GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 29 hours 24 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 281.2 kilometers
Time left: 11 weeks
Bit by bit it becomes clear that my training goals (100 hours / 900 kilometers) are way too ambitious. All the more so since my trip to Malaysia brought my running to an almost complete standstill, and I have a fair bit of trouble since to pick it up again.
But I'm getting there. Sunday was okay with a two-hours run in the forest to the east of Brussels' city centre. Yet, I did not make my training target of 170 minutes, partly because I got complete lost on dirt tracks among the trees and found myself, after 124 minutes on my Polar watch, ankle deep in the mud with no indication of which direction my car could be. I managed to find it back half an hour later.
Had a nice beat on my iPod. I found this PodRunner site that offers one-hours downloads of music mixes in which the beats per minute are constant. I ran with 135 bpm, which was slightly too slow but still helped me get into the mythical Zone for at least 40 minutes or so. It made the pain of the effort more bearable.
Back home, many of my muscles hurt badly, particularly in my lower back, upper legs and ankles. And, for the first time with my Asics trainers, I had grown a blister on the inside of my foot.
Two bits of good news though. One is that proof of my registration for the Rotterdam marathon arrived in the mail. I seem to be number 7830 (if on April 15 you watch the marathon, try to spot me. It may be tough though as I guess the cameras and race officials and most spectators will have long left by the time I come stumbling towards the finish line). The other bit of good news is that Vincent has signed up as well. He is faster than me, but at the very least we'll be able to share our stories of heroic pain with someone who understands.
Tuesday, 30 January 2007
Thursday, 18 January 2007
INTERMEZZO
No running update this week. With my trip to KL the running has taken a seat far in the back, I would say almost inside the trunk. I've squeezed out 27 minutes yesterday, but that's been all in a week's time. And it actually feels good, this little break from my ambitious training programme.
Instead, here's what I bought this evening at the Cold Storage supermarket, across the road in the Bangsar Shopping Centre:
- A pack of sushi (9 pieces)
- 8 plain buns
- 2 cans of Seasons soy bean milk
- a 6pack of Tiger
- a piece of Old Amsterdam cheese
- a piece of Metaghini Taleggio cheese
- a liter-pack of Goodday fresh milk
- a liter-pack of Fruit Tree Fresh sorsop juice with nata de coco
- today's Malay Mail
It cost me 97.51 MYR.
Back to running, and boring you with stories about running, next week. I promise. Really.
No running update this week. With my trip to KL the running has taken a seat far in the back, I would say almost inside the trunk. I've squeezed out 27 minutes yesterday, but that's been all in a week's time. And it actually feels good, this little break from my ambitious training programme.
Instead, here's what I bought this evening at the Cold Storage supermarket, across the road in the Bangsar Shopping Centre:
- A pack of sushi (9 pieces)
- 8 plain buns
- 2 cans of Seasons soy bean milk
- a 6pack of Tiger
- a piece of Old Amsterdam cheese
- a piece of Metaghini Taleggio cheese
- a liter-pack of Goodday fresh milk
- a liter-pack of Fruit Tree Fresh sorsop juice with nata de coco
- today's Malay Mail
It cost me 97.51 MYR.
Back to running, and boring you with stories about running, next week. I promise. Really.
Sunday, 7 January 2007
NO WAY BACK?
Weight: 78 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 22 hours 27 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 211.8 kilometers
Time left: 14 weeks
This week I have to be brief. It's late Sunday night and we just came back from Ermelo where we celebraetd my mother's birthday. And tomorrow I have to catch a 7am Eurostar train to London. I should sleep.
The big news is that I have signed up for the Rotterdam marathon! I postponed the deed many times, but on Friday my training schedule said "100 days to go" so I thought I should commit more firmly. I committed by credit card; if I don't make it I'll have lost a fair bit of money.
At a later stage I have to work out the logistics. I don't know anyone in Rotterdam, so there's no place for me to leave my stuff. Also, how will I travel? The train may be the safest option, as I'm not sure I'll be fit to drive an hour and a half after completing (or not completing...) the full 42 kilometer by foot.
Oh well, that's for later.
Meanwhile, my training is not going brilliantly. This week I ran less than 30k in total. As of Friday, I'll be in Malaysia for work and I doubt I'll get around to doing long runs there. I will try to do some, but the hard yakka will set in again in two weeks.
I should be able to write though.
Weight: 78 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 22 hours 27 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 211.8 kilometers
Time left: 14 weeks
This week I have to be brief. It's late Sunday night and we just came back from Ermelo where we celebraetd my mother's birthday. And tomorrow I have to catch a 7am Eurostar train to London. I should sleep.
The big news is that I have signed up for the Rotterdam marathon! I postponed the deed many times, but on Friday my training schedule said "100 days to go" so I thought I should commit more firmly. I committed by credit card; if I don't make it I'll have lost a fair bit of money.
At a later stage I have to work out the logistics. I don't know anyone in Rotterdam, so there's no place for me to leave my stuff. Also, how will I travel? The train may be the safest option, as I'm not sure I'll be fit to drive an hour and a half after completing (or not completing...) the full 42 kilometer by foot.
Oh well, that's for later.
Meanwhile, my training is not going brilliantly. This week I ran less than 30k in total. As of Friday, I'll be in Malaysia for work and I doubt I'll get around to doing long runs there. I will try to do some, but the hard yakka will set in again in two weeks.
I should be able to write though.
Monday, 1 January 2007
AGAINST THE WIND
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 19 hours 44 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 183.8 kilometers
Time left: 15 weeks
The canal that connects Brussels with the sea, via Antwerp, passes not too far from our house. It was only a matter of time before I would go for a run along the water. And time had come on the last day of the year; I took off down the Leopold II boulevard and turned left at the bridge, for a less than scenic route past commercial ports and industrial estates.
Yet, and not counting the long wall that seperates the lonely runner and other mere mortals from the gardens and palace of the King and Queen of Belgium, there are two structures I saw along the canal that are worth mentioning. One is the huge complex called Tour et Taxis where many large exhibitions and festivals take place. It is not only overwhelmingly massive, the structure itself is a gorgeous testament to the days when construction involved lots of steel. Worth a visit any time. Sadly, I found it hard to enjoy the sight as the road along the estate was cobblestones that probably provided an even surface sixty years ago but have since suffered the effects of no maintenance.
Much further down, on the edge of the Brussels municipality, is a bridge I really like. It's called the Buda bridge and again is a very nice steel construction.
A bit further still, at the Three Fountains Park in Vilvoorde, I turned around and immediately understood why the run up to that point had been relatively effortless. The wind had pushed me forth, a wind much stronger than I had noticed it to be, and now I was facing a full ten kilometers of battling head-on against it. Trust me, it took forever and I could only keep going by taking very small steps.
It brought back memories of cycling in Holland. In particular, of the trips back from the swimming pool in Apeldoorn to our house in Epe. Battling the elements is what I learned, like many Dutch people, on a bicycle. Those trips back from the Sportfondsenbad, an indoor swimming pool, were pure hell if the wind was travelling high-speed in the opposite direction. I remember gusts of rain and snow, as well as hands and facial parts that were freezing, though always just not enough to go completely numb. But I also remember coming home in our house in the Glorialaan (meaning I was no older than ten) to the warm fireplace and a hot cocoa freshly boiled up by my mother.
Sometimes I feel compelled to make sure Sanna will have similar experiences. But then the thought of putting her through the suffering involved holds me back. That, plus the fact that she cannot ride a bike yet. Ah, and the little detail of us not having a fireplace.
I made it back home alright - from the running I mean - but had to sit down immediately as the pain in my leg and lower back muscles was preventing me from doing anything more meaningful. Mind you, I'm not complaining as I only have myself to blame for this mad enterprise...
Which reminds me: I haven't signed up yet for the Rotterdam marathon. Better do it soon; it fills up quickly they say.
Weight: 79 kilos
Time spent running since 15 November: 19 hours 44 minutes
Distance run since 15 November: 183.8 kilometers
Time left: 15 weeks
The canal that connects Brussels with the sea, via Antwerp, passes not too far from our house. It was only a matter of time before I would go for a run along the water. And time had come on the last day of the year; I took off down the Leopold II boulevard and turned left at the bridge, for a less than scenic route past commercial ports and industrial estates.
Yet, and not counting the long wall that seperates the lonely runner and other mere mortals from the gardens and palace of the King and Queen of Belgium, there are two structures I saw along the canal that are worth mentioning. One is the huge complex called Tour et Taxis where many large exhibitions and festivals take place. It is not only overwhelmingly massive, the structure itself is a gorgeous testament to the days when construction involved lots of steel. Worth a visit any time. Sadly, I found it hard to enjoy the sight as the road along the estate was cobblestones that probably provided an even surface sixty years ago but have since suffered the effects of no maintenance.
Much further down, on the edge of the Brussels municipality, is a bridge I really like. It's called the Buda bridge and again is a very nice steel construction.
A bit further still, at the Three Fountains Park in Vilvoorde, I turned around and immediately understood why the run up to that point had been relatively effortless. The wind had pushed me forth, a wind much stronger than I had noticed it to be, and now I was facing a full ten kilometers of battling head-on against it. Trust me, it took forever and I could only keep going by taking very small steps.
It brought back memories of cycling in Holland. In particular, of the trips back from the swimming pool in Apeldoorn to our house in Epe. Battling the elements is what I learned, like many Dutch people, on a bicycle. Those trips back from the Sportfondsenbad, an indoor swimming pool, were pure hell if the wind was travelling high-speed in the opposite direction. I remember gusts of rain and snow, as well as hands and facial parts that were freezing, though always just not enough to go completely numb. But I also remember coming home in our house in the Glorialaan (meaning I was no older than ten) to the warm fireplace and a hot cocoa freshly boiled up by my mother.
Sometimes I feel compelled to make sure Sanna will have similar experiences. But then the thought of putting her through the suffering involved holds me back. That, plus the fact that she cannot ride a bike yet. Ah, and the little detail of us not having a fireplace.
I made it back home alright - from the running I mean - but had to sit down immediately as the pain in my leg and lower back muscles was preventing me from doing anything more meaningful. Mind you, I'm not complaining as I only have myself to blame for this mad enterprise...
Which reminds me: I haven't signed up yet for the Rotterdam marathon. Better do it soon; it fills up quickly they say.
Sunday, 24 December 2006
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.
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.
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