Hi,

As time is ticking and the INEOS 1:59 Challenge approaches ever nearer there is a buzz and anticipation building. I can feel the energy building. The athletes in camp are excited and I too am excited; everyone is waiting for the day. 

You can see by the fact many people are driving their cars in Kaptagat and Eldoret with INEOS 1:59 stickers that the general public are also eagerly awaiting the day. It is like every household in Kenya is talking about the Challenge.

There is a lot of expectation around the event. There is a lot of pressure and it is not easy to handle. But I have been here before as part of the Nike Breaking2 Project. I know what I am doing and the best way for me to cope with the expectation is to keep things simple and normal. To take things day by day.

My mental preparation for taking on such as challenge is just as important as my physical preparation. This will be important over the next two months, where I need to internalise in my heart and my mind that I can run a sub-two-hour marathon. I need to talk to myself that this is possible.

It is also important to be in a continually relaxed environment. I’m fortunate that for the past 17 years of my career the Global Sports Communication camp in Kaptagat provides that setting.

I share a room with my good friend, Augustine Choge, who will be one of the pacemakers. It is nice to be around someone of a similar mindset. We don’t talk about the project continually, but it is in our mind and in our hearts that we can achieve this goal.

When I return to my family home in Eldoret, I also know I can relax and that I have the love and support of my wife, Grace, and three children.

My downtime is important. On a weekend I like to spend time on my farm while at the end of each day I like to read a book. As some of you may know; I’m a big fan of Formula One and I’m currently reading a book on the history of the sport and how it was founded.

I have to remember much of what I’m going through at the moment with the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, I also experienced during the build-up to Breaking2. However, I now have the additional benefit of the knowledge I gained from Monza, which I’m sure will serve me well in Vienna in October.

 

As told to Steve Landells