Fitness, Lifestyle, Mommy Musings

Running

January 30, 2017

Had you told me 15 years ago that running would be a sacrosanct part of my life at some point, I would have laughed in your face. I would also have asked you to try your hand at a different career because obviously, you were not prescient enough to be a fortune-teller.

In high school, I was this brawny kid with crooked teeth and geeky glasses. I loved math so much it was an obsession. Numbers made my world go round. I wanted to own them. Trade them for everything else, especially Biology and its Latin classification. I didn’t get why I needed to learn all those terms in Latin, a language I would never speak or apply in the medical field. Those who pursued Bio in school and afterwards please tell me how Classification has helped you in life. Anyway. So my dad got me this book Solving Math that I carried with me everywhere I went.  Math evoked the same emotion in me as boys in neighborhood schools would arouse in girls in my class (no pun intended). So much so, every Wednesday when we were required to go for cross-country, I would grab my Solving Math book, slide underneath my desk and retreat into a world only I understood. Numbers. Perfection. Bliss.

Two kids later, I find myself looking forward to Tuesdays and Saturdays more than I look forward to any other day of the week. On Tuesdays I run around the hood and on Saturdays, Karura makes a better trail. On Saturdays, the music on HBR from 6am is therapeutic while the grandiose sunrise as I drive along Forest road just after museum overpass is breathtaking.  The scenery in Karura is the highlight of it all. The hopeful looks on the runners at the parking lot, the twigs crunching under my feet in the first 500m, the pulpy smell of the forest, the sound of the waterfall 2km down the trail and the sight of the ancient skyscraper tall trees stretching away from the floor, towering the forest.

Anyway, so my fitness routine revolves around running 10kms twice a week (Tuesday & Saturday) and hitting the gym on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for strength training. So far so good. My biggest challenge remains my eating habits which hurt more than hitting your small toe on the edge of the bed would. I hope to get this in check in Feb and hopefully I can realize more gains.

Running was never my love and I struggled so much initially. I walked from the office to my home (6kms), then I tried running intermittently and I hated it. Later, I moved to Jaffery’s and initially walked a few laps then ran 5 laps (400m each thus 2kms). Covering five laps incessantly was such a huge accomplishment for me, I wanted to quit my job and become a professional runner!

I then discovered the impact groovy music had in my running and I started loading my phone with more funky beats. You know the ones that make you want to bust a move in the middle of the track? Next thing I knew I was running 5kms uninterruptedly. Afterwards, a friend mentioned Karura and the first time I ran there, I fell in love with it and never went back to Jaffery’s.

My point is, it takes time to find out what works for you but once you do, you will be grateful you started. I hope you find your thing. Cheers to fitness and all the joys that come along with it!

Xoxo.

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Margaret Mwaura Wamaitha
Margaret Mwaura Wamaitha
7 years ago

This is so wonderful. I made running in the morning be my hobby and my biggest motivation is my dad. I run at least 3 days a week Mon Wed Fri & Sun @ 5a.m. Listening to music as I run makes it even more enjoyable. It has made my campus life be more fun.
Thanks for the sharing. Followed your link from instagram and its amazing.
Inspire us even more.

Nimo ali
Nimo ali
7 years ago

Hey joy thanks for the motivation think had started running in my hood but stopped no motivation but now think Karura is a good idea wil try..lol
Well where did you get your Samsung device for music that you use to listen to music while running kindly send me the referral where I can buy?..
Nimo

Lolo
Lolo
7 years ago

Fit and fab mummy,you look like a 20 year old and your body is goals. I love your new hair by the way, the colour the body….you’re just gorgeous. I never liked math( i think it didn’t like me either) give me Biology any day even though my career isn’t related to it.

Magdaline Clare
Magdaline Clare
7 years ago

This inspires me..i recently just started running and today is my 17th day. It surely is never easy but i am slowly by slowly finding ways to be inlove with my routine..i hope i get to achieve my goal.

Muthoni shelmith
Muthoni shelmith
7 years ago

Eish!joy this is beautiful..
The results,so encouraging.
Your ? guy/lady ?????

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