This archive report was first published on 1 December 2019.
Published on December 1, 2019, by MWALIMU ANDREW, a renowned author with the Nation.
As I reflect on my marathon training journey, I am reminded of the words of wisdom from my coach, Pius: 'It's do-or-die as we hit the home stretch.' These words echoed in my mind as I embarked on the final week of training before the big day.
My goal was clear – to run 42km in record time. I had spent countless hours training, and my body was ready. Or so I thought.
But Pius had other plans. He had decided that I would run 21km, along with Rumona, while Tito, Nyayo, and Kuya would attempt 10km. Fiolina and Bensouda were relegated to running 5km.
I was taken aback by Pius's decision, but I tried to understand his reasoning. He explained that the distance from Mwisho wa Lami to Kakamega was 33km, and I would need to add another 9km to reach my goal.
But I was not convinced. I had cycled to Kakamega many times, and I knew that I could cover the distance in a shorter time. I reminded Pius of my previous cycling exploits, but he remained unconvinced.
As the training intensified, tensions rose between Pius and me. I felt that he was not taking my ambitions seriously, and I began to question his motives. Was he trying to sabotage my chances of success?
Despite our differences, we continued to train together. We ran, we cross-trained, and we rested. But the doubts lingered in my mind.
And then, on the eve of the marathon, Pius disappeared with Rumona. I was left to wonder what was going on. Was he planning something with Rumona, or was it just a coincidence?
The answers will have to wait until next week, when I will reveal the details of Rural Swaras's performance in the marathon.
