Abdallah Mekky

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Abdallah Mekky@AbdallahMekky·Sep 8· 1 min read
Something strange is happening to me these days: at the same time I'm trying to come back as an athlete, I'm trying to learn how to be a fitness coach for kids.

At first I felt like the two had nothing to do with each other, but the deeper I go into both, the more I find a strange overlap. When I'm running and I feel tired or in pain, I'm learning how to read my own body and tell the difference between "normal fatigue" and "a warning sign I need to stop for." That's exactly the same thing I need to know when I'm working with a kid — telling the difference between them being a little lazy and them genuinely needing to rest.

Also, when I set a big distant goal for myself like running across Egypt, I'm learning how to break it down into small, logical steps. That's exactly the lesson I want to pass on to the kids I coach — that any big goal is terrifying if you look at it as one whole thing, but manageable once it's broken down.

Maybe it's not a coincidence that I'm starting both journeys together. Each one is teaching me something the other one needs.

#Running #CoachingKids #NewBeginnings

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Abdallah Mekky@AbdallahMekky·Sep 8· 1 min read
In every long training run there's a moment near the last kilometer where the body has run out of energy but the distance isn't done yet.

That exact moment reminds me that I'm not just coming back to running — I'm coming back to a lot of other things I'd been stalled on for a while. In my head there's a distant dream of one day running all of Egypt, north to south, in stages, and that dream is still at the very beginning of its road — but it exists, and it's what keeps me going even when motivation disappears halfway through.

The idea of "motivation" is overrated. Motivation comes and goes, but the decision you make while calm and focused is what carries you through the moments when there's no motivation left at all. The same applies to other things I'm quietly building these days, not just running.

Today I remembered that lesson again: the long journey is built with small daily steps, not one big leap.

#Reflections #Running #NewBeginnings

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Abdallah Mekky@AbdallahMekky·Sep 8· 1 min read
Every run I've done so far has been solo. I head out before the world wakes up, and I'm back before anyone even knows I went.

I found out there's a whole community that runs together in the streets of Cairo every week, has been for years, and it just keeps growing. The idea of strangers turning a Cairo street into a shared running track every week is a completely different thing from what I'm living right now.

I don't know if I'm ready for that yet or not. Running alone has its comfort — no comparisons, no embarrassment if I slow down or stop. But part of me feels like running with others might give me an energy that isn't there when I'm alone, especially on the days I really don't feel like heading out at all.

Haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll try it once, just to see how it feels, without committing to anything.

#Running #Community #JustThinking

🤔 Thinking out loud
Abdallah Mekky@AbdallahMekky·Sep 8· 1 min read
There's a big difference between "I'll run when I can" and "I have a race on such-and-such day."

The first sentence is comfortable, no pressure — if I'm not feeling it today, I just push it back. The second is completely different, because it turns running from a wish into a commitment in front of other people.

And that's exactly what scares me about signing up for an official race. I'm not afraid of the distance, I'm afraid of the idea of announcing a goal and maybe not reaching it. If I run alone and fail, no one knows. If I register for a race and drop out, that's a different story.

But I thought about it again, and realized that fear is exactly the reason I need to register. I don't need an easy commitment, I need one that makes me bigger than the excuses I tell myself every day.

I'll give myself two more weeks to train, then I'll register. I won't wait until I feel completely "ready," because that readiness isn't going to show up until after I've actually signed up.

#Running #Commitment #FacingFear

😬 Honesty