A day at The Swiss Side Iten
Many of you are wondering what does a normal day in Kenya look like ? Here, we try to give you some insides on how your daily life would be while training in Iten. Runners are mainly following the rythm of the sun and alternate between training, eating and resting. A full-time program that might look light from the first eye but believe us, there is never too much time to rest in Iten.
6:15 AM : Morning Training
Around 6:00 AM, the athletes wake up at the camp. Some drink coffee or eat a banana and some just stretch according to their Morning routine. Between 6:15 and 6:30 AM, they meet the groups around which mainly meet in Lily's, located 2 minutes away by running from The Swiss Side. The group leader is giving the daily program and the pace. According to the program, the group runs from 15 to 20 km around Iten, in Moiben (long run) or in Eldoret (Track). Most groups start easy and increase the pace on the second part, even during easy jogg.
9:15 AM : Breakfast at The Swiss Side
Most athletes have breakfast after their Morning training, around 9:00 - 9:30 AM. The breakfast is served in the common place outside where all guests meet. It is made of pancakes, omelet, porridge, fruits, fresh fruit juice and chai plus coffee. We especially adjust the meals to our guests' needs to fit with their particular diet and allergies such as gluten or lactose. After the breakfast, most of the guests go to their room to shower and have some time of well deserved rest. Some work in home-office and some also read books.
10:00 AM : Morning activities
The Morning program is individual and everyone has his own rythme. Some athletes take some rest after breakfast and some have to revise course or work for a company. They especially appreciate our wifi connexion that allow them to take part to online meeting from The Swiss Side. Some guests take some time for self-care such as stretching or massage rolling, or to read books in the garden.
12:30 PM : Lunch
Lunch is taken individually : some eat at The Swiss Side, others like to eat in Iten town to walk around and some simply don't eat as they are used to. The Lunch is balanced with carbohydrates, proteins and local vegetables. An organic diet that brings you the right energy for the second part of the day. Especially in the first 3 weeks of camp, we advise you to have Lunch in our center to avoid food poisonous which frequently happen when you eat in hotels around.
2:00 PM : Activities in Iten and treatments
Our guests like to walk around after the Lunch, to hang out with friends, visit local families, order some bracelets at the workshop or simply visit the surroundings of Iten by walk. This time is also perfect for doing massages and cryotherapy session as the day is warm. Around 3:30 - 4:00 PM, some athletes organize a core session or join the one of Julian Alonso to activate their body before the second run of the day.
5:00 PM : Core and second run
The second run is usually covered at conservative pace, meaning 6'00/km to 4'30/km for most runners. It allows the body to recover faster from Morning's run if the pace is genuinely comfortable for you. Some runners appreciate to make it on the football field of Iten which is flat and some others just run around Iten, in Kamariny forrest or on red trail around. Our guests mainly make this run all together.
6:00 PM : After-run chill
After the second run, athletes appreciate to take their time to rest a bit, have massage if they didn't at afternoon time and enjoy a spa session by making a cryotherapy and sauna session. The day is ending in Kenya, the darkness surrounds the camp and gives the place another energy. Some people like to stay in their room calling their friends and family and some like to wait on the Dinner in the common area, where they share ideas and experiences.
7:15 PM : Dinner
Dinner is a unique moment that everyone takes part to. It is a time of exchanges and laughs especially when we play society games such as Uno. At some occasions, we also organize some open-air cinema nights which allow our guests to enjoy their Evening and disconnect from their camp. Around 9:30 PM everyone goes to his accommodation to prepare for his early wake up.