More Fire – How to Run the Kenyan Way
By: Toby Tanser
“You will see why Kenyans win if you train with us.”
Paul Tergat – former marathon World Record holder 2:04:55
There are more and more studies that attempt to explain why Kenyan athletes have become so dominant in the world of running, specifically in the middle and long distance events. For instance, some scientists suggest that Kenyans have highly developed lung capacity from living and training at high-altitude in Africa’s Rift Valley. Others have hypothesised that certain genetic and physiological characteristics, such as thin calves and reduced bone mass, contribute to making Kenyans lighter in the lower body and thus better designed for speed and distance.
In his book, More Fire – How to Run the Kenyan Way, author Toby Tanser briefly presents some of these arguments, and offers support from some of the experts of these studies. Although there is much debate as to whether these theories are substantiated, the focus of More Fire is to show that the secret to Kenyans’ many appearances on podiums at international running events is just simply generations upon generations of a hard working and determined people.
More Fire is divided into four parts. Part One: Kenyan Running introduces the reader to the “Kenyan Way”, provides a short history of running in this country and presents some of the founders and early heroes from the Rift Valley. One of these pioneers, Arap Sum Kanuti, Kenya’s first Olympic marathoner, who although finished 31st out of 33, provided much inspiration and hope to a nation that had struggled through decades of war and occupation. Others managed to earn scholarships to U.S. colleges and suddenly the prospect of a better life seemed possible for these athletes. However, due to the deep talent pool, the number of athletes who “made it” is far less then those who did not.
In Part Two: Training, Toby Tanser describes some of the athletes’ impressive training regimens, their diets and their coaches. Training schedules vary from one athlete to another, but after a while these started getting drawn out and repetitious. Being a recreational runner and living the fast paced North American lifestyle that we do, I found it difficult to relate to the multi-workouts that these athletes complete every day and the intensity at which they train. As a result, I found myself skipping ahead or simply scanning some of these pages. What I found most compelling in this section were the quotes by several Kenyan athletes about their personal philosophies on running.
Part Three: Profiles allows the reader to get acquainted with some of the Kenyan athletes. There are many featured runners, ranging from 800-meter specialists, to Olympic steeplechase champions, to cross country standouts, and of course major marathon winners. One profile that I found especially fascinating was that of Catherine Ndereba. Catherine’s accomplishments rival those of her nemesis, the great Paula Radcliffe. In this profile, Toby Tanser notes that Ndereba earned a spot on the podium at 16 of her first 18 marathons. Although having won the Boston Marathon in 2000, for “political reasons” Catherine was not selected to represent her country at the Sydney Olympics. By the time the 2004 Athens games rolled around, Ndereba was determined to prove that her country had made a mistake and captured the silver medal despite running with a torn hamstring. A fierce, yet gracious competitor, Catherine Ndereba embodies all the fire of the Kenyan Way.
To close out the book, in Part Four: Results, the author offers suggestions to the everyday-average runner on how to adapt and apply what Kenyan runners do so well. One suggestion is the importance of group training. Kenyan runners regularly train in groups, often living under adverse conditions for several weeks while attending training camps. These athletes push each other to train harder and thus run faster. Another interesting tip is to run off-road. Westerners tend to spend too much time on hard surfaces, whereas Kenyans do the majority of their training on dirt roads. These roads are often in disrepair due to weather conditions, but according to the Kenyans, the softer surface maintains the speed and natural spring in their legs. Given their accomplishments, who is to argue? Finally, Tanser explains Paul Tergat’s Three “Ds” of running: dedication, discipline, and determination. He invites the readers to think “Can you give a little bit more?” during their next training run.
While I was reading this book, after having already completed several chapters, an Internet search revealed to me that the author of More Fire is not a Kenyan. In fact, Toby Tanser is not even African. As I was reading, I assumed that the writing was from a Kenyan perspective, and when I learned of Tanser’s Icelandic roots, at first I felt somewhat misled. But as I discovered more about the author, I realized that Toby Tanser was as credible a source as any on the Kenyan Way.
Over the years, Tanser has spent considerable time in Africa observing and training with the Kenyan athletes. An accomplished runner, coach, writer and philanthropist, Toby is the founder and director of Shoe4Africa. This organization’s mission statement is: “Empowerment through sports & education, creating unique health initiatives, and promoting Aids awareness”. All proceeds from the sales of More Fire go directly to this organization. Spending some time reading testimonials, (specifically the one describing Toby’s harrowing experience that inspired the name of this association) watching videos and browsing through pictures at www.shoe4africa.org made me proud to have a copy of this book. And seeing as the book was a Christmas gift, I felt compelled to make an online donation to Shoe4Africa. Add More Fire to your book collection. Not only will it inspire you to train harder, your purchase will contribute to an incredibly worthwhile cause for the beautiful people living in this impoverished part of the World.
