Monday Marathon Training Mental Prep & Last Long Distance Run

Rereading my Zandvoort Circuit Run 2012 is a great mental prep for my last Rotterdam Marathon #MR15 long distance training run.  

My  Zandvoort Circuit Run
Left - 2012
Right - 2014

Reposted this picture on my

happyfeetnl
Instagram account

to cheer fellow runners.

Rejoicing for others keep your running goals alive, I've learned.

13 days to go to Marathon Rotterdam, 

and here are #MyRoad2Rotterdam facts:



1. From November (my official start of training) until March (not counting the mileage of today and tomorrow), I've ran a total of 439.01 km. 

Not much compared to an average runner preparing for their marathon. 

Compared to my *own* stats and preparation for my previous marathons (Berlin, Amsterdam & Marathon de Paris) though, this has been my highest training mileage.

My last run (11 km) in November in Scheveningen,
completing a 125 km in a month,
made me completely commit to the idea of running
Rotterdam Marathon

An image I posted on my
 @HappyFeetNL 
Instagram account
on the 9th of December, 2014
officially announcing my
Rotterdam Marathon goal

2. In January, I ran my first long distance training run of 25 km. 

This has been the longest distance I've run, since my injury in July-August 2013 (completely recovered end of 2014).

No Morton Neuroma (foot nerve injury) pain!

Sunday, 25th of January

25 kilometers

In February, I ran 2, 25 km officially, one is actually 29 km but it did not record because the battery of my sport watch was empty by kilometer 25.

Sunday, 1st of February
25 kilometers

Monday, 23rd February
25 kilometers
(29 but only 25 kilometers got recorded
with the sportswatch due to empty battery)

In March, I ran my first race for this year, a half-marathon in the Hague.  

It was my test run to gauge the status of my condition, as well as consider the eventuality of choosing another marathon, should my training not be enough to finish within the time limit in Rotterdam.

CPC Run 2015

Sunday, 8th of March

Half-marathon race

Middle of March, I wanted to run 32-35 km as a final long distance training so I can confidently go to the start on the 12th of April. Alas until today, I have not managed it yet.



3. From December to March, I have been sick almost every month. 

It is a persistent respiratory infection. 

This is  why I had to rest a week to a couple of weeks and go back to training again; a re-occurring cycle of the past 3 months.

posted on Instagram

5th of January

posted on Instagram

17th of December, 2014

My marathon goals has always been to get myself regularly outdoors, for Rotterdam marathon run at least 100-150 km/month, and finish still running to the finish line.

So far I have managed the first two goals, and in two weeks, I'll see if I will accomplish the third.

taken
Monday, 23rd February
during my
25 kilometers 
training run

4. With my minimal(istic) training, my body has been prepared to continuously run/move from 4-6 hours in a slow consistent pace.

My previous marathon experiences assures me now, that I will be mentally strong enough to finish the distance. 

If I manage a strong run for my last long distance training, today or tomorrow (either 35/15 km or 15/35;  will also try 18/32 or 32/18 km )  I will have the assurance that I will be physically able to run the whole distance as well.

But perhaps not within the prescribed finish time of 5:30.

5. I'll be starting on the 12th of April, depending on my run today and tomorrow. 

If I finish strong, and taper well in the next 12 days, you'll find me at the start! 

If during the event itself, I feel that I won't finish on time, I'll be stepping out @ kilometer 35, and see the day as a long distance training for a marathon I will run in May or June.

Currently looking for a bib
for the ING Luxembourg Night Marathon!

6. This marathon training has given me a lot  - the opportunity to learn new important lessons, and apply the old lessons in running I have learned in the past 3 years.

My friendship with long time friends (non-runners as well!), as well as with new friends have also deepened because of this marathon adventure.


7. I am happy I took the first step towards Rotterdam Marathon.

Once again, I wish everyone all the best in the last couple of weeks of training/tapering! Don't forget to pat yourself on the back for all the hard work of the last months!



All my previous blogs related to Marathon Rotterdam Training :

Dealing with Unfinished (Running) Business, and Recycling Goals
March Onwards to #MR15
Marathon Training in My Mind: My 25Ks & Entering the 30Ks Zone
Easy Sunday Come Back Run
The Road to Rotterdam 2015: Update!
Monday Marathon Training Recap: #MR15Reloaded
#HFNLRunDiary2015: Friday Night Run

Every Blog is A Beginning : A bientôt, Paris!!!

 This post is the 3rd entry to the blog series Every Blog is A Beginning...

There are many reasons I began this blog series, one of them is to be able to put into words thoughts I would like to express to give myself strength to let go, move one, that I can focus on working on new goals instead of obsessing about unfullfilled ones.

This coming Sunday it will be a year ago that I finished the Marathon in Paris.

On Sunday, I will not be in Paris even though I ache to be there to fulfill an unfinished marathon business.

at the Paris Marathon Expo 2013

Paris Marathon 2013 medal

very happy to have the finisher's medal

When I talk about my first two marathons I say, I ran the Berlin and Amsterdam marathons respectively. When I talk about Paris, I say, I finished it.

Left: Amsterdam Marathon  2012 medal
Right: Berlin Marathon 2012 medal

Berlin & Amsterdam Marathon medals and bibs
both resting on my
Amsterdam Running Junkies running shirt
The group inspired and motivated me to reach my dream and fulfill my goal
to reach my back to back marathon dream in 2012

Why the marathon semantics? It is because I walked the last 5 kilometers of the marathon.  Perhaps a few minutes before I reached the finish line with a fellow marathoner (who by then almost felt like my best friend!), they removed the time recording mat.

Even though I got my finisher's medal, my time was not registered, and therefore I am not an official finisher of Paris marathon on records. 

It took a while for me to own what actually is a personal achievement because of this technical detail. 

Being told by many that it was amazing how I was able to finish in spite of the stress we had, and that I did this with  little to no training at all did not appease my mind to completely embrace the success of the completion.

There are many lessons learned a year after the Paris marathon.

Even though I am aware, that my bipolar disorder is what makes me want to do many things at once even under so much stress to catch up on what I feel are lost time (due to depression), and "logically"with knowledge I essentially can prevent myself from following this unhealthy pattern, I realised I need more help to do so, and I cannot do it by myself.

If only for that wisdom, I can truly say, the "pain in Paris" was worth it!

I am still far from leading an ideal healthy life, physically and mentally but I am never giving up trying to improve the quality of life for me and my family.

It's the adventure of a lifetime! :)

Next time I ran in Paris, whether a full marathon a shorter distance,  or perhaps even simply for the fun of it, one thing is for sure, I will no longer be racing with myself for lost time but enjoying every minute of  a run.

A bientôt, Paris!!!

"Dress-Run" for the Half in Amsterdam

5 days to my 3rd consecutive year of running TCS Amsterdam Marathon -  this year will be my first Amsterdam Half Marathon, thanks to the generosity & sponsorship of VIVA  and Wehkamp.nl.

Feel very lucky to have been selected to run for Team VIVA
via the VIVA Sportief FB Page

In October, 2011, I ran my very first 8K in this event. 

This was my first real running goal, which I trained 8 weeks for.  My training begun literally on the day I decided that I will start to run: 8th of August, 2011. 

This is a memorable picture from the 8th of August, 2011documenting my 8K walk
on the first day of my 8 weeks of training
to run my first 8K!

Running my first 8K, going inside the Olympic Stadium of Amsterdam to reach the finish line of my first running adventure was the most memorable experience in my life.

October, 2011
Almost to the finish line of my first 8K!

The year that followed, I ran my first Amsterdam full marathon - yes, 5 times 8 kilometer and plus some! 3 weeks after I finished my first ever marathon in Berlin.

It was a triumphant return to & a warm reunion with the Olympic Stadium. :)

October, 2012

October, 2011

Perhaps this week, I will finally manage to do a recap of both experiences! My procrastination in doing recaps is monumental. But that is another blog topic for another day!

With this bog, I simply wanted to share something "new", that I hope will become a tradition. 

Contrary to my stressful habit in the last 2 years of last minute choice of what to wear in running events - today, I actually did a "dress-run" for what I am going to wear on Sunday!

Theater lovers, are familiar with the term: dress rehearsals.

I love play in words, and so from now on for fun, I will post blogs (this is how I motivate myself to create a positive habit!) about my "dress-run".

taken outside of our back garden
I am wearing pink long sleeves Dry-Fit running shirt
courtesy of VIVA & Wehkamp.nl
Also, I am wearing ZUZA compression socks
courtesy of Lunatik Athletiks

Monday Easy paced "Dress-Run"