2012 Kilimanjaro Marathon Here I Come!

So you are asking yourself WHAT IS HE UP TO THIS TIME? Well will be running the Kilimanjaro Marathon on February 26th, 2012 for charity and need your support.  Your next question IS HE NUTS?

Logo for the Race Next Year

The jury is out on that one as I do eat Marmite and the mountain's name does seem to suggest that it can kill man (Kili-Man...).  But I have done 5 marathons before and health permitting this will be my 6th and perhaps the most special one. I was one of the founding members of the Montserrat Running Club, which organizes an annual Volcano Half Marathon (www.volcanorunner.com) on the tiny volcano-devastated island in the Caribbean in support of various charities on the island. Sadly I was not able to make the 3rd edition on November 26th, 2011. 

WHY IS HE DOING IT – DOESN’T HE HAVE A DAY JOB?

Finishing & Giant Free Beers!!

It will curtail my social life a bit in early 2012, but as you all know, I relocated to Zanzibar in Tanzania about 4 months ago to work as a VSO (Voluntary Services Organisation - www.cuso-vso.org) teacher at a Hospitality and Tourism Institute.  In order to send volunteers such as myself overseas and support its work in developing countries, VSO Canada depends heavily donations from the public.  For this particular event we will be raising monies for VSOs education programmes in Tanzania and Zanzibar, something very close to my heart.  

IS HE THE ONLY CRAZY ONE DOING THIS?

Nope.  I will be joined in by a team of other volunteers and supporters and I have been appointed coordinator and team leader for the group. Me-Team Leader! Wow, now you know they are also nuts. 

WHAT DOES HE REALLY WANT FROM ME?

Mt. Kilimanjaro

Open your wallets and please make a donation to this worthy cause through my personalized RUN FOR THE WORLD fundraising webpage that has been set up by VSO.  The link to this webpage can be found at http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=3217800&langPref=en-CA All you need is your VISA, MasterCard, American Express credit card or a Paypal account and all donations made through the website will go directly to VSO. I have set a lofty target of raising US$10,000 for VSOs Education efforts, so any donation small or large would be appreciated.  Also, as some of you know I will be 40 on December 29th this year.  So in lieu if any extravagant Xmas/Birthday presents and parties, you can donate to this worthy cause instead.  Still though, a new Blackberry Torch would also be nice!!

You can continue to follow my build up to participation in the race on this blog at http://trininomad.blogspot.com/ and also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=672160432&ref=tn_tnmn  

A Bit of Montserrat (and Marmite) Makes a Visit

My Farewell Rum Shop Tour in Montserrat - Red Theme

As much as I am loving the African experience, I do miss living in the Caribbean and Canada (except bloody Arctic-type winters in Ottawa).  In particular, I miss being on The Big Smoke - Montserrat - the tiny British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean with 4,600 inhabitants, an active volcano, 10 days of celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day, and a crime rate so low, that the Her Majesty’s Prison is commonly referred to as the “Three Seasons Hotel”.  I spent 5 of the last 6 years of life there painting the town red (black and white) every weekend and sometimes during the week; organising rambunctious Rum Shop bus tours for charity; playing Sparrow's (and sometimes even singing) music in every bar; most importantly supporting the beer economy by keeping the price of Amstel and Heineken up.  By the way, Montserratians are apparently per capita, the highest consumers of Heineken in the world.  The flour boat may not come for weeks and thus no bread, and the volcano might be erupting for 6 months in a row covering the island in grey snow, and these cause far less panic and frenzy than when the boat loaded with the Heineken from St. Maarten cannot dock at the port because of rough seas.

My Montserrat/UK Care Package Arrives

I was also gainfully employed while there, being responsible for marketing the island overseas, or as one of my friends in the business termed it, the most difficult job in the world. I had to grapple with very limited room stock and infrastructure; a tiny airport with a 600 metre runway (think 9-seater planes with one pilot); an intermittent ferry service from Antigua which usually had more buckets of KFC than it had passengers; frequent volcanic explosions; and constantly having to battle with the colonialist mentality of a plethora of bureaucrats and consultants from the “mother country” that did not know their ass from their elbows as we say in Trinidad. That being said, I really loved the people, and working and living there.  I am especially proud of being one of the founders of the Montserrat Running Club, which organises an annual Volcano Half Marathon (www.volcanorunner.com) in support of various charities on the island.  Now in its 3rd year, the next half marathon actually takes place this Saturday November 26th, and I won't be there to help manage or run the race (or drink the cold Guinness).  Last year I famously collapsed over the finish line and had to use the cold Guinness that was waiting there for me to ice my legs, rather than drink it.  I eventually got into the ambulance that nearly collided with a water truck on the way to the hospital, where I ended up being treated by Dr. Bootun.  She is a lovable, well spoken certifiably mad woman on the island, who occasionally dons a stethoscope, sneaks into the wards, and dishes out diagnoses to unsuspecting patients.  She once broke into the Montserrat Cultural Centre, built by former Beatles producer Sir George Martin, and threw her own one-woman concert, and then chopped and made off the bottom of part of the velvet stage curtains.  The manager of the Centre was confused as to how part of the curtain went missing, until someone pointed out that  Dr. Bootun was wearing a beautiful velvet dress on the streets that week.

With Jean-Jacque and Pat at Zanzibar Coffee House

Anyway I am digressing about the main point of this story.  Last week a bit of Montserrat came to Zanzibar via none other than the king of liming himself, Dave Campbell.  Dave and his lovely Montserratian wife Trish were living in Montserrat for a couple years while I was there and moved back to the UK just before I had left.  Both of them were in Montserrat for a wedding last month (the former manager of the Cultural Centre was tying the knot…hopefully not in a velvet dress) and Dave was given a 2011 Montserrat Volcano Half Marathon t-shirt by my friend Henry to bring for me, since he mentioned that he would be coming my way in November.  Dave was going to be in Botswana for a few weeks, and decided to do a side trip with one of his best friends (another Dave who is a Judge in Botswana) to Zanzibar.  A few days before he arrived, I hurriedly sent him an email asking if he could also bring me some good dark chocolate (a rarity here) and of all things, a bottle of Marmite!  Not sure how many of you have experienced the "pleasures" of eating this pungent, salty, yeast-extract, that looks like Nutella but is a far cry from it.

Modeling my Montserrat Shirt with Dave in Front my House

I got introduced to Marmite while at University in the UK - served on crackers with crisps at 4 am after a night out.  You either love it or hate it. And I happen to love it. But then again I also love salted cod, smoked herring, pickled herring, Solomon Gundy (smoked herring pate from Jamaica and sometimes referred to as West Indian caviar) and canned sardines, so that would kinda explain the fixation with Marmite.  When Botswana Dave met me for the first time he said "so you're the Marmite guy" - in other words, so you’re the nutter with the Marmite festish. For those of you who are not au fait with Marmite, it is vegetarian, a by-product from making beer (and as you know I am a big supporter of the beer economy), is loaded with B vitamins, and importantly, can be applied to skin to prevent malaria mosquitoes from coming near you...mind you no one else might come near you but that’s another story.  Aside from a few rainy days and the fact that hot water from a running tap and air conditioning seems to have eluded them for most of their stay, Dave and Dave had a really good trip.  I got them addicted to Zanzibar Coffee House, and I got my Montserrat fix and caught up on all the Jus Wonderins’ (news) from Montserrat from Dave, so much so that the other Dave pleaded at dinner one night for us to declare a moratorium on mentioning the word Montserrat. We honestly tried....but that would only last a few minutes and somehow we would manage to weave something about Montserrat back into the conversation.  I guess at the end of the trip Botswana Dave realised that Montserrat is a really special place and when it gets under your skin it is hard to shed and get rid of....kinda like me and Marmite during mosquito season.

Beach or Tarmac Running - Trying be Like Bolt

My 2nd Marathon, Toronto 2007-Posing with Rosie

After a couple months of intermittent running, mainly because of the 30 or so going away limes (parties) that I had in four countries in June and July, and the usual relocation issues that come with moving to a new continent, I finally got back into a regular running routine two weeks ago.  For the past couple weeks I have clocked a fairly impressive 50 miles – not bad for an old guy.  It is quite the experience running here, and there are some parallels with running in Montserrat, my previous place of abode for 5 years.  I took up long distance running in Montserrat - it was either that or drinking yourself silly every day.  It also helped that my good friend and work colleague at the time, Rosemarie Thomas (another Trini) is a seasoned marathoner - who can fall of a bar stool after half a drink.  She encouraged me to run rather than regularly falling of bar furniture (thanks Rosie!).

Anyway back to running in Zanzibar.  Timing is everything.  I never been a morning person (don’t talk to me before I have done the three S’s and had my cup of tea with some cereal and undergone some music therapy), so early runs have generally evaded me.  Late afternoon runs have always been my thing.  Running in the afternoon does cut into one’s happy hour time and it is much warmer - but like the sex life of a married couple after 1 year, you have to have set a time and make a rigid schedule. Although in the case of my running, I do it several times a month and I frequently alter my pace and route.

At Low Tide the Beach is Amazing to Run On

So armed with my IPOD, GPS watch, sun-block and my Running Room Canada-emblazoned hat, I have been hitting the beach or the main road at least 5 times a week.  The beach is much more fun – very picturesque, lots of eye candy, and very shady in the late afternoons, as we are on the east coast.  I usually get into a nice steady rhythm after 15 minutes - something I was never able to actually do in Montserrat because of the mountainous terrain (and the constant shouts of “Ishwar you need a beer?”  from passing cars).  But like running in Montserrat, I do get a lot of attention.  I have to answer to at least 50 “Jambos” (hello in Kiswahili), the occasional “mzungu” (white person – really now – don’t you all have a word for brown people?), or they call me Ali Baba (the nickname of Alastair – one of the Directors of the school and also an avid runner).  I also get offers to go snorkeling, fishing or diving from the entrepreneurial locals (must be the Canada hat).  This is diminishing a bit as they have now figured that I live here.  The most fun part are the young kids who sometimes come running with me – usually they want a sprint and man they are fast –speedier than Bolt coming out of the blocks in 100 metre final or on the last leg of a 4 x 100 metre relay (good going  by the way on the new world record today Jamaica!).  They leave me way behind on the sprints - but we long distance runners are built for stamina, and eventually they fall away and say their goodbyes.  I do run into a few other runners – mostly visitors,  and we do the obligatory nod of the head or slight wave of the hand, acknowledging the usual runner’s thought of “why the hell are we doing this again?”

At High Tide I  Have to Hit the Road

The thing with the beach is that one week the tide is low in the afternoons – great for running, and then the other week it is very high – great for drowning. Not really, but you get the picture. This is when I switch to the main road.  Thankfully we have excellent roads here – a major road construction/paving project a few years ago have left us with long (and more importantly straight and flat) stretches of beautiful tarmac.  On either side there are nice shoulders, which are a runner’s or cyclist’s dream.  And since the road sees very little hydrocarbon burning vehicular traffic (the traffic is more pedestrians, bicycles, oxen carts, herd of cows) – they have remained in stellar condition.  The two drawbacks though are that the few drivers on the road drive like Jenson Button on crack, and the second is getting fluids for hydration during my run.  I run against the traffic therefore – keeping my good eye on the oncoming vehicles.  In terms of the hydration issue, I do have a Nike running fanny pack to hold a bottle of water, but it is uncomfortable. And I feel that wearing it will make me look like one of those people in an airport with the money belt and the passport holder around their necks.  When running on the beach, I leave a small bottle of water in the yard so I can quickly run in and take a drink.  In Montserrat, I would just run into Garrymoore’s bar in Salem or John’s bar at Forgarthy Hill, grab a Ting or a Gatorade, run out and pay later.  No such luck here.  I therefore have to come up with a hydration strategy for the road running soon, as I need to lengthen my runs since I plan to do the Kilimanjaro Marathon next February on the Tanzanian mainland.  Think I need to find me a new John’s or Garymoore’s real soon.