Day Five

Godfrey is still sick and I need to run today. I couldn’t yesterday because we couldn’t find him and I could not run with Gerald again. Today, Lindsay, one of the leaders of our group, finds a student for me. She just ran a bit with him and she promised me that he didn’t talk. Sold - you’re hired!

Lindsay also offered to run along for a minute or so to get some pictures for this blog and my fundraising Web site. I agree because I want people to see Africa and me running here. In addition to my escort, Charles, I have about 10 other kids wanting to run as well as another student, Lauren. Lauren ran in high school, so she is quite fast and quite good. After my pictures have been taken, Lauren and I run. Today is 15 minutes our and 15 back. No hills. Several students from the school run with me out of town. Town doesn’t seem so bad today. Either people are getting used to me or they just don’t care. I also think it was a holiday. Perhaps people were doing other things. I don’t know.

Turns out, Charles and his buddies do indeed talk.

“Professor, are you tired?”

“Yes, I am.”

“We should stop.”

“No, I am training. I run when I am tired. That’s what happens.”

A few minutes later…..

“Professor, are you tired?”

“Yes.”

“We should turn around, then.”

“No, I have 4 more minutes before I turn.”

Then we turn. And it continues.

“Professor, are you tired?”

Sweet Jesus, seriously? “Yes.”

Then my escort finds a bicycle and starts riding around me, behind me, in front of me, and then disappears. I am left with Sahid who has borrowed Lindsay’s IPod. He is quiet, running with me enjoying the music. I like him. He gives me space and is quiet. He should run with me again.

Today was incredibly difficult. It was so beastly hot and running in the early evening didn’t help. There were a few times I thought I might not be able to run this relatively short distance. I felt like a wimp. I also didn’t like the constant questions. But I had to say to myself, cancer doesn’t take a day off. If I had leukemia or lymphoma, could I just say, today is much to hot to have cancer? No. So I ran. And I finished. And I stretched. And I complained. And I showered. I felt pretty good.