Bev

Monday, February 1, 2010

Phil explains the photo and reveals another secret.

Howdy, Bev! Phil checking in ...

Wow! A picture IS worth a thousand words! The photo taken at the tennis court looks like we really worked 'em over the edge! Did I rip a page out of John Parker's "Once a Runner"? 40 X 400 meters really isn't that tough!

Truth be told, this is a group of high school athletes I was taking through a visualization and meditation training. The athletes were experiencing the power, flow, and relaxation from learning to "turn inward" to access their energy centers.

That brings us to your second question. You wanted another "Kenyan Secret." During my visits to Kenya's Rift Valley, I mostly stayed with Moses Tanui. Moses is a superstar in the running world. Moses was one of the great cross country runners; he was world champion on the track; and he won the Boston Marathon two or three times. During my longest stay in Kenya (4 1/2 months), Moses was my running teacher and I was his therapist for keeping his body healthy. We formed a deep friendship in that exchange.

Moses, like many of the great Kenyan athletes, was in the armed forces and competed for the military team as well. That is the reason some of his metaphors were military language or jargon. On one occasion after a extra tough workout (and by the way, all the workouts were tough to me as I was running 140 miles a week at fast paces with high altitude and hills), Moses said to me, "Philip, we were bombed today! But you know what? I am still MOSES TANUI!"

At first I thought, Wow! This altitude and training load have really spiraled this guy into an ego-fueled frenzy. Then I thought about the power of belief. I realized that Moses believed in himself more than any external confidence could give him. That day, I really learned something that has helped me through difficult moments ... and not just with running.

Thank you, Moses.

"Philip, the marathon is 42k. It is very difficult, but you must finish!"-- During a 14k run together near his birthplace.

Keep the spirit! Love the laundry "Afterburn." In Kenya, we washed our clothes by hand at altitude. That really elevated the heart rate!

Keep running, baby. New York City Marathon one more time!!!

Phil

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