THE LONG RUN
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 15 hours 54 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 148.6 kilometers
Time left: 16 weeks
The farewell service for my uncle Joop was very good. Chui Hsia came along to the crematorium in Bilthoven, where we met up with my oldest brother, my sister and, most importantly, my mother. Then there were a great many cousins whom I had not seen in ages. Plus, of couse, my aunt Jo, my uncle's wife for about 60 years I think.
People spoke with so much affection of uncle Joop... My mother's favorite brother, son of a baker and himself in the business of making bread and cookies, first in my grandfather's bakery and shop and later in a large factory. A man with a genuine interest in people around him. A wicked sense of humour, too. I have fond memories of the many birthdays at our house where he, amidst the rest of the extended family, would sit cracking jokes with that eternally radiant face that characterised him... Such a pity he's no longer around.
The running, meanwhile, has gone reasonably well. I skipped one 40-minutes run on Wednesday, but Thursday's and Saturday's were good. And today I pushed my barrier by running 120 minutes (aka two hours!) non-stop. For the first time I wore a belt with little bottles of powered water, and I think the regular drinking helped keep me going. Never mind I felt a bit silly, being over-gadgeted and all. At least I kept running.
That long run was in the Tervuren park, a bit out of town at the back of Brussels' colonial museum. I did three laps on the Waranda walking track, which - I did not know this when I started - includes eight sets of steps with a 54-steps total. Here you see some of them. Don't look like much, but believe me they break your stride big time!
Tervuren is a town that harbours many wealthy foreigners, mainly people in high positions in the European Community or executives of Belgian branches of big multinationals. For me the main attraction of Tervuren, apart from the sports facilities at the British School where my football club does pre-season training, is the lovely fountain which stands in the middle of the rundabout at the approach of the town. Never fails to make me smile.
Okay. It's Christmas Eve, so I will go and enjoy it with my loved one (the other loved one, Sanna, has gone to sleep). Tomorrow we hit the road for Ermelo, where we'll cook an Irish beef stew with potato mash and garlic bread for twelve people.
Merry Christmas, y'all.
Sunday, 24 December 2006
Sunday, 17 December 2006
NEW SHOES
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 12 hours 22 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 115.1 kilometers
Time left: 17 weeks
When I went running on Wednesday, my right shoe broke. The little rim where the holes are for the laces snapped at one hole and it was difficult to tie the shoe back in a way that worked. Anyway this pair of Adidas had been my running mates for many kilometers and I knew already before the snap that their moment of retirement was approaching. I needed new shoes.
On Thursday, I spent my lunchbreak at the Decathlon sports megastore. They had two different kinds of Asics shoes of which I knew they had tested well, but the cheaper of the two apparently tears around the big toe after the first 500 kilometers, or so it says on bulletin boards. Yes, I had done a bit of homework. There was this pair; brilliant but rather expensive. The only alternative was the Nike Pegasus Air, much cheaper and equally praised by running shoe commentators (is that a fulltime job? Does it pay? Where do I apply?). But the Nike is too narrow for my foot. So the Asics it was after all, which is good because they are orange.
I pondered about what I would have done had the Nike been a perfect fit. You see, I still feel obliged to boycott Nike for their sweatshop policies and exploitation of the world's poor. Now I know perfectly well that other companies are no angels too, and the Asics I bought were indeed manufactured in China. But Nike remains the emblematic company for all that is wrong, and giving up my Nike boycott would mean giving in to consumer cynicism. No? Oh, yes, I don't tank at Shell stations either...
On Friday I gave my new shoes their first run and boy are they good! They propel me forward big time (Chui Hsia claims that I always say that of new shoes, but I tell you these runners REALLY propel!). They absorb shocks brilliantly and weigh almost nothing. Only thing is, the heels are markedly different from my old shoes and I get a bit of cramp in my lower legs when running uphill. But I guess that'll pass.
Today was the Gaston Roelants 10k race. Weather was very, very nice: cold, dry and sunny. Before the start I saw Tine and Vincent, and also Georges who runs marathons for charity and gets others to do the same. But from go I was on my own - amidst 2,500 runners, that is - as the others sprinted off at their individual paces. For seven kilometers I managed to run at six minutes per kilometer and the last three I accelerated, finishing in just under an hour (58,18). I'm quite happy with that result.
Then, when I came back home, I learned that my uncle died this morning. He was my mother's favourite sibling, so it must be very hard for her. I spent the rest of the afternoon in town with Sanna. She had a great time, but my post-race feeling of exultant happiness never returned.
Oh, yes, I read this description of someone's first marathon which is really hilarious. You'll find it on this blog, just click on "Marathon, The First" on the right hand side.
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 12 hours 22 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 115.1 kilometers
Time left: 17 weeks
When I went running on Wednesday, my right shoe broke. The little rim where the holes are for the laces snapped at one hole and it was difficult to tie the shoe back in a way that worked. Anyway this pair of Adidas had been my running mates for many kilometers and I knew already before the snap that their moment of retirement was approaching. I needed new shoes.
On Thursday, I spent my lunchbreak at the Decathlon sports megastore. They had two different kinds of Asics shoes of which I knew they had tested well, but the cheaper of the two apparently tears around the big toe after the first 500 kilometers, or so it says on bulletin boards. Yes, I had done a bit of homework. There was this pair; brilliant but rather expensive. The only alternative was the Nike Pegasus Air, much cheaper and equally praised by running shoe commentators (is that a fulltime job? Does it pay? Where do I apply?). But the Nike is too narrow for my foot. So the Asics it was after all, which is good because they are orange.
I pondered about what I would have done had the Nike been a perfect fit. You see, I still feel obliged to boycott Nike for their sweatshop policies and exploitation of the world's poor. Now I know perfectly well that other companies are no angels too, and the Asics I bought were indeed manufactured in China. But Nike remains the emblematic company for all that is wrong, and giving up my Nike boycott would mean giving in to consumer cynicism. No? Oh, yes, I don't tank at Shell stations either...
On Friday I gave my new shoes their first run and boy are they good! They propel me forward big time (Chui Hsia claims that I always say that of new shoes, but I tell you these runners REALLY propel!). They absorb shocks brilliantly and weigh almost nothing. Only thing is, the heels are markedly different from my old shoes and I get a bit of cramp in my lower legs when running uphill. But I guess that'll pass.
Today was the Gaston Roelants 10k race. Weather was very, very nice: cold, dry and sunny. Before the start I saw Tine and Vincent, and also Georges who runs marathons for charity and gets others to do the same. But from go I was on my own - amidst 2,500 runners, that is - as the others sprinted off at their individual paces. For seven kilometers I managed to run at six minutes per kilometer and the last three I accelerated, finishing in just under an hour (58,18). I'm quite happy with that result.
Then, when I came back home, I learned that my uncle died this morning. He was my mother's favourite sibling, so it must be very hard for her. I spent the rest of the afternoon in town with Sanna. She had a great time, but my post-race feeling of exultant happiness never returned.
Oh, yes, I read this description of someone's first marathon which is really hilarious. You'll find it on this blog, just click on "Marathon, The First" on the right hand side.
Monday, 11 December 2006
INTO THE WOODS
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November:9 hours 25 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 87.9 kilometers
Time left: 18 weeks
Yesterday I had the nicest run to date. We were in Ermelo, the village where my mother lives and where I spent a large part of my school years. Running there is so much nicer than in Brussels and I ended up going for 100 minutes. Through the village I went, past my old school, past both football clubs, through the forest, past the old water tower at Groevenbeek, and back home from there.
I ran slowly and managed to keep my heart rate below 150 (the average over 100 minutes was 142, much lower than what I get normally).
The forests around the old Groevenbeek estate is where I spent much of my time as a teenager. I used to go birdspotting or walk Tessa the dog there.
Tessa was of mixed breed with clear boxer characteristics. We got her after my father finally gave in to the constant begging of his six children. Dad had his conditions: a small dog only, no bitch, and he himself was not going to walk the animal. Then he went to the pound and got a mid-size female dog which he took out for walks rather often...
Pity I don't have any pictures of her any more.
So I know these forests well. Yet, I hadn't been to the estate for decades and was pleasantly surprised to see it again, especially the afore-mentioned tower.
On the subject of running past landmark buildings: I'm signed up for a run in the Park of Laeken this Sunday. Not only is this the park in front of the Belgian royal family's palace, it also incorporates the recently restored Atomium, built for the World Exhibition in 1958. My parents went to visit back then, and I'm pretty sure my mother must have been pregnant with me at the time. So this run means REALLY going back to my (extremely) early childhood...
The race is named after Gaston Roelants who apparently was quite a runner in his days. I fear I won't do him justice. Not only am I not good enough for that, the race also follows the night of my football club's Christmas Dinner. I'll be glad enough if I finish the ten kilometers in not too much more than one hour.
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November:9 hours 25 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 87.9 kilometers
Time left: 18 weeks
Yesterday I had the nicest run to date. We were in Ermelo, the village where my mother lives and where I spent a large part of my school years. Running there is so much nicer than in Brussels and I ended up going for 100 minutes. Through the village I went, past my old school, past both football clubs, through the forest, past the old water tower at Groevenbeek, and back home from there.
I ran slowly and managed to keep my heart rate below 150 (the average over 100 minutes was 142, much lower than what I get normally).
The forests around the old Groevenbeek estate is where I spent much of my time as a teenager. I used to go birdspotting or walk Tessa the dog there.
Tessa was of mixed breed with clear boxer characteristics. We got her after my father finally gave in to the constant begging of his six children. Dad had his conditions: a small dog only, no bitch, and he himself was not going to walk the animal. Then he went to the pound and got a mid-size female dog which he took out for walks rather often...
Pity I don't have any pictures of her any more.
So I know these forests well. Yet, I hadn't been to the estate for decades and was pleasantly surprised to see it again, especially the afore-mentioned tower.
On the subject of running past landmark buildings: I'm signed up for a run in the Park of Laeken this Sunday. Not only is this the park in front of the Belgian royal family's palace, it also incorporates the recently restored Atomium, built for the World Exhibition in 1958. My parents went to visit back then, and I'm pretty sure my mother must have been pregnant with me at the time. So this run means REALLY going back to my (extremely) early childhood...
The race is named after Gaston Roelants who apparently was quite a runner in his days. I fear I won't do him justice. Not only am I not good enough for that, the race also follows the night of my football club's Christmas Dinner. I'll be glad enough if I finish the ten kilometers in not too much more than one hour.
Sunday, 3 December 2006
TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM...
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 5 hours 55 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 55.6 kilometers
Time left: 19 weeks
The other day, when I was doing the last of four laps in the park, I imagined it being the final kilometers of my first marathon. The vision of me running into the stadium (does the Rotterdam Marathon finsh in a stadium? Should look that up) was so vivid that I got all emotional when finishing. That's how conditioned we are by TV and Hollywood: when real life starts looking like what we see on the screen we Pavlov into the screen emotions. It was all Chariots of Fire, Fame (I'm gonna live forever!), and To Dream The Impossible Dream.
I had just finished a leisurely 7 kilometers.
Still, it made me think about what finishing the real thing will be like. My expectation is that for the greater part of the 42+ kilometers the struggle will be (well, feel...) enormous and heroic, but that when I reach the finish line there'll be little left. Maybe in my head a voice will sing, "Is that all there is, is that all there is..."
So what am I doing this for? Beats me, so I would love to hear your theories, dear audience!
This week started badly. I missed my Tuesday run because of a painful left ankle and postponed Wednesday's till Thursday. But today was good: 12 kilometers on the belt in 80 minutes, and surprisingly the second half was much easier than the first.
Oh yes, did I say where my training schedule comes from? I use the Asics running site where you can build your own programme and keep track of your progress. I use the Dutch site of Asics; in the past I found the American one to be bugged repeatedly.
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 5 hours 55 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 55.6 kilometers
Time left: 19 weeks
The other day, when I was doing the last of four laps in the park, I imagined it being the final kilometers of my first marathon. The vision of me running into the stadium (does the Rotterdam Marathon finsh in a stadium? Should look that up) was so vivid that I got all emotional when finishing. That's how conditioned we are by TV and Hollywood: when real life starts looking like what we see on the screen we Pavlov into the screen emotions. It was all Chariots of Fire, Fame (I'm gonna live forever!), and To Dream The Impossible Dream.
I had just finished a leisurely 7 kilometers.
Still, it made me think about what finishing the real thing will be like. My expectation is that for the greater part of the 42+ kilometers the struggle will be (well, feel...) enormous and heroic, but that when I reach the finish line there'll be little left. Maybe in my head a voice will sing, "Is that all there is, is that all there is..."
So what am I doing this for? Beats me, so I would love to hear your theories, dear audience!
This week started badly. I missed my Tuesday run because of a painful left ankle and postponed Wednesday's till Thursday. But today was good: 12 kilometers on the belt in 80 minutes, and surprisingly the second half was much easier than the first.
Oh yes, did I say where my training schedule comes from? I use the Asics running site where you can build your own programme and keep track of your progress. I use the Dutch site of Asics; in the past I found the American one to be bugged repeatedly.
Sunday, 26 November 2006
WARM WEATHER CONTINUES
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 3 hours 15 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 31.6 kilometers
Time left: 20 weeks
It's really amazing how warm it still is. Late November and we are enjoying temperatures close to 20 degrees! Great for running of course, but it's getting a bit scary. I mean, which parts of the world will be flooded in fifty years time? And how much longer before we have scorpions in Belgium?
My former favorite author, Max Frisch, once asked, Are you certain you care about what happens to the world after you die? I used to be not sure about the answer. But I find that now I have a daughter (cliche alert!) I DO care. I want her world to be more liveable than mine, certainly not less.
Not that I was plagued by questions about global warming when I went training on Tuesday. I was on the Belgian coast, in the lovely town of Nieuwpoort, and as the days were taken up with meetings and the nights with social activities, the only time left for a run was in the early morning. By Jove, was it cold at 7:30! With colleague Luc, I set off against the wind over the promenade, and by the time we reached the end of it I was dead tired, though only 11 minutes had passed. Then, on the way back the wind carried me over the beach and I decided to keep going till way past our starting point. Meaning - yes indeed, you clever reader! - that I had to finish with a fair bit of distance against the wind again.
It was worth it though. Especially because I like the beach. Beaches are places where, if there's not a big crowd of people around, you can easily get overwhelmed with the force of the elements. It often makes me contemplative, and almost without exception happy. A beach is a place of awe.
Mind you, a good mountain will do that for me too.
Friday's run was in the park in front of the house. Three laps. Today was the same. I've estimated one lap to be 1.75 kilometers, but I'm acually sure it's a bit more. Maybe not quite 2, but close. Many people run in this park and the atmosphere is good. But today hurt. Had a pretty heavy football match yesterday.
Not sure how I'm going to fit in my training runs in the coming week. I have colleagues over from abroad for two days, and I'll have to be a bit of a host in the evenings. As we're staying in the Polygon conference centre, my office running circuit is not at hand. Also, Chui Hsia will be away for half the week, so I'll be doing full-time baby care outside creche hours.
The only plan that might work is to run Tuesday morning very early (before Sanna wakes up), Thursday and Friday lunch, and then a longer run on Sunday. But will I have the dedication?
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 3 hours 15 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 31.6 kilometers
Time left: 20 weeks
It's really amazing how warm it still is. Late November and we are enjoying temperatures close to 20 degrees! Great for running of course, but it's getting a bit scary. I mean, which parts of the world will be flooded in fifty years time? And how much longer before we have scorpions in Belgium?
My former favorite author, Max Frisch, once asked, Are you certain you care about what happens to the world after you die? I used to be not sure about the answer. But I find that now I have a daughter (cliche alert!) I DO care. I want her world to be more liveable than mine, certainly not less.
Not that I was plagued by questions about global warming when I went training on Tuesday. I was on the Belgian coast, in the lovely town of Nieuwpoort, and as the days were taken up with meetings and the nights with social activities, the only time left for a run was in the early morning. By Jove, was it cold at 7:30! With colleague Luc, I set off against the wind over the promenade, and by the time we reached the end of it I was dead tired, though only 11 minutes had passed. Then, on the way back the wind carried me over the beach and I decided to keep going till way past our starting point. Meaning - yes indeed, you clever reader! - that I had to finish with a fair bit of distance against the wind again.
It was worth it though. Especially because I like the beach. Beaches are places where, if there's not a big crowd of people around, you can easily get overwhelmed with the force of the elements. It often makes me contemplative, and almost without exception happy. A beach is a place of awe.
Mind you, a good mountain will do that for me too.
Friday's run was in the park in front of the house. Three laps. Today was the same. I've estimated one lap to be 1.75 kilometers, but I'm acually sure it's a bit more. Maybe not quite 2, but close. Many people run in this park and the atmosphere is good. But today hurt. Had a pretty heavy football match yesterday.
Not sure how I'm going to fit in my training runs in the coming week. I have colleagues over from abroad for two days, and I'll have to be a bit of a host in the evenings. As we're staying in the Polygon conference centre, my office running circuit is not at hand. Also, Chui Hsia will be away for half the week, so I'll be doing full-time baby care outside creche hours.
The only plan that might work is to run Tuesday morning very early (before Sanna wakes up), Thursday and Friday lunch, and then a longer run on Sunday. But will I have the dedication?
Sunday, 19 November 2006
MADNESS SETS IN
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 1 hour 45 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 16.8 kilometers
Time left: 21 weeks
I had already heard rumours about the Rotterdam Marathon sponsoring the organisation I work for. On Monday, a colleague from Amsterdam confirmed this and indicated that in his office they's get a group of runners together. True to my character - in my mind I'm still in my early twenties and my body has unlimited potential - I said I'd be there too. Should have thought a bit before opening my mouth. But it's done and there's really no way back without losing face.
Thing is that I had already promised myself to do a marathon before turning 50, in early 2009. I do a bit of running, or I should say that I have been doing a bit of running of late, but as I'm more of a sprinter than a person who can just keep going it takes gigantic determination and stamina to even keep running for 40 minutes. So the 5 hours I'll need for 42+ kilometers is going to be hell. And I don't mean that as a figure of speech; I think the marathon is where people go who have been bad.
On Wednesday and Friday I used my lunch breaks for running a bit over 5 kilometers. The circuit is rugged, with sandy lanes going through the forest around the Chalet de Laerbeek and a kilometer of steady incline about halfway. It took me 33'12" on Wednesday and 31'55" on Friday. Today I went to the gym - it's been raining a fair bit so my outdoor tracks in the park are muddy - and did 40 minutes at 10k/h. Please come back for future postings, which will most likely be weekly, and I promise to bore you stiff with many more of such silly details.
But there should be other stuff as well. For instance, I have no clue how I am going to combine the rigorous training schedule needed for getting ready in time with a demanding job, and with my family life that includes a gorgeous baby girl. Already I don't find time to get the battery in my Polar watch changed; really need to do that as I want to keep an eye on my heart rate while training.
Weight: 80 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 1 hour 45 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 16.8 kilometers
Time left: 21 weeks
I had already heard rumours about the Rotterdam Marathon sponsoring the organisation I work for. On Monday, a colleague from Amsterdam confirmed this and indicated that in his office they's get a group of runners together. True to my character - in my mind I'm still in my early twenties and my body has unlimited potential - I said I'd be there too. Should have thought a bit before opening my mouth. But it's done and there's really no way back without losing face.
Thing is that I had already promised myself to do a marathon before turning 50, in early 2009. I do a bit of running, or I should say that I have been doing a bit of running of late, but as I'm more of a sprinter than a person who can just keep going it takes gigantic determination and stamina to even keep running for 40 minutes. So the 5 hours I'll need for 42+ kilometers is going to be hell. And I don't mean that as a figure of speech; I think the marathon is where people go who have been bad.
On Wednesday and Friday I used my lunch breaks for running a bit over 5 kilometers. The circuit is rugged, with sandy lanes going through the forest around the Chalet de Laerbeek and a kilometer of steady incline about halfway. It took me 33'12" on Wednesday and 31'55" on Friday. Today I went to the gym - it's been raining a fair bit so my outdoor tracks in the park are muddy - and did 40 minutes at 10k/h. Please come back for future postings, which will most likely be weekly, and I promise to bore you stiff with many more of such silly details.
But there should be other stuff as well. For instance, I have no clue how I am going to combine the rigorous training schedule needed for getting ready in time with a demanding job, and with my family life that includes a gorgeous baby girl. Already I don't find time to get the battery in my Polar watch changed; really need to do that as I want to keep an eye on my heart rate while training.
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