Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie has revealed the secret of his enduring presence at the age of 40- discipline, commitment and hard work.
A double Olympic gold medallist in the 10,000 meters, Gebrselassie, who is also a four-time World Champion over the same distance and two-time world record-breaker in the marathon, trains twice a day and clocks a daily average of 35 kilometres.
According to New York Daily News, Gebrselassie said that he steers clear of 'fancy' Western foods or the 'latest gizmos', adding that as preparing for a race provides a goal to commit to, so some of his best training comes ahead of a big event.
Stating that his 'Haile diet' consists of 'what the people eats'- an iron-rich, fermented pancake plus lots of lean, raw meat, the marathoner also said that his home country also provides him with an ideal location to train with its temperate weather and high altitude.
Although Gebrselassie admitted that his workload is not getting any easier, with middle-aged aches and pains ever-present, he added that fighting through physical pain and mental laziness is important too.
Continuing to break masters records in the over-40's category, Gebrselassie will run the 'seven hills' 15-kilometre race in the Netherlands in November followed by a half marathon in the coming months, the report added.
