This morning I was extremely fortunate to run along some vaguely familiar routes with some extremely talented runners in my native Africa. As a slipped out on my own to rediscover areas familiar to my childhood, the sun was only just rising and getting hot, the birds were out and the land was coming to life. The beating heart of Africa was warming up and pulsing with life. The land was speaking – although I had long last heard it speak, it was great to reacquaint myself with what it was saying.
At first I laboured along in rarefied altitude air for the first couple of KMs and then something inside of me came alive again – I had felt it previously – although not for a long time. It was the feeling that I had as a child running track, where we were chased so hard by the coach and his dog that you invariably puked your guts up alongside the track at some point and your lungs were left busting and burning from the work put in. It was indeed the feeling of raw enjoyment and that animalistic instinct to push on despite hurting.
The hills melted away and soon enough I encountered other groups of runners who were also out enjoying themselves on a Sunday morning. The sheer talent of some of the runners here in South Africa is amazing – they just seem to have natural instinct and ability to harness the runner within. One happened to remark to me that I ‘was not bad for a white bloke’ – not sure how to take this, I decided it was probably meant in the best light and they really made my day by running along with me.
Two hours later I was back again - things were good, my soul was calm and inside my roots were burning. This is what I was needing – you see you can run, but you can never run from what you are and where you come from and ultimately I am an African runner. It matters not that my skin is white, what matters is what is inside and how your heart relates to the land.
Running together (while retaining your roots) – stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller
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