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Joining the field of the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is 27-year-old John Yuda from Tanzania. While his greatest successes have been on the track and in shorter road races, many expect the marathon to be Yuda’s best distance—if only he can race injury- and incident-free. After an intense training and racing schedule in 2002, when Yuda accumulated two Tanzanian national records (13:03.62 for 5000 meters and 27:07.17 for 10,000 meters) and finished second to Kenenisa Bekele at 12K in the World Cross Country Championships, he faced a series of setbacks. Sitting out the 2003 season owing to injury, Yuda was then in a devastating car accident that delayed his progress even further. Coming back for the 2004 Flora London Marathon, Yuda ran 2:10:13, despite severe hamstring cramps at the 23-mile mark. His goal is to race a major marathon in peak shape, without the nagging injuries.
Mensracing.com caught up with Yuda in Boulder, Colorado, where he is training with his KIMbia Athletics teammates. After a light morning of training and an afternoon nap, Yuda sat down to talk about his current fitness and his plans for the upcoming Chicago Marathon.
MensRacing.com: Hey John, thanks for sitting down with me. I know this is prime napping hours, so I apologize.
John Yuda:
[Laughs]. It is no problem. Hard training is finished, so there is plenty of time for sleeping.
MR: So I have to ask, how do you feel about Felix Limo pulling out of the race?
JY: I don’t have any feeling about it. It’s unfortunate that he’s not in the race, because it could be a great, fast race with him there. Yes, it is a great competitor who will not compete, but when you train so hard you want the best people in the race. You have to beat the best to be the best. But the field is still very strong with several 2:06 guys.
MR: Now your marathon PR is from London in 2004. That’s a great time, but the race didn’t go as planned. I’ve heard there was a collision late in the race that flared up a hamstring injury. What happened in London?
JY: I wasn’t involved in the collision. It was Sammy Korir and Evans [Rutto]. I was running right behind them when my hamstring started to get tight. Then they collided, but that didn’t affect my race. My problem was my hamstring.
MR: Your training up to that race was incredible. Tom Ratcliffe [Yuda’s manager] mentioned a really fast 15K you did at Table Mountain with Evans in the weeks before the race. Were you expecting to run faster than 2:10?
JY: Yes, I think so. Training was going very well. I felt very strong. But even so, I did not have a goal time in mind. I just wanted to race fast.
MR: Considering the injuries you’ve had, is your training for this year’s Chicago Marathon any different than what you used to do?
JY: There are some differences between this year and past years. This year, I started training earlier, which gave me enough time to build up my fitness. I had more patience this year compared to previous years. It has just been a smooth transition and gradual build-up. I did not rush it or overdo it this year.
MR: Do you feel like you’re approaching Chicago injury-free?
JY: Yes. I feel healthy and strong. I’m ready for a fast race.
MR: A lot of people think the marathon is going to be your premier distance, even though you’ve had such incredible success on the track and the roads. What do you think? Do you enjoy the marathon training? Do you think you’ll ever drop back down to the 10K or 5K?
JY:
I like both. I like the track and the marathon. But the effort you must put into marathon training is tougher than on the track. It is the same challenge, but more training is required for the marathon. So, yes, I like both, but I won’t go back to the 10K.
MR: Why?
JY:
[Smiles and looks at Richard Kiplagat, who is sitting across the table]. Because marathon training takes away some of your speed. On the track, speed is so crucial. The best guys have great speed. To run under 27:00 takes great speed.
MR: I’ve heard that you’ve invested a lot of your prize money back into your hometown. Can you share with us what you’ve invested in?
JY: I have several rental and commercial properties in Tanzania. I enjoy investing in property. It is something I will do for the long term.
MR: While you’re here in Boulder, who looks after your investments?
JY: My wife. She oversees everything. Each property has a…what do you call…a property manager. But my wife keeps me updated about everything. She will call and tell me about how things are going.
MR: Your wife, Hawa, is a great runner herself. How does she have time to look over your properties?
JY:
She trains in Tanzania. She is home all year, except when she travels to compete. But she does not leave home for long periods like I do.
MR: So I assume, because she is also a great runner, that she must understand the pressures of training and racing abroad. So does that make it easier for you to be away?
JY: Yes, of course. A wife who is also an athlete has an understanding of what is required to be successful. So she understands better why I leave home for training. It is an advantage.
MR: Do you and Hawa have any kids?
JY: [Smiles]. Yes. One boy named Alex. Alex Yuda.
MR: Okay, back to your racing. You’ve paced the Chicago Marathon before, right?
JY: Yes. In 2004 I paced through 21K [halfway].
MR: I spoke to [Yuda’s coach] Dieter [Hogen] about that race, and he said the pace was too fast in the beginning. Was it hard for you to find a rhythm?
JY:
No, the rhythm was easy. The problem was the other guys in the race. They kept pushing us—go faster, go faster. As the pacemaker, you have to listen. They all wanted to run very fast that day.
MR: So what are your thoughts on the course?
JY: The course is very flat and fast. I like it.
MR: Are you glad to have a group of KIMbia guys racing with you, or does it not matter once you get into the race? [Yuda will be joined by four of his teammates in the race.]
JY: When you race with your teammates, it feels like you are at home. It is just like training. It is a great advantage because I can just relax and let the race unfold.
MR: And what are you going to do after Chicago? Are you heading back home?
JY: I will be flying back to Nairobi and then driving to my home in Tanzania. It will be great to spend time with my family. For the first few weeks I will just catch up with family and friends, and I’ll check on my properties.
MR: How much running will you do?
JY: No running.
MR: No running? Nothing at all?
JY: Nothing.
MR: For how long?
JY: Two months.
MR: Do you know what your racing schedule will be like after Chicago? A spring marathon in 2007?
JY: I do not know. It is my coach’s responsibility. We don’t know anything about next year yet.
MR: Okay, last question. I know you drove a matatu [a form of public transportation in East Africa] back in Tanzania. I’ve seen pictures of them filled with people, chickens, luggage—just everything crammed in as tight as possible. What was it like driving one of those things?
JY: Ah, I was just the driver. I looked straight forward at the road. There was a conductor who was responsible for the passengers and cargo. It was not my concern how many people were inside; I just drove.
MR: How long did you have that job?
JY: I started after primary school and did it until I really started training.
Interview conducted October 12, 2006, and posted October 19, 2006.
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