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

When tired…. Accept and run on

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

When Thursday is Friday

When Thursday is Friday

I would have to miss my Friday run and I was not happy about it.  However, what must be done must be done, and on this Friday the ‘what must be done’ was to get back to Huduma centre, three weeks later to confirm if the new smart DL was ready.  It was on such a Friday, three weeks ago, that I was spending my whole morning at the centre, to initiate the renewal and migration process.  Renewal because the license had expired, and migration because I had to get the new smart card size chip card that is the new license to replace the ‘red book’.

I was therefore forcing myself onto a Friday run on Thursday.  I would have preferred to have the Friday run on Friday as expected, but the Huduma appointment was just too important for even the usual Friday run appointment.  Occasionally, Thursdays are Fridays in the world of marathons, and the Thursday’s Friday run became a reality on this Thursday.  I was still tired from the Monday 25k, but the Friday was already here, one day earlier, and I just had to do this.

This Thursday run would be the good old ‘new normal’.  I was now used to this old ‘new route’ from Eldy town to Kipkenyo centre and back.  When back, I would add the Langas (Kisumu Ndogo) loop to make the run complete.  This run turned out to be heavier on my legs than usual.  I was hardly surviving the run.  While I did an ‘under 5min per km’ on Monday hardly three days ago, I was sure that I would even be do a ‘6min per km’ on this Thursday.  That would still be very OK with me.  I was just too tired and wanted to get this Thursday-Friday run done with.

After about 1hr and 40 minutes, I was emerging from the Langas road to join the Kapsabet-Eldy road to head towards town.  I would soon be through with the run.  The weather was unusually hot.  It has not rained for three days, after a streak of about a week of daily rains.  I was sweating profusely.  The air seemed humid and I laboured to get a full chest intake of air.  I however persisted since the run would soon be over.  I would momentarily run past Eldoret Poly that was on the opposite side of the road.  I kept my run towards town, with the vehicles to town alongside my run route, just to my right.  They overtook me, but I kept going.

After about five minutes on the highway, I would see the imposing white story building that houses Khetia supermarket just ahead, across Sosiani river.  I would have reached that mart just across the river, some two hundred metres after the river had I continued on with the main tarmac.  I would instead turn left just before the river.  I would then take another left turn for the road towards my finish line.  I was just glad to have finished the run.  I was shocked that I was actually on a 5min 14sec average pace.  I was sure I was on the six-ish range.  That was still fast over the 24k route.  However, on this day, I was just glad that I was through with the second and last run of the week.  Phew!  No more runs until next week.

Looking ahead, I still had that Friday appointment with Huduma that I was not looking forward to.  And I had hardly had any rest before it was a Friday already and I found myself on the Huduma queue at 7.30am.  I had thought that I was early, but I ended up being about the fortieth person on the ‘NTSA’ queue.  It seemed that this queue had created a reputation of its own, since it was now secluded for ‘licenses’ only, out of the over twenty services available at the centre.  Other people who wanted to get other services had their own single queue.  On this day, this ‘other queue’ for all ‘other services’ had less than ten people.  Our own queue kept growing with over thirty people behind me.  Long and short queue, we all waited for the doors of the Post Office that house the centre to open at eight.

At eight the doors did open and we started streaming into the internal of the building, in batches of ten.  The ‘system’ must have been working well on this day, since I was inside the building at 8.30am, to now face the internal queue.  I was not in any hurry with the service.  I was here to stay even upto midnight, provided the service was on offer.  My fingers were now just crossed over this ‘system’ issue.  Hoping that it would decide to continue behaving.  So far, so good.

There was nothing noteworthy in the collection of the ATM card sized license.  Just hand over your national ID, scan your index finger, sign a register, repeat telling them your phone number, which is already on the register and also on the system that they are using anyway, then off you go with your two cards that they would have handed back to you.  Simple!  Why it takes forever still beats me!

I left the centre at ten-thirty.  That was a record.  On this day, I was facing almost similar settings to those that were prevalent some three weeks ago, when I spent two more hours.  Maybe things are changing for the better.  I sure did hope so.  Maybe it was that threat of dissolution of ‘the government’ and the very possibility that we shall in 90-days be in similar queues to re-elect a ‘new government’?  Whatever it was that was making service faster, should surely continue being there.  However, it was not all rosy inside the centre.  We observed as four or five ‘strange’ people jumped the queue and got served ahead of our waiting group.  These ‘jumpers’ would normally be brought in by the soldier man with the big gun hang on his shoulders.  Dare you say?  Well, that is life, but our patient eventually paid off.

I walked back home with lots of questions.  I still did not get the rationale of change of licenses from ‘red book’ to ‘ATM’ aka smart DL.  Was it just to make us queue?  And part with 3k?  I still did not see its real value even as I examined its information, which was just similar to what is on the national ID.  Didn’t one of the people on the queue even state that we shall be renewing this card every three years?  Facing the same pay-queue-apply-queue-collect cycle?  What is the obsession with ‘new’ cards?  Do not even remind me that we still have the Huduma number card still pending.  The very card that was supposed to ‘consume’ all cards into a single universal card.  Yes, the Huduma number of June last year, that was to have been issued by August…. last year.

I would have been able to still do the Friday run on schedule after all, since I was through with Huduma in very good time and could have been ready and available for the mid-day run.  Anyway, what is done is done and that Friday run on Thursday was still hurting my feet on this day.  It still counted as Friday run for that reason.

“Ooopppssss!,” I exclaimed, hardly one hour after thinking about the possibility of the run.  

It was already drizzling.  The drizzles would soon turn into a heavy rain.  It was torrential by one.  I was now glad that I did not do my run on this Friday.  It could have been the most messed up run of the month.  But things would get worse.  The rain persisted all through the afternoon all the way into the night.  It was still raining by eleven.  At this rate it would probably rain throughout the night.  

So as the rain continued in the background, I could not help but just sit around and get some current affairs going.  I would hear that we are soon coming to the ‘end of Corona’, with schools set to re-open next month.  It was now forgone that life would have to go on despite any prevailing circumstances.  The circumstances of which included the fact that worldwide COVID-19 infections now stood at 32,695,693 with 991,661 fatalities and 24,096,953 recoveries.  In Kenya, we would have to live our lives as normally as possible despite 37,707 infections, 682 fatalities and 24,504 recoveries.  Life continues.

WWB, Eldy, Kenya, Friday, September 25, 2020