Today, I went for my usual run and it was different. Different in that it was a new route and new running shoes. I am presently in my home country Nigeria for a few weeks and I decided not to destroy my exercise pattern. So I figured a 30minutes running route in the Lekki area of Lagos.

Usually, when I run in Ghana, every one on the street pretty much minds their business. A few sometimes wonder what a lepacious girl like me is running for. You can see the puzzled look on their faces. But that’s about all it gets. Me I know the reason why I run sha. That’s talk for another day. Cars drive past me, people walk past me, other runners or cyclers whiz past me, with a few occassionally giving me the thumbs up sign or typically just waving at me in solidarity. A nearly 70 year old man once encouraged me to keep running by constantly saying the words double up while shuffling his feet. I smiled back and found some not neccesarily inner strength to keep going.

In Lagos,on the other hand, running is an opportunity or excuse for some random dude you don’t know from anywhere to chat up and exchange numbers. I personally think this is rude, and unruly too. So I was beyond words today when some guy jogged up from behind his house, (he didn’t realize I saw where he came out from) perhaps to impress me that he had previously been doing a half marathon. By this time I was in my final lap, sweating profusely, panting like I was about to die and just looking up to my end point that was barely 4 minutes away and then Lekki boy says to me to stop and excuse him he wants to talk to me. First I am thinking in my head; This dude has to be daft and definitely knows nothing about consistency in running to be asking me to stop. But you know as a christan sister, church worker, I turned to look at him with all the love of Christ. Still jogging, I asked what he wanted.

God knows if he had told me something as stupid as being Obama’s lost-son, maybe I would have listened. But he just wanted to have my number because he saw me and liked me, so he could call me to take me out, just like that, all in 2minutes.

It is appalling what some guys take ladies for. And I think many ladies have caused it for “us”, because if ladies were not exchanging numbers and settling for 200naira suya and 400naira recharge card the day after, then dating by the 3rd day, guys will sit up and give ladies the respect they deserve and I won’t be in this predicament. Such disrespect. The money is not even enough to buy fuel. Many men have “hooked” many girls in such pitiful manner and they just assume that’s the way to find a girl. Even comedians have milked this single story dry. Everyone is constantly on the issue of how

all you need to get between a girl’s legs is to buy her shawarma. Shawarmaaaaa? Chei! Chineke!

Please don’t get this post wrong. Many people have probably found life partners on their running route, but the way isn’t to go up to a lady and spit disgusting pick up lines and suggest taking her out as your grand move because it worked on some naive girl last week. You can’t meet me in barely 2minutes and profess love for me by taking me out. I am not daft biko. You don’t love people in one day. Love grows.

And ladies, I can buy you Loboutin, I can take you to Italy, I can furnish your flat, is not enough to begin a relationship with someone you barely know. It shouldn’t even be the premise at all.
DON’T BE GREEDY. For once, let comedians crack a joke someday about how sharwama joints are having a meltdown because girls don’t think that’s all they are worth.
Yea it was only a 30minute run and I may be ranting unneccesarily, but these thoughts haven’t left me since then. Oh and its my blog too anyway. I can rant once in a while. 😀

Anyway, the running was intense, and did me good. Let’s not lay aside such goodness. I left my running shoes in Ghana but got new comfy ones courtesy of the very beautiful Biola Ogunmoyole. 🙂 I didn’t even feel like I was running. I was pretty much floatin’ inna d air. Meanwhile running is good for you. Fat, slim, skinny. Just get proper running shoes, and for ladies a good sports bra so that ermm…. you know what, we can discuss this some other time.