Bloggers Note : How can you summarize so many impressions of a day - of a weekend! It always remain a beautiful, and at the same time angst ridden challenge for me as a blogger.
My need for perfection gets in the way, as well as my easily distracted mind.
It helps to remind myself, that my blog was created as a vehicle to overcome my fears, cope with my bipolar disorder in a positive way - make myself stronger. Most importantly - hopefully! - help others use sports and writing to be physically and mentally stronger, themselves.
If you are a new follower/reader, I hope this will lend a bit of clarity to my style of blogging.
Today, I'll attempt to share my weekend experience via (mostly, unedited!) images and bits of pieces of what I can remember.
In this way, I hope this story will not remain in draft mode!
Different links (to the social media channels of my running friends, etc!) willslowly be edited in, during this weekbe updated from time to time.
This rough draft of a blog is specially dedicated to Marleen (HalfCrazyRunnersCrew crew member), Natasja, Demi (all three were crew members of #crewGlowMagNL during the #ChaseSummer Nike Challenge) and Carlijn (my crew mate @ #crewTheMermaidClub).
I, thank you ladies for being such a great support since we met each other in Carré, at the live Nike Training Club class. You have all kept me focused and gave me positive powers in the past months!
The Zevenheuvelenloop weekend:
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| Medals for and Zevenheuvelenloop & Zevenheuvelennacht 2014 side by side |
At 21:30, I was finally at home after a very eventful day in Nijmegen.
My husband picked me up from the train station, and served me soup, when we arrived. Happy Feet won't be all over Netherlands, if not for #MijnLiefsteP, or as some of my running girlfriends call him: the running manager. :D
I did not plan to write a blog right after a race. I was tired, and simply wanted to post a single picture (above) and tag all Instagram friends. Sadly during editing, I lost all text!
After all the effort, I might as well share the pictures from today via a blogpost, and through this, thank my friends for all the support that led the way to this year's personally successful Zevenheuvelenloop weekend.
Speaking of pictures - recently, we purchased a Samsung Galaxy young.
It is so compact, that I can put it in the small back pocket of my running jacket and/or (just discovered today!) inner pocket of my running tights. I used it this weekend for the first time to make pictures at the start and at the finish line of a race.
The quality is poor (unlike the smart phone my husband uses for work), I admit but I love that I can take it during my run/race.
All the pictures made today, and shared on this blog were taken by the camera of this phone.
The morning of Zevenheuvelennacht race, I was experiencing onset of a "massive panic attack". Contrary to what experienced runners do, I jogged beyond the distance I would run the very same day.*
(EDITed: 17th of November, 2017 - I have to add here, that I do not recommend this. Bear in my mind my running is both my self-therapy and my personal process. I share my "techniques" and experiences to give everyone, who deals with depression and other mental health issues, inspiration and motivation to use sports, healthy physical activity to get themselves out of their mind. I make running mistakes and learn from them. When I do this kind of personal challenge (running back to back long distances are often discouraged and not recommended, specially to beginners), it is mostly to deal with my anxiety and not to "impress".)
It calmed me, and even though there were a bit of hurdles before, and during the run, I reached the finish line empowered from the day's experiences.
Thanks to the - as always! - massive support of my family, I did not miss running Zevenheuvelennacht, 2 years in a row.
My husband picked me up from the train station, and served me soup, when we arrived. Happy Feet won't be all over Netherlands, if not for #MijnLiefsteP, or as some of my running girlfriends call him: the running manager. :D
I did not plan to write a blog right after a race. I was tired, and simply wanted to post a single picture (above) and tag all Instagram friends. Sadly during editing, I lost all text!
After all the effort, I might as well share the pictures from today via a blogpost, and through this, thank my friends for all the support that led the way to this year's personally successful Zevenheuvelenloop weekend.
Speaking of pictures - recently, we purchased a Samsung Galaxy young.
It is so compact, that I can put it in the small back pocket of my running jacket and/or (just discovered today!) inner pocket of my running tights. I used it this weekend for the first time to make pictures at the start and at the finish line of a race.
The quality is poor (unlike the smart phone my husband uses for work), I admit but I love that I can take it during my run/race.
All the pictures made today, and shared on this blog were taken by the camera of this phone.
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| With husband's work phone, I took a picture of my new phone. :) |
The morning of Zevenheuvelennacht race, I was experiencing onset of a "massive panic attack". Contrary to what experienced runners do, I jogged beyond the distance I would run the very same day.*
(EDITed: 17th of November, 2017 - I have to add here, that I do not recommend this. Bear in my mind my running is both my self-therapy and my personal process. I share my "techniques" and experiences to give everyone, who deals with depression and other mental health issues, inspiration and motivation to use sports, healthy physical activity to get themselves out of their mind. I make running mistakes and learn from them. When I do this kind of personal challenge (running back to back long distances are often discouraged and not recommended, specially to beginners), it is mostly to deal with my anxiety and not to "impress".)
It calmed me, and even though there were a bit of hurdles before, and during the run, I reached the finish line empowered from the day's experiences.
Thanks to the - as always! - massive support of my family, I did not miss running Zevenheuvelennacht, 2 years in a row.
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| I ran this distance (8.88 km) in a slow pace) |
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| 10:33 am shake out run in the morning of the Zevenheulennacht 2014 race |
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| 7:03 pm Zevenheuvelennacht 2013 race split recorded with my Nikeplus Sportswatch |
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| Happy Face! Overcame all anxiety hurdle! :D |
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| Since I struggled with my nerves getting to the race event, I forgot the race chip at home, and did not get on the official finisher's list. Based on my Nike Sportswatch, I finished 7 km in 48:40. The year before I ran the first ever Zevenheuvelennacht 5K distance. |
The following day, I was back in Nijmegen for Zevenheuvelenloop!
For the second year in a row, I was running Zevenheuvelenloop via MeeùsFitClub.
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| photo courtesy of Meeùs |
The next day I arrived early, and was so proud of myself! Due to my struggle with anxiety and panic attacks, I am often late for many things.
At the station, I took what was supposed to be an extra train to Nijmegen.
It was full but not as full as I experienced, when I travelled to CPC loop in the Hague this year in Spring (March). Still, I had to sit down on the steps of the train - I did not mind, I was on time!
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| Sitting on the step of a very full train, on my way to Nijmegen. |
When I arrived, I walked through the ZevenheuvelenExpo in a zombie state. hahaha I hardly slept the night before due to the excitement of my 7 km night run.
It is because of this state of mind, that my brain registered too late that I saw Marlous of HalfCrazyRunners, passing me by. Pity!
MeeùsFitClub VIP Lounge
In the
I changed into my running gear, and before I was finished, Eva & Udjen, running sisters by the Amsterdam Running Junkies group arrived. Eef gave me the familiar, "Surprise from the back greeting!"hahaha
As they continued to prepare, I excused myself to eat.
While we were fueling for the run, the Meeus hosts introduced the club's running ambassador, Mr. Erben Wennemars. He is a former Olympic and World Champion speed skater, who started running after his retirement from speed skating. Recently, he finished the New York Marathon in 2:56!
He gave an inspiring speech, and talked about his support for the Jeugd Sport Fonds.
Babette arrived shortly before the speech, and I was elated to finally meet her in person! We met via Twitter (about) 2 years ago, and this is the first time that we saw each other. Meeting her face to face, felt so natural - assuringly familiar. Thanks to our consistent communication via social media in the past years, we just jumped in like we have seen each other before, and have talked for ages (which we in a way did online!).
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| from left to right, Babette, Renée, Udjen, Eva, and moi |
Off to the Start
We all had different start time. Eva and Udjen went ahead of us; Renée (who came in with hubby, Ron a few minutes after B) and Babette were my companions to the starting area.
2014 is my third year in a row of running this much beloved race in the Netherlands.
It is for me "a feel good race", even though it is known to be a challenging course. I salute the magnificence of Autumn, when I run this event.
Along the course, between km 3 - 6, I ran together with a lovely lady, a fellow runner from the
She is a yoga instructor; we share the same running philosophies: create your personal goals, run for the fun of it (it makes you feel more alive!), and run for your health!
I am grateful for her (spontaneous!) pacing because it was a great foundation for this 15K run.
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| I am between the lovely ladies of On the left is my beautiful (spontaneous!) pacer. On the right is the lovely Asiye (she works for Meeùs!), a very inspiring and motivating runner, whom I met during Enschede Marathon. |
Between kilometer 3-5, I heard a voice calling out, "Happy Feet!".
It was the voice of Lia (aka loopmeiden!)! What a boost when we reached out to each other for a quick, hello before she continued on her way.
Claudia (I met her when I ran Posbank loop) from Meeùs also greeted us seconds after Lia passed us by. Such beautiful moments, that makes you forget that you are there climbing hills!
Shortly after passing kilometer 10, Kim of Social Milers, greeted me from behind (hahaha I know this greeting from behind is getting to be a pattern!), and it was awesome to see her! So lovely, so alive, and so fast for me! hahaha
This is why I told her to go ahead because I might have not reached the finish line, if I had attempted to keep up with her tempo. Since April, I followed how they train with admirable focus for their first Paris marathon, next year.
Zevenheuvelenloop 2014*
(EDITed 17.11.17 : This part is belatedly added, 3 years later.I often revisit blogposts to add details I could not include the first time I publish it i.e. images were not available or details I was to mentally block to write about. Since I am notorious for not being able to blog race recaps after the event, I try my best to either do it the next time I run the event as a throwback piece. I do try to write something right very free writing style after the race (raw blogpost, like this post was!), come back to it and edit when I have more peace.)
I had a great run.
My detailed race recap will follow.
Check out next time for the link to be included here at a future time.
For now, I'll let the statistics give you an idea how I ran, and the photo near the finish speak for itself!
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| Near the finish line Zevenheuvelenloop 2014 |
Very happy over the negative splits!
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| Zevenheuvelenloop 2014 finish time recorded by my NikePlus Sportwatch Official time : 1:49:15 |
After the Race
I had arranged to meet up with Marleen, Natasja, Demi, Carlijn; as well as with my fellow fit Filipina sporty friends Minerva and Dheza (editor of The Weekend Traveller) after the race. I was very excited to see them!
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| photo courtesy of Demi from left to right: moi, Marleen, Carlijn, Natas and Demi |
Unfortunately, my phone was "threateningly" low on battery (on my last stripe!) when I arrived at the finish.
On the way back to the
Back at the runner's lounge we had (early) dinner, race anecdotes, and chatted with more lovely people of Meeus, who provided us with such heartwarming reception and accommodation, that made the day just perfect!
After dinner, we said goodbye to Babette, and set off for De Hemel to meet up with the SocialMilers!
On the way we met Harald of Amsterdam Running Junkies, and lovely people from Social Milers.
This spontaneous get together with the Social Milers is our first complete reunion since we all ran Rotterdam Marathon, last April.
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| from left to right: Ron, Chantor, Renée, Kim |
Look at what Google did with the series of snaps together with Ron, Chantor (founder of Social Mile), Kim his beautiful better half, and my favorite blogger Renée (all running Paris Marathon 2015!) - what a fun ending to the day!!!
There you go! The Zevenheuvelenloop weekend in my imperfect but "I did it!" blogstyle. :) Just like how I ran. :D
Thank YOU ALL out there for the support and cheers!!!
It is truly great when one is (back!) in a positive running flow. Without all of you: family, friends, followers, beautiful people, who uses the internet to connect - all these experience will not have such a deeper meaning.
Hope who ever you are, where ever you are, this photo diary will inspire you to conquer the hills of your fears!
12/100
(ReVISiTED and RE-EDITED 17th of November, 2017)
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