Sunday, May 21, 2023

Essence of Running: the DC Gaza 5k

By Nadrat Siddique

So, this morning I ran the Gaza 5k in Washington DC's Rock Creek Park. The race starts on the grounds of the iconic Carter Barron Theatre, and is one of my favorite races. I run with some regularity from the Carter Barron, and it was beautiful to see it nearly over run by Palestinians in kaffiyahs, some of them carrying Palestinian flags. (Usually I encounter mostly Black and Latino youth playing soccer and such, in itself a beautiful sight.)

The Gaza 5k is organized by UNRWA, and benefits Palestinian refugees. The DC version of the race (which is also held in other cities) had turned virtual due to COVID-19, and I'd missed it terribly. This was the first year the live event was rekindled.

In Gaza, Palestinians are crammed into refugee camps with an extremely high population density. These camps frequently lack basic resources, such as electricity and running water, which "Israel," as the occupying power, controls. "Israel" then conducts aerial bombardment of these heavily populated areas, under the pretext that Hamas fighters are "hiding" there. (Where else would they be? They live there.)

As a result, much of the population of Gaza has been terrorized, displaced, and traumatized. It would be difficult to find someone there who DOES NOT have PTSD and other serious mental health conditions. Palestinian children are the worst afflicted. UNRWA's facilities in Gaza provide schooling, mental health care, and other badly needed services to Gazans.

At the Gaza 5k, I was thrilled to see a great turnout, with a youthful, energetic vibe. The race seems to get larger every year. The majority of attendees appeared to be of Palestinian heritage, with a smaller number of allies (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian) present. Race participants ran and walked a 3.1 mile course which was largely downhill on the outbound. Unfortunately, since the race route returns the same way, there is a huge climb on the way back. During one of the last in-person renditions of the Gaza 5k (before COVID), I remembered my father, the editor of the Muslim newspaper "New Trend" and a huge supporter of Palestine, bravely walking the course with his wife. In his late 70s at the time, he completed the course, but not without some effort.

PERSONAL NOTES: Today as I ran, I was still recovering from an annoying bug I'd picked up during a recent trip to Florida to attend a funeral for a member of my extended family. But I would not miss my favorite race for anything. I thought about the Palestinians who, when faced with much more serious ailments, are deprived of all medications, due to the "Israeli" blockade of Gaza. That, from "the only democracy in the Middle East." My cold (or whatever it was) quickly became a non-issue.

I hadn't been training at all, since Ramadan had ended not so long ago (I relax my training during the Holy Month, running only about 25 miles per week, instead of 40), almost immediately followed by the death in my extended family. I even registered very belatedly for the Gaza 5k, totally unlike me. In any event, when I finally did register, it was as a member of Team Jamaat Al-Muslimeen. And our team, in a very short time (less than a week), raised over $400.00 for UNRWA's work in Gaza.

As I ran outbound, I was intimidated by the huge hill I knew I'd face on the inbound. I hoped rather unrealistically that the race organizers had tweaked the route to avoid runners having to tackle that hill (around Mile 2).

They had not. I tried to concentrate on my breathing and form, which helped somewhat. Two or three groups of young, fast Arab men passed me, which made me feel even slower than my (approximately) 8:30 min/mile pace. Then, a young, very fit looking Black woman caught up to me. For some reason, she told me right then and there (shortly before we were about to encounter the monster hill) that "I look beautiful." I thanked her, saying "You do, too," and complimented her on her pace. She ran with me for a short while, before overtaking me. I tried to keep her in my sights, which helped my time. (She later told me I helped her time, as she'd spotted me from afar, and was trying to catch up to me.) We both survived the Hill.

A while later, when the awards ceremony was held, I was surprised to hear my name called. I was #1 in my division, with a finish time of 26:08 (8:25 min/mile pace). Later, looking at the detailed race results, I realized I was #9 out of 334 total women participating in the race. Of the 8 women who finished before me, all were in their 20s and 30s, except an 8-year old and an 18-year old. (I'm now 54.) Amusingly, the 8-year old beat me by two seconds. Alhamdulillah.

The lesson in all this? One need not use age as an excuse for inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, which will necessarily lead to premature aging. If you fall down (metaphorically), you need not stay down. If you're a Muslim, then the Rasool (SAW) is your example. That includes in the realm of his eating habits (very little meat; instead: grains, dates, nuts, seeds, fruit, etc), and very active life style (he personally participated in running, horse back riding, etc and engaged in military campaigns, which, at the time, were very physical, into his 60s). From Gaza to New York, oppression is pervasive, and we cannot afford to be physically (or mentally) lazy or sedentary.

#Gaza5k #FreePalestine #FreeGaza
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It's not to late to donate to the Gaza 5k. You can do that here:
https://unrwausa-2023-dc-gaza-5k.funraise.org/fundraiser/nadrat-siddique

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