When tired…. Accept and run on
Monday was my usual day of run. I was good to go, after a three-day rest period. I started the run at 11.40am and felt fairly well as I did that first kilometre. The weather was good, being sunny with the morning sun. However, it was a bit hot, even as I finished the first k and started on the second. I was on the same good old ‘new’ route from Eldy town to Kipkenyo centre and back. The turning point at the centre is on the 8km mark, and that is where I was aiming for. My tiredness started being manifest on the second kilometre. I just felt tired thereafter and almost turned back. The spirit was however willing but it was residing on a weak body on this day. Was it the heat? Was it the high altitude? Was it just the day to be tired?
I however kept going with a view of ‘stretching’ the run to the very limit of collapse, then see how it shall go. This stretching would get me to the 8km turning back point at ACK Kipkenyo Secondary. I was just glad that I had made it to this turning point. But now the real task was just about to start. I was now 8km from home and I was as tired as a log. I had to somehow drag myself through the uphill that runs from 2000m above sea leave at the 8km mark, to the 2100m at the finish line. This run back has been difficult every time that I have been on this run. Today it was twice difficult as I was the most tired ever.
What must be done must be done, and so I just turned back and started the slow uphill hill over the eight-thousand metres. That distance was long! It is just the dream of hitting that finish line eventually, at some point, that kept me going. I would otherwise have just given up and probably taken a matatu back, in my sweaty form. I did not take the matatu, but instead kept going. I usually do not carry money with me, and hence the matatu option would also have not worked anyway.
My tired body pounded that tarmac somehow, all the way to the 15km mark at the junction where I would either turn to the left to go back to the finish, or turn right to increase my kilometre-age through Langas Kisumu Ndogo.
The mere thought of turning right was already just painful, leave alone forcing my body to turn to the right when the time came. Finally, I was at the junction and…. And I surely turned left and headed to the finish line. There was no way I was going for anything more than a k. I was just glad that I would be finishing the run in another five minutes. I eventually finished run! How I managed the 16.32km in a time of 1.28.26 is still a wonder. That 5.25min per km pace was the most painful pace I have experienced in a long time.
I was exhilarated that I had managed to finish the day’s run ‘somehow’. The tiredness would just momentarily evaporate, just like that, since I was back to normalcy immediately after the shower. Despite this, I wanted to forget the experiences of this run in a hurry and be ready for a better experience next time. Nonetheless, the body dictates and decides on how to carry itself – some days are good, others days are bad and yet others are ugly. Today was one of those Mondays.
I would momentarily be seated for the afternoon rest. The next major event of the week was to be the announcement by the GOK on the next stages of COVID-19 restrictions, since the current modalities were set to expire tomorrow, Tuesday. I expected that announcement same tomorrow. I thought that that is the date of announcement as already promised. It was therefore a real surprise when I heard the prime news item that the announcement was actually on this very day. I am however already used to extension of restrictions, and was therefore not expecting any better, whether the announcement was today or tomorrow.
Corona aka ‘the thing’ or TT was still causing havoc on planet earth. Worldwide confirmed infections now stood at 33,492,659* with 1,005,057 fatalities (3% mortality rate) and 24,801,703 recoveries. At number 69 in the world, ranked by number of infections was Kenya with 38,168 infections, 700 deaths (1.8% mortality rate) and 24,681 recoveries. In Kenya, the rate of samples that are being confirmed positive from any sample size was now about 4%, from a high of 14% in June. This reduced positivity rate had already generated a debate that corona was now a goner, and that life should be reinstated back to ‘normal’. I was not holding my breath on this end-of-TT prediction. And it is even good that I did not….
There were no surprises when the night curfew was extended for another two months, meaning that night events would continue to be off until December. Despite this, more extensions during that December festive month is the likely scenario. This thing is likely to run until 2021. The curfew hours had however been shortened to 11pm to 4am, unlike the previous 9pm to 4am.
Other extensions of restrictions included public gathering still being limited, but to 200 people instead of 100, while the tax reprieve for individuals and corporates would remain in force until end of year. Attendance at places of worship would remain restricted, but the maximum numbers had now been revised to one-third of the building’s capacity. Schools and educational institutions would however remain closed, until the ‘how’ of their operation upon reopening was addressed.
Finally, it was a reprieve to liquor business since bars would be opened for the first time in six months, and they would operate until ten. Other eateries which could not sell liquor previously, despite being open, would now also be allowed to offer ‘kanyuanji’ to their revelers. This was a long time coming and I know that hell shall break loose when these restrictions are lifted from tomorrow.
Well, marathons remain suspended and maybe being tired today was just a good thing, as I can continue resting in readiness for the time when the runs resume. It could have been a disaster if I would have felt this way during one of the September marathons such as Ndakaini.
*All data from worldometers website
WWB, the coach, Eldy, Kenya, 28-Sep-2020
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