Same run, but different run

Same run, but different run

The Friday run was to be a repeat – a reconfirmation that Monday was not an accidental run.  On that Monday I was forced to take a thirty-minute break at the very middle of the run, at the turning point, when the rains just started from nowhere.  That break was a good rest.  After the rest, it was a smooth run back through the 10.5km.  However, I noted that I was really struggling with my run, as if some force was pushing me back.  I however managed to finish the run and break a 21km record in the process.

On this Friday, I wanted to confirm that this run was still possible, without a break.  I left for this run at about 12.30pm.  The sun was already overhead, though it was not very hot as it had to also contend with the cloud cover that came on and off over time.  The start of the run was fun, without any pressure and the route was easy.  I now had the route profile in memory.  I would just run the 8km, then make a gentle left turn for another ten minutes, and would then do a U-turn when I felt like it.

The run to the 8km was good.  Though the route seemed to be hilly, in my sight, I found it quite easy to run on.  My right wheel was however still giving me trouble.  It pained as I ran, but seemed to improve with time.  I could feel the pressure of pain on my knee and had to reduce speed at places.  Accelerating was out of the question due to the pressure that the knee was struggling to handle… and failing to handle.  The knee pain subsided and was virtually gone as I headed to Kipkenyo.  

After the 8km turn, at Kipkenyo, I started on the 2km stretch that would get me to the DEB school, where I was rained on last time.  I passed by the school and kept going for another five or so minutes, before I found a place that I would do a U-turn.  The sun was still hot as I did the turn, ready to replicate the run back to my starting point.  

My troubles started when I was now back to the DEB school, hardly 12km onto the run.  I started feeling that force pushing against my run.  I reduced speed and kept going, almost coming to a halt, even halting at some point.  I was feeling the fatigue of the run.  The road profile, in my eyes, was generally downhill.  So why would I be struggling with a downhill run?  If anything, I should be rolling without an effort!  But believe it or not, I was hardly able to keep up with the run.

I could have abandoned the run altogether, but I was already too deep in the run, and of course, did not have any alternative.  I had to make it back to the finish line, or otherwise be lost many kilometres from my destination.  I motivated myself that I had done worse runs before and that kept me going.  I kept struggling but kept running.  I kept estimating my remaining ‘survival’ distance as I kept going.

Finally, I reached the last left turn for that spelt the last one kilometre.  I was re-energized.  I was going to make it to the finish line.  The sun was still hot but that did not mean a thing.  I was going to finish the run.  And soon, in another five minutes, I did finish the run.  I recorded a distance of 23.28km in 1.54.00.  The verdict for this particular run was that I barely survived.  

For a second time in four days, I was still unfortunate not to meet any runner at this home of champions.  Maybe my run time was occurring at the wrong time?  And just like my initial denial on Monday, the map profile on Runkeeper and Endomondo still indicated that there was a 100m uphill run when I start the run back after the U-turn.  My eyes may have been seeing otherwise, but the geography of the earth did not lie – the last 11km was a continuous uphill.

WWB, the Coach, Eldoret, Kenya, Aug. 21, 2020