It rains when we run – the second international says so

It rains when we run – the second international says so

The second international marathon held on Friday, May 27 was not so much different from the previous one ran on April 28, albeit the first one being held on a Thursday and the fact that I was suffering a cold that had put me down for three days so far as I prepared for this May run.  The second run still started at the Generator at a few minutes past 1615hrs, despite the run being a strictly 1600hrs run.  Edu was there for this second one once more.  He told us to wait for a new comer whom I had not met before.  He introduced him before he joined us, as ‘he has ties to the team, real ties’.  I let that puzzle slip as I saw someone approach the generator.  He said a familiar ‘Hi’ to Edu, and a casual salutation in my direction.  We took the start-or-run picture and we were soon off for the immediate uphill that comes just 200metres from the starting point.

It was still hot with the evening sun hardly at the horizon.  We left and kept going at a relatively slow pace.  I led the pack as we headed to Waiyaki way past Kabete Polytechnic, and crossed the road at the Uthiru flyover to head towards Ndumboini.  We then went downhill past Wangari Maathai Institute to the river, and then faced the second uphill as we headed towards Lower Kabete road junction.

We just ran and ran in a relaxed pace.  We ran some one kilometre on Lower Kabete road, diverted to the left towards Mary Leakey school and finally got to the University farm at some point in the run.  We finally got to ‘the tank’, the point at which the usually muddy Uni road gets to the Kanyariri tarmac.  We had just done 10km and were almost half way through the run.

Going towards Kanyariri ACK and finally the right turn towards Kanyariri Centre on the Gitaru-Wangige road was our next course in the run.  It is just under the overhead busy road that we did the U-turn and were now headed back on same route to ‘the tank’, then straight on from the tank to Ndumbo.  All was well until the tank, when it started to drizzle.  We faced the Ndumboini hill when it was virtually raining.  However, it was short lived despite it having soaked our clothes and running shoes.

We finished the run in less than twenty-minutes after passing by Ndumboini on our way back.  I stopped my timer after a time duration of 2:24:43 for 22.33km in case, having starting before the starting point and finishing after the finish point.

It had hardly rained since the April run, when it had rained for the full day on that run day.  We only got a reprieve in the evening to have the April marathon, which was otherwise heading for a cancellation.  And keeping to the same tradition, it started raining just around eight on this Friday of the second international.  It was not past eight and we had now gathered for the ‘Lakeside evening’, where revelers get to partake of delicacies from the lake region.  That is the day I heard of vocs such as aliya, athola, obambla, cham, buss, osuga, akeyo, mtoo, apoth, ngege, omena and aluru (which was advertised but was not there).  It was still raining heavily at ten when I got a lift home after this May run and the subsequent party.

It has hardly rained since that May run, and I can for sure say that the next rainy day shall be June 24, when we shall be having our third international marathon codename ‘Divas International’.  But do not take my word for it.  Just experience it in the next three weeks.

WWB, the coach, Nairobi, Kenya, June 6, 2022