Macharia Yuot's Journal

December 7, 2008 (Posted December 9, 2008)

It has been a while after the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. I was thinking of writing my experiences right after the race but it was too much for me because the energy that I had coming into the race was so high with expectation and it did not end up quite the way I had hoped. I had a personal goal but Mother Nature had other ideas. All the elements that each of us can't or can predict made it an unforgettable experience.

It is very hard sometimes for runners to not get caught up in trying to understand the situations either in training or racing, because high goals and expectations have so many variables. I think the Twin Cities Marathon this year fit into that category. A few people were able to make the most of those variables that day and unfortunately others were not. It was survival of the fittest in that race. Of course running the marathon under the normal human body's temperature of 98.6 degrees was agonizing. I don't know how I got to the finish line with an abnormal body temperature of 92 degrees—only God knows.

All I have to say is that every runner and every human needs experiences in life. Whether it is in training or racing, whatever you face becomes a guide in your training/racing or elsewhere in life that you can always turn to. I have learned that the best way to approach the marathon is not to be too excited. Even though you are 100 percent confident you need to be patient and humble because you don't want to be humiliated the day of the marathon. It can be too risky for you to behave otherwise.

I am getting back to my training now. Everything is going well. I feel some aches and pains sometimes but that’s how it is with every runner. Physical problems and injuries once in a while is something that all runners have learned to deal with because we are all human beings and not machines. This summer running was a lot of fun, especially around the lakes. Now the weather is getting crazy cold.

I mean the winter here is nothing compared to Philadelphia. When I first I arrived in the country from Kenya I thought Pennsylvania was the coldest state in the country. Now I can tell the real difference and it is not even the official Midwest winter yet. Now I try to avoid running around the lakes compared to the summer when I ran around the lakes seven days a week and sometimes twice a day. Sometimes on my personal days off training I wait until 9:00 am to run because by that time it is a bit warmer for me than earlier in the morning.

It seems that I am getting used to it. The best way I deal with it is to take one day at a time. That means approaching each day with a different mindset because tomorrow will not be the same as today. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but at least I am learning all about the mind games that pop up in training, especially in such difficult conditions.

Right now I have nothing specific to train for other than a few races next year. Having no pressure helps a lot. I know the time will come to run fast someday. Being patient helped me a lot in life when I was growing up. It is the same thing with training here. My advice to any runner/jogger is that being healthy is truly the only way you can enjoy the sport both physically and mentally. The next step is having a good workout or a hard training run that gives you the confidence you need to realize that a fast time is just around the corner.  

Also, being in the Midwest I think it is a great experience not just being here to train hard and run fast, but also to fit in as a part of the running community. There is one key difference living in Minnesota. For instance, all of my college and high school buddies are from the east coast. That is the only difference—just being away from home. I have been here in America for nine years but just being here in the Midwest, I feel like sometimes I just moved into this country from Africa.

I don't see the same faces that I saw all the time, day in and day out. But when a man is on a mission, it always takes him/her to unwanted destinations along the way to reach the goal. That’s why it is easy to deal with. For example, our team comes from other states. The same thing goes for all the USA training groups and athletes who traveled across the country. It doesn't take that long to fit into a running community, but sometimes it all comes down to the size of your heart to run fast and beat somebody who wants it as bad as you do.

Otherwise, I just want to wish everybody Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. Train smart and run fast. I am looking forward to the new venue and new season, with special things waiting to happen.

Introductory Entry (Posted October 2, 2008)

Before starting, I want to thank the board and athletes of Team USA Minnesota for their hospitality and support. I want to give special thanks to Pat Goodwin and Coach Dennis Barker. Each has given me so much support and encouragement over the last five weeks and without it, my move to Minnesota would not have been possible.

Pat provided a great opportunity by offering me housing until a permanent home was found. What made Pat’s hospitality even better was that my good friend Josh Moen became my roommate. During the two weeks living at Pat’s, it became clear that Josh and I would make compatible roommates. We are now settled in an apartment in a suburb right next to Minneapolis called St. Louis Park. It has become a great opportunity for us. It is a friendly place in which I feel good enough about it to call it home.

I have come to find out that a big part of the Team USA community’s success comes from the board of directors of Team USA Minnesota. The board consists of many great people who care about each of the guys and gals on the team. Their care goes beyond running to the point where I was able to find a job at a local after school program. Finally, I want to thank the people from TC Running Company for providing training gear for the new athletes and me.

Having the opportunity to live and train in the heartland of the country is something that has become special to me. Apart from the training, the people from the Midwest are very hospitable. I remember what Coach Touey (from Widener University) said when I boarded the plane to compete at my first NCAA Championship in Indiana. He told me that where we were going would be different than what I had come to know in Philadelphia.

As it turns out he was right. I find there is a lot less stress here. Because of that I feel it is a better place to train than on the East Coast. The people here are extremely caring and want what is best for the other. I found this to be true in Philly even though it is the big city. It’s just that when things are so crowded, every once in awhile things can get crazy. Knowing that I would return to such a hospitable place, I always looked forward to the NCAA Championship meets after my first at Hanover College in Indiana.

With regard to the training environment, I am really impressed with the beauty that surrounds the Twin Cities. I have looked forward to every training run so far in anticipation of seeing a smiling face on the other folks out for their run. It feels nice to pass another person while running and seeing them enjoy it as much as I am. The beauty of the nature along the trails next to the lakes is awesome. I am the kind of guy who will add an extra mile just because of my surroundings. The cool trails and running courses are like good meals that keep me going.

I am happy to say that training with Team USA Minnesota has been going well so far. I wasn’t sure at first how quickly I would respond to the workouts and increased mileage. Fortunately, Coach Dennis has developed a workout plan that I was able to deal with right away. I have never trained with a group of guys with so much talent, and more importantly, passion to get better.

At Widener, I had many great teammates like Zach Miller and Joe Francisco, but there were so many times when our events and goals were different. Training at Widener was great but it was nothing like I am experiencing now. Now having so many guys from so many walks of life together in one place is hard to believe. From the beginning, however, Coach Touey always told me that to reach my potential, I would need to find a training group that would push me to my limits. His job was to prepare me for the intense training that was to come. It didn’t take long once arriving in the Twin Cities to know that I had found such a group.

I think Coach Dennis Barker is one of the best coaches in the country. It is clear to me that the athletes here have chosen this place for his guidance and knowledge of the sport. The relationship between Dennis, the athletes and the board of directors is one that I can describe as professional. That was one of the things that stood out to me when I first arrived. These folks treat all the athletes as professionals. It is a nice feeling to have, especially when we are all sacrificing so much to reach our potential.

I look forward to each of the coming seasons, especially outdoor track. I was really frustrated last spring when I realized how hard it is for a post graduate to gain entrance to the top level meets. I couldn’t believe it when the end of the season arrived and I was not able to get into a competitive 10,000. That is another reason I am so excited about joining Team USA Minnesota. As a part of the team, I believe it will be easier to get into big time track races in the spring and summer. As of now, I am not sure which race to focus on but look forward to sitting down and discussing it with Coach Barker after the marathon.

But for now, I will look to the guys on the team for guidance with regard to how I should race Twin Cities (site of the USA Men’s Marathon Championship on October 5). It is a great feeling to know that on any given day, I will be training with these boys from Iowa (Matt Gabrielson and Moen) who know what is good for me and are willing to share their knowledge with a guy from the big city.

Otherwise, everything is so great, no pressure for me at this point other than training to improve even though I don’t have any shoe contract now. Finally, it has been a great opportunity knowing Jason Lehmkuhle and Chris Lundstrom as training partners. These guys make training and workouts mentally easy for me because when you train with great guys like these, it just makes life easy on the road.