Mater Heart Run 2011

Warm up Session at Nyayo National Stadium

 14th May 2011- The day of the run arrives and we are all hyped up and ready for the run. Other than wanting to clock a good 13,000 steps on my pedometer, I'm glad that there was this sea of people out here this morning and all to enable a child get a so desperately needed heart surgery. All Kilowatchers arrive on time 6.30 am as agreed except for me. You see, on this day I got a very bright idea - to walk from my house to Nyayo National Stadium, the flag off point. Huh! That was a good 45 mins walk prior to the run..! What in God's name had I just gotten myself into? Thank God for small mercies, it took us another 45 mins to start the run, so I got a chance to catch my breadth :)

It was nice seeing the team again and liking the new head bands with the words "I am a Kilo Watcher"! How do you like that!

10 KM

My fitness level over the last several weeks, and especially after hiking Ngong Hills, had so greatly improved and so the 10 km walk/run was, to be honest a walk in the park. We run a bit and walked most of the route simply because we were too many people. And there was the risk of hitting somebody or tripping and falling. Roads were fully packed and everywhere you turned there was someone in a green T-Shirt. In all honesty all that green gave me a headache! You almost feel like you are being hypnotized.

Well, there wasn't much to say about this adventure other than the fact that I felt so elated having touched a child's heart in my own small way.

But as usual such a day will not miss some of its side shows. So Kilowatchers gather for a brief meeting and we all disperse to start our day at about 9.45 am. My friend and I decide to hover around a bit and we look for her cousin in this "sea of green". If there is someone I would vote for a nobel prize is the inventor of the mobile phones...shortly thereafter, we find the cousin and then the DJ's from 98.4 capital FM start doing their thing. The music was refreshing, but there were some 14/15 year olds on stage dancing so suggestively. If those were my children I would take them to a boarding school in Garbatulla, Isiolo district. And insist that they have to stay there for holiday tuition. Mary, Joseph and Jesus@#$%....Needless to say, that was my cue to leave for home, I was absolutely disgusted. It was quite nasty, the music was stopped and the kids hurled off the stage. 

Alice Ndong and I

Well, I see off my friend and I decide to take a matatu back home. Well, first of all, it is been quite a while since I used public transport [ :) My God is the King of Kings-thank you Father for a car], so this was quite a treat. However, other than the real danger of being run over when these fellows pull up at the bus stops, the other danger staring right at your at your face is the freaking possibility of a tetanus infection. Literally, the vehicles are so worn out; metal is rusting and some of the aluminum - I think- is sticking out and can scratch passengers. My question was, why do we allow such vehicles to be on our roads. Where are the cops? Oh yes, the cop station is right opposite this bus stop!  I mean, they could as well ask nurses to travel in each of them, with the sole purpose of administering a tetanus jab for everyone who comes on board. For there is a real possibility of getting a scratch from these vehicles. Anyway, having bought some yoghurt for my week from one of the vendors at the stadium and they were starting to feel quite heavy in the back pack, I just decided to board one of these vehicles and head out home.

Oh, but the passengers were the other lot! They complained all the way about how there was too much traffic jam just because of "these runners"! Damn, I felt so attacked. Being "one of the runners" and the only one in that vehicle those guys should just have waited I alight before they make such nasty comments. They even suggested that we should try running within the national park so that they can go on with their business uninterrupted. Being the good Christian I am, I said a prayer like Jesus did; "forgive them Father for they know not what they are saying :). Heart condition is not a respecter of persons and you never know when we might need our own to be attended to and we need people to come together and raise the funds. That is when you will not care if there were a million heart runs each week. But all these just put a smile on my face. As human beings we at times can be too indifferent.  Not too long ago, I would probably be the one complaining about traffic jam, but now I know better. 

I got home, had my king-size breakfast and watched Nigga Movies all day long. You know one is like 4 hours.... :)

And that was my 14th of May!