Hitting the Trail

I like to consider myself a runner.  Although more avid runners might disagree with that title, I tend to think that I have run for enough years and with a decent amount of consistency to label myself a "runner."  Hey, I even subscribed to Runner's World for 2 years... that's automatic entry into "runners' club" right?  I ran competitively for 3 years in high school and have run for fun ever since, sometimes signing up for races, but mostly just getting out and getting moving because I love it, it makes me feel good and stress-free, and it's a darn good workout.  There have certainly been lulls in the 10 or so years since I started running, sometimes due to injury, sometimes due to the craziness of my schedule, and sometimes because I just didn't have anywhere to run.  But in every place I have lived, I have run: Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and even the Netherlands.  Running is a definite stress relief for me; I feel more like myself when I am running regularly.

When I moved to Liberia, I didn't know if I would be able to run.  I wasn't sure if I would have a place to go or if it would be too weird - do people just run for fun and exercise in Liberia?  For about the first month I was here, I lived in a no-running phase of life.  I started to feel quite out of shape and was frustrated when I was winded after climbing a flight of stairs.  But then basketball season started, and I had a chance to begin running again... but this time in the dark at 5am, and only for about 10 minutes total.  Although it felt good to have some running in my life, it just wasn't enough to get me that "runner's high" I was missing.  I wanted to run, but there were some things stopping me.  First, the heat.  When you're sweating most of the day every day, it's hard to convince yourself to go for a run and raise your body temperature even more.  Well, the heat is really my main excuse... I came up with others too, but in the end I was just hot and tired.

In the last month and a half or so, however, I decided that I needed to be like Nike and just do it.  I've now been on about 4 decent runs (20 minutes or more) in my time here.  It's always hard to motivate myself to go, but each time I do it I am so glad I did.  First, it makes me feel better.  I feel normal and happy when I am out running, and I feel a pleasant tiredness in my body when I am done.  It also keeps me in shape... I ran three suicides (sprints on the basketball court) with the team on Friday, and I thought I might fall over by the end, a wake up call that I need to keep myself in better shape!  Running is fun, and rather than feeling weird and estranged when I do it, it actually makes me feel somehow connected with the people around campus.

But I think my favorite thing about running is the little interactions I have with people while I am out.  People's reactions are mixed when they see me.  Some look at me like I'm a little crazy.  Some encourage me.  Some smile and wave.  Some ask, "are you taking exercise?" and say "fine!" when I tell them I am.  Some just say "thank you."  Almost everyone waves.  Some come and run along side me.  One day I ran past a soccer game in progress and one player just left the field and started jogging with me for about 5 minutes.  Today I had two little running buddies.  One, Blamah, lives in the village back behind Ricks and is one of the boys who regularly hangs out by the dining hall, hoping to have the chance to help out in exchange for a little food.  Blamah ran with me for about 10 minutes total - I was in my nice, hot pink Aasics... he was wearing one sock and no shoes.  He kept up, and talked to me the whole way... I kept telling him how strong he was, and he would say, "oh yes."  My other friend Leah (I think Leah's about 10 years old) came and ran with me for about 5 minutes too... Leah was wearing plastic flip-flops.  We ran all the way back to my house and then we walked together about halfway back to where they had joined me on my run when it started to rain.  We parted ways and said we would all run together again soon.

If staying in shape and feeling good aren't reasons enough to keep running, I hope that having the chance to run alongside kids like Blamah and Leah will be.  I wish each of you could come and run with me - it really is a special experience.