After morning hill repeats,athletes were motivated again,they dont want to be reminded about,Qatar,Indoors,Algeria and WCC in Poland those four meets have gone sour”We know who are we running for.” They said,Coach Henry Rono.Yemen athletic federation is death basically.
Athletes say,we have two things for us to think in Yemen,Go to Mosque and Henry as our coach that is it! If we think about the federation or other people, we will not have the heart to run.
I understand that the federation have gone to the minister several times.The sports Minister sent them away.So,they had to call me to go with them to the minister.After the minister sees me,than the minister signed the papers.
So athletes are up and running again their energies are ready once again,I see their spirit rising up from the quality work they do for last four days in close camp.
Henry
The middle/long distance events were doing the same intervals as X-cross training program: 400mx12.72-60 sec .The Short distance events: 1500m/800 were doing their intervals as 400mX2:51sec- 53sec.The sprinters: 400m and 400mhurdles were doing 300m in 34-38 sec.
I have not found 100m/200m runners yet until next Thursday.
The 100m/200m sprinters will be coming from Aden low altitude by then I will just have one person in the two events. But he has to clock 10.70 sec for 100m and 21.70 for 200m to qualify him for Arab Championships. After that we will get on age issues.
Before this evening session intervals training, the sports minister had to approve the funds for the close camp in front of my face to make sure this time around the Yemen team will participate in Arab Championships no head games or tricks will get on the way to Yemen runners.
Athletes are less motivated.They have been cheated four times.This morning I was having hard time getting them up at 6am.However,afternoon, they learn that the minister have okay the athletes to train and get ready for Egypt. The athletes’ hearts started rising up, so the intervals were done with positive effort this evening.
The Yemen team is ready for Arab Championships in the track &field events.It has been a long time since Yemen participate in this games;however, this time around are willing to take part in Egypt May 5-8,2010 at the same time they are not sure about the medals.
There is one thing is stack in the minds of officials is about medals and the age of the athletes.They cant tell who is junior and who is youth.The Athletic Federation is about to dismantle the entire technical management.
“I will find a spot for you Henry in the tachnical management meetings,Im sorry we didnt make it to Poland WCC becuase of the technical managers that are bringing up problems in the meetings.”
I have chosen 7 athletes from 7 events.Each event will have one athlete.I wanted 9 events but technical managers have problem with me,”You are in charge of all of these Henry,they said,but every time I mention there are 9 running events and 9 field evets.Each event should take 3 athletes.But this is only men events.”No! No! we dont have money and we are not sure we will get medals in these guys.”
“I know who will bring medals in the team”I said.
So I will get back to you guys.
From this date we have 30 days before competition in Egypt followed by Olympic Games for juniors in Singapore.I dont know where to start everything is hidden with administration leaders.We are suppose to start training last Saturday but they say next Saturday is alot better to start close camp.
They like to hear the expected running times during Arab Championships in May 5-8,2010 Egypt:100m,200m,400m/400mh,800m,1500m,5000m/10000m: I gave them the list expected time in 30 days if they start training today. 100m=10.88,200m=21.91,400m=48.88,800m=1:51.00,1500m=3:45,5000m=14:35,10000m=29:40. The coaches and athletes didnt like my prediction on 10000m. “29:40 min? Are you crazy do you think we are Kenyans” my assistant coaches warn me you are scaring off the athletes. May be say 30:30min for 10k,the Yemen record is 30:40 min for 10k. I told them,I see it in their leg speed endurance since I have been here.These athletes have been in close camp for more than a month. I know,they will do it.
Any athlete who finishes my method of training they will get the time I know. I tell them. I know it is in their muscles.You ask anyone I coach around the world,particularly those who are in New Mexico they will tell you.Or in Germany.
We have come up to this point.Whats nex? Time will tell.
Method of my training:RonoHill,RonoGym,RonoTrack,etc also dont forget RonoMeals.You might read on facebook too.
You ask athletes to look a head as the Yemen Athletic Federation keep saying dont worry lets think for the next competition.The athletes wants a letter of from administration that shows the committment,the responsibility for taking up the leadership of athletes.
When I heard this from athletes,I thought athletes in Yemen are very clever, by coming up with this new idea of responsibilities.They have learned about the athletic system in Yemen is a weird one.
Now we were told do not think about the medals,just PRs and National Records.So I had to write the prediction times coming May 5-8,2010 Arab championships in Cairo,Egypt.”I need this by tomorrow,” The General Secretay,tells me. After we have cool down from all of these missing four competition.I have to invent new wheels to motivate Yemen runners to think they will be no problems in the next championships.Will they believe that?
I do my job as a National Coach, look ahead and forget the past as they have been telling me since I have live here in the last six months.We have 37 days before Arab Championships in Egypt. I have to adjust the program that leads to PRs and National Records from the previous writing plans.
When Kenyan team wins WCC in Poland is the brightness in the faces of the Yemen Athletic Federation. He calls me back,while Im taking a nap.”Henry are you watching WCC in Poland Kenyans are winning every thing it is on Channel Two?”
I just came from the office talking about the cancellation with them,then all of a sudden he calls me as if I was not the one sitting in the office for half-day thinking and wondering what is next.
I have been so tired arguing with them about the competition in Poland.Now, Im resting. I had a feeling about Poland WCC championships.It was going to be good for Yemen.We were let down by administration.
First they were looking at me as if Im crazy about running then all over sudden,watch!watch! watch!!! look! look!look!!! Kenyans are sweeping up every race in Poland!!!!!!!!
The following morning when I arrive in the office.The first word was “congragulation Kenyan won every thing!!!” Another official telling me the same thing.”Did you watch WCC in Poland Kenyans?” Kenyans always do that,” I say. “Why they didnt run well in World IAAF Indoors in Doha two weeks ago?” he ask,Kenyan are like that if something go wrong as I told you before the athletes performances goes down very fast.It is about physical-fitness growing like flowers if you dont water them their leaves stop growing.”Is it because of administration?he ask me.
Yep Kenyan athletes try to communicate with their officials by actions(running).Athletes have no words that any officials could hear from them.So running legs catches official ears.No time for talking.When indoor performances looks poor for Kenyan officials,they had to fix a problem very quickly as you know it was two weeks ago.The official did a good job by fixing whatever the problem was and get athletes on the right track.
This is something any athletic official have to learn regarding runners.The runners run so fast and officials needs to catch up with that speed athletes are going whatever any problem gets on the way the running flght wovlves and perhaps the athletes stop running completely.
To me it looks like everytime when kenyan performances are poor,then is like darkness,when good performances goes up then you see the brighness in people eyes like day and night. I see today the brightness and respect here in Yemen about me being an athlete coach as if they didnt know my history of running.
Is this what it takes to catch ones eye or ear? I ask myself.
After cancelling four international meets new thoughts comes into Yemen Athletic Federation is to clean up the mess.
Who are these people keep on messing up Yemen athletes? The Deputy Financial administrator,ask,”It is not you Coach Henry.This is my office,you will be coming to my office for any problem.”
I say,for these other meets coming up,we need to keep on training to keep the level of fitness going and we are getting ready for the next level of fitness by keeping the same fitness we have to stay in level II and move on to Level III.
“Four meets went by just like that.These was our big examinations expecially Yemen runners with a new coach.We could have known where we are by now.” I said in the meetings.
The athletes have no problem in doing their job.I keep on argueing with administrations as my real brothers,about the athletes and the meets.But they keep on ignoring the facts until they fall down on their faces.Is this how far we have reach before we have our heads together? Yemen needs world attention as everybody knows in the world what they are ignoring in running world. It is not the athletes or a coach problem.It is the administration problem.
Earlier in Athletic Federation office, I say, athletes needs to know what they are doing and where they are going.They need to see their future in good light.One of the administrator said, “They do have to know what they are going to do?” “Of course they do.This is 21st century we are not living in stoneage,I told him.Athletes think,I train them to have psychology of running,then physiology takes over in the last stages for performances.The competiton is like the exams.Like students in a classroom, they have to know what they are studying for and when is the exams.
These athletes have to know where they are going to do and when. I train them by seeing themselves as winners in that date at that time.Then all of a sudden you take them by surprise after they got their energy and time by saying no running for them. “This is very frustrating!!,” I said. “This is Yemen,” he said.
Three International meets left.One is in Egypt,Singapore and China.May,June,July and perhaps Canada.
Read as you edit to make sense to you.
Just few hours ago while waiting in the Federation office we were told WCC in Poland is cancelled.Yemen have been cancelling meets since February 26-28 indoors and World Indoor in Doha Qatar,followed by Arab X-Country Championship in Algeria and now WCC in Poland. Making athletes more frustrated and lose the energy of training.
All these training in open/close training camp for six weeks each one has gone waste just like that!We just began level II.In this level II,Yemen runners could have demonstrate wonderfull job in Poland.Now we were told to go home for one week break.It turns out we were training for our stomach.
For the show and medals in meets comes later when the Yemen offials makes up their minds at the expenses of athlete’s sweats every morning at 6 am.We are up in the hills training mental and physical.First we were told to think about Poland meet while training and not about your money or anything else.This is crazy said one of the athletes.
The athlete frustration began yesterday when we were sitting in the ministry of sports for almost all day quarrelling and argueing trying to find the solution. “who is doing this to us?”If not that it was another story that goes around and around gives us more sickness not helping at all.
You need to smile said one the top official,I say I dont smile when I’m hurting then it means I’m pretenting to tell the truth.Do you? I push back to him,when we are training we are not pretenting I say.Now you are telling us you do pretent to work for athletes problem.It was yesterday arguement.If you have been following this website you will discovered what I have been going through in coaching athletes in Yemen.
Today was another grilling meeting and we are getting upto our necks,so frustrated. If not about the meets is the story about our money.”Who takes our money.”
Even you tell the minister he will do nothing,he said.Now you are talking most of the time and you dont want to hear our views,you are just oppressing us so that we dont ask our rights I say.You need to act and do things like a professional person not threating us,speak like a doctor,you are a doctor, I said.
Yemen athletes have physique of running.As a coach I will develop the rest. I will put five levels of pieces together.But first, I need money.No money.No plans coming into my mind of coaching,I said to the officials in YAF.
Living like living in the jungle, one must not have the dream of medals.The best way is to buy directly in the shop and put the medals around the athlete necks.
This is the simplest way than going through all these rituals that it doesnt add up to running medals.
For me to prescripts the athletes training program is like a doctor prescriping the medicine for the patients.
“Athlete first,winning second.”This is it!!!!
Follow the rules and the medals are ready.
Thanks
To select World Cross Country Team in Yemen takes nails and hammers to set it on the wall.
I have been testing these athletes five times for only one reason. Just to reduce club coaches noises.Each club wants their own athletes to represent the country.
Three meets have been cancel because of noises in the technical meetings.They cancell two indoor meets and Arab X-country meet in Algeria.
What is left is WCC meet in March 28,2010 Poland.Who knows perhaps by then the noises will be in low point, then we can participate in Poland WCC.The noises is about money I came to understand them.
The athletes hearts have been put in between things.Going and Stoping all the time.But the training is going on well between me and the athletes.
Now the General Secretary have answers regarding athletes in Yemen for not having good heart to representing the nation.They say be patient after we have jump start our hearts and ready to have it,but wait.
