Writers write, runners run. Running writers write and run. That’s it. That’s why The Running Dutchman started. I’m a writer, I’m a runner. I write about running. Writing was my first love. It took me a while to discover it, but when I did, I didn’t want to do anything else. Well, up until I couldn’t write anymore.
Go abroad
I don’t know how it was with you, but I had no clue what to study when I was 18 years old. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to go abroad. So I took a job that offered me that perspective. However, I quickly discovered that working 9 till 5 in an office, wearing a suit every day, wasn’t my thing. So after a few years I quit my job and went back to school to study Journalism.
And that’s where I discovered writing. For the first time in my life, I felt I was good at something, and I did something I truly enjoyed. However, 15 years later I was done with it. Or it was done with me. Writers block. I truly felt sick when I had to write.
Stressful life
Maybe it had to do with the stressful life of being a freelance journalist. Too little money, too much work. Maybe it had to do with all changes in journalism, due to the internet. Journalism isn’t about, truth finding, informing and bringing news anymore. It is about scoring clicks.
I don’t know what it was, but I couldn’t write anymore. Luckily yoga helped me again. I went to India to take a break from Journalism and see what I wanted to do. To have something to do in India, I did a Yoga Teacher Training Course. I mean, I already did yoga for about 2 years and wanted to know more. So why not combine it with a little break from Journalism?
When I came back, I opened my own yoga school. A couple of months later I left Journalism and started to teach yoga full time.
Yoga book
In the last couple of years I missed writing. Sure, writing a yoga philosophy or anatomy course is writing, but it’s not the same. I especially discovered how much I missed it, when Sara and I were asked to write a yoga book. It took me a couple of months, but those were amazing months. We would sit down, talk about the book, about the chapters. Next I would write, ask Sara to come to the office and read to her what I just had written. She would give some feedback and I would move on to the next chapter.
That’s now 3 years ago. A couple of months ago, Sara asked me what I would do, if I had time to do a new project. My answer was simple: write. Just for the love of writing. And because I love running as well, why now write about running?
So that’s what I do now. A story a day. Every evening I sit down, grab my laptop and write a story about running. About life. About the cat. About nothing. When I’m done, I read it to Sara and then publish it here. For you, but mostly for me. Because I’m the one who loves to write. Hopefully you love to read.
