Friday’s training was to run 10k, my final long run before the half marathon next week. Hesham my friend called in the morning and apologized for not running with me.
Of course, I had second thoughts, should I go or just rest today? Especially since we were supposed to run in Wadi Degla and I only ran there once and I might get lost.
I said to myself, it’s these circumstances that build perseverance and champs, I will go.
I Arrived at 8:15 am, It’s a sunny beautiful Friday. Let’s start.
After 500m the phone rang and it made an error in my Bluetooth-connected fitness band, so I needed to start again.
The first 3k was almost always uphill and the wind was blowing against me. Last May I experienced a similar wind blow and it really messes up with your pace and it needs much extra effort to overcome.
The wind is a blessing or curse, it prepares you to be able to run in any weather condition however it drains your power unless you keep a slower pace in order to balance the extra resistance.
I did not know the trail map nor had any idea where to run, I just ran following any signs that showed that someone passed from here before.
I kept running until the trail took a turn and the wind started to blow in my back and here is where the fun begins. It’s just like in real life when you feel that the circumstances around you work in your favor because god made it easier for you (someone would call it luck). You feel like a hand pushing your back and you are going downhill too, it was much much more fun than my way up. It pays when you work hard.
At 5k I felt let like, “Let us make today 7k only” but after taking the downhill part and reaching the 6k I felt very strong and just getting warmed up, so I took a left turn and tried a different trail.
On reaching the 8k I decided to go back and I needed to open google maps while running just to know my direction in the desert I managed to finish 9.5 down to the gates so I made an extra 250 meters back and forth to finish 10k easily.
When I think about how I finish strong and my thoughts in the morning of skipping the run or my thoughts of how it’s hard to run against the wind or just to accept second goals like 7k, I realize day after day that running is the life you choose how to finish it.