The 3 Key’s To Eliud Kipchoge’s Training
Article by Tait Hearps of Sweat Elite
Still dumbfounded every time you think about Eliud Kipchoge’s performances in London, Berlin and Monza? Following from our article last week where we discussed the three principal workouts that Kipchoge does with his group in the Kenyan highlands, we’ll now take a look at three key components of Eliud’s training that undoubtedly contribute to his success.
Simplicity
Eliud has spoken at great length about the benefits of the simplicity of his life in the training camp in Kaptagat. There is so little distraction out in the village, life revolves around running and when the group isn’t out for their daily runs they are spending time doing chores around the house or relaxing together. The diet they eat is simple and repetitive, their routine rarely changes.
The workouts that the group do are all very similar each week, and there’s nothing fancy about them: just a lot of hard running. And a lot of easy running in between, the group go out on easy aerobic runs through the forest many times per week. The simplicity of their life out there eliminates inefficiency of energy being wasted on sources of stress such as travel, promotional commitments for sponsors or dealing with media. The monastic lifestyle of Kipchoge and his counterparts facilitates the iron focus for which Eliud is so renown.
Cohesiveness
Eliud and his training partners live most of the year in the training camp outside Eldoret, living apart from family and other friends for much of the time. This means that they rely on each other for support. They push each other in training and they spend the time between training recovering together. The environment that this fosters is an extremely positive one. There is a comfortable camaraderie between the athletes and they so clearly enjoy their own company. This means that the sessions are often kept very fun and light-hearted even when the prescribed workout is far from enjoyable. Having such a training environment evidently is very motivating for the group and helps to prevent burnout, taking away stress and meaning that training becomes more gratifying for the whole group.
Consistency
The third key to Kipchoge’s training is consistency. Now that he has diverted his full attention to the marathon and only has a couple per year, he has a very distinct cycle of training in the lead-up to each race. He trains steadily all year and knows what is expected of him. This is vital to the sustainability of his performance, as this consistent stress on the body mitigates the likelihood of an injury occurring due to a hasty build for a race for which he is unprepared.
Eliud and the group have the same schedule for much of the year, and each week their workouts have little variation. An interesting part of the sessions we jumped in on and observed was that Eliud rarely ever grimaced or seemed to be pushing himself to exhaustion. He could continue straight into a jog after finishing all of the sets. This sustained effort throughout the entire year and very gradual building through each training cycle plays a key part in his dependable performance and low level of injury throughout his career.
So, how is this relevant to you? A significant takeaway from our time with Eliud and his squad was the importance of training at a sustainable level, one that you can consistently replicate throughout the year. Keep the workouts simple and have a program that doesn’t change too much week to week. Finally, get some training partners that push you, keep you accountable and make training social and fun. You’ll have a better time getting fit and stay in shape for longer.
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