It is Freedom Day… I wish it were

It is Freedom Day… I wish it were

The UK celebrated ‘freedom day’ yesterday, July 19.  That is the day when all corona restrictions were lifted, meaning that there would be no more social distancing, face masking or any other restrictions that had been imposed due to the corona virus disease (COVID).  While the global corona infection numbers* now stand at 191,855,140 infections with 4,115,649 deaths and 174,673,792 recoveries, the 19-month-old pandemic seems to have now become ‘too much’.  The reason why the UK decision is noteworthy is because they say that people are fatigued and just want to go back to life as it was in 2019.

While this freedom has not prevented corona virus from spreading, it has at least brought some comfort to the people.  With vaccinations now rolling out in many parts of the world, the end of corona is not far off, despite the debates on issues such as efficacy, variants, booster shots and vaccine hesitancy.  While some may criticize the UK for the ‘live-with-it’ approach of dealing with corona, it would be worthwhile to also appreciate that the corona related restrictions had curtailed the enjoyment of human life as it was meant to be.

Take Kenya for example, where the confirmed infections* are 193,189, with 3,783 deaths and 182,921 recoveries.  Do you know how much life has changed and continues to change in these last nineteen months?  Nightlife ended, and may never come back, with curfews imposed in most of the country to the ten o’clock limit, while it starts at seven in the western region.  Social gatherings came to end, with funerals, weddings, birthdays, parties, you name it having been abolished or scaled down to a handful of attendees for the fewest of minutes, under strict supervision and restrictive guidelines.  Some businesses had to close down, due to restrictions or lack of customers.

*source: worldometers website

Even sporting events somehow came to an end!  There was no major marathon event held in Kenya for the whole of last year.  Even this year has already seen the cancellation of the Mater Heart run that was to have been held in May, while the Stanchart Nairobi marathon has new restrictive rules for the first time in eighteen years, after having been cancelled last year.  This year’s Stanchart event that is scheduled for Sunday, October 31 has gone virtual – yes – it is a virtual run for the first time in history.  However, before you call the organizers names, they have allowed a limited number of about 2,500 to attend the physical event on a new route out of the city, unlike the ‘within the city’ tour that we were used to.  Those ‘limited’ numbers are reserved for the marathon elites – those who can run the 42k in under 2hr 30min.  That restriction has put off most of us, leaving us with the option to either participating in the virtual one or skipping the run altogether.

I was pondering over all these new-look Stanchart 2021 during my Sunday run, two days ago.  Would I be receptive to a virtual run?  The organizers expect you to craft your own route, meet your own medical emergency preparedness, have your own way of water and nourishment support, as you run and record your own time, not forgetting the issue of managing the traffic and road perils on your own.  A physical run would have all these issues resolved, with the runner only showing up for the run.  These virtual run requirements being put on the self seem to be a bit too much, not forgetting that the run must be done within the Oct. 25-31 window.  It is still little comfort, despite the participation fee having been reduced from the usual $25 and $10.  Modalities of getting the run T-shirt and medal for a virtual event are not that clear-cut.

I did that Sunday run with other issues to think about.  I had been down with a common cold for three days by that Sunday, when it metamorphosed into a flu.  It is usually difficult for an ailment to pin me down, but this one had virtually won over me by that Friday.  I could hardly walk around as I felt the lethargy, sore throat, cough and running nose that comes with such attacks.  No home remedy in the name of hot water and hot tea would improve my situation.  I do not even know how I was convinced by Edu to do that Friday evening run on the 19k course, since I was for sure out of running strength.  I survived it and probably that marked the beginning of my recovery.

I did the Sunday run feeling a bit better, but my run energy was at probably the lowest that it has been in the month.  I could feel it as the run progressed.  I could see myself slowing down with each passing minute as I tackled the usual Uthiru-Kapenguria-Mary Leakey-Kanyariri-and-back route.  I was doing the U-turn on the 15k mark at Gitaru-Wangige road with so little run energy that I doubted whether I would make it back through the 9k that was waiting for me.  Somehow, I made it back, with forced run steps along Kanyariri road back to Ndumboini then Uthiru.  I managed a 2hr 8min run, for a route that I have previously conquered in under two hours just two months ago.  Nonetheless, I was just glad to have survived the run.

It is now a Tuesday.  I am fully rested from that Sunday run.  It would have been a busy Tuesday, but it is the Eid ul Adha holiday, and businesses are closed.  I have just walked the streets of Uthiru and observed that I was probably the only person with a face mask in the whole of that 2km walking stretch, that was generally full of passers-by and roadside traders.

As I head for full recovery from the flu, I wonder whether I should hibernate and forget about any more runs until I am one-hundred percent back to health, or adopt the ‘learn to live with it’ approach and just keep doing what I have to do.

WWB, the Coach, Nairobi, Kenya, July 20, 2021