Post by Pa Modou
Wednesday 20th July 2011, Kalagi River Site Camp
Day 12
No of kilo meters covered: 306 km!!!!!!
If there is anything I feel proud of doing at the moment that will definitely be to wake up in the morning, put on my sneakers, pack the trunk of the truck with the bags and daily necessities like water etc and be in that front seat of the truck whiles I eat my morning TAPALAPA (local bread) with peanut butter or margarine and the usual AKON keeps me singing all the way to the starting point of the day’s run.
NEWS!!!!!!
Today, the love4Gambia crew welcomes SPIDERMAN on the truck to the starting point mark and having heard a lot about Spiderman who I was made to understand defeated Erin on the beach on a race about 4 years back, I couldn’t really imagine how he (Spider) runs because having seen our runner (Erin) run 25km everyday and not only that but 31km on her birthday and looks like she needs more Kms for the day, I said to myself “let’s see what he can do…” .
We are back to the tar road and this time it will be with us all through to Banjul to the finishing line!!! Cathy we waiting on your 5km, No excuses… hahaha…
KEBBA’S 25KM AND OTHERS…
The run today was really an amazing one with series of surprises and record breakings. On the run I must say we all have our records and always thinking of breaking them and this time around it was Kebba Suso who ran all 25km of the day of course not without been stubborn like myself as I was branded by the last blog author….. 🙂 (Erin… Shhhhhhh!) Kebba was able to break his record of 17km to get all 25km which made him crowned as the new boss for the day deposing me from the throne but not long before Ashley said “until 2400hours!!!!” . At dinner time Kebba was struggling to make sure he gets the best out of his throne before the expiry of his throne by midnight by threatening to send some of us to bed early if we go against him at any point especially the nurse Ashley…Shhhhhh! Tell you what they are like brother and sister, always on opposite ends…hahaha. Spider was amazing as I observe him closely with Erin on the road trying to see if I will see anything like a competition trying to develop on but I guess they reminded themselves that we are heading to Banjul and we need not to use ourselves too much… (NEVER MIND!!!! I will arrange another race for them after the run but to tell you the truth I will go for Erin to win. Go Erin!!!!!). Spider got his first day run and 25km and have really added up to the team, the run was all not very quiet with the clapping and dancing whiles running which was spearheaded by Spider and Kebba as the children in the community follow suit.
Yoga was on by break time and our instructor Rubbie (Erin) NAMASTE!! Took us through with some small children on the warriors… It looks like the children could do it more than the big boys, strange!!!
Focus on our runner.
Erin has been overall ok today and has been always smiling at everyone as usual. Sometimes I look at her and say to myself, she is the most daring lady on earth in running across the Gambia but again I always remember that we have to do our best and forget the rest!!!!. She hates it to be told she did it but instead we as a team did it, what a lady. Go Erin gooooo….
Now to my last bit for my first blog, Ashley has been practicing some dancing moves for the finishing line and with the way she is taking it am quite sure the debriefings will be an excellent place to showcase her moves…
Love4Gambia run “YES WE CAN”
NAMASTE!!!!
10 Responses
Yeah, Pa Modou…..another milestone….your first blog post Great work, Pa. We will have to create an NSGA blog when the run is all over and you can contribute to it regularly. And enough of this talk about running 5k to the finish. I need to HOLD the ribbon/banner at the finish line 😉 Remember….running the NSGA is work enough for me! 🙂 Love you guys and I leave in 3 days! Woop! Banjul is calling me too…..meet you there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great post Pa!!! Congratulations Kebba on your first full 25km day!!!!! What inspirations you all are! Please say hi to Spider for me!!! How exciting that he will now be running along with you! I agree that there should definitely be a rematch on the beach between Spider and Erin when you are done… Ask Spider if he still has his Gold Medal…. because he may have to give it up to Erin! NAMASTE!!!!!!
Thank you for the blog today, I really enjoyed it. I can just feel the joy you are all experiencing as you laugh and run, run and laugh. You are all breaking new records – absolutely amazing.
Yeah Spiderman,a great addition to the team. Go team go!
Yeah Pa!! Fantastic blog post!!! Big congratulations to Kebba on 25 k, great job. YES YOU CAN!!!!
Great blog Pa. Welcome Spider. Team Love4Gambia ——maybe should be be renamed love5Gambia. Yes I realize the 4 makes more sense but now there is a team of 5. Kebba congrats on your first 25K. You are all amazing. Everyone is doing fantastic keep it up—— almost 3/4 of the way there.
That is AMAZING! Congrats, Kebba, on your 25km! Erin, wow, you have already completed 306km!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is a TON! You are running miracle! I love reading your blogs and looking at all the nice pictures of you and your team!
GO GAMBIA!
Kate
Thanks for the awesome blog entry Pa! And so proud of Kebba…who would ever have thought a girl from Nova Scotia would turn a couple of African guys into runners, ha ha ha!!! Great work all of you. I can also sense the fun you’re having, lots of laughs which go hand in hand with ridiculous distances of running, as I proved in my scholarly paper on Humor Running. Keep it up, can’t wait for the BIG FINISH!!!! xoxoxo
This is getting more and more exciting. I’m tracking the progress on a map I have outside my office and each day I highlight the last days progress and it is so cool too how much has been run and how much is left. It is strange to say, “you only have 125K left”. Only 125K? 5 days left!! Perspective is everything I guess! 🙂 You’ve come so far I hope you are getting excited Erin. Pa, Kebba, Ashley, Spiderman, the whole crew that’s supporting you – thanks for being there. But I bet it is exciting for all of you to be participating in this. Fun! Gina – if you have a link to your scholarly paper on Humor Running I’d love to read it (liamkeast@gmail.com).
Erin, I’m back from Europe and am sending you my kindest greeting from Nova Scotia. You and your team are in my thoughts, you are such an inspiration towards my own very special race! You and Ashley ROCK! You are two amazing ladies and I am so very proud to know you! I had to read all your posts before writing this message – so it took a couple of days and I am writing you just now. Your posts are incredible! I love your writing style – are you sure you’ve chosen a right occupation? 😉 I think you should become a writer! Your posts are a very touching and moving reading – so many times I was close to tears while reading your blog!
Keep it up, girls! As Cliff would say “keep these wheels moving! Stay up! wheeling action!!!” I know you can do it, I just wish to be there as well…
Pass my love to Ashley.
Keep up the NImbarra!
Lots of Love
Nadia