What is the soul? The answers to that question seem to vary depending on what time period or culture you derive it from.

Varying Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain sources refer to the soul through the term आत्मन् (Ātman), which can translate to breath, or essence. While the three beliefs have very different perspectives on the nature of Ātman, there is a collective agreement that the soul refers to a sense of self, or being. That the distinction of Ātman requires a form of sentience, where the ability to think and feel are determinant of having Ātman. Another aspect of Ātman (at least from a Theravadan Buddhist perspective) is that it is ever changing, flowing, and ultimately impermanent.

Ancient Greek philosophers of the 5th or 6th century seemed to equate the soul with presence. The soul was referenced through the word έμψυχος (émpsukhos), meaning "animated" or in other words, having life or being alive. There is some irony in the word émpsukhos and it's translation of being animated, as early Greek philosophers like Thales would postulate that inanimate objects capable of animate action (like magnets causing objects to move) could be considered alive, and therefore have a soul.

Christian theology seems to reference the soul in many ways and make clear distinction that it is separate from the spirit, the heart, the mind, and body, but at the same time is in some form or way connected with them all. That it is our permanent material representation and being as we are alive, and our permanent immaterial representation after we depart.

Modern scientific scholars seem to have a different opinion altogether. Freud referred to the soul as the psyche, and how it regulated both our conscious and unconscious thought. Neil Degrasse Tyson stated in one of his interviews that the soul itself didn't exist, and that our sense of being is derived from the neurosynapses of our brain.

Where am I going with this? The title of this blog post is a follow-up to my previous post (https://www.globalfastfit.com/post/in-search-of-self) in which I reference the search for self as a retrieval of one's soul. That the ailments that come from what I now know as dysautonomia (https://thedysautonomiaproject.org/dysautonomia/), strip its bearer of that sense of self through a mental process called dissociation.

The medical help I've received and the lifestyle changes I've made have allowed me to regain some of my working and long-term memory back. More information can be processed with each passing day, and some day to day activities that were once difficult e.g. reading, writing, driving, etc. are now beginning to shift back to normal.  

And yet still, one does wonder if the end of this journey to recovery is enough for the solace I seek. Does it return to a point where I can become who I once was? Will I be the same person who enjoyed the things that I did, or are those lost forever? Are they lost because of the illness itself, or the journey it put me through? Is that journey just an aspect of Ātman? Or should I just be thankful that my existence has émpsukhos. Do I have to wait until I depart to get my answer? Or is there nothing in the end, but neurosynapses that just may or may not function effectively again?

One does wonder.

On March 1st, 2025, Egerton University Main Campus in Njoro hosted the highly anticipated 10th edition of the Mau Cross Country, dubbed #RunForMau. The event aimed to raise awareness and advocate for the conservation of the endangered Mau Forest, a critical water tower in Kenya.

The event was graced by distinguished guests, including Hon. Charity Kathambi, Member of Parliament for Njoro Constituency, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, former Cabinet Secretary for Sports, and Hon. Tonui Joseph Kipkosgei, MP for Kuresoi South. Their presence underscored the significance of environmental conservation and community involvement in protecting natural resources.

Global Fast Fit’s Participation

Global Fast Fit (GFF) was honored to receive an invitation to participate in this prestigious event. Our team was placed in the Corporates and Alumni category, competing in the 4km race. The GFF delegation comprised members from Egerton GFF Club, Winsim GFF Club, and Kabarak GFF Club, along with all GFF officials.

A highlight of the day was our Regional Manager, Dr. James Muchiri, who competed in the Manager’s 1km race. In a thrilling finale, Dr. Muchiri executed a last-minute sprint, overtaking his competitors to clinch victory. His remarkable performance was a source of inspiration for the entire GFF team.

In the corporate category, GFF emerged as the 2nd overall best team, proudly taking home a trophy and a certificate. Our best male finisher secured 8th place, while our star female athlete, Margaret, showcased her endurance and determination to win the race outright. One of the most remarkable moments of the event was the participation of our 5-year-old mascot, who impressively completed the 4km race, finishing ahead of many seasoned adult athletes.

Beyond the Race

Before the race began, the GFF team performed their standard routine at the starting line, setting the stage with energy and unity. The entire experience was not just about competition but also about embracing the noble cause of saving the Mau Forest. Being part of this initiative reinforced our commitment to environmental conservation and demonstrated the power of sports in rallying communities toward meaningful action.

The Mau Cross Country 2025 was a fulfilling and memorable experience for Global Fast Fit, and we look forward to continuing our support for such initiatives in the future. Together, we run not just for medals but for a greener and more sustainable future!

We arrived at the event a few minutes past 9AM. We came in several small groups since we all came from different places so we waited as we assembled everyone from our team. A girl hung around the group quietly, as people chatted excitedly. 

When the whole team had arrived, I headed for the registration desk allocated to the corporate teams around. She walked up to me and introduced herself as Margret.

She wanted to compete in the races and wondered if I could include her in our team. She had heard about the athletic competition, 'Run for Mau' and had decided to show up, only to find that all the race categories had an entry fee.

She did not have any money and on top of that, she had ditched a shift at the restaurant she worked in so that she could run the marathon. She explained that she had competed in a number of athletic competitions and the most recent being an long-race in Nairobi where she had finished 5th.

Initially I had assumed that she was a student at the campus, Egerton University but she was not in school. After completing high school, she moved from her home town etched in the slopes of Mount Elgon and moved in with her older sister in Njoro. She then found work in a local Kibandaski (small roadside eatery) as a server.

I saw no harm and after a little consultation with some team members, we registered her with Global Fast Fit. We were given our running numbers and went out to have a stretching session. 

Soon after, our race category was next. We were competing in the Corporates and Alumni's 4km race which had upwards of 120 participants. We assembled at the start line and began the race. She maintained a moderately brisk pace and run barefoot through the gentle bends, the small inclines and declines, the 2 meter muddy patch, jumping the 1/2 meter bales of hay, through dry prickly grass and hot gravel, jumped over two ½ meter trenches and won the race. 

By the time we handed over the prize money to her, it was getting chilly. 

The day had been a scorcher but by 5pm the winds were cold and blustery. 

Standing by the bustling road, she took off the Global Fast Fit t-shirt she had been racing in and put on her cobalt blue t-shirt, then put the Global Fast Fit t-shirt back on top. She broke into a jog towards a restaurant she worked at as a server. 

She kept glancing back at us as if at any moment we would burst her bubble. She had a mile long smile on her face. She couldn't believe she'd won cold hard money.

I had earlier on asked for her contact details to which she replied that she had never owned a phone. So when I handed her the prize money, she gleefully told me that she was going to buy a phone immediately. I quickly jotted down my number on the envelope with the prize money and she promised to call me as soon as she bought her first phone.

She got quite a lot of attention and the prize money. All this just because she showed up.

I've been purposely silent for the past few months. Mainly because my past blog posts have painted a rather bleak outlook on a progressively worsening condition affecting my ability to live a normal life. I had decided that one of two things would eventually happen:

My condition would deteriorate to the point that I'd no longer be able to put up a coherent blog post, or I'd finally be able to turn things around and at last will be able to write about having a newfound lease on life. 

I am most fortunate and pleased to say that I'm writing this blog post because I've managed to achieve the latter of that statement.

On January 14th of this year, I visited a functional specialist. It was the first time I had seen a doctor since having my appendix removed after it burst at the beginning of last year. It had become incredibly tiring having a plethora of what many practitioners considered symptoms of potentially debilitating syndromes and diseases only for them to find nothing. I no longer found seeing doctors to be a prudent use of my time and money, and I received no peace of mind from those visits. The change of heart of seeking medical attention while trying something much less conventional proved to have a far more fruitful outcome.

Functional specialists differ from traditional medical practitioners by observing how the body operates as a whole in order to find the potential causes for chronic diseases. After going through my medical history and observing the different reported symptoms I've dealt with, it became immediately clear to him that I had developed a severe form of dysautonomia. Dysautonomia can refer to a variety of different disorders that are related to the nervous system that deal with the autonomic processes within the body. These are the processes that the body can normally regulate on its own, but when there are issues with the central nervous system, the organs connected through it can no longer communicate to the brain.

As you can imagine, everything is connected via your central nervous system, and everything is managed and communicated to/from the brain. Things such as breathing, having to use the restroom, food digestion, temperature control, and much much more. It can be difficult to diagnose by traditional medical practitioners who are fixated and taught to observe structural integrity as opposed to functional integrity.

Since January 14th, after learning about dysautonomia and how to manage it, I've seen my condition improve considerably. While I'm still very far from an ideal stage of recovery, I am absolutely recovering and am far ahead from where I was pre-treatment/lifestyle changes.

I'll be updating again soon if this trend continues. Hope you're all taking care of yourselves and treating your bodies with the respect it deserves!

If you want to get to know someone well, even if that someone is yourself, I recommend a hike. Not just an easy breezy hike with flowing rivers and butterflies on flowers, I am talking about at least 14 km of relentless uphill stretches, narrow trails just inches from a dizzying 2800-meter drop, dense forest with gnarled roots and fallen trunks to hurdle over, stinging nettle lining the path or worse dangling from branches waiting to brush against exposed skin leaving a burning sting. What goes up must come down. You get to this sharp decent and because this is a thick forest, the ground is moist and slippery. This is where you get to find out if your really cool looking hiking shoes are also handy or, they are weapons formed against you. Just after conquering the ascent then descent, you emerge into a gorgeous clearing where the trail widens onto a soft spongy carpet of lush grass.

 Now that you are not fighting for your life, you get to look around the forest and you can spot a family of colobus monkeys swinging away on the trees and a sighting of the rare and endangered mountain Bongo. The sun throws beautiful golden rays through the trees, the forest is filled with chattering, whooping, melodic chirping and distant hoots with butterflies flying around. By this time, you already drank all your water and since the air is just perfect and you are neither inclining nor declining, you actually start to chit chat and call different people to find out where they are because at this point the group has broken down to three or four distinct groups. I will proudly mention that I stayed in the first group keeping up with the elites. I even started to think about my kids, guessing what they could be doing. This is getting easy we are descending. In any hike that you will ever go, please note that if you are going down, you will have to climb up.

You start another grueling incline and you can feel the burn in your thighs and just like when you are doing squats, you are advised to keep your back straight and let your knees do the bending. Your mind starts to question things. In my case, I thought about a number of scenarios to get out of this situation. I settled on the idea of collapsing right there because I could tell that a good land rover could get there if called upon by our KWS trained forest guide and pick me up from the forest floor. If only I could faint on command but with my current Global Fast Fit time of 3 minutes and 40 seconds, my cardio health is pretty good. This is where sticking with the elites pays off. A club member pulled me by my hand through every incline. Chivalry is not dead. The air grows cooler until we enter an otherworldly bamboo forest. The tall bamboo forms an eerie looking canopy over the muddy path riddled with dead and sprouting bamboo stumps, so watch your steps. You clear the enchanting bamboo forest and branch off to a wide dirt road. The guide stops for a bit so that you can catch a breath. You then watch in disbelief as he asks if we would like to extend to the other leg of the trail and make it 22 km instead of the 14 km that you are currently tackling. You firmly decline and ask to proceed with the trail at hand.

Onwards and frontwards we go, tackling another incline. The very last one. On top of this climb, the group is watching a small coffee brown snake trying to cross the road. Our guide is from the Maasai tribe and tells us that in their culture, a snake will stop slithering and turn towards a pregnant person. The snake stopped slithering and turned towards us. I can’t speak for everyone else but there are 3 places you won’t catch me this year: back and forth, out of my way and-most importantly-labor and delivery.

Eburru forest is a prime indigenous forest that overlooks lake Naivasha to the south, lake Elementatita to the north and lake Nakuru to the north west. At the Ol Doinyo Eburru peak, all the 3 lakes are visible. The forest is nestled within the folds of a geologically active volcanic mountain that has a geothermal power station. The white cloud of gas rising high into the sky is visible from quite a distance and with it, a pungent rotten egg smell. The hike trail is just adjacent to the Wellhead geothermal power plant. The highest peak of this active volcano, the Ol Doinyo Eburru stands at 2820m above sea level. It is quite the experience to do a Global Fast Fit routine; 15 pushups, 15 plank leg lifts and 15 squats at this peak. Eburru forest hike really is the ultimate hiking experience. We will return to Eburru forest to unlock Ol Donyo Eburru once more.

There’s something truly invigorating about setting out on a journey through nature—especially when it involves a mix of endurance, teamwork, and adventure. On 1st February, the Winsim GFF Club, led by Simon Muchiri and Simon Mucheru, embarked on an unforgettable hike at Eburu Forest’s Eastern Summit. This journey tested our strength, rewarded us with breathtaking scenery, and strengthened our sense of camaraderie.

A Journey into the Wild

Our adventure kicked off early, leaving Njoro, Nakuru at 6:30 AM and covering a total distance of 113 km to Eburu. The excitement was palpable as our group of 26 hikers, joined by two experienced guides, prepared to tackle the demanding trail(14 km). Each participant was required to wear a GFF t-shirt and carry a non-disposable water bottle—a testament to our commitment to environmental responsibility.

The weather was on our side as we set off at 11:14 AM, with the sun shining brightly over the towering bamboo trees. However, the journey ahead was anything but easy. The steep ascents tested our endurance, and some hikers required assistance along the way. But as true GFF members, teamwork and encouragement saw us through.

Pushing Limits and Embracing Challenges

The trail was full of surprises. Along the way, we encountered traces of the elusive mountain bongo, a rare antelope species, and a few small snakes slithering through the undergrowth. Nature’s wonders made the challenges worthwhile, as did our brief break to perform pushups deep in the forest—because what’s a GFF hike without some extra physical challenge?

At exactly 1:02 PM, our efforts paid off as we reached the summit. The moment was nothing short of triumphant! Even more inspiring was the story of our youngest hiker, five-year-old Anita, who was among the first to finish and without forgetting 48-year-old John Maina who tackled the trail impressively. Their determination left us in awe and proved that adventure knows no age.

Victory, Reflection, and Celebration

With our spirits high, we began the descent, reaching the starting point at 2:38 PM. A glance at my smartwatch revealed an astonishing 23,879 steps covered—a true testament to the physical challenge we had conquered. Rain met us on our way back, but nothing could dampen our spirits after such an accomplishment.

As is tradition, we concluded the day with the mandatory GFF routine, reinforcing our values of discipline, resilience, and community. Then, we came together for a well-deserved meal, sharing stories of the hike and basking in the sense of achievement that only such an experience can bring.

Acknowledgments and Looking Forward

A special thank you goes out to John Groom, founder of GFF, for facilitating this event. The success of the hike would not have been possible without the leadership of Simon Muchiri and Simon Mucheru, along with the incredible participation of all hikers. Our cameraman, Andrew Muchiri, ensured that these cherished moments were well-documented.

As we headed back to Nakuru, one thing was clear—this was just the beginning of many more adventures to come.

Until the next trail, keep moving, keep pushing, and never stop exploring!

#GFFHikes #Adventure #TeamSpirit

My last blog post covered some of the very serious digestive system issues that I deal with and how they not only affect my physical health, but also my cognitive and executive function as well. These issues developed over time, and they weren't always this serious. They began as lapses that I started having a decade ago, small things such as withdrawing money from an ATM machine, and then standing there wondering when it would return my debit card. After assuming that my card was swallowed, I resorted to calling the bank to cancel my card and was left wondering how their machinery could malfunction in such a way. It came to my surprise that it wasn't the ATM machine that had malfunctioned, but it was my ability to form new short-term memories. The card was already in my wallet and had been there the entire time.

The reaction I had at that very moment was extremely similar to that of drinking to the point of being black out drunk, it's not the case of being knocked out and forgetting what happened, it's the brain no longer 'recording' what's going on.

While these incidents were seemingly isolated at first, they began to increase in frequency and variety. I made the cardinal sin of believing this to be related to work, or worse yet, believing that it was related to age so I put it off. It couldn't possibly get worse, right?

Just over five years ago, I was walking down a street that I lived on for almost a decade. I know the street intimately, where absolutely anything and everything is. I knew the various stalls, the different vendors, the numerous office workers going up and down the sidewalk, the shoe cobbler sitting alongside the road, the scabby stray dogs and cats, etc. What was meant to be a typical routine stroll ended up becoming a walk down amnesia lane. I was no longer in a place I recognized, but something was still telling me that I should be capable of recognizing it.

Having had a grandmother who had Alzheimer's, I knew well enough to quickly duck into the nearest restaurant, order something to eat, and ask for a pen and paper. I made an extremely pathetic attempt to draw a clock which proved to be wholly unsuccessful.

Why are people that have reduced cognitive ability asked to draw a clock? It's due to the amount of detail and intricacies that are involved on a clock's face. If you were asked to draw a clock that showed the time being half past one then you'd need to first draw the face, place the numerals for the hours, line out the minutes, and correctly draw where the short and long hand point. When cognitive function becomes impacted, something that would seem like a simple task becomes needlessly complicated.

That was when I knew something was seriously wrong, and it was the start of what would become an endless amount of hospital visits where misdiagnoses and incorrect medication made the problem far worse (not to mention my own stubbornness in sticking to the right lifestyle changes, but that's another blog post entirely).

So that was essentially my biggest scare, and the most indicative event that told me something was seriously wrong. I'd taken for granted being healthy all my life, and my hubris and obstinance guaranteed that those issues weren't going away anytime soon. There were other events after this that shot up my health anxiety, such as having a dinner meeting and having no idea where I was and who was around me, seeing shapes, lights, movement, that were never there (I got so used to it at some point that it stopped bothering me), and so on.

Also if you must know, I drew the 1 where the 12 should've been for the clock test that day.

With a new year I thought it might be interesting to take a look at changes in American health over the last 50 years, so I asked chatgpt.com to tell me about those changes:

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As I've gotten older I've become more and more fascinated by the concept of the soul. In theology, the soul tends to be immaterial, and immortal; an essence of ourselves that represent our individuality and is a piece of our being that extends beyond the body it's housed in. The reason for this fascination has been a culmination of struggle and loss, and what is hopefully not a futile way to come to terms with what's gone.

It's been nearly a decade long battle with my gut issues, admittedly prolonged and worsened by a very steadfast stubbornness against making the right consistent lifestyle changes to combat it.

I've taken a brief hiatus from Global Fast Fit in order to focus on dealing with these issues. I can't represent a global health initiative when I'm teetering on the precipice of ego death and potentially worse.

I've made a few blog posts already on how a broken digestive system can affect your overall well-being, but here's a few personal examples of some of the things I've already dealt with when a flare up occurs:

• Having no working or short-term memory; I'll be told or will see something and have zero idea about it five seconds later (Was I just imagining things?)
• Long-term memory erasure, there end up being these strange gaps in my own personal history, not to mention a deficit in the amount of information I can remember (Who was I? Who am I?)
• Losing the ability to speak, listen, read, write coherently, no longer being able to mentally perform simple mathematics, this one is probably the most common amongst people with digestive issues and is easily the most destructive when it comes to leading any kind of social life (All of you are talking and yet I have no idea what any of you are saying and how to respond to it.)
• Total loss of executive function; everything's connected, but the why's and how's of anything are no longer there (Autopilot is on, I do these things because something is telling me to, but I don't know why.)
• Loss of reaction speed/reflexes, this has unfortunately made it incredibly dangerous to drive, especially when I'm with someone or if I have the radio on; it's also near impossible to multitask 
• Perception and cognizance loss, a good example of this is if I want to do pull-ups and need to jump to grab the bar; I can no longer judge or gauge the distance that I need to jump to reach it
• Disassociation and disinterest, things once enjoyable are now completely mundane; humor begins to fade, sadly, anger and frustration does not (Was I really actually interested in this before?)
  

It's a longer list, but I don't care to continue it. I don't wish to give any more care or power to something that should've been gone years ago.

There have been some extremes and some outright scares throughout the years, but overall it's beginning to improve. The start of 2024 was awful, but there had been some significant progress as it came to a close. Some of my working memory began to return at the end of November, and I've also begun to find entertainment in books again, which is fairly difficult when you can't immerse yourself into the world you're reading about. This is absolutely reversible, but to what extent, I don't know yet.

The blog posts I'll be making moving forward will detail the progress (or regression) I've made in dealing with these issues along with the methodology in that progression/regression.

So here's to 2025, the year I reach the point where I never need to deal with this again. The year I get my soul back.

Exactly one year ago, I achieved something that still feels surreal; I became the world champion of GFF fitness in an astounding time of 2 minutes and 55 seconds . That moment marked the pinnacle of my fitness journey , and little did I know that it would not only change my life but also make an ambassador for GFF Kenya. It's been an incredible year and I want to share how this achievement has shaped me both as an athlete and as a representative of such an inspiring fitness community 

The journey to the championship 

Fitness has always been a significant part of my life , but GFF took things to a whole new level. It wasn't just about being fit; it was about pushing my own limits , challenging my body and mind. I had been working towards this for weeks-perfecting my technique, improving my strength , agility and stamina. However, nothing prepared me for the pressure of the competition itself.

When I stood at the starting position, the nerves hit , but they were quickly replaced by a focused calm. The clock started and everything I had worked for came down to these few minutes . At 2 minutes 55 seconds, I crossed the finish line, not just as the winner of the event but also the first ever to complete GFF under 3 minutes.

The moment I became GFF's Kenya Ambassador 

Becoming the world champion was a dream come true, but what followed was even more incredible. GFF recognized my performance and they offered me the role of an ambassador - a position I never expected, but was honoured to accept.

Being a GFF ambassador has allowed me to inspire others to take on their fitness journey and push themselves in ways they never thought possible . I have had the privilege of speaking at events, engaging with fellow athletes and connecting with people who share the same passion for fitness. As an ambassador, my role is not just representing GFF, but also about motivating others to set ambitious goals , believe in themselves , and realize that they are capable of achieving greatness.

Looking ahead 

One year later, I reflect on how much has changed. The title of former world champion is no longer just a badge of honour ; it's a symbol of everything  I have overcome.

As I look to the future, I am excited for the challenges and growth that lie ahead. I will continue to train, compete and represent GFF in all I do. My journey is far from over. Being the first person to break the 3-minute barrier was only the beginning . There are many more records to be broken, more people to inspire, and more heights to reach and I can't wait to see where this path leads next.

To anyone out there dreaming of greatness , remember; it's not just about how fast you finish, it's about the journey, the effort , and the belief in yourself that will carry you across the finish line, no matter how impossible the goal may seem.

Here's to another year of challenges, growth and victory -a shout out to John Groom and long live Global Fast Fit.