MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019 99MO
FARAH
RUNNING LEGEND, MEDAL HOARDER
AGED 36 | 175CM | 58KG
How many kays do you rack up a week?
Since switching to marathons, I’m doingmuch longer reps and more long runs; but the
mileage depends on the time of year. Normally,
the hardest time is January, February, March,
because that tends to be when I need to get ready
for the marathon I’ve targeted. On average, I run
about 30km a day, some days slightly more. It
works out at about 195km per week. I go through
a pair of new shoes every three weeks.
Do you supplement your training runswith gym work?
I go to the gym a few times per week, withfront squats, dumbbell work, Romanian
deadlifts – a normal weights session, but
nothing too heavy. When you get tired towards
the end of a race, strength helps you maintain
form and run straight.
Do you have to maintain a balancebetween strength and weight?
As a distance runner, you don’t need to bulkup: the more weight you have, the more weight
you’re carrying to the line. Medals come down to
a second, and it’s all about having that extra 1%.
What was your motivation for making themove to marathon running?
I’ve had an amazing career. I’m gettingon a bit, and I didn’t even dream of becoming
Olympic champion – let alone twice, then four
times. When you’ve achieved everything, you’re
not as hungry. I wanted something to wake me
up, to get nervous about. As distance athletes get
older, many switch to the marathon. I wanted to
test myself and see if I could do it.
What do you love about distance running?
What you put in is what you get out. Youwon’t get bailed out by your teammates: all
your mistakes show. How hard you train is
how you perform in competition. That drives
me to keep training harder, to put in the kays.
And knowing, at the end, there’s the possibility
of that moment when the floodlights are on,
you cross the line first, you hear the national
anthem – that bit keeps bringing me back.
FOR FARAH, IT’S A
BIG BUT SATISFYING
LEAP FROM THE
TRACK TO
MARATHONS.