Kwademu Running Club
I recently spent a few weeks staying in Kwademu—a village that is about an hour ride inland from the town of Kaloleni (if that means anything to anyone)—dissertation researching. Kwademu has some nice rolling dirt roads leading out in three different directions from its main intersection (where the room I was renting was conveniently located). From the day I first scoped out the location back in June, I was excited about some early morning dirt road running. What I did not anticipate was that my two research assistants for this leg, George and David, would be just as eager. Whether they were concerned about me getting lost (well-founded as a directionally challenged individual), figured this was the right time to fill out some outsider’s stereotypes (Kenya! Running!), or just wanted to shred some dirt road gnar, I am not sure. But they were enthusiastic about the whole deal, and so the Kwademu Running Club was born.
On day one, both George and David showed up wearing sandals and jean shorts. I was a little skeptical, but thought, who is a guy in a Gone Squatchin’ hat to judge. As it turns out both owned more appropriate footwear—George showed up to our first research assignment an hour after the run in a pair of New Balance cross trainers. For the first week I could count on one or both to be waiting outside my door each morning at 6:30 for some roadwork.* Before long nagging injuries surfaced and family responsibilities called. The last couple of weeks turned back to the solo runs to which I have become so accustomed.
While I failed (just like a parade of British and American reporters and bloggers to Kenya) to unlock the secrets behind Kenyan running, these mornings in Kwademu reminded me of how enjoyable it can be to partake in running as a collective endeavor. Though I like spending time lost in my own headspace, it was refreshing to have a consistent running partner(s) for the first time since graduating college over six years ago. These early runs served some reminder that it may do me right to seek out some sort of running community when I land myself back in the USA this winter.
*This very common code switch into English from Swahili or Giryama is kind of interesting as suitable equivalents certainly do exist (kukimbia/kuchimbira “to run”; kufanya/kuhenda mazoezi “to exercise”).