First International Marathon of 2019

First International Marathon of 2019

The hill

“Do you see a bar around?,” Fay asked.

We were just hitting the 10km mark, on the first international marathon of the year.  That was a strange one.  By this time, we were walking up the hill, on this new international route.  The very route that has a 6km hill that stretches from the Ndumbo river on the 4k mark, all the way to Nakuru highway on the 10k mark.

Earlier on, we had started with a run – just the two of us.  She was doing her first run on the new route.  I was on my third.  The usual B-and-B team was not participating on this particular run.  One B has just disappeared without a trace and gone incommunicado.  That is why I was on F-and-B on this Friday the twenty-fifth day of January.  The FB team left ‘the Generator’ at exactly 4.35pm, having been ‘generated’ (being at the ‘Generator’) by 4.32pm.  We did not wait for anyone, nor was there anyone to be waited for.

At the gate pit-stop, we met Ben, who was supposed to have been ‘generated’ with us, but had somehow succeeded in getting late for his first international run.

“Edu shall show you the way,” Fay had told him while he disembarked from the motorbike at the gate.

The run started well, and was going at 7min per km by the time we were at Ndumbo on the 3km mark.  This was after we had a first-aid break near Vet Lab at the loop.  What are the chances that you adorn a First Aid jacket, as a fire marshal, and you actually do first aid?  The chances are low, and the first international of 2019 was one of those rare occasions.

First Aid

All of a sudden, Fay slowed down and almost stopped.

“This hurts,” she said, pointing at the back side of the leg.

“It is called the calf,” I responded, “You can take a rest and confirm that you are still able to run.”

She did take the rest by sitting on the grass patch and starting to have a feel of the leg.

“You need to help me out with some first aid,” she said.

“I am a fire marshal.  Let not this jacket fool you.”

“You branded yourself as one.  This is your chance to prove yourself,” she said as a matter of a fact.

The first aid break did not take long – just 5 minutes max.  From there we were back to the normal pace.  The sun was still hot, but the temperatures were starting to lower with the approaching evening.  After Ndumbo we met Edu in a big car.  He flashed on us and shouted in our direction that, “Ben is just ahead.”

We could momentarily make out Ben’s form, as we now rolled down to the river ready for the 6km hill.  We ran and walked up the hill and eventually reached the Nakuru highway.  By this time we had already caught up with Ben and were running and walking together as the ‘international’ trio.

I was wondering whether Fay seriously needed a drink, but kept the thoughts to myself.  The marathoner creed expects us to ‘judge not’ and respect other marathoners points of view.

“Here is one,” I pointed towards the roof of a side building.  While I said this, Ben kept going and left us behind.

“Let’s get in,” she stated and led the way.

We got in.  I stood near the exit, while observing the almost dark internal, with loud vernacular music and smell of barley spewing towards the entrance yard.

“What drinks?,” the waiter asked.  By that time Fay had somehow disappeared into some place in the dingy.

“Not yet,” I found myself saying, then momentarily started the downstairs walk out of the building.

Running is a must

Fay would soon join me and explain that she is having a day similar to Isaac’s.  I later got to learn that that ‘similar’ situation meant a stomach problem.  Though I asked her whether we should turn back and call off the run, she maintained that we had to finish the run on the prescribed course.  We therefore just walked and ran until we got back to Kanyariri road ready to face the downhill back to the river.  

We then had the reprieve of the downhill to keep us going all the way to the river.  We once again caught up with Ben and kept going uphill to Ndumbo.  With only 3km to our finish point, nothing would stop us from finishing the first international in 2019 – and that is what we did exactly – finish the first international marathon of 2019 in 2hr 39min and 55sec.

Though we missed the teq, which was one of the marketing goodies for this run, we still managed to have a substitute when we ‘door-crashed’ a staff party and still got our fill.  It was however not long before I saw a reminder on WhatsApp that we have the next marathon already planned.  

The ‘no-love-lost’ Valentines marathon on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019 promises to bring the best of the marathoners since the rules for the day have already been set – you are allowed to run your best run… ‘without looking back’.  Whether the experiences of the day influences the participation by Fay (and Ben) remains to be seen, in 3 weeks’ time.

WWB the coach, Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 25, 2019

The first international half… a full half

The first international half… a full half

It ended

“The run is ended,” I told Faye, when we hit the 13k.

“You mean?”

“Yes, I do. From here it is a downhill for five…., a single k…, then the final home stretch of two,” I elaborated, amid sips of water, “This run is done.”

That was about one hour and a quarter into the run.

It started

The event, the first ever 21k international half, which initially was called ‘Kanyariri half’ started as a joke between regular runners.  When Edward (finally) shared a 21k route that circuits from the compound and back, we, the ‘inner circle’, knew that it was getting serious.  ‘The circle’ of six kept this to themselves as the planning and discussions continued.

It was my duty, as ‘the coach’, a name that had been forced my way principally by the same circle, to market and sell the idea to the bigger marathoners group.  By ‘bigger’ I mean one hundred and twenty or so members bigger.

I did send a message to the marathoners and gave them the full details of the ‘first every international half’.  I mapped the route, shown below, and also worked out some alternative distances, being 18k, 15k and 12k, just to encourage as much participation as possible.  I had two weeks to do this.  I had two weeks to see if it shall happen.  Knowing my bigger team, this was an event that I was not holding my breath for, it was an unlikely.  However, my mind had been made from the time I first saw the route – I was going to do this run, even if I shall be alone – just to scout this route out.

I had an idea of the profile of the route.  In fact, it is only the stretch between 9k and 12k that I had never run on.  I had been to the route upto 9k on some occasion.  This section goes to ‘the tarmac’ at 5k, then on Lower Kabete road all the way uphill to the junction of Gitaru-Wangige road.  The other section of the road that I had been to is the usual ‘Kanyariri full’.  This branches at Ndumbo stage, and runs the full length of the Kanyariri-Gitaru road, all the way to Nairobi-Nakuru highway at Gitaru.  It is just the connection of the two route sections that was new to me.

Countdown

“Today is (finally) Friday, August 10, 2018.  It is 12.30pm.  We have 4hours before the international half marathon,” started my Friday message to marathoners. 

It gave subsequent instructions on what to do, where to assemble and most importantly, “No one should come to the assembly point without at least 500ml of water, ideally 1,000ml.  We leave 4.30pm, and not a minute later.”

I did not get any confirmations.  I was not expecting any.  I know my marathoners.  They consent in silence (or course, they also dissent in silence).  My only worry was that this was not one of the occasions for the latter response – but as already said, I was not holding my breath on this.

I filled up my water bottle at 4.20pm, then changed to my running gear.  That is when I met Chris at the changing room – also changing.

“I did not think that you shall be going for this run,” he reminded me, “I have not seen you run whole of this week.”

“Nikose, nichekwe,” was my response, “Being out of the run this week was just one of the strategies that I had for this run… I have plenty of these strategies for today.  Just wait and see.”

Full team

We were to assemble at the generator house… and that is where I jogged to at about 4.28pm.  The run was a strictly 4.30pm sharp event.  I was surprised to find Faye at the assembly point.  She was the last person that I thought capable of joining in.  She was just running her first month with the team.

“I have been waiting since 4.20pm,” she complained.

I responded, “It is 4.30pm that matters, and I am here now.”

“Hey, you guys can’t leave without me,” Edward shouted from somewhere.

“Mimi pia niko ndani, ndani, ndani,” Chris added from somewhere in the works.

A team of four was more than I could ever hope for in the first ever international half.  This turnout had exceeded my expectations already.  I had feared for a solo run.  I was now 400% successful.

“OK, it is 4.35pm, we must leave,” the coach declared.

“Not so fast,” Faye interjected, “Nathan is joining us!”

“You must be kidding!  I have not seen him on the road all year!?”

“Don’t speak about me like I am not around,” Nathan appeared momentarily, “I am in the run, even if it is the last thing that I do.”

That could then only mean that we move to business…

“Race call!,” I shouted out, “Any 12?, any 15?, 18?”

Silence.  No one answered.

“Okay, 21s?”

“Yea! Tuko!,” all the team shouted.

A few seconds of describing the route preceded the real countdown and at exactly 4.45pm the run started.

Pole pole

Slowly at first, we started off towards the gate, and out of it.  The runners were generally in two groups by the first kilometer mark at the Waiyaki way.  The faster group of Chris, Edward and Nathan, and the slower duo of coach and Faye.

It was a good, sweet, relaxed run.  We headed for the 4k at the river with the runners all in great spirit.  It was generally slow on average, but fast on the splits, clocking nothing over 6km per minute so far.  We hit 5km at the ‘tarmac’ in about 34minutes.  We now have to do the 4km uphill on Lower Kabete road to Gitaru road junction.  I have been on this road.  I know it is mean… and it turned out to be as mean as I know it.  Gentle uphill, but uphill nonetheless… for 4k.  Having decided that this was a group run, we kept each other company and slowed down, or even walked if a team member was out of form.

New section

The 9k to 12k section on Gitaru road towards Nakuru highway was the new stretch that I was doing for the first time ever.  It turned out to be a gentle, but short hill since we soon (about 16 minutes later) were taking the left turn towards Gitaru market and then onto Kanyariri road that I know so well.

“The run is ended,” I remember telling Faye, when we hit this road at 13k.

As sure as mapped out, the next five km were smooth downhill all the way to Ndumbo river.  By the time we reached that river crossing it was already getting dark.

“This lying Equinox!,” I shouted, “How can it be this dark when it is hardly seven!”

“Be happy that there is still visibility,” Faye updated me, “In Europe it would have been dark at four-forty when we started the run.”

“You don’t say!”

Do it again

It was a relief when the five of us reached the ‘Stop’ painted on the tarmac at the gate.  That is where we stopped our timers, technically stop watch for me and some form of digital gadget for all the rest – one particular type of these gizmos that keeps making announcements every ten minutes.  Our group time was an impressive 2.26.40.

As we took a ‘selfie’ of five, (though I am informed that there is no such, if anything it is a ‘groupie’), we congratulated ourselves for a run well run and promised to do this again.

“After Ndakaini for me,” that was my response.

“What Ndakaini?,” Edward wondered, “There isn’t going to be a Ndakaini this year.  The main funders pulled out”

“Not possible,” was my disbelief, “This is the second longest running marathon after Nairobi marathon?  They can’t dare do that!”

“You wait and see.”

On reflection, this was my most enjoyable 21.  So relaxed, no pressure, and also did run in a group the whole distance.  My legs were not aching as much, in fact not at all, for the first time ever.  I ended the run without feeling like collapsing.  This run had a different feeling… a good different feeling.

WWB 'the coach', Nairobi, Kenya, August 10, 2018