BACK TO BERLIN: WEEK 9

taken by my P before a quick 4.42 km run
18th of March, 2017

“I wish I could do whatever I liked behind the curtain of “madness”. Then: I’d arrange flowers, all day long, I’d paint; pain, love and tenderness, I would laugh as much as I feel like at the stupidity of others, and they would all say: “Poor thing, she’s crazy!” (Above all I would laugh at my own stupidity.) I would build my world which while I lived, would be in agreement with all the worlds. The day, or the hour, or the minute that I lived would be mine and everyone else’s - my madness would not be an escape from “reality”.” ― Frida Kahlo

This Week's Purpose

I love beginning the week with a sense of purpose.  

My purpose this week (Week 9 : 13.03 - 19.03) is to keep everything simple because I feel, I am spreading myself too much again - both mentally and physically. 
***** (please, see at the bottom of the post, how I fared at the end of the week with my intentions) 

Something I wanted to remind myself:

Pause . . . (I would like to do periodically during my marathon training, a sort of "reality check-up" with myself)

Monday, 13.03.17
a picture from my IG story
I love using that Instagram feature
to save thoughts, ideas & blognotes

I published Week 8 of my training a day later, than I planned.  Nobody is putting any deadline pressure on me but myself. 

This is just one of those things that I want to get rid off, which are still remnants from past experiences during marathon training.  It robs me of the joy of training and blogging about the training.  

The simple fact I am successfully running 3-4X/week (8 weeks!), and blogging weekly should be a source to rejoice.  Rejoice in each moment, and not wait until after I reached the finish line in Berlin!

“Our true joy is like those sunglasses we’ve been looking for all over, suddenly realizing they’ve been propped on our head during our entire search. They’re already there, quietly waiting for us to reach up and realize they were never lost at all.”  

― Kelly Corbet

There will be a time, when I will not train for a  marathon or any other race events. I still would like to continue running, writing, and living life to the fullest.  There is life before marathon running, and there will be life with running without the trappings of marathon training - it's super highs, the dramatic predictable lows and unpredictable stumbling blocks along the way.

13.03.17, Monday : 0 biking, 0 running, 3 minutes planking!

M' was not feeling well, when she woke up in the morning.  I was feeling exhausted myself.

We both rested.  In the evening, I felt better, and dropped down to plank to support a fellow runner in my plank group, and felt "less lazy"! LOL 

It's awesome to get a surge of energy from people, whose passion you share and they live 1,000 of miles or even ocean or continent away!

You made this day
end great for me @kyrstie! XO

14.03.17, Tuesday: 

More of what Monday was: restful day.  

During the course of the day, I randomly meditated.

It's been on my marathon training list to practice meditation again; I have not been doing it with structure.

So, I added the Stop Breathe & Think app on my phone to help me.

15.03.17, Wednesday: 

M felt much better, and was brought by a friend to school.  K, her older sister picked her up after her playdate. This meant, no biking for me on this day.

My hormones was going haywire on me as usual, or I was simply fighting a virus because I felt so tired; I slept after J - oldest daughter - left.

P was at work, the girls were at school, and without any energy to do anything at all, I gave in to what my body needed, and slept until way past noon.

Oldest daughter served me chai tea before she left for school

Not feeling rested after the decadent nap, I forced myself to eat lunch, & drink the coffee I have been wanting to give up since marathon training started!  

I felt much better after publishing Week 8 blogpost and having done updates on this blog gave me a surge of energy as well.

I think, I will rest one more day and start running again tomorrow! 

(see after clearing up the house, how I feel! MAYBE I can manage 5K -  Wed 15.03.17 16:37) 

Nope, I rested! (update: Thursday, 23.03.17)

16.03.17, Thursday : 

I ran back to back on this day: 

11 km to M's school and 4.42 km  with her on the bike and me running behind her.

17.03.17, Friday :

Biked 10 km to bring M to school.

"Rested" from marathon training for the day, the rest of Friday!

K, middle daughter picked up M and her classmate, with her friend. 

M's playdate was cut short because of an emergency, and the boy was picked up earlier. 

K's friend stayed for dinner. 

18.03.17, Saturday : 

It was a long day.  We got up early to go to Utrecht for an information day.  I will blog about my eldest daughter's search for university in My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands.

Before dinner, I manage to do 4.50 km to "symbolically" pre-celebrate my 45th birthday (20th March).  P made pictures and video before he drove home with the groceries we bought. 

19.03.17, Sunday :  

Life is busy but I do hope I can publish separate blogs about "difficult" runs of this marathon training.  This Sunday's 12 km can be documented under that category.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have already read about it. 

Now, I am updating this blog 5 days later, on a Thursday the 23rd of March, and have read once again, how the week was, I got an even better perspective of why this run turned out how it did.  

This is why I need to blog about my process ! This is why I love to blog about the process.  One can get lost sometimes in the muddle of every day life, and clarity is acquired again and again when you take time to sit and truly reflect in peace. May it be about marathon training or simply about the life, we live.

You can find impressions I wrote about this run, here and here.

Also, here :

21st of March 2017
...more impressions about Sunday's 12 km run,
shared in my IG story.

Total  :  20  biking km /  32 (rounded off ) running km

***** P.S. On the purpose of this week : short and sweet  - I simplified. 

✓ Week 1, 2 and 3 (Biking : 188 km Running (started 3rd week) : 21 km)
✓ Week 4 (Biking : 60 km Running : 13 km )
✓ Week 5  (Biking : 50 km Running : 29 km )

✓ Week 6 (Biking : 0 Spring Break! Running : 29 km )
✓ Week 7 (Biking : 60 km  Running : 36 km)

✓ Week 8 (Biking : 43 km  Running : 35 km) 

✓ Week 9 (Biking :  20 km  Running : 32  km)

9  weeks of Biking : 421 km
7  weeks of Running : 195 km

created 15.03.17 15:05, Wednesday

updated   23.03.17 10:07 Thursday

'Allo 'Allo!

18.03.17

I was in the poop 

- Officer Crabtree (character from the British sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! )

My Berlin Marathon training is in the middle of Week 10, and before I share the recap of Week 9 and begin the draft for Week 10, I thought I would make a quick, "Hello! How are you all doing!" blogpost. :) I think I will just put this under the category : Random and Happy post!

I've been visiting blogs and FB blog pages, discovering new bloggers on Instagram but I have hardly time and peace to leave behind a sensible comment. So, as usual, I remain a silent reader!

It takes a lot of mental energy to interact with other bloggers on their blogsite, and I admire other bloggers, who could do this.

Even though I know I should not take it all - the process of leaving a comment -  too seriously, I want to always truly know the blogger I am reading before I leave comments.  Sometimes even by the bloggers, I truly know IRL, I struggle to leave a comment behind.

Often I have left, a "I am bookmarking and will read, tonight!" comment and I always worry :D hahaha that the blogger will think I am simply "making a presence", so "their readers" could check my own blog, and I am not genuinely interested in their blogs.

I know, crazy thoughts!!!  Perhaps in the future, when I have less responsibilities, I could blog hop with less over-obsessing. :D

I will feel freeeeeeee!

19.03.17

Taken by my P,
 last Sunday, at kilometre 7
of a total of 12 km
 challenging LDR training.

Behind me is the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision

The compromise I thought of is create a blogpost like this and maybe get to know other bloggers.  It is my baby step to NOT over-obsess about the one sentence, I would like to leave behind.  Specially to bloggers I have been reading and following for so long, as a silent reader!

I guess,  this is also my way of inviting my silent readers ;) to leave me a comment behind! Even if it is a simple, "Hi! I read you!"

See, I would not mind reading this, or a "I am bookmarking to read, later!" - I would simply be delighted to get to know my readers. :)

For the bloggers, I visit, I am surmising they would not mind as well.  Or, perhaps when they do check out, who I am, stumble upon this blogpost and discern from it, how complicated my thoughts are, how much I can ramble (and afraid to ramble on their blog with my comment!) hahaha AND they would "get it" - maybe. Maybe affirm they went through the same period!



By the way, I found the quote above from 'Allo 'Allo too  funny and I thought just about summarised my feelings and how my mind was from the very busy weekend before my 45th birthday! Long story for a blog, later.

The picture I have on the very top of this blogpost was taken by my beloved P last week, Saturday. It was before my  quick 4.5 kilometre. I was participating in a challenge hosted by Girls Love 2 Run.  It was about taking pictures during your run with Spring motive.

Today, we have a lovely beautiful Spring day!  I took some pictures to give you the impression of the day.

I love this sculpture called
"Meisje met Ganzen"
Girl with the Geese

Taken on my daily bike route.
It's currently closed for traffic.
Bliss to bike through and have the road all to myself!

This was taken from the floral shop
in the village's shopping centre.
They have a very lovely friendly staff.

I bought flowers in Jumbo, though.
They even gave me (other customers, too!) a free bouquet of mixed buttercups & tulips
because otherwise, they would just be thrown away.

My humble bike and the flowers for the week, home at last.
I am putting this picture, here to remind myself to go back to my water colours, again.
Flowers on the bike is a water colour painting theme I have been visualising in my mind.

Have a great day!

Don't forget to leave a "Hello!" comment below, if you happen upon this blogpost. :)

created 22.03.17 10:46 Wednesday
updated 23.03.17 09:06 Thursday

BACK TO BERLIN: WEEK 8

Story behind the 5K run

“Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” 

― William Faulkner

This Week's Purpose

I love beginning the week with a sense of purpose.  

My purpose this week (Week 8 : 06.03 - 12.03) is bring back focus on my 2017 plan: simplify, declutter and journal (for structure and therapeutic process).  I've let myself be distracted too much!

In order to realise my week's intentions, I think it is necessary to have a writing schedule I can stick to . ***** (please, see at the bottom of the post, how I fared at the end of the week with my intentions)

“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.” ― Shannon L. Alder

I noticed in  my Instagram postings,  last week and beginning of this week (I am writing this 8th of March, and will update during the week), how much faster I can recover from negative triggers, once I write about them, right away.

This recognition reminds me, how important it is that I focus on completing my book project, this year.  Again, the marathon training is helping me stay on track, not only in taking care of my physical health but more importantly of my mental self-care.

The Training Week - Stories and Statistics

06.03.17, Monday:

0  biking (J brought her to school, and K picked her up)

The photo above was taken after  my morning run!  

Went out for a run around 11:30 - 11:35 and
happily posted on Instagram Stories right after!

It's my 20th run since I began training.

I was too happy with my simple accomplishments - too happy to care, that I look like a hag in this video! hahaha

Running makes you feel good and look good! Promise. :D

Hope this video clip works :

Last week Wednesday's, (1st of March) selfie,  taken to remind myself the day might feel bad, when you woke up but you can change it, if you set your heart to it!

Story behind how I turned a "crappy feeling" to a good vibes day!

I am very happy with my progress!

I know from experience, that the marathon adventure is not only continuous progress.

There will be stumbles, road blocks and challenges along the way.

The more reason I have to celebrate small success and significant improvements, when they happen!

Funny, I cooked the same soup (SO GOOD and so simple!), which I prepared last week Monday! A delicious coincidence. :)

07.03.17, Tuesday: biked 20 km, did a couple of NTC workouts!

Since Monday, I am trying to record, "how my average day" is via Instagram Stories. I'm not sure if I can complete this week. My plan is to blog about mindfulness training in my May blogs.  This activity is a sort of warm-up for that.

I tried a new dish, inspired by @nicolevorderman's IG story.

The recipe is originally from @donderdesign's boyfriend.

They are both inspiring runner's I met and follow on Instagram.

08.03.17, Wednesday: biked a total of 3 km  ("A", a mom friend, brought M to school because she saw us biking in the pouring rain) 

Women's International Day! 

I had planned to run 8 km in the morning to honour this day but alas my calves were painful and stiff, thus I decided to rest one more day.  The weather helped with this decision! It was pouring almost the whole day, and stopped late in the afternoon.


Since the friend, who  helped bring M to school, also picked her up after school for a spontaneous playdate with her son (M's classmate)  I had longer time than usual (Wednesday is half day at school) to dedicate to catching up with chores, I've sorely neglected.

Yup, on International Women's Day, I exercised my right to be a better homemaker! :D

@voltwomen

I had two bikes to bring home, after M was brought with the car, so I decided to lock my bike and pushed M's bike home.  In the afternoon I simply walk to pick up my bike and rode my bike to pick up M from her playdate.

This day has been a good training day, after all! REST (from running, counts as training too!), biked a total of 3 km and walked a total of 3 km.  

Mentally the rest did me well.  It was great to do chores without feeling stressed about it. What  also helped a lot reduce stress is go through my neglected to do list.  After having done, the things I have been postponing (cancel CPC race, write/reply to friends messages, send emails, finish blog Week 7!)



09.03.17, Thursday: 

Biked 20 km and documented my morning via Instagram Stories for my mindfulness project.

My left calf, foot did not let me sleep until way past midnight. I stretched and massaged it the whole evening.  When I woke up, I felt the positive result of a day's rest and helping my foot recover.

I was happy I got a run in before I picked up M from school!

Temperature was great but it was a very windy bike ride home!

10.03.17, Friday: REST day

11.03.17, Saturday: 

WE were BABYSITTERS for the day (noon until dinner) to my adopted grandchildren (P's grandkids from his daughter, in his first marriage)

After I helped P get settled with the little ones, I went out for a short run.  When I left them, they were outdoors, after having finished their snacks and were waiting for the popcorn to be ready for them.

I was back in time to help P serve the cute ones dinner.

12.03.17, Sunday:  CPC Run 2017 - 10K Race 

(UPDATE 08/03/17: cancelled in favour of running near home to have quality time with the family) 

Background story of why I skip this year's CPC race

Story of Sunday's challenging 13K

Total  :   43 biking km / 35 (rounded off ) running km

***** P.S. On the purpose of this week - I did not make time.  

This blog is updated mid-week of Week 9, and I am not feeling well mentally and physically, so obviously I am in dire need of some peace, my writing therapy and less time on Instagram. 15.03.17 15:34

UPDATE  15.03.17 17:24 : publishing this blog, and writing the blog draft of Week 9, helped me regain more mental balance.

✓ Week 1, 2 and 3 (Biking : 188 km Running (started 3rd week) : 21 km)
✓ Week 4 (Biking : 60 km Running : 13 km )
✓ Week 5  (Biking : 50 km Running : 29 km )

✓ Week 6 (Biking : 0 Spring Break! Running : 29 km )
✓ Week 7 (Biking : 60 km  Running : 36 km)

Week 8 (Biking : 43 km  Running : 35 km) 08.03

8  weeks of Biking : 401 km
6  weeks of Running : 163 km

created 08.03.17 11:55, Wednesday
updated 15.03.17 17:24, Wednesday