In Kenya, I’ve had to embrace the concept of Polépolé, Swahili for “take it easy”. We joke about things happening on Kenyan time: relaxed, late (according to us), and predictably unpredictable. After a series of injuries, illnesses and mishaps, 2010 has been a year of learning patience; a lesson that is being reinforced by my experience thus far in Kenya. Like a good little student, I’m trying to learn from the relaxed culture here and let things happen in their own time.
The latest lesson in patience has been dealing with a glute injury sustained last Sunday, our first full day in Iten. Part of me appreciates the irony in being unable to run (or even bike *sigh*) in one of the most famous running towns in the world. For the time being, I can only watch runners instead of running myself. Although I can’t do much on land, I have picked up some running tips and am getting to be a pretty good water runner, perfecting the worst tan lines of all time in the process! I’m also trying to be supportive to my training partners Andi, Vicky and Lisa, who are getting in some seriously good training. Watch out for these three in 2011!
My injury is taking a while to heal (at least far longer than the two or three days that I would have preferred), but it is happening on its own time. Polépolé. Until then, I’m just trying to stay relaxed, I’m meeting some cool runners and I’m unsuccessfully avoiding having my swimsuit lines permanently etched into my skin. Hopefully my next post will have me back running side-by-side with some fast runners!
Kwa herini!
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