There’s a proverb from Burundi that inspires me: "It is easy to light a fire and difficult to extinguish it." I know that after the London Marathon, I said I was finished doing marathons. I let go of the dream. But, as April faded into May and now June, I have started to rethink the idea.

'It is easy to light a fire and difficult to extinguish it'.

One day, back in Austin, it was raining so hard and I was waiting for my Gazelle running group. A few people showed up, so I sent them off to run. I thought, well, things happen for a reason and I need to take advantage of the time, so let’s get busy. I locked myself in the annex of RunTex, our local running store. I remembered the day that the doctor in Burundi told me that running was out of the question and I did not want that to happen again.

I knew that my problem from London must be a nerve and I could fix it with core exercises and balance work. I did 800 sit ups straight – regular sit ups, obliques, roman chair. I did balance work – hopping on one leg, two legs, bounding and leg extensions. I turned up my music so loud, from Zaire, a great artist, Koffi Olomide. It was so difficult, but it was really a cleansing exercise for me in many ways – physically and mentally. I realized that I am still strong and I still have a fire burning within me.

While pushing myself, I have been to doctors, physical therapists and massage therapists to try to hasten the recovery. I do as they ask and then I push myself even harder.

I have been joking with friends lately that I am running in the middle of day and behind buses in Austin, to get used to the heat, humidity and pollution.

On a more serious note, I really am enjoying running on Lady Bird Lake here in Austin. It always reminds me so much of Burundi, my home. While many, many miles away from my African homeland, I feel connected to Burundi in a way that is hard to explain. I am running with joy again as I nurture my body back to health and nurture my mind. It helps me think about what might be possible for me as an athlete and a coach.

This connection to the world is really the essence of the Olympic Games. For a short period of time, we all put aside the struggles between us and focus on the competition of the Games. We all swell with pride for our countrymen and women as they compete at the height of their athletic ability.

The Olympic Games allows the world to come together to seek greatness and unite the world into one. Even though I will not be competing in the Beijing Olympics this year, the Olympic flame still burns strong in my heart as it does in all mankind. In my homeland of Burundi we have a word that perfectly describes this collective spirit of humanity...“ubuntu”.

I must go for a run now. This voice in my heart tells me to get out there and move. It reminds me how blessed I am. I wonder how many times I will run between now and 2012?