I used to say I would never run. I also said I would never wake up early to exercise! Well all that changed last year. After walking the 10 km race at the Soweto Marathon, I saw an announcement for the Gaborone Marathon at which there was also a 10 km race (but only a run). Long story short, I was talked into training to run it. I realized that anyone can run if you run slow enough (my run is definitely more of a jog ;) I also realized that in Botswana the only time when it was cool enough to run outdoors in the summer was just after the sun rose (before it had time to heat up the day). So crazily I began to get up early to train. Things were going well until a few weeks before the marathon when it was canceled! Of course, this was after I had already paid my 50 pula (around $8) and I was told that there would be no refunds - just an entry into next year's race. Anyway it was sad and I decided I would have to try again. Upon moving to Cape Town, I began running again, this time at more normal hours (after work) as it is not as hot here! I decided to RUN the 10 km race in the Soweto Marathon. This year on November 6th I did just that! I had one goal - to run the entire thing (not to walk any parts of the race). Despite several large hills, I managed to achieve my goal and to run the 10 km in 1 hr and 10 min which I was happy with (you might remember that I walked it in 1 hr and 35 min, so I really don't run much faster than I walk, but still ;)
My friends Jacquie and Shikata drove down from Botswana to meet up with me and run the race as well. We made a nice weekend out of it. We stayed in the same B+B in Soweto as we did last year. We went to the Apartheid Museum and though I had been once almost 2 years ago, I still managed to learn a ton. We also went to Nelson Mandela's house in Soweto. Of course, he did not actually live there very long before being sent to Robbin Island but Winnie Mandela and his children lived there while he was in prison. Unfortunately it was burned at one point so there is only one original table (it had been leant to someone else and they got it back afterwards). The house has a random collection of various citations and awards that the Mandelas have received over the years. Including "the key" to the city of Newark! There is also the tree in the backyard under which all of the Mandela's children and grandchildren's umbilical cords have been buried. Jacquie and Shikata dropped me off in Pretoria for a week of working that side, before heading back to Botswana. So we stopped at the Union Buildings as well. The Union Buildings were designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1910 and were the site of many marches and protests over the years. Today it houses the offices of the Presidency and Presidents (including Nelson Mandela, of course) are inaugurated at the Union Buildings.
This is Jacaranda season. Pretoria is known for it's Jacarandas, in fact it is called Jacaranda City because there are so many lining all the streets that the whole city looks purple during this time of year. It is quite pretty.
The race was followed by a week in the Northwest Province. In addition, to our regular visits to the clinics, Carolin (one of the South to South nurses) and I conducted a two day training for nurses in the Province. We were supposed to have 11 people, but due to staff shortages we ended up with only 6. It was unbearably hot (40C/104F) and the room we were in had no fan or anything! It was a challenge for the participants to stay awake, however we did manage to get them to do some group work on cases to stay awake. It is really incredible the conditions under which nurses here work and a true testament to their commitment to their patients!
Here is a slideshow of the week's events:
