Adventures of a marathon girl

Hi guys...well here we go! I finished up my training for my first half marathon ever. Started tapering yesterday and I picked up my startnumber this afternoon. Is this really going to happen? I know it will and once again I find myself nervous and excited at the same time. I think it will hurt like hell and I know I will get to a point where I just really want to not run anymore but I also know that finishing this half marathon will be so much more than a 13.1 mile run. This run signifies the end of a horrible year that started around august first 2012 when I lost my dreamjob. Alas I hand't seen the worst yet because last year right about this time I got my second attack of Neuralgic Amyotrophy and with that I lost movement in my left shoulder. Yet again I endured the most intense pain imaginable (I asked my partner to put a pillow over my head because I couldn't take it anymore)and after the nerves died (which is what happens) I lost the ability to lift my left arm. So the...

An early start this morning. Nobody said it would be easy right? Tell you something...it is NOT. I love the way running makes me feel and the mere thought of finishing that half marathon October 20th just makes me happy but the hours I'm putting in to this are insane. My whole life seems to twirl around my running schedule. I get up at six in the morning on my only day off in a seven day week just because I have to eat breakfast before I go for a 11km run. I know I can't make it without my oatmeal so I set the alarm, grind my beans while half asleep, poor hot water into a filter and end up with a huge thermos full of tar black coffee. When my eyes finally do start to adjust and I'm actually able to understand what it is they are saying on the morning news, I get up to get my sacred oatmeal ritual going. Making the perfect bowl of oatmeal is something of an art and it helps me in my own proces of getting ready for a run. First I measure half a cup of organic oatmeal and t...

Normal life has taken over again so the euphoria of my first 10 mile run ever washed away pretty quickly BUT I did it! I would like to thank all of you. Readers, sponsors,fans, friends and family. Thank you for donating money to ZZF and even more than I could wish for. I am sure all that money will find its way to research on rare diseases. You all helped making this world a little better and so today you guys are the true heroes! You stuck with me through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered and you believed in me. You knew I could do this even when I wasn't too sure. So THANK YOU all. SOOOOO HOW DID I DO? Well I really wasn't fast ( checking my time I am even somewhat embarrassed ) but I did what I wanted to do. I tried to stick to my own rythm and I enjoyed the race. I finished with energy to spare and I had FUN! Have to say though that the weather wasn't great for running. The first obstacle you encounter is the IJ-tunnel. I ran this tunnel three times before this...

With my last training done,my fundraiser at 89%, my outfit fixed and even the gel thing tried, there is nothing more I can do than just relax and believe in myself. Check out this week's training at my runkeeper page to see how I've done. Am I nervous? Hell yeah but excited too. You can still make a donation and help me help ZZF raise funds for research on rare diseases like Kawasaki's and Neuralgic Amyotrophy. I am at 89% of my goal so if you can find it in your heart to donate as little as even 1 euro that would be greatly appreciated. please make your donation right here and as we speak I just noticed my neighbour, who I might add is a currently unemployed criminologist (so if you have a job opening please let me know), just donated 7 euro's. Thank you so much Well guys I guess this is it...until we read again, lots of love Marlies

As race day is closing in on me I get to experience all kinds of feelings. For starters I am nervous and several thoughts bug me throughout the day. Will I make it? Can I do this? Wow is this really happening? I even dreamed I miscalculated my own time and ended up in the car we Dutchies call 'Bezemwagen', which I think would translate as some kind of Zamboni ..it isn't though. But as the duration of my runs is growing, so is my confidence. Today I ran a 13 km run. I never ran that far before and I felt good, like I could keep going and this is exactly what I would like to feel next sunday. I want to enjoy myself, I want to feel good about this race and I want to finish it. Curious how I actually did and where I ran? well why don't you take a look? Can I do this? I believe I can. After all these months of training, injuries, recoveries, running throughout the summer in extreme heats and right now facing the challenges of heavy rain showers and wind I have learned a few...

My goodness sometimes I wonder if I am cut out for blogging. Some people are really good at writing and keeping their fans updated. I'm not too sure anybody reads my blog and I am not a very loyal writer either. So if you are one of my very rare fans than I am truely sorry. Sorry for not being a loyal writer and very sorry for my spelling mistakes I most certainly make. You just have to make due with the spare and rare moments I do get some quiet time to actually update my blog and hopefully you will forgive me my sometimes stinky English. Just remember I am not a native. I am still trying to find sponsors for ZZF so if you do want to contribute and if you'd like to learn more about ZZF than please click right here and help me raise just another 80 euro's. It will make all the difference for people suffering from a rare disease. So...how is running? Check todays run right here Well it's like a hill. Some mornings you wake up and the hill turned into a mountain bl...

I thought I was doing really well and my toe was healing very quickly thus pigheaded as I am I went for a much needed run on monday 21-st. The run went well. I mean seriously well but than I came home and my hapiness turned to utter disgust when I took of my shoes and looked at my toe. One bloody mess it was and tuesday night my toe started throbbing and it turned red and even more ugly. Just to be on the safe side I called the hospital and the surgeon said he wanted to see the toe. So I went over to the hospital on wednesday and this is kind of what happened: S:"So what have you been doing with that foot? Did you keep it up the first 48 hours?" Me:"Well I kept it up for 24hrs and after that I took off the bandages like you told me" S:"Did you walk around? Put some bodyweight on it?" Me:" Yes sir I did, I even went for a run last monday" S:"Wait a minute..you went for a run within the first week of an actual toe surgery?" Me:"Wel...

Goodmorning guys, Just a short update concerning 'the toe' and a few links. I am happy to report that my toe is actually healing quite well. A lot better than the last time they cut off the nail in December. It is still a bit sore but is doesn't bleed like crazy anymore and I have taken off the bandages. I can stand on my foot and walk around. I haven't worn shoes yet but will try that later on today and I am positive about being back in training by monday. So that is really good news right? for my Dutch readers I have a link I wanted to share with you guys. If you have been thinking about running or living a more healthy life but you haven't had the strength to get started on your own than you might want to check out this TV program: operatieNLfit Please remember I'm not getting paid or anything to promote this show but I think it is a great opportunity for everybody. I will follow this show as it runs. It has been a while since I have specifically mention...

Hi y'all (sorry been watching a lot of True Blood lately) a message from me. How's training? Well this week I will not be running. How come? The nail of my third toe on the right foot has been surgically removed. The tissue underneath the nail seemed 'alien' to the surgeon and so they are currently looking into that. Removing a toenail permanently is not as easy as you might think.First of all you have to convince the surgeon that you really do not ever polish your toenails anyways and second of all...no guarantees it will never grow back. OH and it takes longer than you might think. It took m about 20 minutes of actually messing about and before that half an hour to sedate me. After the procedure you leave the hospital with a huge overgrown bandage and the absolute promise that you will not stand on that foot for at least 24 hrs. Maybe they were extra strict since I told them I wanted to be back in training by monday? Thing is you absolutely will follow up on doctors o...

Summertime. Finally. Sure took her some time to realize that she was actually late for her appointment with Amsterdam. However she's here now and that seriously throws a whole new set of issues at me. For instance: how do you recognize a runner in summer? Check the toes. See anything weird going on? Well let me show you Nice hunh? Not really. Black toenails in flipflops? Not that nice. And I am pretty sure I've grosed some of you out by now. Oh btw I do wear those orthepedic-semi-hip-get-real-they'd-wish-Birckenstocks since my knees absolutely disagree on the heels department and I'm seriously tall enough as it is already. SO that is problem number one. Black toenails and hot weather. Brings a whole new definition to athlete's foot. Yuk! Anyone with a good nailpolish tip? Problem number two has to do with bikini's and beaches. Now I have been writing about this before but this week I was shocked to the core when I stood on that dreaded scale in the gym. Can...

Last update made me think...the thing that makes you want to run over and over again is the quietness of just you, your feet and the road maybe. Well for me it is most of the time. But it is not just that. Running gives me a sense of belonging somewhere, of acceptance, of not trying to proof myself to anyone. And sometimes it does just the opposite. It makes me want to do better, strife to achieve the ultimate goal even when I'm not sure what my ultimate goal is accept finishing a run or crushing my own PR. Sometimes the only logical thing in my life is running because the world around me seems so surreal. Just watch the morning news over breakfast one week and you will know what I mean. Running just shuts up the everlasting thoughts and makes my world quiet for just an hour or so and sometimes that is all I need. Running makes me feel like I'm not a stranger, like I don't have to struggle to fit in, like I am not the odd one out. People make me feel that way but the road...

During my workout this morning it hit me: on this blog I have been writing about my workouts and the good cause I am running for and such but what I have not been doing so far is actually write about running. Well at least not as far as I can remember. And since last weekend I got asked what it is I like in running I might as well try to tell you guys. I am not so sure it's going to make sense but it is an attempt to explain the why in running for me, so here it goes: Running is a twisted sport. A game between the mind and the body. How? Well this is what kind of happens to me during any given workout. I get this urge to go for a run. Sometimes because I'm in a seriously bad mood, sometimes because I am just in the mood to get out there but mostly because my schedule for the half marathon requires me to do so. The moment I get into my running shoes I get jumpy. Literally. I feel like jumping up and down. Than I set my runkeeper app (I am not one for 'naked' running), ...

Well well well yet another month has passed and what a great month. We have had the privilege to fly to Florida and spent two weeks in blissful sunny weather and temperatures to go with that, riding hilarious rollercoasters and enjoying some spectacular wildlife. Did I run? Hate to dissapoint you but I have to be honest that I didn't. SHAME ON ME. However the strange food habits (fry everything and/or serve with bacon...mind you I am a vegetarian) of the Floridians made us Dutchies turn to the supermarket for some good old fruit and vegetables and so this time our trip to the USA made us actually drop some numbers on the scale. Wow. We had an amazing time snorkeling the coral reef at John Pennekamp coral reef state park and riding the shark valley trail at the Everglades. Oh and for all of you Harry Potter fans out there: The wizarding world of harry potter in Orlando at universal's Island of adventure is really good! A must see. Well than how am I doing on my runs? Actually ...

Crazy past week with the coronation of King Willem Alexander and I still went for a run on the first of may. Great work-out once again. after that we had memorial day and than yesterday liberation day. All of them were party-like days. I didn't go out and party my pants of though. This morning I woke up and I felt completely refreshed. Bit of a stuffed nose but that's all in the game when trees like the Birch are in bloom. It didn't really bother me this morning. My half marathon training started officially with my first scheduled work-out. An easy 4.8km run. And I have to admit: running through Westerpark with all of those trees in full bloom just simply wowed the AW out of me. Not too many runners that early on so I just had an amazing time. It appears that feeling that good and running like it's the easiest thing you've ever done are somehow intertwined. So all I have to do is keep feeling this good and my runs will get better everytime. So how to go about tha...

Check my latest run here So yesterday I went running with my coach again. I know he's not really my coach anymore but since he's the only one so far that seems to understand what I absolutely love in running, he to me still is my coach. However...Everytime I run with that group I am the slowest one there and You might have guessed by now that I hate that. Yesterday though I decided to enjoy myself and work hard but also listen to my body. To some extend ignoring that voice in my head Chris Powells describes so well but on the other hand also listening to the returning aching runners knee I really did not want to strain too much. I ended up being the slowest ever but my knee isn't killing me today and I was so happy I did join in for the run. I love running and I'm dead serious about running the Dam-tot-damloop 2013 and the half marathon after that. I know I can do it but I need to recover from that stupid Neuralgic Amyotrophy. That said.... Today I had a physical th...

Dear readers, As I'm about to dash out the door I thought I might want to update you on my training schedule so click right here to see what I am about to do now but that isn't all... If you want to see how I've done than you might want to try your luck here. Ofcourse this is a bit strange because it seems like I have only been training since this week but obviously that is not the case. This schedule is the one I will be using to train for the half marathon which is in october but since I'm training for the Damloop I thought it could be really good to end with the half marathon. Oh and before I forget: who has not seen the extreme makeover episode with Ashley kicking her weight to the curbe and starting a healthy life? check the episode right here I know what she's been through though Ashleys' struggle was way more difficult than mine but still I lost a lot of weight too. Her story reminded me of the person I never wanted to see in the mirror again. ...

No way! It can't have been?! Wow that is shockingly long ago. What happened in all those weeks? Well I kept going and guess what? I ran a 10km race under the hour and I felt so proud. The race was called Brettenloop and I got off to a good start, felt like a million bucks and kept going. Finally I could take off that red ribbon that has been on my wrist for nearly a year as a promise to myself that I would finish a 10km race under the hour. Next to all the training I've done I also started a new 30 days challenge. This time it is write a poem every day and...I have done my first jobshadow experience. That was a really great day. Hopefully I get to do two more this month. What else? well I have my startbewijs for the Damloop 2013 since I have already raised 200,73 euro's for ZZF. Check it out: My fundraiser page and please donate! Every penny helps to get research done on Neuralgic Amyotrophy a disease I suffer from myself. I have had two attacks and I want this d...

Dear readers, Well this week sure has proven to be a challenge but thinking about my sponsors made me get out there and work out. And I do thank all of my sponsors https://www.justgiving.nl/nl/pages/1740-marlies-loopt-voor-het-zzf So this is what happened: Well this week started out very good but than after monday...it all kind of fell apart. First of all this blog is called adventures of a marathon girl and sometimes you just wish you were NOT a girl for all the obvious reasons and after that there were so many reasons this week was hard I kind of lost count...but I stuck with it and did what I needed to do.  The picture on the left shows the amount of snow that fell during practice today and I have to say I am seriously fed up with the cold wind and the snow. I could not see anything at one point and my legs? OMG do NOT get me started on that....they are red and painfull even though I do wear those horribly uncharming and very very ugly thermopants under my tights. So I lo...

Well goodmorning to y'all (she said with a very broad smile) Just got back from my first trainig of the week and I did what we call duurloop in Dutch. I should translate that but I am too sweaty and in dire need of a shower to actually do that right now but I will get to it....promise. However this was my lap http://runkeeper.com/user/Seilram/activity/150230498?&tripIdBase36=2hfyle (can somebody please tell me why the links never work even though I do try to get them clickable? Sjiiieees) I simply loved todays run! So much better than how I ended last week on friday. Did I tell you? I don't think I did. It was horrible. I struggled for 8km and I felt like dung. How come some runs are fantastic when others feel like war the entire time? This week I am off to a good start I think. If this run is the fortune cookie for the runs to come than I feel lucky already. Weather was beautiful and I love Sloterplas. So calm and quiet in the midst of all that noise. After my r...

Hi all, So yesterday I went for a run & workout and after a day of screen staring and wrapping my brain around nearly existantial questions on what defines the human, running felt really good! Training was a mixture between muscle strength and running. Wanna see where we went? Check out the link: Afterwards I went for a soak in the hottub at my parents place. The treat after training. Next to all of this I got inspired by Matt Cutts during an assignment I was doing for E-learning and digital cultures and I decided to pick my own 30DC. My challenge is to work my abs for thirty days starting today. Want to root for me? Find me at: http://www.my30dc.com/project So that is all for today. Training went well and challenge is a go. Wanna say hi? Leave a message. Love to hear from you guys. Until we read again: have fun! Love Marlies

To my dear Dutch donating friends and all other readers, A new blog. It has been a while since I blogged about anything so why start now? I am fortunate enough to be one of many runners of the famous Dutch Damloop and I've taken on this 10 mile run as fundraiser for a very good cause. They're called Stichting Zeldzame Ziekten Fonds This organisations' main goal is to raise money for research on rare diseases such as Kawasaki's disease and Neuralgic Amyotrophie. Why this organisation when there are so many others? Well that is easy: Since little is known about those rare diseases research needs to be done. As we all know research is expansive and since everybody has to make budget cuts the research on these rare diseases is likely to be put on hold. But did you know in Holland most patients of a rare disease are children? And did you know that most rare diseases are life threatning or leave you (severely) impared? Did you know that in Holland 30% of the children s...