Kenyan runners have intensified training ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games which will be held in August.
The China-bound team was taken through the paces in the vigorous training in the hilly terrain of Ngong Forest on Saturday as athletics officials decided to take early precautions due to high temperatures in Beijing.
"Beijing is quite hot compared to Kenya. We think Ngong is an ideal place for attaining the required endurance, because we want the athletes to get used to this kind of heat," said head coach Julius Kirwa.
The coach also felt that taking the team to the remote area, was good for their concentration. The athletes had a three-hour work-out, concentrating on speed, endurance and momentum.
"We want all of them (athletes) to compete together since they will be exposed to the same conditions while in Beijing," said Kirwa.
The team which reported to camp early this month has taken their training to a higher level with less than 20 days left before their departure to China.
The team which involved the long distance athletes spearheaded by Richard Maatelong and Grace Momanyi, worked on improving their speed.
Kirwa said all athletes expected in the camp had reported and the team is on course with their training. He said that the team is working on strategies that will make them perform better than in previous years.
The coach added that the team's performance so far has been well but sports pundits say that expectations of monetary rewards by the government for Olympic medal winners is likely to boost morale.
With no injury scares at the moment, the team was in high spirits after the training. The coach said they still had more than two weeks of training.
"We will not disappoint Kenyans. We promise to do our best and come back victorious," he said.
Meanwhile, world 5,000 meters silver medalist, Vivian Cheruiyot, has finally reported to camp, ending the lengthy debate that had surrounded her whereabouts in the last four days.
The champion had to cut short her medical trip to London after she learnt that her position at the team was hanging in the balance.
"I have not been feeling well and thus traveled to London for a medical checkup. I had to cut short my trip after learning that Athletics Kenya wanted me in camp immediately," said Cheruiyot.
Cheruiyot, who finished the national trials fourth in 15:42.39, was given a wildcard by Athletics Kenya since runner-up Lucy Wangui Kabuu (15:35.09) had already secured her place in the 10,000 meters squad.
Kirwa supported the decision to have short distance runners participate in international races before heading to Beijing
"We have allowed them to go compete abroad so as to work on their speed because after trails, they won't get another chance to compete here," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2008)