Running without a spare wheel
My run ended even as the rains intensified. I would get into the house dripping from top to bottom. I was just in time to pop into the house as the COVID numbers were running across the screen: worldwide infections stood at 24,518,049 with 832,771 deaths. 16,986,374 had recovered. At rank number 65 in list of countries ranked by total infections was Kenya, with the numbers being 33,389, 567 and 19,368 respectively. I continued starring at the screen, squinting as I did this, since I do not see much without glasses. The cold clothes were causing a shiver through my body. The effect of that 1.24.48 duration run apparent as the tiredness set in.
I matched across the living room to the bathroom. I would have to wash off the run. I had intended to do a long run, but ended up doing a shorter one – five kilometers shorter. This shorter run was forced upon me by my aching right leg. My last run was last week Friday. I had thought that a one-week rest would have helped my leg heal. I was wrong. I usually do not feel the pain on the knee when walking or seated. It only starts when I start running and gets worse as the run time progresses. Today was no different, despite the week’s rest. The first run step brought the pain to the knee immediately. I tried to gauge the run over the first five warm up minutes. The pain persisted.
I was for a third time using the new route that I had now established at this home of champions. I did the first one-kilometre warmup run to the road junction, where I would then turn right, then run the whole length of the road to as far as I wanted to. I would then do a U-turn, hopefully at about 10.5km, and be back. This expected run was however not likely to be possible today. I was feeling the pain on the right knee with every step that I took. I was resigned to probably running less than ten kilometers today. And that was if I was even lucky to make it that far. At this rate, this pain was not going to get me even to the three kilometre mark!
I kept going, ready to do a U-turn at any point. I now did not care. I had no hope of doing the full half marathon on this day. I was now just running to prolong my turning point, which would be inevitable with each passing minute. I kept going and kept getting the pain. The pain subsided briefly at the seven kilometre mark, but it was back by the time I got to the 8k junction, where the road makes a slight left turn. I would normally have pushed on for another ten minutes before getting to the U-turn. Not today. My run was already overstretched by this point. I was doing a U-turn here… not a metre more! I was glad to be doing this U-turn at this point. I was finally getting back home.
I started my way back. The very way back that gives you the perception that you are going downhill, when in reality you are going uphill. Even the way the body feels would confirm that you are going uphill, but the eye shows a downhill! This route is crazy. That marvel kept me going until a raindrop fell on my right arm. I was about 6km from the end of run. The sky was still clear, with very few clouds. This cannot be rain. This one drop cannot be. Even the sky was still clear for shouting out loud!
I had to run another five minutes before more drops became apparent on my arms. And then the sky started darkening as the dark clouds started enveloping the blue sky. It was going to rain. It was just a matter of time. I was still hopeful that the rain would come down after about an hour or two, based on how clear the sky seemed to be. I was now four kilometres from the finish when the light showers started. This rain would fall sooner than I thought. I tried to increase pace, but that right knee could not be pushed faster than it was already enduring. I just had to live with it and the reduced pace.
Three kilometres to the finish and the light showers turned into a light rain. It was now inevitable. I would have to run a distance of anything upto three kilometres in the rain. The hilly terrain, which looks like downhill, was becoming harder and harder to run through. I kept going while the rain hit from above. It was now a full heavy rain by the time I was two kilometres from the finish. The cold waterjets hit me from all directions.
I had already decided that I was not going to take shelter. I would have to run the last ten minutes through the heavy rain. My shoes were already wet by this time. My T-shirt and pair of shorts were dripping. The phone was in the left pocket of the shorts. I knew that it would still be wettened, but not as bad as being carried by hand. I just hoped that it would not kaput, like the other phone that failed forever when I ran with it through some rain in the city.
I finally made the last left turn for the last kilometre. The rain was heavy! I just tore through the waters and kept going knowing that my run would be done in another five or so minutes. It was a relief when I finally got back home dripping and ready to hit the shower. However, those COVID numbers welcomed me back after the 16.5km run and made the rest of the day dull.
Even the weather than turned sunny by four did not improve the feel-bad over TT. It was not even a surprise therefore when the Government extended the COVID restrictions, including the curfew, for another thirty-days. Corona was now our way or life for the long run. I cannot even believe that we have already survived five-months of restrictions! We shall without a doubt survive month number six.
WWB, the coach, Eldy, Kenya, 27-Aug-2020
My run ended even as the rains intensified. I would get into the house dripping from top to bottom. I was just in time to pop into the house as the COVID numbers were running across the screen: worldwide infections stood at 24,518,049 with 832,771 deaths. 16,986,374 had recovered. At rank number 65 in list of countries ranked by total infections was Kenya, with the numbers being 33,389, 567 and 19,368 respectively. I continued starring at the screen, squinting as I did this, since I do not see much without glasses. The cold clothes were causing a shiver through my body. The effect of that 1.24.48 duration run apparent as the tiredness set in.
I matched across the living room to the bathroom. I would have to wash off the run. I had intended to do a long run, but ended up doing a shorter one – five kilometers shorter. This shorter run was forced upon me by my aching right leg. My last run was last week Friday. I had thought that a one-week rest would have helped my leg heal. I was wrong. I usually do not feel the pain on the knee when walking or seated. It only starts when I start running and gets worse as the run time progresses. Today was no different, despite the week’s rest. The first run step brought the pain to the knee immediately. I tried to gauge the run over the first five warm up minutes. The pain persisted.
I was for a third time using the new route that I had now established at this home of champions. I did the first one-kilometre warmup run to the road junction, where I would then turn right, then run the whole length of the road to as far as I wanted to. I would then do a U-turn, hopefully at about 10.5km, and be back. This expected run was however not likely to be possible today. I was feeling the pain on the right knee with every step that I took. I was resigned to probably running less than ten kilometers today. And that was if I was even lucky to make it that far. At this rate, this pain was not going to get me even to the three kilometre mark!
I kept going, ready to do a U-turn at any point. I now did not care. I had no hope of doing the full half marathon on this day. I was now just running to prolong my turning point, which would be inevitable with each passing minute. I kept going and kept getting the pain. The pain subsided briefly at the seven kilometre mark, but it was back by the time I got to the 8k junction, where the road makes a slight left turn. I would normally have pushed on for another ten minutes before getting to the U-turn. Not today. My run was already overstretched by this point. I was doing a U-turn here… not a metre more! I was glad to be doing this U-turn at this point. I was finally getting back home.
I started my way back. The very way back that gives you the perception that you are going downhill, when in reality you are going uphill. Even the way the body feels would confirm that you are going uphill, but the eye shows a downhill! This route is crazy. That marvel kept me going until a raindrop fell on my right arm. I was about 6km from the end of run. The sky was still clear, with very few clouds. This cannot be rain. This one drop cannot be. Even the sky was still clear for shouting out loud!
I had to run another five minutes before more drops became apparent on my arms. And then the sky started darkening as the dark clouds started enveloping the blue sky. It was going to rain. It was just a matter of time. I was still hopeful that the rain would come down after about an hour or two, based on how clear the sky seemed to be. I was now four kilometres from the finish when the light showers started. This rain would fall sooner than I thought. I tried to increase pace, but that right knee could not be pushed faster than it was already enduring. I just had to live with it and the reduced pace.
Three kilometres to the finish and the light showers turned into a light rain. It was now inevitable. I would have to run a distance of anything upto three kilometres in the rain. The hilly terrain, which looks like downhill, was becoming harder and harder to run through. I kept going while the rain hit from above. It was now a full heavy rain by the time I was two kilometres from the finish. The cold waterjets hit me from all directions.
I had already decided that I was not going to take shelter. I would have to run the last ten minutes through the heavy rain. My shoes were already wet by this time. My T-shirt and pair of shorts were dripping. The phone was in the left pocket of the shorts. I knew that it would still be wettened, but not as bad as being carried by hand. I just hoped that it would not kaput, like the other phone that failed forever when I ran with it through some rain in the city.
I finally made the last left turn for the last kilometre. The rain was heavy! I just tore through the waters and kept going knowing that my run would be done in another five or so minutes. It was a relief when I finally got back home dripping and ready to hit the shower. However, those COVID numbers welcomed me back after the 16.5km run and made the rest of the day dull.
Even the weather than turned sunny by four did not improve the feel-bad over TT. It was not even a surprise therefore when the Government extended the COVID restrictions, including the curfew, for another thirty-days. Corona was now our way or life for the long run. I cannot even believe that we have already survived five-months of restrictions! We shall without a doubt survive month number six.
WWB, the coach, Eldy, Kenya, 27-Aug-2020
No comments:
Post a Comment