Running in rural African is awesome.  Getting off the main dirt road and into the winding two tracks and trails beyond the trading centers at dawn is beautiful.  Mist settling in the acacia trees in the valleys, chickens and cows being the only noise, children waking to school fascinated with seeing an old white man running, people carry their farm tools walking to their fields …very cool.  Many times someone will take off and run with me…dress pants and sandals and do well.  One guy was on his way to work in the next village.

When the SOH kids are out of school, several will run with me.  A few use sandals and others prefer to just go barefoot.  They will go 4 or 5 miles at a good pace.  It is special for me when they join me.  I peek in their rooms 1/2 hr. Before dawn and say “who wants to run?”, and they jump up out of bed.

I know to get in shape for running here since we are in a hilly area at about 3500 feet elevation, on the equator.  Yeah it’s hot.