Interview with Justin Lagat

Published 2016-10-31.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the rural areas in the Rift Valley region in Kenya. My primary school was about four kilometers away and I, with my siblings, would run to and fro four times in a day. This made me like running. However, in a land where everyone is born into the same life situations, it was hard to make a great impression as an exceptional runner. I would win in some low profile competitions, but could not proceed due to the abundant talents around. However, my interest in running began there.
Writing came out of my creative nature, and the two passions; running and writing have resulted in my books.
When did you first start writing?
In Primary school's creative writing tests. That's from around 1994.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I think I was born a writer. Since the time I enrolled for my early education as a primary school kid, I excelled very well in reading and writing. I also used to like reading a lot of novels and some of the authors of these novels; Wilbur Smith, Chinue Achebe and Barbara Taylor, among others contributed in motivating me to become a writer. I remember I used to compose letters for other students while in high school!
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords has helped me meet the exact audience for the kind of stories I write. I write stories mostly about long distance running, and there is someone somewhere out there searching for information regarding the same topic. Publishing with Smashwords is also free, so I count any payment that comes out of the sale of my books as 100% net profit.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Just like reading, writing helps me to spend time thinking and searching deeply on a particular topic; which help refresh and sharpen my brain. I also value the opportunity to educate others on what I know, just like I have been learning from other writers over time.
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans are like family to me. The fact that I and my fans think about the same topics, running and fitness for this case, means we all have a lot in common and we do understand each other very well.
What are you working on next?
It should be a story based on my principal hobby and a topic I feel I have so much information to offer my fans; long distance running in Kenya. It could be a life story of a star athlete, my experience training for a particular race to the time I compete, among others.
Who are your favorite authors?
Wilbur Smith, Chinue Achebe and Barbara Taylor Bradford
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Every day, I wake up thinking about bettering my talent in running and writing to make a positive impact in this world. I want to instill values of honesty, hard work, perseverance and hope, among others in my books and in my day to day encounters with others.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I spend my free time enjoying time with my young family - my wife and daughter. Otherwise, I am out training on the roads, attending athletic meetings, interviewing other athletes and doing some freelance articles.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I search ebooks to read by going to a category I am interested in, then read the introductions of the book and the biography of the author.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

Books by This Author

15 Weeks Marathon Training Advanced Plan
Price: $33.50 USD. Words: 1,580. Language: English. Published: February 28, 2023. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Running & jogging, Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Olympics
This marathon training plan is aimed at advanced marathon runners whose focus is to break barriers, be it to go below 3hrs, to meet Boston Qualification times, to run a personal best time, etc.
Intermediate 15 Weeks Marathon Training Plan
Price: $32.99 USD. Words: 1,410. Language: English. Published: February 27, 2023. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Sports training
This training plan aims to build more endurance and confidence in tackling the 42.195km and get a new personal best time as you progress in your marathon running career/hobby. The plan will be basing the workouts on a mixture of duration (time on your feet), measured speed workouts, distances for the long runs, and hill workouts, among other workouts.
Beginner 12 Weeks Marathon Training Plan
Price: $29.99 USD. Words: 1,310. Language: English. Published: February 27, 2023. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Sports coaching
The 12 weeks marathon training for beginners ensures that by the end of the 12 weeks, a runner will have been able to develop the ability to do proper training for their upcoming marathon races. My experience working with a number of runners from different nationalities and abilities has enabled me to develop a pattern that ensures the smooth progress of any runner
Kenyan Mental Preparation, Weight Management and Pacing Strategies
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 2,470. Language: English. Published: July 8, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Running & jogging, Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Sports coaching
I am lucky to have been born in Kenya and to have joined some of the biggest training camps here in my early life. This gives me enough experience to give out some insights on how Kenyan runners deal with a number of areas in their training. Here, I am going to deal with their mental preparations, how they deal with their weight in different stages of their training, and their pacing strategies
How I Improved My Marathon Time From 2:55 to 2:26 in 17 Weeks
Price: $2.50 USD. Words: 3,210. Language: English. Published: November 4, 2017. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Running & jogging, Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Sports training
I was able to cut 29 minutes from the time I ran last year! This should be a great testimony in itself of the effectiveness of the training I went through and I do believe it is going to work for anyone who is interested in improving their marathon times drastically.
Ideal Places to Train in Kenya
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 6,380. Language: English. Published: July 27, 2015. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Running & jogging
This booklet, in a brief but insightful way, helps one know what to expect in the different training destinations in Kenya, the pros and cons of living in a hotel versus renting a house, the infrastructures in different places, etc
11 Short Stories for Kids and Adults
Price: $1.00 USD. Words: 14,660. Language: English. Published: July 8, 2015. Categories: Fiction » Fairy tales
Stories have been passed on from the older to the younger generations, mostly to inculcate good values in life such as honesty, courage, hard work, respect and humility, among others. In all the eleven short stories in this collection, I strived to do the same.
Determined Runners
Price: $2.75 USD. Words: 9,470. Language: English. Published: July 2, 2015. Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Running & jogging
This first hand book, written by an athlete who has lived in the same training camps with the world's top runners, trained and shared the same experiences with them for over ten years now, may change your perceptions about these world beaters after you learn how much they sacrifice in their training.