Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"Free Up"
Imagine if you were running alone in the middle of the Sahara. Suddenly, the location of all your thoughts and emotions would become clear. There is no longer the entanglements of modern life, and any happiness, bitterness, joy, or pain you will find exists somewhere inside of you, in your mind, heart, body, soul. Yet still God has chosen you to exist, and in spite of it all, there you are alone jogging in the Sahara and interacting with the environment. Somewhere in that you find yourself. That's how I would describe my feelings on mornings I had the chance to jog the beach of the Atlantic ocean at sunrise.
For people familiar with the region, on a good day I would jog all the way from Senegambia up to the Sheraton Hotel. I think it was maybe approximately 8 miles.
Along the way there would be other young guys training along the beach. It seems a typical day for many Gambian men consisted of early morning training at the beach just after sunrise. They are big into calisthenics, and any athletic training that improves flexibility, strength, agility, and skills used to perform at a high level in the sport of soccer.
Because some would train in the morning, then during the day, they would perform some work. Then by the time the sun began to fall they would be back at the beach for soccer matches that were scattered out all across that coast of Gambia around the Serrakunda region.
Generally the best way they describe their methods of training, and the phrase I find most fitting is "Free Up". They would always describe their training as "Freeing Up" the body. They turn, twist, jump, even shout, roll their heads, swing their arms, and so on... all to "free up" the body.. and often it frees the mind as well. And what better place to do it then overlooking an endless ocean on the Atlantic Coast.
For people familiar with the region, on a good day I would jog all the way from Senegambia up to the Sheraton Hotel. I think it was maybe approximately 8 miles.
Along the way there would be other young guys training along the beach. It seems a typical day for many Gambian men consisted of early morning training at the beach just after sunrise. They are big into calisthenics, and any athletic training that improves flexibility, strength, agility, and skills used to perform at a high level in the sport of soccer.
Because some would train in the morning, then during the day, they would perform some work. Then by the time the sun began to fall they would be back at the beach for soccer matches that were scattered out all across that coast of Gambia around the Serrakunda region.
Generally the best way they describe their methods of training, and the phrase I find most fitting is "Free Up". They would always describe their training as "Freeing Up" the body. They turn, twist, jump, even shout, roll their heads, swing their arms, and so on... all to "free up" the body.. and often it frees the mind as well. And what better place to do it then overlooking an endless ocean on the Atlantic Coast.
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