Rob Hanley, Chartered Physiotherapist at Total Care Physio loves learning from the best in the world. Today, he reflects on working with some of world’s best runners and triathletes at Iten High Altitude Training Centre in Kenya.
High Altitude Training
As a Kerryman, I’m well versed in mountains but Iten is a different story altogether. Located in Western Kenya at an altitude of 2400m, it is well over twice the height of Carrauntoohil before you even lace up the runners.
It an ideal location for a world class training centre. 2400m is in the Goldilocks zone- an altitude where regular training suddenly become much more difficult and where the body is forced to adapt.
Founded by 4 time world champion Lorna Kiplagat, it has that blend of expertise combined with great facilities, miles and miles of running trails and, almost as importantly, no distractions. Athletes come here to train and train hard. The view from the corridor outside the bedrooms says it all.
Good Technique is Vital
As a runner, I was interested to see what effect the altitude would have on me. I found that exercise was instantly more difficult, but over the days my body did get used to it. I quickly felt fitter and stronger.
As physiotherapist, I was keen to see some of the best runners in the world train. These guys and girls move, at a ferocious rate, but it is the grace and technique that really stood out for me. A great reminder of just why great technique is so important, both to perform at the highest level and help prevent injury.
The Benefits of High Altitude Training
When we look at the research, studies disagree on how effective high altitude training is yet. Athletes come from all over Africa and Europe come to train at Iten, however, and the list of world champions that have passed through it’s doors is a long one: from Lorna herself to more recently David Rudisha and Mo Farrah. The athletes we met certainly had loads of first hand experience of just how beneficial this training can be, but I, for one, was exhausted!
