Man on a Mission is a video narrated by Irishman Eamonn Coghlan on the life of Brother Colm O’Connell and his work at St. Patrick’s High School in Iten, Kenya.
The full length 3 part video is presented at full length. (If you have a Vimeo account, you can download it and watch at a later date or mobile device)
Kenyan 800m superstar David Rudisha is also in the film, and even works out with the high school kids to keep his ego in check. But Colm O’Connell list of athletes include Charles & Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Peter Rono, Matthew Birir, Helen Kimaiyo, Wilson Kipketer, Japhet Kimutai, Sally Barsosio, Rose Cheruiyot, Joseph Tengelei, Benson Koech, David Kiptoo, Lydia Cheromei and Julius Chelule.
Colm O’Connell talks about the 4 things he looks for runners, and it’s called F.A.S.T. which stands for Focus, Alignment, Stability, and Timing.
Watch the scene where Eamonn Coghlan is a guest in a Chemistry class and he asks how many in the room are great runners. No hands go up. Then he asks how many are great Chemists (or wannabe chemists). The whole class raises their hands.
I remember back in the days of my Junior College (called CEGEP), we had Kenyan students on a 12 (or 16) month intensive school program to graduate. Normally, it takes 2 years. One ended up being my Lab partner and he exposed to me how in Kenya, academics were taken very seriously. Upon returning to Kenya, they were asked to teach immediately.
Or Click here to watch the video on Vimeo.
Colm O’Connell Training Program
How the Young Kenyan Athletes are Training
Iten Athletics training camp, December 1998
Written by Joseph Ngure and Brother Colm O’Connell
Monday :
- am (men) 8-9 km and stretching
- am (women) 6-7 km and stretching
- pm (men) Long run 45-60 minutes (12-14 km)+exercises
- pm (women) Long run 45-60 minutes (10-12 km)+exercises
Tuesday:
- am (men) 8 km 27-30 minutes
- am (women) 6 km 25 minutes
- pm (men/women) 10 minutes warm up, Fartlek for 60-75 minutes – 2 minutes hard/3 minutes easy or 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy+exercises
Wednesday :
- am (men) 9 km pace endurance 60 % and flexibility
- am (women) 7 km pace endurance 60 % and flexibility
- pm (men/women) Circuit training 4×2 min each, 3×2 min each. Then 100 meters striding plus long strides for 45 minutes
Thursday :
- am (men/women) Long slow 60 minutes over mixed terrain
- pm (men/women) 15 min. runs. Then diagonal drills for 30-35 minutes, 10 minutes dynamics
Friday :
- am (men) 8 km easy 30 %
- am (women) 6 km easy 30 % plus dynamics
- pm (men/women) Hill reps. 120-200 meters x 14 at 60 % pace.
Saturday :
- am (men/women) striding for 40 minutes over 100-120 meters
- pm (men/women) Competition or speed play over 1-1 mins. or 500 meters
Sunday :
- am (men) easy 8 km
- am (women) easy 6 km
- pm (men/women) active rest
Recommended Books on Kenyan Training
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Jimson Lee
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