I'm in Kenya

Cool

Have fun and enjoy the race..

wejo wrote:

I have about 2 minutes to type. I spilled a coke on my computer and it doesn't seem to work so updating may be difficult although they have a great media room here.

1) It is hot. It is humid. My apologies to malmo. It's not even noon.

2) The course is not a golf course like you and I think. The grass reminds me of a beat up soccer field. And then a lot of it reminds me of a rat maze. A lot of turns within a small area. But then they'll send runners right through a sand trap with a steep incline.

I hope the Americans who decided to forgo the race read the above as well as the whiny peanut gallery who won't shut up about the fact that some of our runners actually get to choose their own racing schedule. It's hot, it's humid and it doesn't fit into the long term goals of many of our best runners who obviously know more about how to prepare for prossional running than anyone who posts here. Myself included. Wejo included as well.

Enjoy, it is a dream of mine to go to a World XC race. I wish they'd have it in NYC!

I have to admit, I never liked the choice of Kenya for the race and for the first time since 1972 (when I first knew there was a World XC race) I am not excited about the race.

I think that 2K loop at VCP will work fine or maybe even creat a loop in the Upstate part of NY. Rochester, Albany, and Syracuse could handle it.

JAMBO!!!

(Oops...sorry, hit post message by mistake.)

wejo wrote:

4) Security seems great. Got a police escort to my hotel last night and a police escort to the course today. I guess the protest was off and even today we were talking about how if people wanted to block the streets they could but the Kenyan police don't deal with due process. One of the guys in a caravan yesterday saw the police stop and beat the crap out of a guy in a car who didn't get off to the side fast enough or did something wrong. Supposedly the president has given orders of "shoot to kill". At least that's what I heard.

5) Everyone is super friendly.

I'm sure Wejo meant to be funny posting these two back-to-back...hilarious. :-)

The above writer just beat me too it. I couldn't stop laughing at the combination.

Welcome to Kenya. Duck and cover.

forget about drinking coke. try getting krest bitter lemon, black currant or stoney tangawizi. i really miss those soft drinks...

Karibu Kenya Wejo.

1+2 = Eritrea to win the senior men

4. The 'shoot to kill' is a media interpretation of comments by the (In)Security Minister, John Michuki. He said that the only purpose for people carrying guns was to harm other people and that criminals carrying them could expect to be shot at by the police. I think you are safe from being shot at if your taxi parks in the wrong place !

5. What a surprise !

Have a great time

If this event was held at high altitude..people would complain about the altitude advantage for africans...(morons will still complain about the heat, eventhough you loose about a degree centigrate for 160 meters). If its held in mombassa at sea level, you will complain about the heat.

After years and years of comming to your land and running in snow, ice, mud water etc., africans get one chance to host this championships and you complain about security, heat, or your racing plan.

You know what... stay home.. you don't deserve our hospitality.

The weird thing is, I keep hearing accusations to our elites that they bailed because of the heat, but did any of them actually say the didn't want to because of the heat? A lot of have had experience racing in the heat before and Ritz had already planned on training in FL or TN to prepare for the heat. It doesn't seem to me that the heat was the big mitigating factor that people make it out to be. Everyone knew before hand that it was going to be hot. The fact the temp is high and the humidity is high shouldn't surprise anyone.

I think a bunch did decide to stay home. You complained about those people, now you are telling people to stay home. Looking for things to complain about? You are doing a pretty good job at it.

Ethio Boy wrote:

You know what... stay home.. you don't deserve our hospitality.

Too soft to run a real xc race. It is easy when you are up against soft Americans. The problem comes when the Americans have to run against real runners.

The whiny Americans complain whne Kenyan runners come to US university and kick their ass and then are too afraid to fly to Africa to race. Anything to avoid the beating about to come. Poor little babies!

I bet you have WMDs.

manchild wrote:

Too soft to run a real xc race. It is easy when you are up against soft Americans. The problem comes when the Americans have to run against real runners.

The whiny Americans complain whne Kenyan runners come to US university and kick their ass and then are too afraid to fly to Africa to race. Anything to avoid the beating about to come. Poor little babies!

sorry, I started another thread about the schedule and times....

what time (central time zone in the USA) will the races be run and when can we expect results and details?

16x

Be safe and have fun!

Enjoy your trip and all that goes with a visit to a far off land.

Do you have your own security guy assigned to just you or do they form groups and make you walk in line holding hands like in kindergarten?

Keep us posted.

Wife and dogs enjoying the trip?? ;).

for what it's worth, i think it's awesome that you decided to go to the race, wejo. and i think it's great that you publicly debated the decision on this board. you obviously had to face some criticism for your worries, but in the end you decided to see for yourself.

i didn't read enough of those threads to get a sense of your past travel experiences, but it sounds like this is your first time in africa. i think it's great that you took the opportunity of the race being there and your current life situation allowing you to go.

have a great time!