The fact that the ‘Chicas’ have just had their last full day here hasn’t helped much. They are in the same cabin as us so seeing them packing really brings it home that I’m going very soon. The volunteers have started to get on really well recently, eating together, playing games together and even playing cards in the evening after dinner, on our porch by candle light. I’m going to miss their bubbly energy, and even their phone calls at 2 in the morning to their boyfriends can’t stop me from being happy that they were part of this experience.
As I said, things feel as though they are coming to an end. I haven’t been given very difficult work these last few days and to do goatherding for the last time today (it seems that Friday wasn’t the last time) felt a little bizarre. However, it has meant that I have managed to achieve the goal I set myself on my first solo shepherding session, not to lose a goat. I won’t deny there have been some close calls and if the goats themselves hadn’t known the routes pretty well, I may have failed. But, each time I went out, I brought the same amount of goats back. So I feel pretty chuffed.The other goal I set myself has to do with running.
It must have been around 3 weeks into my stay here, when Eugo asked Devon and I if we wanted to go for a run. It was to the Avondona and back. I’m not quite sure how long it is distance wise but it is very hilly. Most do it in anything between 11 and 14 minutes.
Anyway, Eugo had explained that he had done one of the mountain races around her and that he had beaten these young men because although he wasn’t particularly fast he wouldn’t stop and would stay at the same pace. With this in mind I had decided to run along side him all the way and gage which was a good speed to run at. On the way back I realised I could go a little faster than this pace, ran ahead and finished in around 11.22 or something. I was pretty impressed with that time until my competitive side of my brain got the better of me and asked, ‘what is the fastest time?’
Turns out Nata had done it almost 2 minutes faster in 9 minutes 33. Darn! But my brain didn’t stop there. It then announced to the group, ‘that’s going to be my target, to beat that time before I leave’. Curse that part of the brain.
Well, I managed to increase my time to below 11 minutes consistently and even down to 10.22 but I still had to find a way of losing a minute. So my goal slowly slid to the back of my mind. Instead, I began to run simply to get fit enough to play rugby when I get back.
And then of course we had the expedition. We were advised to rest a little before the trip so as not to get injured and after we got back I didn’t train in the morning or run for over a week. So effectively I didn’t do any running training for around 3 weeks. Then again I did climb a mountain to nearly 4000 meters.
But the other week I found myself with nothing to do so decided to go for a run (Oh yeah I forgot to mention, I have been running with the rugby ball so that the training is a little bit more specific but also a little harder).
So when I checked my stopwatch, after 3 weeks of no training, and found I had finally managed to get it to milliseconds below 10 minutes I was stunned. And my drive to beat Nata’s record was sparked again.
My next run found me 11 seconds behind his time with 9.44, and that was with the ball. So yesterday I told myself that I was going to go for it today, without the ball.
I was convinced that I was struggling and therefore slower, because I was much more tired half way through and got a stitch as well. But I persevered and finished off my run with my traditional sprint finish. When I finished I couldn’t actually look at my time for a few minutes because I was bent double clutching my stitch. But the wait was worth it. 9 mins and 24 seconds!!! Almost 10 seconds faster than the old record and 20 seconds faster than my last run.
I then managed a manly ‘Rocky Balboa’ cheer (although the arms in the air would have been a little over the top, and a lot more painful). It had taken over 2 months to achieve it, but I had done it!
So I’m tieing up lose ends, eg, collecting my last few recipes, achieving personal goals and seeing people leave. So the end seems in sight, for even a short sighted person. I’m excited about going home but am going to miss the people and the place a great deal.
But I still have a whole day to enjoy it, so I’ll take hundreds of random photos of random stuff for memory’s sake.
Well, better go
Ciao
