Ending October with Numbers, Distance and Str-wrong medicine

Ending October with Numbers, Distance and Str-wrong medicine

Today is the end of month.  Despite being end of October, the corona pandemic has taken no cognizance of the end month joy.  It has instead continued to pour misery upon misery onto humanity.  The number of COVID-19 confirmed infections stands at 46,053,200 worldwide, with 1,195,935 fatalities and 33,322,659 recoveries.  That puts the mortality rate at 2.6%.  Kenya can also not celebrate end month, since at number 73 on ranking based on total infections, we now have 53,797 confirmed cases, with 981 deaths and 35,876 recoveries.  Our mortality rate stands at 1.8%.  Is there anything to celebrate given these numbers?

Of course yes, there is reason to celebrate.  First and foremost, the fatality rate of corona aka ‘the thing’ or TT in short remains low.  2.6% is bad, but lower than had been feared.  I remember during the earlier days of the pandemic, one of my pg-classmates on the WhatsApp group stating that we shall hit a million infections by six-months.  

I had really questioned him on that assertion, since I had informed him that the mortality rate was just about 2% and 1M deaths would mean that 50M infections of Kenyans (all Kenyans!), which I told him was just impossible in six months.  Well, that was a discussion in April, the early days of TT.  We are now six months into the prediction and our mortality is 1.8%.  I am glad that I believed in the strength and resilience of humanity, unlike my colleague who was on the grim-side of things.

Is there reason to celebrate?  Of course, yes!  Life continues and streaks of good news still come our way despite the pandemic.  We have many vaccines on trial with some already on use to first line workers in some countries such as Russia.  Many more vaccines are on phase three trials aka larger population trial before it can be rolled out to the masses.  This is quite good news.  

Management practice for TT are also now well established and even in Kenya we do have home-based-care for COVID-19 patients, as the first line of management, with hospitalization being the last resort for only severe cases.  This means that we are progressively managing and soon conquering the TT thing.

I had my own instance of celebration this week.  It was raining on Monday and could not go for the customary Monday run.  I was therefore confident that the substitute run on Tuesday would take place.  I had later on gone to town to send some item by courier since the run of this Monday was already not possible.  Though going for a medical was not in the works, I just did a spur of the moment decision after the courier visit to take advantage of being in town to also got to the clinic.

I had decided to pass by the health centre to check on my left wheel which has been disturbing me for a while, and I have written blog upon blog about this particular heel, that hinge that gives me pain during and after every run.  However, it does not pain on the days that I do not do my runs.  It was therefore not aching on this Monday, since my last run was on Friday.  I was even having self-doubt on the wisdom of visiting the clinic on this day, but I found myself matching to the clinic building anyway.

What would you do if you went to the doc with a stomachache and got treated for a headache instead?  That analog depicts my experience at the clinic on this Monday.  As usual of any medical, I had to have the vitals checked first.  While at the cubicle for the checks, the nurse did not believe that I had a painful leg at all.

“Are you sure?,” she asked, “You have no lift whatsoever!”

I did not know what to say.  I should have not come here in the first place.  I knew that this would happen.  I was now sure that this was a mistake.

I would soon be called to the doc’s place.  The clinic had very few patients on this day.  I could only count three.  Business must be bad!  If people are not falling sick, then corona is really bad!  Most of the medical staff, including the doc whom I was now talking to, had most of the time on this day been glued to the TV screen.  

It was the occasion of the unveiling of the BBI* document at Nairobi Bomas venue.  The meeting in Nairobi had attracted national following.  This clinic was no different.  The president jibing his deputy about the deputy being impatient and seeking the big seat too early had caused lots of laughter even here at the Eldy clinic, almost 400km from the real venue of the meeting.

*Building bridges initiative, a document detailing constitutional reforms for Kenya, aimed at averting the post-election political unrest

I was not at the doc’s cubicle.  The doc looked at the papers from the nurse and without much enquiry started, “Oh, I see why you are here, these numbers are high!”

“What numbers?”

“These vitals.  We need to deal with this.  It is good that you came in at this point,” he continued, while still affixed to the numbers on the papers.  I could see some two numbers were written in red amid the lots of text that filled the paper.  I did not decipher what the numbers meant and why they were in red while the rest of text was in black writing.

“Let me send you to the lab,” he added, then as if on an afterthought, “Any other problem?”

Very funny!  I thought.  

“I actually came here because of a persistent pain on my left heel”

“You mean not for this?,” he pointed at the card.

I would soon be out of the doc’s and it did not take long to be through with the lab thing.  I had been referred to another hospital, about 2km away, to get an x-ray of the feet.  I walked and was at that hospital after about ten minutes.  Despite the number of people being so few at that hospital, their reception area was so disorganized that it took me over thirty-minutes to get a booking.  

The x-ray process was however very fast.  Despite this, it was just past five when I finally got that A4 size negative film that they call x-ray film.  By then the principal clinic was already closed.  I would have to continue my medical journey on the next day.  What a wasted day… and a missed run day.

So, I missed the Monday run and was still due for another trip to the clinic on Tuesday.  I still have a Tuesday meeting from ten, and hence had to visit the clinic in the afternoon.  The doc looked at that dark film and nodded.

“There is nothing to worry!  All is normal!”

That was music to ears.  No wonder I had not wished to come to this place in the first place.  Nonetheless, I still have this pain to deal with and I was now hoping that the prescribed drugs would ensure that I do not ever visit a hospital because of a leg.

I was therefore doing the Monday run on Wednesday, and as a consequence, was now doing the Friday run on Saturday.  Yes, today being a Saturday, I did my Friday run.  I just repeated the routine runs that I have done in the month of October.  Just running the trail, the mostly uneven trail, for the five circuits.  I was just glad that the run ended at some point, since it was a tough run on a hot day.  This was also a run of significance – the last run on the last day of the month.  After 2hr 16min 26sec, I was done with the last run of the month.  I was 6km short of the 31km that this day commemorates.

WWB, the Coach, Eldy, Kenya, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020

Robbers and Heroes – the Mashujaa Day Experience

Robbers and Heroes – the Mashujaa Day Experience

“Shika huyo mwizi!”

I thought that I heard that shout from ahead.  This got me from my otherwise preoccupied mind.  I am usually preoccupied with scanning the road and ensuring that the stepping action is working well.  That is one of the perils of doing a trail run.  Your adrenaline, that triggers alertness and eventuality, must be on the max.  Unlike a road race where you just let go and enjoy the comfort of the road, the trail needs a different strategy – concentration, observation, adaptation and usually reduced speed.  But you get to enjoy the sceneries and nature.

I was once again doing my trail runs on a loop, which I now call the ‘Big Circle’, though the mapping looks more of a big triangle.  This circle runs partly next to Sosiani river and then the uphill from the river to the tarmac to Kipkenyo, at the primary school, then a turnback all the way to the starting point and repeat.  It is a 5.5km circuit that would take about 30-minutes.  It would otherwise take a shorter time to go round if it was a road race setting.  A trail run gives this route a differing time – a longer time.  The ground is never tarmac and it mostly uneven.  Speed is never your aim, nor is it even possible to speed along anyway.  The previous day’s rains did not help the ground condition either.  The mostly dry weather roads had dried up into uneven rumble strips through most of the circuit.  It was a difficult run.

I was now on the second circuit, and had just done about 8k, with Kimalel primary school just behind me when I had this encounter.  I was to go straight on, through yet another dry weather road, full of unevenness resulting from the recent grading and subsequent rains.  There was an open field to my left.  I have run diagonally through that field before.  I now avoid it just to increase the distance, by doing the run round the almost three sides of the playing field to emerge on the other side of the field.

I was immediately brought to my senses.  I had to forget the concentration that I had on the running trail.  My eyes which were behaving like dipped lights, good for close observation, would now have to headlight much further to scan my surrounding and decipher what was going on.  I would momentarily see a motorbike starting to traverse the playground on my left.  It was coming from ahead but not running on the road.  It was running on the grassy edges of the field, heading towards the centre of the field.  On the motorbike was a passenger.  I would soon realize that it was this passenger doing the shouting. 

The motorbike of two was now just about five metres from the road where I was running.  I would now have to process the happenings and try to make sense of it.  My continuing run was not making things any better.  I would soon decipher a third person running just ahead of the motorbike wishing to disappear deeper into the playground.  It was not long before this third person would be intercepted by a stranger who was walking from the centre of the field towards the fringes.  This fourth ‘interceptor’ would be the blessing that the motorbike passenger needed, since this interception allowed the passenger to jump off the bike, run towards the person being chased and grab the runner from the hands of the person who had first caught him.  Shouting, exchanges and commotion had just erupted.  

I would now be forced to turn my head back to see the unfolding drama, since I had not stopped running, and the drama was now progressively and surely fading back behind.  I would have one last moment to see the passenger wrestle the alleged thief to the ground, while the motorbike driver and the person who intercepted just stood there to watch the two fight and roll on the grass.  I would soon be out of observable view as I did my left turn, then later another left turn, to emerge on the other extreme end of the playing field.  With my turning points dotted with buildings all around, I would not be unfortunate enough to witness the end of the drama.

Meanwhile, as I kept running, the happenings of a few minutes ago starting to fade as new material started getting my attention.  I would momentarily hear the unmistakable voice of the president as he gave his speech at Gusii stadium during the commemoration of the Mashujaa aka Heros day.  I could not get the details from the mostly muffled sounds, as I had to keep running past these stationary radio points, or past the receding motorbike radios.  

I kept to my trail circuits and would soon be on the third loop.  However, by this circuit, I would not find anyone at that playing field where there was drama hardly thirty minutes prior.  I hoped that it had ended well.  There is no hero in theft.  Nor is there heroism in taking the law into one’s own hands.  That is why we have law-enforcement.

I would however not dwell much on these thoughts.  I still have to concentrate on ensuring that my taking-in of the running path was perfect.  Especially today…

I had just bought a ‘new pair’ of second-hand running shoes the previous day.  I was taking them to the trail.  The trail is the real ground for a shoe test.  And the test results wouldn’t have come any sooner!  I had noted from the first circuit that the wheels were a bit tight.  I already know and have advised as such, that new wheels are not the perfect choice for a long run, until they finally get in shape.  You would usually take them for a short spin to let them assimilate to the new settings of feet and track, before you trust them for longer distances.

I was operating against my own advice on this Tuesday, and I was already having a sharp pinch on my right big toe as I started the third circuit.  I hoped that the pain would subside, though I knew with certainty, as certain as this day being a holiday, that the pain would only get worse.  And it did get worse.  The pinch and pain on that right toe persisted and kept getting worse with every step.  The last half of the run was done in pure pain.

The only reason why I kept going was just to keep with the tradition of the day.  There is a hero in each of us.  The hero that has the power to survive the worst of situations.  There hero in you to do what you are determined to do.  The hero that does things for the good of self and the good of others.  That hero in you, who recognizes that you are a real person, with good times and bad times.  You are a hero.  The very hero who is human, not a miracle worker – just a simple being – with needs, wants and feelings.  That hero, you, who remains a hero whether you are told about it or not, the fact is not changed.

I treaded on and would finish the run after doing four full circuits and a final bonus run that cuts out the Sosiani river section but maintains most of the trail to the end of run.  I did a 2.15.18 on this day when I was celebrating the hero in humanity.  Last Friday I was on the same route and did a 2.17.37 – but it was not heroes day on that Friday, was it?  What other reason is there to celebrate the hero in us!  Of course, I had to kick off the shoes immediately upon finishing the run and subsequently walked around with a limp throughout the day – but isn’t that what is expected of the hero in us?

So, as we celebrate the hero in humanity, even COVID-19, which has now infected 40,986,632 with 1,128,223 deaths and 30,576,827 recoveries cannot shake our resolve.  Even the Kenya numbers, at rank number 72 on the listing by total infections, now stand at 45,647; 842 and 32,522 respectively, does not dampen the heroism in humanity.  But it is not all groom.  There is a hero in all of us and there is a hero in the researchers doing something about this corona thing.  If you have misgivings, then have a look at what COVAX is all about.  This corona thing is being defeated progressively... and soon.

WWB, the Coach, Eldy, Kenya, Oct. 20, 2020

Forgiveness at 16k – with schools on, and marathons on (not)

Forgiveness at 16k – with schools on, and marathons on (not)

“Raiz aliompa ara-Rudo msamaha, imachin!,” a heard from a boda rider, who was in conversation with another two riders.  The three had congregated under a tree to shield themselves from the mid-day sun.  They were just standing to my right, on the edge of the road under construction, where I was now on an uphill run.  In a few moments I would pass besides Pioneer police post on my right and then immediately pass by Kimalel primary to my left.  After that I would hit the main tarmac road that goes to Kipkenyo, where I would turn left and then back left again to continue doing my loops around the trail.

I had just hit 16k, being my third circuit on the planned five circuit run on this trail, when I encountered the riders.  This trail was about a 5k loop and it had all the ingredients of a ‘real’ trail, from uneven roads, stony paths, roads under construction, muddy patches, rocky sections, hills, downhills, overgrowths, farmlands and even crossing of streams, albeit formative ones.  It is a trail that has finally tamed me into the reality of what a ‘proper’ run is all about.  Forget about those smooth marathons that we run back in the city, where they even close roads and divert traffic to allow us through.  This trail was the real ‘down to earth’ run – down to the earth, literally.

I remember seeing this group of riders at this very spot on the road the previous two times that I had gone through this circuit.  It was just coincidental that they were on loud talk this time around as I passed by a third time.  I had noted that they tended to keep quiet as they observed my approach.  They would then start talking when I was gone just beyond earshot.  I knew that they were discussing my run and how crazy it was to run in this hot sun.  I knew that they were doubting my sanity, due to the ‘ndio huyo tena’ statement that I could overhear, with strained ears when I was passing by.

I believe that on this Monday, the politics of the previous Saturday was just too hot to keep cool.  They just had to politic over this issue that had occurred during the National Day of Prayer held on that Saturday.  On that Sato, the national leaders had gathered for the prayers and the prezi had asked for forgiveness, but had also forgiven.  The boda group did not want to hear the ‘forgiven’ part.  They were more interested in the ‘forgive’ part.

But the boda people were not the only ones discussing the forgive/forgiven dichotomy.  I had heard on a radio talk show that same morning about the intricacies of this issue.  The radio people in fact brought a twist to that statement and said the forgiveness was conditional.  It was a ‘If I have wronged …’ conditional, meaning that it was not blanket.  They were also quick to point out that the counter statement did not have an if, it was unconditional, ‘I forgive’ (no ifs on this).

The boda people could hear nothing of any analysis on the statement.  They knew that they had achieved what they wanted – an ‘unconditional’ asking for forgiveness, for what they perceived to be harassment of their very own leader.  That is what counted.  

I was still engrossed in this forgiveness thing when I soon passed by Kimalel primary to my left.  I could see the students starting to stream out of the gate for the lunch break.  They were supposed to be having their face masks on.  I did not see them in any.  They were supposed to walk singly, without crowding – the so called ‘social distant’ walk (SD walk).  There was none of that.  I observed them hi-fiving each other and walking in groups as they headed out of the compound.  Corona prevention best practices were not working with the young ones.  Only the Most High would continue to see us through this pandemic.  This is beyond human effort – it would not be by power, not by might.

I would continue with this Monday run and add to it the last two laps.  I finally brought home the run after five loop round the trail.  I was tired, but running at the ‘backyard’ keeps me going since I know that I can easily drop out any time.  I keep running for as long as I want and this is good motivation.  That comfort of being able to drop out is responsible for the final tally of 25.6km in 2.16.26 done on this Monday.  

My average actually improved to 5m 20sec per km, over the last Friday run when it was 5m 29sec.  As I said, the trail has humbled me.  The high altitude has not made things any easier.  I have built up my resilience from the usual 5min average to the 5m 20sec on the high altitude.  I am improving, hard to believe but from 5min to 5min 20sec is an improvement – all factors considered.  It is hard arithmetic but get pen and paper and you shall be able to calculate that truth for yourself.

It is now a Wednesday.  I have had two days of rest.  Schools have reopened for three days, with class 4 and class 8 now being regulars in primary schools and form 4s being in session in secondary schools.  Universities and colleges started their reopening earlier in the month and they are progressively allowing their students back.  Restrictions on sports events are also being lifted.  The country even hosted an international athletics event two weeks ago.  Restrictions on marathons have however not been lifted, but it is no longer all gloom.  

Very soon life shall be back to normal and corona shall come to an end.  The very corona virus that causes COVID-19 whose global numbers* stand at 38,433,470 infections, 1,092,083 deaths and 28,888,220 recoveries.  The numbers in Kenya are 41,937; 787 and 31,340 respectively.  We are ranked 71 on the global list of 216 countries, based on total infections.  The numbers may seem high, but this pandemic shall soon be tamed – watch this space.

*all figures from worldometers website

WWB, the Coach, Eldy, Kenya, Oct. 14, 2020

Of 2100 – the altitude, attitude, distance and time

Of 2100 – the altitude, attitude, distance and time

Last Friday’s run was a disaster!  It is the run that never even started.  I left the house at 11.45am but my steps were so wobbly by the half-kilometre mark, that I immediately knew that I was not fit for the run on this day.  I ended up just jog-walking through some routes near the house and somehow managed a 4km ‘jog-wa’.  I accepted that that was not my run day and I quickly moved on to waiting for the great London marathon of Sunday.

Two days later and it was Sunday. Yes, and that was yesterday Sunday, October 4.  The day of the London marathon, when our very own Kenyan world marathon record holder, Kipchoge, would square it off with Bekele of Ethiopia at the London marathon in the UK.  However, the squaring off was not to be, since Kip’s competitor withdrew from the marathon due to injury.  It was not just Kip. 

It was a given – Kip would run on his own and compete against himself.  Who knows, he could even beat the 2.00.00 time that has been elusive in the forever history of the marathon.  The world record, his record, now stood at 2.01.39.  Nonetheless, Kip had already run a 1.59 in that solo Ineos event on 12-Oct-2019 in Vienna Austria – 1.59.40 to be exact.  We now wanted to see a 2.00.00 in a competitive marathon, and London of April, now held in October due to the postponement forced by the corona, seemed to be the event for this.

On this Sunday I was glued to the screen to watch the men’s event, after the women event had been won by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei who defended the title successfully in a time of 2.18.58.  The men’s event would soon start, and the leading pack that included the pacesetters and Kip started together kept going together, all the way to the half-way point. 

This marathon route was a loop of 2.1km that was to be done nineteen times.  So, we saw a loop run, then another loop, and many more loop runs continued.  We had hoped that there would be a time and place when Kip would break out of the pack.  However, Kip was not breaking out of the pack even after the halfway point.  This was not like him.  He is known to leave the pack at about this point and just sprint off, even touting his compatriots to take him on if they can.  This was missing in this run.  He was just sandwiched in that leading group, even falling behind pack at some point.

It was over for Kip when it was about two more loops to go and Kip started falling behind the leading pack for five.  He was more than one hundred metres behind the leaders by the last loop.  I believe that even that leading pack was quite surprised that Kip was not with them to fight for the honours.  By the time they realized that they could as well win this without him, the time had really gone and no record would be broken on this day, with just one lap of 2km to go. 

Kitata of Ethiopia would beat our own Kipchumba to the line by a second, in a time of 2.05.41.  I admired Kipchoge perseverance all the way to the finish line where he was position 8 in a time of 2.06.49.

You win some and you lose some… and life continues.  That is the whole essence of marathons – knowing that the body decides to operate the way it decides on the day of a marathon.  Kipchoge would later confirm that he had pain in his right ear and also cramps in his hip and leg.  That is the discomfort that he had to endure of the distance, but he managed.  I admire his spirit and have learnt something – run days are different but keep running….

It is that spirit of running that got me out of the house today, Monday.  I had already decided that I would do a trail run.  I was not treading the tarmac anymore.  I have done enough tarmac to Kipkenyo and back, and then to Langas and back.  It was now time to avoid the tarmac in total and try something new – first time at this home of champs. 

I did not have any predefined map when I started the run.  I just wanted to explore and discover the trail as I went along.  I headed towards Sosiani river and followed a route near it.  I then followed some footpaths and kept going.  I finally emerged at the Chief’s camp at Pioneer, which I was quite familiar with, and then made my way back to the starting line.  My calculation was that this circuit was about 4k.  I now had a trail to run through for five loops and that would give me my half marathon.

I therefore intended to run 21,000m distance on the 2,100m altitude, with a ‘keep running’ attitude and the aim of doing a time of 2.10.00.  The intention was well and good, but the new trail run showed me who was king – that was not me!  Only the 2,100m altitude was achieved.  The distance turned out to be 25.3km, the time turned out to be 2.18.09 and the attitude turned out to be that of ‘respect the trail’.  The trail brought in all manner of ‘unexpectations’.  First, the run near the Sosiani river was full of rocks and water streams.  The footpaths were dry and dusty.  The rest of the roads were mainly earth roads.  I hardly experienced any tarmac. 

The 2100m above sea level did not mean that it was a flat run.  Far from it.  There was a hilly section for about 2km, near the river.  I had to tread carefully, and speed was not an objective on this trail run.  Survival was the objective.  Add to this mix the hot mid-day sun and you can imagine all the ingredients of a typical trail run.  Try it some day.  Just formulate something, even a 1km circuit that has all the mix of rocks, mud, dust, water puddles, some thickets if you can afford, no tarmac if possible and there you have it.  Run around this discovered trail and you shall surely know that trail run just has its thing, which you cannot get from the road runs.

I was now back home and life was continuing as usual.  Kenyan colleges were reopening as higher educational institutions were now getting back post-corona.  COVID-19 infections were still ravaging the planet.  Even the US president, Donald Trump, was now in hospital after being infected with the Corona virus!  The worldwide numbers kept rising - 35,464,018 infections, 1,042,901 deaths and 26,671,115 recoveries.  Our Kenyan numbers were 39,427 infections, 731 deaths and 25,659 recoveries.  Life continues despite corona, and so do runs, even as I now planned to purchase new running shoes following the tearing effect of the stones on the soles of the current ones.

WWB, the Coach, Eldy, Kenya, 05-Oct-2020