As my career has come to an abrupt end, it’s healing to look back on all the work I’ve put into this sport. It reminds me of the monumental amount of effort that’s formed the basis of this incredible journey. It helps me to seek pride in what has been, instead of dwelling on what […]
The story behind the numbers Read More »
The past 12 years, I had the privilege to invest a monumental amount of time and energy in the most fulfilling personal project: maximizing the physical potential of my body. It’s hard to underestimate the impact this decision will have on my life. Even I don’t fully comprehend it yet. For my entire adult life,
The adventure of a lifetime Read More »
Great things only need three ingredients. Best example: pancakes. Second best example: Marathon training. In this blog, I’m highlighting the three most important parts of a marathon preparation. Obviously, it’s a bit simplified, but my own training revolves around three main aspects. I’ll talk about them in detail, ànd in order of importance, although they
Ingredients to run your best Marathon Read More »
The storm has passed. A calmness has returned, and with that, a lot of time to think. First of all, the silence reminds me that this “Paris story” is now written, nothing to add, nothing to do to change the final outcome. It’s been an amazing ride, but it’s over. A story that has occupied
We’re slowly moving away from this Olympic cycle, and into a new era. I call it part two of my career, and maybe even my life. Within the span of three days, I finished the Olympic Marathon, and had to say goodbye to my father. As these two events coincided so closely together, they will
#12 The Olympic Marathon Read More »
I promised myself I was going to be honest on this platform, as this blog is basically my self-talk in the weeks leading up to the Olympic Marathon. And honestly, I’m freaking out a bit! Not in a bad way, though. Not in an “I’m panicking” or “I can’t do this” kind of way. But
#11 The mental game Read More »
I’m tired. My legs hurt. My body would love a little break. I’m at that point in the preparation that’s just quite tough. I know it’s necessary, and I’ve been here before. I know this is what it takes to have a chance of doing well in the marathon. But when you’re running this
Before Berlin Marathon, where I was hoping to run the Olympic standard, the month leading up to the race was tough. I was very excited about the race – it’s still a privilege to race in one of the biggest marathons in the world – but I definitely had a feeling of “this has to
#9 The hardest part Read More »
For the non-runners out there, junk miles are considered the easy miles you run in the afternoon, after you had a workout in the morning OR adding on extra miles during a cool-down jog. Some might claim that these runs are useless and without added benefit, only risking injury or overtraining. Others say that all
#8 Junk miles don’t exist Read More »
This past Saturday, we stepped into the last 6 weeks before the Olympic Marathon. At this point in the preparation, there are a few boxes I want to have checked. 1.) I want to be in shape, but a shape that’s still rising. I’m running a good amount of miles, between 160km and 180km,
#7 Six weeks to go Read More »