Kenyan marathon runners are world-famous for winning races. So some foreign
athletes are traveling to Kenya to learn their secrets. Many of them go to the
small town of Iten - about 2,400 meters above sea level and about 350 kilometers
north of Nairobi.
Lornah Kiplagat was born in Kenya. She has won
marathons throughout the world and holds several world records. She heads the
High Altitude Training Center in Iten.
LORNAH KIPLAGAT: "The altitude
here is, is sorta like perfect. It's not too high. It's not too low. The weather
is never hot, it's always, it's warm, but it's always breeze, there's a breeze
always. There is everything that you need. There is the gym, there is the pool,
the food is good, the nature. So all these things combined, definitely has made
it the best place to be in the world."
Top marathon runners
can earn millions of dollars a year by advertising products, and from public
appearances and prize winnings. After they become famous, many Kenyan runners
build homes in Iten and train there. The training can be intense because of the
town's high altitude and the hills of the Great Rift Valley. Charlotte Schonbeck
is a runner from Sweden.
CHARLOTTE SCHONBECK: "When you're on the sea
level, you can come to a certain level by just doing the sea level training and
everything. But at one point, you need something extra. And then, I think it's
good to start with the high altitude. But you need to be strong on sea level
before you go up here."
원문출처 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrIrL4o6vGU&feature=youtube_gdata
English
한국어
