Books: Running with the Kenyans

Adharanand Finn writes about his experiences in training for a marathon in this book. If you look at running, Kenyans have been dominating this field. They have been winning medals in most of the famous events. This book tries to understand what make Kenyans such good runners based on the author's experience. As Finn tries to learn running from the Kenyans, Kenya seems to be the best place for getting that education. So, Finn packs his bag and moves to Kenya for a year.

Finn has a family. So it is not easy to relocate to Kenya even for a short duration. Fortunately for him, his partner and his children are excited about the move. The life in Kenya is different from the one they are used to. But they make the best use of it. This aspect is inspiring for the reader. It is not easy to embrace the unknown when you have a comfortable life. The non-fiction genre is full of authors trying out different things once they attain a certain age or after a breakup. Unlike the other, Finn is not undergoing any existential crisis. He sincerely wants to surpass his personal best.

The book is not a comprehensive training material for a marathon. But the book effectively captures the Kenyan spirit and their aspirations. The author tells us why there is an onslaught of Kenyan athletes and what does it mean for them to win these races. The book also gives us the information about various camps and races in the country without endorsing any one of them.

See for yourself. Any expert will give you this advice. Finn takes this advice seriously. Instead of lightning visits to the camps and interviews with various people, he prefers to live in Kenya and undergo training for a year. This way, he can understand the culture better. So the book is like a travel book with a sports background. The narration is factual. Although the language is not humorous, it is not dry either. Having spent a year in Kenya, Finn is the best person to write about this topic.

When compared to Born to Run, this book is less entertaining. But for someone who is a challenge the status-quo in training or life, this book is an inspirational one. You may pick it up if you are athlete and needs reaffirmation on your goal.

Tags: Books,Adharanand Finn,Kenya