케냐 고지대 마라톤 훈련 시스템에 대한 질적 사례연구: 이텐·캅타갓의 케냐 코치·선수와 한국 엘리트 선수의 훈련 경험을 중심으로

초록

This study explored the operational principles and decision rules through which elite distance-running training is organized, regulated, and adapted in the high-altitude settings of Iten and Kaptagat, Kenya. Using purposeful and snowball sampling, three information-rich participants were recruited: one coach, one Kenyan elite marathon runner, and one Korean runner with high-altitude training experience in Kenya. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in English, supported by field notes and contextual visual materials. Thematic analysis with within-case and cross-case comparison identified five themes: (1) training as an ecosystem shaped by environment and socialization; (2) weekly organization built around a clear hard–easy rhythm; (3) condition regulation based on embodied cues (breathing, leg sensations, pain, sleep) refined through coach observation and group norms; (4) recovery maintained through routinized nutrition, hydration, and sleep; and (5) constraint-responsive adjustments framed as protective decisions to preserve long-term training quality. These findings suggest that effective application of the Kenyan high-altitude training system depends not on replicating isolated workouts, but on designing operational conditions that stabilize training rhythm and protect recovery.

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