Isn't it amazing that after you book a journey it seems like it takes forever for your departure day to arrive. That sentiment has even more significance for me for this trip because even a few short years ago I never would have imagined myself taking this trip. And now, it's about time to leave.
You see, this is a trip for runners. Going to one of the nations that produces some of the world's best runners, spending time at a training camp run by two-time Olympic gold medal winner Haile Gebrselassie, traveling and running with Scott Jurek and Ethiopian Olympians, and running in a half marathon to culminate the trip is an honor reserved for runners, and until recently I was not one.
It's not that I'm not athletic - over the years I've played many sports, logged thousands of miles on a bicycle, and even done some triathlons. But before the summer of 2011, any running I did was rather aimless and the longest distance I had ever run was nine miles, and that was only once. In fact, in 2010, after having my right knee scoped, turning 50, and having half the tendons in my left ankle sheared in successive years, I was ready to give up endurance events and stay fit through yoga, pilates, and aerobic exercise classes.
And then two things happened. One, I read Born to Run, Christopher McDougall's book about the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico's Copper Canyon who are able to compete against the world's best ultra distance runners, like Scott Jurek.
I also joined a running club. Not a very formal club. We only run 3 - 5 miles every Thursday night, and generally spend more time drinking beer on those nights than running. However, it's a very supportive group of active people who are always doing events.
So it wasn't long before I became inspired to push my physical limits with running. By the summer of 2011, I entered my first half marathon (13.1 miles) and finished in under two hours. In 2012, I ran six half marathons, a 14.5 mile race up Mount Evans, the highest paved road in North America, and in the fall, completed a full marathon.
Now, thanks to Born to Run and my friends in the Belmar Running Club I am proud to say I am a runner. And I am also thrilled and honored to be participating in this running trip to Ethiopia.
