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I got a professional trail running coach

I have to say, I feel like a pro athlete at this moment. Why? Because I have a professional trail running coach helping me to prepare for the UTMB CCC 2025. How cool is that?

As you probably know, I failed at the UTMB CCC. I had to step out halfway, at Champex-Lac, because I got overheated. I know, it was night when I stepped out, but even at night I was sweating like crazy. Probably because – as it turned out two days later – I was running with a cold. Next year I want to get my revanche. And to make sure I get it – as sure as it gets – I asked Brendan Lombard to coach me.

If you haven’t heard of Brendan, he’s part of Flat Rock Endurance, the coaching team behind Toni McCann, this year’s winner of the UTMB CCC and last year’s winner of the OCC. So if one team can get me over that magical finish line in Chamonix, it’s the team of Flat Rock. Especially, because Toni McCann is part of the coaching team herself as well.

Learn from the best

So, did I fail this year due to a lack of preparation? I don’t think so, to be honest. My legs were still fine, after 12 hours of running. I came into Champex-Lac 45 minutes ahead of cut-off time, and I was slowly moving up the field. So far, so good. As I said, it was the heat that got me. Made me dizzy. We didn’t have a summer in the Netherlands, so I wasn’t used to hot weather.

To be bold, I think I understand all this training stuff. I’ve studied it. I read every book I can on training and coaching. Every long run I listen to as many podcasts with running coaches as I can. So why did I start working with a running coach? Two big reasons. First of all, all this ultra running is still new for me. I think I know what I’m doing, but it’s nice to have somebody to talk to. It’s interesting to see how somebody else works and learn from him or her.

Running like a puppy

The second reason, I’m a bit of a puppy, a happy little kid. I get over enthusiastic sometimes. Okay, all the time. I’m good at making a training schedule for my wife Sara, and helping her stick to it. I’m good at making a training schedule for my friend Matteo and helping him stick to it. I’m not so good at sticking to my own plan. There are too many races I want to run, too many types of training I want to try out.

RELATED: She is so much fun since she is a runner

This weekend I should have biked one hour on Sunday. Designing my route I saw a nice lake on the map I’ve never been to. A lake my massage therapist talks about a lot. So I included it in my route. It did mean I cycled 40 instead of 25 kilometres. That’s not good. I know. Brendan told me off; in a nice way. He’s right. I would have done the same if Sara or Matteo would have cycled almost double as they had to do. My enthusiasm just got in the way.

The mountains are calling

Same for last month. After teaching a yoga retreat Sara and I spent a couple of days in Sanremo, Italy. Hills, mountains! I’ve Mallorca coming up. After the UTMB CCC I had to go back to basics. Rest. But you know, a new race, a new challenge. If it would have been up to me, I would have run in those mountains. And after Mallorca I have an off road duathlon (trail run – mountain bike – trail run) coming up, so I would have prepared for that. And then there is the 50k trail in January in the Netherlands and the Chianti Ultra Trail in Italy in March and the Rotterdam Marathon in April and …. Well, you get the point.

Mirror

As a coach I would tell my runners to make choices. Pick one A-race and go for it. As an athlete, an over enthusiastic athlete, I want to do them all. Brendon is helping me to calm down. To pick the race I want to be good at and to use the other races as training. Or the skip one. He’s the wise part of me. The part I can be for others, but seemingly not for meself. He makes me look in the mirror and slows me down when needed. And it’s needed, because at the end of the day, it’s not about all these fun races, it’s about the UTMB CCC. That’s when I have to be good.

Keep on running.

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