So that turns out to be all I had left of my Kenya blog, I had thought there was more sitting around that I never posted. I'm disappointed in that there were some cool experiences toward the end of the trip that I didn't capture, but truthfully I was starting to get a little worn down by the end of the trip, which made writing less enjoyable.
There were a couple more interesting runs in Iten with Kemboi, including a workout at the track where a lot of the Olympic level athletes worked out. As with a lot of the Kenyan running environment, it's fascinating in that you could find a better track at just about any American high school, and yet that's where many of the world's elite runner do their workouts. I actually recognized it during a special they did on David Rudisha during the 2012 London Olympics, which was kind of a weird experience. We also visited a school in Iten that's run by an old Scottish (I think?) guy that Kemboi said still coaches a lot of the elite runners around there. To me it just underscored the point that there's nothing magical about this place that cranks out the world's best runners other than that they grow up running their whole lives, and they've got endless dirt roads at 7500 with great weather to train on.
For everything I wrote down, I'm disappointed that I didn't do a reflection post at any point in the month or two after coming back. As I've mentioned earlier in the blog, that was right during the busyness of fall quarter and cross country.
Speaking of cross country, it's interesting to look back on my senior season in light of this summer and the training I did while I was over there. I was consistently slower than the year before and fell apart at the end of the season even with the late start, so it's safe to say that training in Kenya didn't take my running to the next level by any means. It reinforces the idea that formed during my time there that their training techniques and strategies have far less to do with their international success than the athletic nature of their childhood upbringings.
What still sticks with me four years later? The relationships formed during the trip, definitely. I think Kenya is somewhere I will continue to visit for the rest of my life. Patrick's family is phenomenal, and I'm grateful to have the chance build meaningful relationships with them. As I mentioned in the post about the church I visited, I'm still in touch with them in what has been a relationship that is one of the most profound expressions of what I believe the global church can be that I've ever experienced.
I think there's something valuable about being exposed to any culture significantly different from your own, in that it gives a context to reflect on your own. There are plenty of things about American culture that I don't have reason to consider that were brought to light on this trip. Traffic, views of government, shopping, family dynamics, public service, poverty - I had experiences that didn't match with my assumptions about these things and many more. Not sure what the real takeaway is there. Maybe that anything that we think of as normal isn't necessarily normal? I don't know.
I have made one return trip since, a quick visit with my dad (and meeting up with Heather and Patrick over there) at the end of 2013 for about two weeks. While I didn't like how hectic it was to be on such a short trip, it was far more enjoyable to be traveling with someone else. It was wonderful to see all of the family again, and felt great to be able to reunite with people I already knew as opposed to just meeting new people. I'll always be grateful for their warmth and hospitality, and the eagerness with which they accept me as family. I look forward to heading back to visit again, and many more times in the years to come.
Well, I think that is about it. If you're seeing this for the first time and want to see some pictures and video, Facebook is probably the best way to see all of that. Don't hesitate to get a hold of me if you have an interest in heading over there, or if you're just interested in talking about either my experiences or about planning a trip of your own.
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