Photo: kevinzim

I was less than a mile from the finish line of my first half marathon, and I wasn’t sure that I could make it. My mouth was dry and my legs were quickly filling with cement as I plodded down the red dirt path. Forward momentum was the only thing keeping me in motion.

Well, that and the fact that Bob, a 40-something diplomat from the local American embassy, was beating me. Me, a 25-year-old athlete and former high school soccer state champion.

Sure, Bob was an avid long-distance runner, and I had never run more than four consecutive miles in my life. But it was the principle of the thing: he was older and fatter than me, and I wanted to beat him. As long as the remainder of the course continued downhill, I thought I just might have a chance.

That’s when I spotted the Grevy’s zebra. It was trotting through the grass on my right, headed directly toward the path in front of me. The zebra hadn’t noticed me yet. I had no idea what it might do when it did. Zebras are notoriously ill-tempered and known to panic under stress.

I found myself trapped in a game of chicken that could have been torn from the pages of National Geographic. If I stopped now, so close to my goal, I might not be able to start again. If I didn’t yield to the zebra, I risked spooking it and suffering even worse consequences.

Photo: kevinzim

Described by Runner’s World as ‘one of the ten races of your life,’ the Safaricom Marathon isn’t easy. Held every June among the rolling plains of the private Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya, the footrace covers a 20 kilometer loop of trail usually traveled by photographers in all-terrain safari vehicles.

But a walking safari this is not. Averaging temperatures of over 80 degrees Fahrenheit and an altitude of 5,500 feet, the Safaricom Marathon’s course would be daunting even without the wildlife. It’s not a race for setting a personal record.

It was in no way a love of the sport that drew me to join Bob and his ragtag team of Marines and Canadian expats in the half marathon race. When strangers found out that I was planning to run, I felt obligated to clarify.

“I’m not really a runner,” I would say. “I don’t even like running.”

My feeble attempt at training in my Kenyan village soon became a chore. Afternoon runs ended with me surrounded by a gaggle of giggling, barefoot children who were as obnoxious as they were adorable, tripping over themselves and me as they ran to keep up. On pre-dawn runs, the ancient, 14-seater vans used for public transportation would screech around blind corners and drive me off the road.

As quickly as I had begun, I stopped running. I convinced myself that a lack of training would make the race more of a challenge.

Besides the harsh conditions and dangerous wildlife, the Safaricom Marathon is also run by some of the world’s fastest athletes. Kenya’s marathoners are famous for their endurance and speed, setting records almost everywhere they compete. At Lewa, Kenyan runners consistently take the top 20 spots.

In the half marathon, I competed against former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat. I didn’t even come close to catching sight of him. I didn’t catch Bob either, though he was much closer – just around the corner, only a minute ahead.

Fortunately, I won the contest that really mattered. Once my zebra challenger finally caught sight of me on the trail, he conceded defeat, pulling up short with a snort and a shake of his mane. I thanked him silently as I jogged past.

Community Connection

It’s not every marathon that has to be postponed because a lion is hanging out around the starting line, as happened in Lewa last year. Sign up for the Safaricom Marathon or learn more at the race’s website.

Photo: hoyasmeg

Over 60% of our planet is covered by water. Most of us only skim its surface.

Scuba divers like to go deep and stay there for a while. They want to better understand the ocean environment, to feel as much like a fish as possible.

Any scuba dive course will teach you some crucial, potentially life-saving information. It just so happens that it can also give you a few travel tips to help you immerse yourself abroad as well.

1. Breathe

This may sound like a no-brainer. Breathing is the most natural thing in the world. If you stop breathing until you pass out, your body will pick it right back up again.

It’s more important underwater. If you hold your breath while scuba diving, sudden changes in pressure can rupture your lungs.
When you’re in a new environment, it’s easy to get sucked in and forget to forget how your body is reacting.

When the airline loses your bag or a cockroach sets up camp in your hotel room, take a deep breath: everything will be OK.

2. Go slow and steady

The easiest way to spot seasoned divers is by their movements – they don’t thrash around or race from one reef to the next. They move slowly and steadily through the water, working with the ocean currents to conserve energy.

They could cover more distance by swimming faster, but they would deplete their air supply quickly and probably swim right past some of the most unusual and sought-after marine life.

If you jump from one guidebook destination to the next, you’ll end up with a lot of pictures to show people back home, but chances are you won’t understand those people or places much better than you did before. You’ll get the most out of your travels if you take the time to slow down.

Photo: Andrew

3. Equalize often

Underwater, air pockets in divers’ middle ears are squeezed by water pressure. Divers need to stop every few feet and “pop” their ears to equalize them. If they descend without giving their bodies time to adjust, the increasing pressure can cause their eardrums to implode.

Cultural and language differences, rapid climate changes, and an unusual diet can wreak havoc on your body. You need time – both physically and mentally – to adjust to the pressures of travel.

Traveling may not seem like work, but it can be just as taxing. Plan a day to relax – read a book, write in your journal, or take a nap in a hammock.

4. Deeper is (usually) better

Anyone with a snorkel and mask can ogle some pretty fish from the surface. Having an air tank gives you time to get comfortable, and let the local fauna get comfortable with you.

At popular snorkel sites, the aquatic life may be used to human traffic. But in deeper waters, fish will be wary of intruders into their habitat. It also takes time for them to relax and accept you.

If you want to really understand another culture, you have to become a part of it. It takes time to earn people’s trust, but spending that time is well worth it. Not only can you develop meaningful, lasting relationships, but you will discover adventures and experiences only the locals know about.

Photo: DiveKarma

5. Don’t ascend too fast

Just as scuba divers need to be concerned about getting “the bends” by ascending too quickly from a dive, travelers should be cautious about reverse culture shock.

Leaving home for a foreign land can be daunting. As a responsible and conscientious traveler, you probably spend a lot of time before a trip planning for the journey ahead. You learn a few greetings, how to say “thank you”, and to take your shoes off before entering someone’s house.

Going home to a land of supersized supermarkets and designer jeans can be equally overwhelming. Plan your reentry just as you did your departure, and you’ll lessen the depression and discomfort that often sets in.

Community Connection

Take a dive with Matador Sports’ The Polar Plunge: 5 Cold-Water Dive Destinations.

Matador Sports editor Adam Roy shares some of his own stories of the sport in Emergency: 11 Memories From 8 Years of Scuba.