My morning was maybe one of the most unproductive mornings I’ve had so far. The day of work didn’t technically start until 9:00am because we had morning devotion. I think I’ve said this before: I enjoy sitting around the big meeting table and singing Swahili hymns, but when it’s followed by 45 minutes of Swahili prayer and week recap, I lose interest. I wish I could slink away and just get started on work, but it’s only like eight people in the same room—so I sit and day dream.
After devotion I sat staring at my computer for three hours and was able to complete one slide show presentation (that normally takes under one hour). The WiFi was absolutely brutal. For 5 minutes it would work like normal, and then the next 10 minutes it would just be completely out. Thankfully after lunch it was to normal and I was able to do the work I needed to.
After work I took of on my run. Something came over me (maybe a mix of the super slow day and unproductive scene at work) and I decided to try to run a half marathon. I made it 7 miles outside of Shinyanga and at that point it had gone almost completely dark.
I’ve never really explored outside Shinyanga other than the field trips, so it was nice to take in some new scenery. It was super cool how as I got further and further from the city, the little towns slowly became smaller and fewer until I was in places where there was zero light other than passing cars.
I seemed to not have learned from my other night time run that it is impossible to see the ground, especially when cars are coming head on with headlights blaring straight into my eyes. I finally took out my phone and used it as a flash light after almost going for a swim in a nasty looking gutter full of sludge.
Honestly, the first 10 miles went great. I’d never ran that far so I was unsure how it would be, but I think slowly I’ve built up a good stamina. Mile 11, however, was a different story. I hit 11 and everything felt like it would spontaneously combust: my knees, chest, and feet were on fire and the inside of my thighs had taken to chaffing. My first 10 miles were about a 10 minute pace. My 11th was probably 15ish minutes. The 12th and a bit were slow shuffling probably less efficient than walking. This bridge here in the picture is 1.5 miles away from my hotel and I had never been more happy to know that!
Today is a holiday and I am so happy for that. I think I’ll be in bed most of the day, trying to stay off my feet as much as possible. I might go into the office for a bit, but it’s a completely free day with nothing in the docket, so that’s exciting!