Hi y'all,
I did it! I ran and finished the Amsterdam half marathon last Sunday. I dreaded the day and the actual finish line and I wanted the run to be over with at the same time. Twisted and complex as that might sound and yet the unreal really happened. I did it and I am proud of me. So....what was it like?
Our coral started at 13:26 hrs in front of the olympic stadium. The weather was a little too summery for my taste but I was sooo nervous that I kind of blame part of the coral sweat on nerves. Trying to calm down I started talking to three fellow runners and learned about they're favorite runs. So fun to exchange cool runs and...as it turns out we live in the same city. How is that for fun!? Now I have run this particular half before but this time I feared I wasn't fit enough. I darted off, high fived my husband around the first 500m and than I was on my own. No more excuses just me and my absolute desire to run this one. It didn't take me long to get into the cadans of all those feet hitting the pavement in almost unison. I broke out into a huge smile when I realized that we were running as one, we really were. One huge mass of sweaty runners in it together.
The bliss of that feeling subsided when we turned away from the city and into a spot of industrial development and somehow a moodswing hit the crowd. We turned back to just me and than the murders began...okay not really but the crockbrains took over and that is when half of the crowd apperently didn't get the message that you overhaul on the LEFT SIDE and that the slower runners are on the right side. At one point another runner apperently felt the need to overhaul me on the right side right between me and one of the crush-barriers nearly shuffing me off of my feet. He than went on to the next runner and did the same...We started to yell at him and than...he tripped. I couldn't help myself and screamed: SERVES YOU RIGHT ASSHOLE as I passed him by. I screamed about 5 times more on that particular part of the race but luckily we returned to the city center soon after.
At km 9 I had my first gel and that was kind of late considering I only had a banana and two egg wafels for lunch and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Eating more before the race is never an option because than I end up either puking or getting the trots. Right before that firts waterpost I started to run on fumes so I was really happy when I saw the volunteers handing out water so I could refuel. After that I accepted water at all the water stations which kind of slowed me down but not much because right up to km 18 I still could have PR'd on the half marathon. Alas poor me....I crushed through my sugar level at km 18 and I didn't have it in me to get my legs back to pick up the pace again. I just slowed down realizing I was going to be fine even if it meant walking a bit.
Vondelpark....my enemy park...I couldn't do it anymore and had to walk a couple of times and than the vibe of WE RUN AS ONE swooped back in. Epic Vondelpark where you can crush and run, root and be rooted at, help and be helped. It all happened. There was a man running behind me that somehow figured he wouldn't let me cave in so each time he saw me walking he just tapped my shoulder, grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the race. Dear sir I do not know your name but thank you so much for helping me. You have no idea how much that meant to me. So thank you!
As we turned the final corner and I saw that stadium I wanted to stop in my tracks and hide under a blanket but I couldn't so I decided I should just get it over with. I noticed myself scowering the stand for a glimpse of the familiar outlines of my mom...knowing full well that she wouldn't be there. She will never be there again. As I crossed the finish line I couldn't stop crying so I called my super amazing husband man who guided me through finding him on the stands and meeting up with my niece and my niece's nephew who were there handing out medals. I cried like I hadn't done in a long time and I said goodbye to mom. We came full circle right there in that stadium. This marathon is done, it is over. I don't have to come back to this one.
Finishing this run helped me realize that I'm not as fit as I want to be but I'm not totally out of shape either. It took me 2 hours and 25 minutes to finish that half. If my sugar level hadn't crashed than I would have PR'd even. So now I'm sure I can get back to the me I was before all the drama. I can refind my focus and work towards a new unreal goal. So I will. First up: Egmond 10.5k at 59 minutes. Will you embark on this journey with me?
That's it for now, until we read again
Keep it unreal and make it happen
As always, Love Marlies
I did it! I ran and finished the Amsterdam half marathon last Sunday. I dreaded the day and the actual finish line and I wanted the run to be over with at the same time. Twisted and complex as that might sound and yet the unreal really happened. I did it and I am proud of me. So....what was it like?
Our coral started at 13:26 hrs in front of the olympic stadium. The weather was a little too summery for my taste but I was sooo nervous that I kind of blame part of the coral sweat on nerves. Trying to calm down I started talking to three fellow runners and learned about they're favorite runs. So fun to exchange cool runs and...as it turns out we live in the same city. How is that for fun!? Now I have run this particular half before but this time I feared I wasn't fit enough. I darted off, high fived my husband around the first 500m and than I was on my own. No more excuses just me and my absolute desire to run this one. It didn't take me long to get into the cadans of all those feet hitting the pavement in almost unison. I broke out into a huge smile when I realized that we were running as one, we really were. One huge mass of sweaty runners in it together.
The bliss of that feeling subsided when we turned away from the city and into a spot of industrial development and somehow a moodswing hit the crowd. We turned back to just me and than the murders began...okay not really but the crockbrains took over and that is when half of the crowd apperently didn't get the message that you overhaul on the LEFT SIDE and that the slower runners are on the right side. At one point another runner apperently felt the need to overhaul me on the right side right between me and one of the crush-barriers nearly shuffing me off of my feet. He than went on to the next runner and did the same...We started to yell at him and than...he tripped. I couldn't help myself and screamed: SERVES YOU RIGHT ASSHOLE as I passed him by. I screamed about 5 times more on that particular part of the race but luckily we returned to the city center soon after.
At km 9 I had my first gel and that was kind of late considering I only had a banana and two egg wafels for lunch and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Eating more before the race is never an option because than I end up either puking or getting the trots. Right before that firts waterpost I started to run on fumes so I was really happy when I saw the volunteers handing out water so I could refuel. After that I accepted water at all the water stations which kind of slowed me down but not much because right up to km 18 I still could have PR'd on the half marathon. Alas poor me....I crushed through my sugar level at km 18 and I didn't have it in me to get my legs back to pick up the pace again. I just slowed down realizing I was going to be fine even if it meant walking a bit.
Vondelpark....my enemy park...I couldn't do it anymore and had to walk a couple of times and than the vibe of WE RUN AS ONE swooped back in. Epic Vondelpark where you can crush and run, root and be rooted at, help and be helped. It all happened. There was a man running behind me that somehow figured he wouldn't let me cave in so each time he saw me walking he just tapped my shoulder, grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the race. Dear sir I do not know your name but thank you so much for helping me. You have no idea how much that meant to me. So thank you!
As we turned the final corner and I saw that stadium I wanted to stop in my tracks and hide under a blanket but I couldn't so I decided I should just get it over with. I noticed myself scowering the stand for a glimpse of the familiar outlines of my mom...knowing full well that she wouldn't be there. She will never be there again. As I crossed the finish line I couldn't stop crying so I called my super amazing husband man who guided me through finding him on the stands and meeting up with my niece and my niece's nephew who were there handing out medals. I cried like I hadn't done in a long time and I said goodbye to mom. We came full circle right there in that stadium. This marathon is done, it is over. I don't have to come back to this one.
Finishing this run helped me realize that I'm not as fit as I want to be but I'm not totally out of shape either. It took me 2 hours and 25 minutes to finish that half. If my sugar level hadn't crashed than I would have PR'd even. So now I'm sure I can get back to the me I was before all the drama. I can refind my focus and work towards a new unreal goal. So I will. First up: Egmond 10.5k at 59 minutes. Will you embark on this journey with me?
That's it for now, until we read again
Keep it unreal and make it happen
As always, Love Marlies
Reacties
Een reactie posten