I have been able to keep up with my running here pretty much since day one. I head out early in the morning just after the sun comes up and run about 3 kilometres out and then back. The scenery is beautiful and I am pretty much surrounded by mango and palm trees during the run.A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a local boy about 16 years of age. He joined me for the run. He was wearing a tattered shirt, jeans, and faded red flip flop sandals which were now looking more pink than red. I quickly caught up to him and could read the writing on the back of his shirt. It read “Leave No Child Behind”. I passed him, but it was not long before I heard his shuffling feet and the clapping of his flip flops behind me. I sped up. Not to get away from him, but just because it was one of my speed run days. I was in front of him briefly, but it was not long before we were running side by side again. We ran out to a small wooden bridge which is about 3 kilometres out and I turned around to head back to the UN base. He followed. Sam was silent during the whole run as was I. The run was all business.
Just before arriving at the base, he told me in broken english, “I live here.” I shook his hand and told him that he was a good runner and that I enjoyed the run with him. I asked him if he ran every day and he acknowledged that he did. I asked him what his name was and he said “Samuel”. I thanked Sam again for the run , we parted company, and I continued back to the UN base which was another 100 or so metres away.
The following day, I went for another run. I was all by myself for this one. On the way back, Sam was sitting on the edge of the road. “Why you don’t call me?”, he asked me. I told him that I did not know exactly where he lived and that I thought I would have just met him on the road. He pointed to his house which is a Tukul (mud hut) and said, “Tomorrow you come knock and we run.” I told him I would.
The following day he was waiting for me on the side of the road and we ran together again. Him in flip flops and tattered jeans and me in my fancy runners and shorts. I am looking forward to more runs with Silent Sam.
Cheers,
Rory
6 comments:
Hey Rory is there anyway we can send your new running partner, new shoes. Mike. Lindsay, Stacey and myself would like to buy him some.
We both would hate to see the local talent beat you in flip flops everyday.
What shoe size is Sam? We also need an address.
Hey Rory,
You can count me in on the shoes. I am glad that you are okay. I was a little worried after the news reports. As long as you are careful out there. If there is anything else you think you can use over there let me know. Be clean now(=: Take care
Barb aka: OM
For sure!!! I was going to get Amanda to get some, but if you guys want to pitch in that would be great. I will get the address tomorrow. Just don't know if it will be able to get here right now given recent tensions. Not sure if you've seen the news. Can't really write about it now, but I'll fill you in later.
Cheers.
Hey Rory,
Count Crystal, Kai and I in on those runners and a pair nice pair of running shorts. You both need to be in style when out on your runs. Good to see that your having a good time.
Hope all is well.
Hey Rory
Here's an interesting bit of trivia: In 1960 at the Summer Olympics in Rome an Ethiopian runner named Abebe Bikala won the gold in the marathon race and set a world record, beating his closest opponent by 26 seconds. He became the first African to win that marathon, and what's more, he ran it barefoot. After the race, when he was asked why he ran it barefoot, he replied, " I wanted the world to know that my country, Ethiopia, has always won with determination and heroism." (Actually, Adidas had given him a pair of shoes to run in, but they were so ill-fitting that he decided to run barefoot, which was the same way he had trained.)
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