Training

Running “with” the elite

On my first day of training (Saturday, Nov12), we woke up at 5:30am to meet Mersha, the coach, and Daniel, the driver. The athletes, Joanna and I loaded into the van and rode at least an hour to a popular training destination, Sabata. The paved road was crowded with running teams. We did an “easy” twenty minute warm up and I was already feeling tired. The thin, dry air with intermittent bursts of truck exhaust made it feel as though someone was sitting on my chest. When we returned from the warm-up, Mersha informed us that we would only be running one, 5 kilometer piece. Phewww! But Mersha advised us to run it “faaahhhhsssst.” I told Mersha that I would take it easy and he replied, “Yes, faaassst. And take care.” Although this stretch of road appeared to be dominated by runners, those on foot knew to defer to trucks, higers, and livestock, which did not bother to change their course. Amazingly, I have not yet witnessed an automobile accident.

As I ran my 5k, men sitting along the road or hitting their mules, and children playing, yelled words of encouragement at me, “gooda ruther!” and “kep going!” Less encouraging, but still initially amusing, a child yelled “ferengi, ferengi,…” at the top of his lungs for a good four minutes, as long as he could see my whiteness coming toward him and going away from him on this flat, arrow-straight stretch of road. And another group of children joined me on my cool down, all five of them struck with incurable giggles. When I (finally) finished my 5k, Mersha informed me that in two weeks, I would win the Great Ethiopian Run—ha! The Great Ethiopian Run brings 35,000 runners to Addis annually, drawing global attention. It is an important race for Ethiopian athletes hoping to enter international competition. Stay tuned: I will be running it, however, I can guarantee that I will not win the race.

The forest

My next run the following afternoon felt a little better. Gudisa, Seada, and Hana (athletes at RAB) led me into the forest across the street from the RAB house. I followed behind Gudisa, with Seada and Hana trailing closely behind me as we entered the forest. The temperature immediately dropped ten degrees, and overhead, thin eucalyptus trees grew thirty feet into the sky. Gudisa was an attentive guide as we wove through the forest, seemingly aimless, never maintaining a straight line for more than three steps, dodging mules, their excrement, skulls, bones, trees, rocks, dugouts, and shrubs. The forest sloped upward from the tree line and we wove back and forth up and down the slope while doing switch backs. With each tripping hazard, Gudisa lowered a hand (or both), drawing my attention to the obstacle. Despite Gudisa’s excellent guidance, I rolled my ankles at least a dozen times. Every time that I stumbled, the athletes circled around me, “ishy, ishy?” (okay?). “Ow, ishy” (Yes, okay).

The best way to describe running at 7500-9000 ft in Addis Ababa is uncomfortable, at least physically. (Not that I’m not enjoying it.) However, the bustle is unparalleled: horse-drawn carts (I was nearly hit by one backing up yesterday, much to my audience’s amusement), heavy-laden mules, flocks of sheep, exhaust-pumping trucks kicking up dust, thin air, mountain views in every direction, and plenty of encouragement from onlookers and fellow friendly runners provide a scene not to be missed!

pics from a workout in Saluta.