Colm O'Connell: Secrets of Kenyan Training

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 :