Dear sports fans,

Selam! (“Selam” is a word that is used as a greeting and means “peace” in the Amharic language of Ethiopia.)

I spent a busy couple of weeks racing in Europe, beginning with the Golden League meeting in Oslo, where, thanks be to God, the race was good, and I ran a personal best time of 14:33.04 for 5000m. Berhane Adere was there and we followed the pacemaker for about five laps until she dropped out. I didn’t know I had improved my best until I finished, but I was aware the race was very fast.

Before the race, I felt I hadn’t yet settled into my rhythm after running 10,000m in America, so I didn’t think I would run that well, but God made it possible, and I was happy to be second.

Next, I ran the 3,000m in Lausanne and Paris, in order to work on my speed. It was my first time running track in Lausanne although it’s where I won my first senior world championships title running cross country. So as soon as I knew I was going to be running in Lausanne, even though I expected to find the 3000m race hard, I was excited.

The hotel we stayed at was right next to the one we were in during the World Cross Country Championships and I just felt good being there.

My last race was the Rome Golden League 5000m. It was the fourth competition in a row for me, and it was extremely hot there, but I always give thanks to God regardless of what the results are like. I think those of us who had been on the road continuously performed less well there.

Italy was the first place I ever ran in Europe, when I ran cross country there in 1997. I was a newcomer traveling with famous athletes, so I didn’t pay attention to anything then and just followed them. Seeing sights, observing new things was the last thing on my mind. Since then, we’ve traveled a lot and seen many places. I think the prettiest place I’ve seen in Europe is probably Monaco, but I haven’t disliked any place, and I also like the cities I’ve seen in America, like Boston and New York and San Diego.

When we’re away continuously, we miss our country and look forward to getting back, and I also miss my young cousin, the daughter of the uncle I live with. She’s just turning two years old and her name is Yanet. I remember the sight of her playing, all around the house, and I miss her.

When we travel, we also long for injera, our national food (made from a grain called teff). Tirunesh Dibaba and Sentayehu Ejigu both brought some injera, with meat, on this trip, and we ate it all in Oslo after the competition. In the beginning, it used to be harder to go without injera, but now we are more used to it. We leave the country resigned to not having any for a while. But it’s when it’s almost time to head back, when we can envision being home, that we start to crave it again!

But the trips aren’t too hard when there are several of us athletes traveling together, because of the camaraderie we share.

And now I’m back home, and I won’t be racing anywhere else. I’ll just be getting ready for Paris.

I hope that your support and your prayers will always be with us.

Werknesh