Kenyan Wilson Kipsang won the 2013 Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 23 seconds - an average of 4:42 per mile. It was the fastest marathon time ever recorded, an incredible feat.
But perhaps equally remarkable was that his fellow Kenyans also came in second, third, fourth and fifth place in this major international race. On the women's side, Kenyans placed first, second and fourth.
Two weeks later in Chicago, Kenyan runner Dennis Kimetto broke the course record there - after only having run for four years. Next in line behind him?
Three more Kenyans.
The area of Kenya where a lot of the best runners come from - the Western Rift Valley - is a beautiful place. However, there are almost no jobs, apart from subsistence farming, and many people are living below the poverty line. There are no factories, and very few secondary schools. So there are really few options for young people to better their lives. They can either work hard on a farm or train to be a great runner.
Speaking of best in the world, two weeks ago I took my first steps into trail running at the Trail plus Brimbank Park Marathon.
I will be the first to admit it: I was not the best in the world and I was ill-prepared. Basically I signed up for the marathon because it fit in well with my marathon-a-month schedule, and it was close to home.
The only preparation I did was the Sunday before the marathon, when I went for a run with Lisa, Chris and Stuart from Parkrun to scope out a bit of the trail. Kudos to Lisa for being far more prepared then I with printed maps, so we could work out the best vantage points for bananas!
Unfortunately, our plans didn’t come to fruition when we learned that the course had been changed and I wouldn’t be running any of the trail we had the previous week. Instead the Marathon would be two laps of the half.
Not to worry - running two laps had previously worked to my advantage. My strategy of breaking the race down into sections lends itself to breaking it down into two halves, but not for this marathon. I could have quiet happily called it quits at the 21km mark. Instead of thinking one down one to go, I was looking at all the footy girls that had come down to cheer me on, and secretly wishing that I could stop and kick the footy with them.
I didn’t think much about the “trail” piece until, say, two kilometers into the course when everyone walked up the huge hill while I ran up thinking they must all be unfit if they were walking (boy did I have a lot to learn about trail running and conservation of energy).
Having lived and trained in Melbourne for the last three years I am often surprised when I come into contact with elevation. I also do not have much experience on trails, so this marathon was always going to be a test of my Mojo power.
To add to the task, the race had an 8.30am start and the forecast for the day was hot.
Just imagine running five or six kilometers to get a drink. It’s hot, it’s dry - there’s no water to be seen.
You arrive at what used to be the nearest river but it’s now almost run dry. Yes, there is water, but it’s opaque with mud at the bottom of a small well dug in hopes of finding moisture beneath the former riverbed.
Okay so I may be exaggerating just a little here... but at times I felt like I could die of dehydration on this run. Thank goodness for the volunteers and my support crew who were excellent in providing hydration, motivation and fuel.
However, this is the reality of the devastating effects of climate change in the developing world; the water is gone, and people are enduring the fight of their lives for food and a safe drink and the situation is getting worse.
Kenya is already feeling the very real effects of climate change. The widespread poverty, recurrent droughts, floods, inequitable land distribution, over dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and few coping mechanisms all combine to increase people’s vulnerability to climate change.
And we really don't have to look to far to see that the effects of climate change here in Australia. Just today we are hearing of the devastation that Cyclone Debbie has left in her wake in Queensland. Now of course cyclones are not a new phenomena directly caused by climate change, but climate change is effecting the severity and frequency of traditional weather patterns which is predicted to get worse if, as a civilization, we don't make a significant change to our carbon emissions.
Since 1977, The Green Belt Movement communities have planted over 51 million trees in Kenya, in watersheds in the highlands of Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares, and the Mau Complex- three of the five major mountain ecosystems in Kenya, as well as on private lands. The trees play a very important role in sequestering carbon and it is one part, of the very large puzzle, that we all must contribute to in order to fight climate change.
Being an environmentalist can often be a very emotional role. Some days you are filled with confidence that you are making a difference and the world is going to be ok. Then other days, particularity the days when I see plastic rubbish in the organic bins at work, you cant help but wonder if we are going to make it.
These emotions can be linked to the emotions that I went through in this marathon. At the start my confidence was through the roof as I was the only idiot running up the hill. At the 10km mark, and coincidentally after my first banana, I was happy as Larry picturing myself on the finishers podium as I was currently sitting in first place. At the 21km mark I was thinking boy it is getting hot and I am a bit uncomfortable -heatwave. At the 26km mark I was in the toilet block soaking myself in water - tsunami. At the 30km mark I was feeling beaten as I met Lisa who had planned to run the last 12km with me only to tell her that I could only walk - Trump being elected president. Thanks to Lisa the last 12km was bearable as she loves to talk and she was a fantastic distraction -collaboration. At the 42km mark I rustled up the last of my energy to run up to the finish line where my sister Katie was waiting - combating climate change. She brought me an Icy Pole and then I was back to being happy again - no more ice caps melting and all the polar bears live happily ever after.
At the end of the day my goal for this year is to complete 12 marathons and that is what I am determined to do. Weather I am running, walking or crawling – I will cross that finish line.
Happy running xx
But perhaps equally remarkable was that his fellow Kenyans also came in second, third, fourth and fifth place in this major international race. On the women's side, Kenyans placed first, second and fourth.
Two weeks later in Chicago, Kenyan runner Dennis Kimetto broke the course record there - after only having run for four years. Next in line behind him?
Three more Kenyans.
The area of Kenya where a lot of the best runners come from - the Western Rift Valley - is a beautiful place. However, there are almost no jobs, apart from subsistence farming, and many people are living below the poverty line. There are no factories, and very few secondary schools. So there are really few options for young people to better their lives. They can either work hard on a farm or train to be a great runner.
So aspiring runners work really, really hard when they train.They train with incredible heart, motivation and intensity, and perhaps this is why they are the best in the world.
Speaking of best in the world, two weeks ago I took my first steps into trail running at the Trail plus Brimbank Park Marathon.
I will be the first to admit it: I was not the best in the world and I was ill-prepared. Basically I signed up for the marathon because it fit in well with my marathon-a-month schedule, and it was close to home.
The only preparation I did was the Sunday before the marathon, when I went for a run with Lisa, Chris and Stuart from Parkrun to scope out a bit of the trail. Kudos to Lisa for being far more prepared then I with printed maps, so we could work out the best vantage points for bananas!
Unfortunately, our plans didn’t come to fruition when we learned that the course had been changed and I wouldn’t be running any of the trail we had the previous week. Instead the Marathon would be two laps of the half.
Not to worry - running two laps had previously worked to my advantage. My strategy of breaking the race down into sections lends itself to breaking it down into two halves, but not for this marathon. I could have quiet happily called it quits at the 21km mark. Instead of thinking one down one to go, I was looking at all the footy girls that had come down to cheer me on, and secretly wishing that I could stop and kick the footy with them.
I didn’t think much about the “trail” piece until, say, two kilometers into the course when everyone walked up the huge hill while I ran up thinking they must all be unfit if they were walking (boy did I have a lot to learn about trail running and conservation of energy).
Having lived and trained in Melbourne for the last three years I am often surprised when I come into contact with elevation. I also do not have much experience on trails, so this marathon was always going to be a test of my Mojo power.
To add to the task, the race had an 8.30am start and the forecast for the day was hot.
You arrive at what used to be the nearest river but it’s now almost run dry. Yes, there is water, but it’s opaque with mud at the bottom of a small well dug in hopes of finding moisture beneath the former riverbed.
Okay so I may be exaggerating just a little here... but at times I felt like I could die of dehydration on this run. Thank goodness for the volunteers and my support crew who were excellent in providing hydration, motivation and fuel.
However, this is the reality of the devastating effects of climate change in the developing world; the water is gone, and people are enduring the fight of their lives for food and a safe drink and the situation is getting worse.
January and February 2017 were the warmest they have been three years in a row.
Kenya is already feeling the very real effects of climate change. The widespread poverty, recurrent droughts, floods, inequitable land distribution, over dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and few coping mechanisms all combine to increase people’s vulnerability to climate change.
And we really don't have to look to far to see that the effects of climate change here in Australia. Just today we are hearing of the devastation that Cyclone Debbie has left in her wake in Queensland. Now of course cyclones are not a new phenomena directly caused by climate change, but climate change is effecting the severity and frequency of traditional weather patterns which is predicted to get worse if, as a civilization, we don't make a significant change to our carbon emissions.
All this just makes me want to run more to raise as much funds as I can for The Green Belt Movement.
Since 1977, The Green Belt Movement communities have planted over 51 million trees in Kenya, in watersheds in the highlands of Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares, and the Mau Complex- three of the five major mountain ecosystems in Kenya, as well as on private lands. The trees play a very important role in sequestering carbon and it is one part, of the very large puzzle, that we all must contribute to in order to fight climate change.
Being an environmentalist can often be a very emotional role. Some days you are filled with confidence that you are making a difference and the world is going to be ok. Then other days, particularity the days when I see plastic rubbish in the organic bins at work, you cant help but wonder if we are going to make it.
These emotions can be linked to the emotions that I went through in this marathon. At the start my confidence was through the roof as I was the only idiot running up the hill. At the 10km mark, and coincidentally after my first banana, I was happy as Larry picturing myself on the finishers podium as I was currently sitting in first place. At the 21km mark I was thinking boy it is getting hot and I am a bit uncomfortable -heatwave. At the 26km mark I was in the toilet block soaking myself in water - tsunami. At the 30km mark I was feeling beaten as I met Lisa who had planned to run the last 12km with me only to tell her that I could only walk - Trump being elected president. Thanks to Lisa the last 12km was bearable as she loves to talk and she was a fantastic distraction -collaboration. At the 42km mark I rustled up the last of my energy to run up to the finish line where my sister Katie was waiting - combating climate change. She brought me an Icy Pole and then I was back to being happy again - no more ice caps melting and all the polar bears live happily ever after.
Yes, it was challenging. Yes, I wanted to quit several times throughout it. Yes, it was a total mental battle when I completed the first lap of the course to have to do it all again. And yes, crossing the finish line took away all the pain and made it all worth it.
Happy running xx
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