Day 11. 25km today, 256km total! Banjul Calling!
Kalagi River Camp, 5pm
Today was a really strong day for me. I easily got into my groove where time disappears and I met my fluid/get target with just a moderate amount of work.
I didn’t have any kids or mamas running with me today but I did have Pa Modou Super Sarr! Pa ran a HALF MARATHON today!!! 22km total in fact.
I am so proud of him. This achievement was a pleasant surprise to me and having him continue to push next to me made my running so easy. In my opinion, Pa conquered his first half marathon distance with a perfect mix these 5 variables: (1) athleticism (2) raw running talent (3) stubbornness (4) willpower: Banjul is calling and each step brings us close (5) competitiveness: desire to beat Kebba to this milestone.
One day this week during rest, I was lying under a tree on a farm and the rest of the team was in the truck- it was the day I was sick. A male farmer and his donkey cart came riding towards me and the farmer was yelling really loudly in Mandinka. I didn’t move an inch, I wanted to die. The guys said later that I was lying in the direct path that the donkey always takes onto the road and the donkey was quite inclined to stubbornly take his natural path to the road and run me over. Obviously, the guys and the farmer stopping this collision from occurring. I told Kebba and Pa today that they are stubborn just like this donkey J Ashley and I have both given up trying to encourage them to use common sense when deciding how far to run each day.
Stubborn or not, huge congrats to Pa for his running strength today and the strength he shared with me. I haven’t run a single step alone since my birthday.
Body report:
My legs were really comfortable today. I’ve just run 100km in 4 days. I am as surprised as you. They are just willing to do the work. My toe blister has somehow healed. The only tight spot is on the arch of my left foot. I stopped wearing my arch molds (hard insoles) because I was concerned that they were making my right knee hurt. My right knee is no longer hurting. My left foot rolls in slightly and I’m not concerned about this tightness in the arch- I’ve been rolling it with a tennis ball. We are also back on the dirt road which has been nice to legs.
I haven’t posted my Garmin data in quite a few days because it requires a lot of internet time and the computer is hot. Additionally, it seems that my computer and Garmin are no longer communicating to each other and I can’t fix this without internet juice.
My weight is slightly down at 117 lb today after being sick 2 days ago. I just ate 3 chocolate bars.
To round out today’s post, Ashley and I have prepared an “it’s so hot” list. I’ll preface this by telling you that I am dealing really well with the heat while running. My body’s cooling system operates very well and the heat isn’t the challenge that I thought it would be. That being said, we are hot the rest of the non-running day. Hot like this:
- It’s so hot that Ashley and I are wearing pajamas/underwear at present and we spend most of our non-running day this like in the privacy of our room
- It’s so hot that while at our last base camp in Soma, where there is no electricity during the day, the shower water felt hot because the sun heats the water in the pipes so much
- It’s so hot that I need to type this post in a word document and post it on the internet a few hours later because the laptop emits so much heat that you can only sit with it for 15 minutes at a time
- It’s so hot that Ashley can’t apply nailpolish to her toes properly because it dries with each swipe
- It’s so hot that sometimes I can’t run with my sunglasses on because they trap heat behind them
- It’s so hot that even Kebba is hot
- There isn’t enough Vaseline in Africa to keep my skin intact. Chafing, chafing, chafing. Toes. Shoulders from hydration pack. Shirt pockets. Armpits. I will never laugh at my Nova Scotia boys again about the bloody shirt run
- It’s so hot that we try not to take our 20 minute water breaks in villages because the people and the huts raise the air temperature
- It’s so hot that the puddles emit heat as you run over
- It’s so hot that a ponytail or bun is required. I tried to wear my hair in pigtails once and the heat under each pigtail was too much to handle
So Canadians, stay cool and keep sending us your love. We love your messages.
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