Return to : Home

I've watched hours of chasingkimbia videotape. By now I feel like I know this group of Kenyan runners recruited by Tom Ratcliffe, coached by Deiter Hogan and chronicled by Matt Taylor. When I was invited to watch their last speed workout before the Falmouth Road Race I jumped at the chance – and I'm a pretty fair jumper!

Of the six Kimbia athletes running this Sunday, I'd only met Richard Kiplagat officially. I followed him closely in his senior year at Iona College, first at his league championship at Van Cortlant Park NY, then at the NCAA Regionals at Franklin Park, and finally at the NCAA finals in Terre Haute, Indiana. I also filmed his win at the Providence CVS 5K in his first professional race. He's been an over-achiever for a long time, always performing just a notch better than predicted.

I know Tom Nyariki and John Yuda from their marathon exploits. Tom's an incredible story that I couldn't start to relate here.   The rest of the crew I've only heard of. The newest in the group is Simon Ndirangu. Only eighteen years old, he has already won a couple of prestigious races. He's the new kid on the block. Taking into account that age is relative in Kenya – eighteen means somewhere between 17 and 21 – his youthful looks give him an underdog quality that makes you want to support him.

Luke Kipkosgei is making his third Falmouth appearance. Charles Munyeki rounds out the group. The interesting thing about the group is that on any given day you could see any of the six faces in the lead. It's impossible to pick just one as a favorite.

Emily, Matt, Arlene and I hopped into the Saab at 8:00 AM and rolled out of South Wellfleet on schedule – destination Falmouth High School. Along the way Richard had called to make sure Matt had his itinerary for his flight time to Boulder for the next training block. One stop at a Dunkin Donuts (because Matt didn't know Falmouth has a Starbucks) and we were at the high school's James Kalaperis Track   (considered by some as the fastest track in New England) by 9:30 AM.

Matt and Emily headed off to pick up the runners. Arlene read and I walked the track, checking the condition, taking some practice shots, and reminiscing that just 10 years ago Emily finished her high school career here, winning the state heptathlon with a meet record 4,111 points. Those were the days of back-to-back trips to Brick Kiln Road. Headed home after day 2, we'd always stop at the IHOP for victuals and Grampa Estey treated the athletes. Those days are over but the memories still flood back at times like this.

At 10:00 AM the guys rolled into the track split between Matt's car and their Falmouth host Bob Gusimi. It's also Bob's 10 th anniversary as a host and for many he's become a father figure. The runners immediately separated and started their warm-up with the traditional “Kenyan Shuffle”, jogging random directions around the track and fields. For twenty minutes they moved in silence, even when passing each other. Even Tom and John who stayed together barely shared a word. If I hadn't heard otherwise I'd have thought they weren't friends. In truth, this group is as gregarious, and animated as any you will find. Bob related stories about how they break for an afternoon nap, but all you can hear is talking and laughing – or how they'd all rather squeeze into one car rather than be split up. Matt reminded Bob of the day in Iten they put 16 athletes and coaches into a pickup truck. I chuckled and didn't bother comparing the time I squeezed 14 into an Oldsmobile Silhouette during a XC practice.

Perhaps this is a game face they put on before a hard practice. Do they dread the work ahead?

At 10:20 with no apparent signal they all stopped and walked toward the track. Still working independently, they started strides of 50 to 100M. If it wasn't obvious these were elite athletes, after watching one strider they leave no doubt. Feet were flying! Not only is there fluidity, but also the speed looks like that of a sprinter – all incredibly effortless. Some did corners of the track; others worked across the grassy infield, all repeating a long practiced routine carried from their dirt track of Iten to this hi-tech Mondo surface on Cape Cod. When 10:30 came they were loose and ready to rock.

I knew it was a repeat 300M workout. Richard led the first one, the colorful shirts of the rest in single file behind. So busy was I taking pictures I forgot to time the first one. I hit my watch for the rest interval – 39 seconds to jog a 100M. As they reached the line for #2 their heads dipped to start their watches, a new leader of each successive 300M.   The target appeared to be 45 seconds, a time beaten by one or two ticks each time.

By the forth repeat some athletes started getting itchy. No longer content to stay in line, the more aggressive runners swing wide and bunch near the leader, not exactly racing but unsatisfied to merely follow. Tom and John are the most prone to punch it a little harder. When John took over the lead duties the pack had to throw down a 41 to keep contact. Head coach Deiter is back in Iten working with the fall marathon group. Good thing! I can see his head shaking, softly repeating, “Too fast, too fast.”

After the set was completed, Matt interviewed Bob for a chasingkimbia video, while the guys warmed down, this time as a talkative group. Some followed this with stretching, dynamic and static – but very little of either. Matt had filmed nonstop, with Emily and I taking pictures. Apparently it isn't enough that their every move is recorded. Out of one of the packs came a camera and soon they were taking turns pretending to run – capturing this moment on film for the time they get to rejoin their families and relate the stories of this trip to the US.

We all packed into the cars for the trip back to Bob's rented house on Hawthorne Street one block from Falmouth Height's Beach – just up the street from the finish line of Sunday's race. Although the runners like to walk the beach, in the ten years Bob's been hosting he can only remember one going for a swim. From this spot Martha's Vineyard looks so close – and this runner decided to try to swim to it. It turned into the first Falmouth Heights rescue of a world-class runner. Most Kenyan's don't swim! And this one didn't for long.

Before long the house was alive with the smells of lunch. The runners take turns cooking their own meals. The stove was teaming pots, a big batch of tea steeping, rice in another pot and one athlete stir frying a mixture of onions and tomatoes. Those are fairly bland ingredients, but the aroma was enticing. There has to be secret spices!

Matt, Emily Arlene and I headed to the starting line in Woods Hole to have lunch at the Pie in the Sky. Emily drove the course she'll be running on Sunday, and Matt filmed the more picturesque spots – while Arlene and I made our viewing plans for the race. As of now we're planning on a bike routine that affords four viewing spots.

Next up – The Falmouth Mile