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RYC-Rating:

I think we’ve all wondered what the Kenyans and Ethiopians are doing that makes them so fast, so when I stumbled upon this book I had to pick it up. “Run to Win: Training Secrets of the Kenyan Runners”, by Jurg Wirz is an interesting read and a good book.

So, let’s get straight to it! Does this book reveal the secrets of the Kenyans? I think it does a fair job doing it. The first half of the book is mainly history, but in the second half the author explains the Kenyan diet, culture, psychology, and training philosophy. Although, it won’t make me an Olympic Champion, this new information made me rethink some of the training that I do and prescribe as a coach.

The Kenyan diet, which you’ll find contradicts many Western diets’ recommendations, is very close to the scientific recommendations for distance runners. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t include any recipes in this section.

The culture and psychology are closely intertwined. As we all know, how you approach something greatly influences how well you do it. Jurg Wirz and the coaches that he interviews makes some very interesting observations that depict astute differences between Kenyans and Europeans (Americans, too). These nuggets of knowledge are usually located in the “Key Points” section, which are bulleted recommendations made by various coaches and athletes. This section also reveals a lot about the different training techniques that they have. I found it interesting that the author points out how much free time the Kenyans have compared to the hectic lives of Americans. This extra time allows them to run 2-3 times a day and sleep more. Although their lives aren’t luxurious, doesn’t their schedule sound like retirement? Run. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

For runners like me who are also interested in the history and the politics of our sport, you’ll find this book very interesting. The first half of the book describes Kenya’s rise in Athletics, the corruption that pursued (and still exists today), and the post-running lives of some of Kenya’s legends (some are very sad). For those who aren’t interested in this information and only want to know about their training you can just skip to the second half.

For those runners who like to read training journals, you’re in for a treat. There are running log excerpts from many of the greats, including Yobes Ondieki, Daniel Komen, and Tegla Loroupe. Although this book isn’t a five star and most won’t read it cover to cover, there is some great information in this book. I have dozens of training books (which tend to repeat each other), but this one has some unique information that Joe Henderson, Jack Daniels, and Hal Higdon don’t mention. Pick this one up!

If you want to discuss the details of this book, check out the RYC Book Club message board.

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