When extending the lockdown extended the run
Today is a Saturday. It is June 6. We were to get news about easing the lockdown and curfew. We were all apprehensive that it was finally coming to an end, hopeful even. Confident, to say the least. Then the news came out at three. It was not even news that came at three. It was a blow!
Today is a Saturday. It is June 6. We were to get news about easing the lockdown and curfew. We were all apprehensive that it was finally coming to an end, hopeful even. Confident, to say the least. Then the news came out at three. It was not even news that came at three. It was a blow!
Though it was not a surprise that Kenya extended the lockdown of Nairobi and Mombasa counties for another 30-days, it still hurt. Reducing the curfew hours from the initial 7pm to 5am, to the new 9pm to 4am did not make reduce the pain. We were now stuck in another 30-day period of waiting… a wait that started mid-March. A wait that is likely to last much longer.
But why? Ask Corona, the very cause of COVID-19. Ask TT, the very thing that I do not even want to mention by name. The very reason for this lockdown extension is the 6,880,373* worldwide infections and 398,754 deaths, with Kenya having 2,474 confirmed cases and 104 deaths. The extended lockdown and curfew are meant to keep the infections within the population. The very populations that are currently leading in the spread… Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
*data from worldometer
But why? Ask TT. The very thing that has now caused our schools to be out of session since early March. The nearest partial opening date is now set for September 2020… if we would have ‘flatten the curve’ by that time! Will life really be normal anytime this year? Has humanity finally surrendered? Tapped out! Thrown in the towel!! Is this TT thing even real?
But why? Ask Corona, the very cause of COVID-19. Ask TT, the very thing that I do not even want to mention by name. The very reason for this lockdown extension is the 6,880,373* worldwide infections and 398,754 deaths, with Kenya having 2,474 confirmed cases and 104 deaths. The extended lockdown and curfew are meant to keep the infections within the population. The very populations that are currently leading in the spread… Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
*data from worldometer
But why? Ask TT. The very thing that has now caused our schools to be out of session since early March. The nearest partial opening date is now set for September 2020… if we would have ‘flatten the curve’ by that time! Will life really be normal anytime this year? Has humanity finally surrendered? Tapped out! Thrown in the towel!! Is this TT thing even real?
Our southern neighbours, the Tanzanians, have even questioned the very existence of TT and have asked their citizens to ‘go on with life’ with no restrictions, no curfews, no lockdowns. Our other southern neighbor, Brazil, has gone similar. Whom should be believe? Are we going to turn out better than them, or they shall have the last laugh?
But why? Ask CV19. My good old enemy, turned I-do-not-care-anymore frenemy. We had dared each other, forming those weekly runs, the duels, the streaks. 34 streaks later, as at June 5, and I have to confess that the competition does not make sense anymore. In fact, I do not wish to keep the streak count any more.
But why? Ask CV19. My good old enemy, turned I-do-not-care-anymore frenemy. We had dared each other, forming those weekly runs, the duels, the streaks. 34 streaks later, as at June 5, and I have to confess that the competition does not make sense anymore. In fact, I do not wish to keep the streak count any more.
TT and I have now learned and earned our mutual respects. TT keeps to TT’s yard, while I keep to mine. TT does its thing, while I do my runs. TT dare not cross my path…. and I am not crossing its path either. We are in our different territories and we like it that way.
But why? Ask humanity… Yes, ask humanity! Ask the runners… ask marathoners.
I found myself enrolled in the Global Running Day of June 3. I saw an email message to the effect that ‘… you are enrolled in the GRD and you need to pledge some mileage…’. It was ‘mileage’ for sure. I had to get the online convert for km to miles to do the pledge of 13.6mi. This would turn out to be yet another Wednesday run. One of the now routine three runs in the week.
But that would not be all. I was still recovering from the pain on the legs, when the same NMM2 runners group concocted another run – the MA + RA + TH + ON. This was to be a global worldwide team relay, where four runners share in conquering the full marathon, by contributing 10.5km each. I found myself in a team of four – with a debt of 10.5km to be done and dusted within June 6-7 window.
I was still recovering from the routine Friday run when this reality of the passing deadline hit me. It was now a Saturday, late Saturday. I now had just about 24-hours to contribute my 10.5km – just for the team. My team of four would not finish the marathon without my distance… nor would my distance count if the other three did not get those 10500 steps each, into the kitty.
But why? Ask humanity… Yes, ask humanity! Ask the runners… ask marathoners.
I found myself enrolled in the Global Running Day of June 3. I saw an email message to the effect that ‘… you are enrolled in the GRD and you need to pledge some mileage…’. It was ‘mileage’ for sure. I had to get the online convert for km to miles to do the pledge of 13.6mi. This would turn out to be yet another Wednesday run. One of the now routine three runs in the week.
But that would not be all. I was still recovering from the pain on the legs, when the same NMM2 runners group concocted another run – the MA + RA + TH + ON. This was to be a global worldwide team relay, where four runners share in conquering the full marathon, by contributing 10.5km each. I found myself in a team of four – with a debt of 10.5km to be done and dusted within June 6-7 window.
I was still recovering from the routine Friday run when this reality of the passing deadline hit me. It was now a Saturday, late Saturday. I now had just about 24-hours to contribute my 10.5km – just for the team. My team of four would not finish the marathon without my distance… nor would my distance count if the other three did not get those 10500 steps each, into the kitty.
Despite a very painful calcaneus of the left foot, I had no choice but to find how to get the 10.5km distance into the stats – just for the team. This was not going to be done on this Saturday. It would just have to be done at the nick of time tomorrow – before Sunday’s deadline.
WWB, the Coach, Nairobi, Kenya, June 6, 2020
WWB, the Coach, Nairobi, Kenya, June 6, 2020
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