Posts

Showing posts from July, 2011

Ever See a Kenyan Run?

Image
Ever watch a Kenyan run? Most of us have only had this pleasure if we’ve had the misfortune of being committed to watching a back of the pack marathon runner and we see the Kenyans with their East African brethren zip by while we wait and wait. I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of Kenyans run. In my nine or ten visits to Kenya, I’ve rarely seen the average Kenyan run for recreation or health reasons. By contrast, many Americans run because we feel guilty about last night’s dessert or double-bacon cheeseburger. I’ve seen Kenyans run because they are VERY late for work, VERY late for school, or are playing soccer. Even the ones who look least athletic have the same gate as the few I have seen who are obviously VERY good at it. The latter run like gazelles, hovering over the ground. But both run like boys and girls who learned to run without shoes. 1 Meaning, they aren’t cloggers. They don’t bow their heads beaten and low, slam their hee