rojo wrote:

Let me explain it for you.

1) There are fewer distractions in Kenya

2) It's something new. He's been at this game for a long time. I would think it would be motivating, exciting. It also would put the world in perspective.

3) Those things far outweigh your fears. You do realize that Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe trained in the EXACT same location, right?

4) The place is full of Kenyans. that's the BEST reason to go there. You won't see too many of those wandering around NorCal.

5) The place is also full of red clay dirt roads going up and down hills at altitude. You can see 13:00 guys running much slower (easier on the legs) but getting a very hard cardiovascular workout due to the altitude. As Gabriele Rosa found out, this is not so easy to duplicate in the US.

rojo wrote:

Nutella1 wrote:

Back on-topic:

I just don't understand why Hall flies thousands of miles with 24h travel and 6 connecting flights to train in a country where there are some serious risks, like malaria or the possibility of getting mugged (white over there pretty much means "look at me I got money"). Also, no good hospitals around there in case of injuries.

He could just live and train in CA at altitude and train with Meb, his neighbor.

Let me explain it for you.

1) There are fewer distractions in Kenya

2) It's something new. He's been at this game for a long time. I would think it would be motivating, exciting. It also would put the world in perspective.

3) Those things far outweigh your fears. You do realize that Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe trained in the EXACT same location, right?

4) The trip is great fodder for his upcoming documentary: "The 41st Day (a documentary that tells my story beginning from the last Olympic Trials through this year’s ING New York City Marathon)"

don't understand this wrote:

hey bobsuncle and the rest of you anti-Christians:

why do you never start threads about aman or farah falling on their knees and bowing after their races? or souleiman doing the muslim prayer on the starting line? or ethiopians crossing themselves before/after races?

Yep, Mo Farah falls on his knees after every track race does that side to side thing and bows his head on the ground and not one of you would dare to criticize his Muslim faith. Yet, if he were a born again Christian, crossed himself and looked up into thwe sky, you would all be ridiculing his actions.

You should know the drill, son. Muslims good- we never criticize or ridicule, lest they bomb us. Christians bad- make fun of them, they don't care.

Just a gut feeling, but I think Hall has one great race left in him. He'll surprise everyone. Might be ugly until it happens. I don't think we'll see consistent good/great performances again from him based on the past couple years. I think his "exploring" and trying different training will get him there. Too bad he couldn't have strung together a longer period of consistent performance.

While I don't agree with a lot of what he believes and does I think Hall is an interesting guy and seems not to give a flip what anyone thinks. Wish more folks were like that.

BILL OF RIGHTS wrote:

how many times have you seen ryan hall or ray lewis do ANY sort of charity work whatsoever? zero.

From wikipedia's entry for Ray Lewis:

"Lewis has been heavily involved in charitable activities throughout his professional career. He started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation which is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to provide personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. The foundation has funded such events as adopting 10 families in the Baltimore City community for the holidays, an annual celebrity auction and bowling tournament, the Great Maryland Duck Derby, Thanksgiving food drives on North Avenue in Baltimore, and Ray's Summer Days. All proceeds have helped fund the Ray Lewis Foundation.

Lewis has since been involved in pressing political, business, and philanthropic leaders for a stronger commitment to disability sports both here and in the developing world. Lewis was also honored with a JB award (named in honor of CBS broadcaster James Brown) during the 2006 off-season and received the "Act of Kindness" Award for his work in the community."

For Ryan Hall, see

He's going there to get away from the testers of course. There's nothign different about the East Africans- their just isn't much infrastructure over there so they have tons of runners who can hide away from the drug testers.

Hes not doing a very good job of hiding is he!!! Everyone knows exactly where he is.

If USADA want him tested whilst he is in Kenya then he will be tested. The IAAF testers in Eldoret are regularly used by National Federations whose athletes are training in Iten. The UK team are often visited at HATC by the very same people at their own federations request.

About the running to school thing? I've been told by a Kenyan runner that most of them live within 2 miles of their school.

I posted earlier that Farah is not mocked because he doesn't prattle on about his silly beliefs.

The post was deleted.

So apparently Muslims are NOT protected.

Anyone else find it rich that you are so bothered by others believing in a God that you read their blogs and then post about it on an Internet messageboard?

Let it rest. This is a running messageboard. I don't understand why all of the non-believers and racists and anti-Israel people are obsessed with using letsrun as their place to prove their point.

Read more:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5390781#ixzz2ep3h3s1J

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Thanks rojo. A friend of mine who was not religious commented that those people who have to be so critical of someone who is are just afraid they're wrong.

If Hall is wrong- so what. He would have spent his life being kind to others.

If those guys are wrong they're going to hell. Not a good prospect.

Nutella1 wrote:

I just don't understand why Hall flies thousands of miles with 24h travel and 6 connecting flights to train in a country where there are some serious risks, like malaria or the possibility of getting mugged (white over there pretty much means "look at me I got money").

Also, no good hospitals around there in case of injuries.

Looks like I was spot on. He got injured in Kenya, but the doctors over there focus more on blood values than on injuries.

As the Pink Panther said: " Not anymore..."

Cool man. I know we have your winners trophy around here somewhere...