I can’t remember the last year I jogged but it was a pretty long time. I remembered sharing my first experience of my jogging exercise from University of Uyo Main Campus to Water Fountain at Nwaniba Road, on social media. It was not a smooth ride but I had the last laugh.
Well, I was admonished by netizens not to stop, I actually adhered to their advice after jogging one more day.
During the weekend, I challenged myself to hit the street and jog to water fountain after years of attempting this marathon race.
I needed a company and my younger was kind enough to join me on my journey.
Although she delayed, we actually hit the street pass 5 am . I started jogging from the entrance of the house, even though my sister said we should start the exercise at the main tarred road. I didn’t stop, I kept going.
It was on a really really slow pace because I didn’t want to start grasping for breathe at Use-Offot Junction so I was so intentional about my movement.
On the other hand, My sister started jogging on a fast lane, she left me while I maintained my pace. I knew I was not in competition with anybody and I didn’t need to compare my strength with any other runner. Instantly I knew this battle was between me, myself and I. So we kept jogging, slowly and slowly.
I didn’t know if I would make it to water fountain but I was glad that I took the bull by the horn to race in that moment. Funnily, I passed the junction without grasping for breathe. I was astonished but it wasn’t over so I kept moving at the slow pace.
By the way, my sister had stopped at the junction, indicating her fatigue disposition.
This didn’t ware me down as I continued the jogging exercise slowly and slowly, she actually laughed at me but it didn’t matter. It was my battlefield and as far as I am concerned, I was the only warrior in it.
Other runners were all in a fast lane heading towards water fountain but knowing my strength, I had to jog slowly.
Greeting the runners was also part of my journey, just clapping twice is a kind gesture you show to your counterparts in the racing business. Some responded while others proudly ignored the kind gesture.
This time around I was heading towards Ekpri Nsukara where I saw two lovers, the man trying to convince his woman to join the exercise. Well, I had nobody encouraging me because my sister had graciously left me to carry this burden alone, so slowly I jogged and my body surprisedly cooperated with my movement. So I was alone .
I saw my sister waiting for me at Ekpri Nsukara Junction, she had stopped. Surprisingly , I didn’t feel any pain, slowly and slowly moving towards the destination in my mind.
It was all morning, you could see the faces of people gazing at me but it didn’t matter.
At Anua hospital, I started feeling pains on my joints, but at this moment, I was overwhelmed with determination to just make it to the designated place.
It is at this point, my sister said I meant business today. She saw I didn’t stop to walk just as she did. I made up my mind to jog all the way and it was so beautiful to behold.
While she was walking down, I was still running on a slow pace. The last time, the light emanating from the cross at Catholic church, Udo Ekpo mkpo junction was what gladdened my heart that I had reached my destination but this time around, the Nwaniba Road sign near water fountain was what caught my attention. It was all morning so there was no light from anyway.
So hop and hop I went, climbed the pedestrian bridge and moved towards the end part of the structure and down, down the stairs and this ended on a happy phase just as the last time.
Apart from the jogging exercise, I learnt remarkable life lessons while on this journey.
First, when embarking on achieving a purpose, acknowledge your strength and move on your pace. Remember, I started on a very slow pace while jogging.
Another, your expectations will surely be cut off so level it low. Well, I had so much expectations that my younger sister will help me in the morning exercise but this was not the case in most part of the journey, she left me alone but I didn’t stop. In life even your loved ones will leave you alone at some point in your life to face your cross. In that phase , you have to encourage yourself and keep moving.
The next life lesson is the snubbing syndrome, not everyone will respond positively to your kind gesture. It is important you become flexible to understand people’s weaknesses. It important you forgive any hurt in advance to be on a safer side .
Let talk about running on your own pace, most runners were on a fast lane but I was not distracted neither did I envy their strength. In life, run on your pace not on the speed of others, this is when comparison is heightened. I didn’t compare my journey with any other runner, not even my sister and I think this is what kept me going. So, if don’t compare your progress with others , you are likely to record remarkable achievements.
What baffled me is that we were all heading towards the same destination and no matter the pace runners took, they all were heading to the same direction. This means, no matter the pace you are, last, last, you will get there if you don’t give up on the way.
Appreciate and acknowledge every little win you achieve in the process of getting bigger breakthroughs in life. I was kind to myself in each phase of the journey especially when I passed each junction, I said Well-done to myself. And at the end, I applauded myself for daring the odds. People might not know what you’ve been through but you do and that is all that matters.
Don’t doubt your self at the beginning, amidst that fear, take a leap of faith and move. I didn’t know if I could make it to the water fountain, eventhough I was a bit scared, I was determined in my heart to make a move.
Life can be beautiful if we all go beyond our fears in our heads and bring those dreams in our hearts into manifestation. If I can dare the odds by completing this race, you can do much more 🥰
