I’m in Maastricht, at the Social Hub, writing. This is my favourite city in the Netherlands now-a-days. I’m here, because this weekend my season is kicking off with the Drielandenpunt Trail (Three Countries) in Vaals, half an hour away from here. It’s going to be my first race in my year of revenge.
The Drielandenpunt Trail is going to be a test. I want to know what shape I’m in. I want to know if my new training regime is working. It looked good a couple of weeks ago, but a training run isn’t a race. The Drielandenpunt Trail is.
Chianti Ultra
I have to admit, I’m getting nervous. The Chianti Ultra Trail is around the corner. That’s my first serious race of the year; running 73 kilometres, and climbing 3.000 metres, through the hills of Tuscany. It wasn’t really planned, but my friend Matteo comes from there. I thought it would be nice to do a race close to his hometown. Plus, I think it’s a nice test to see if I’m getting in shape again for the CCC later this year. I want my revenge. The DNF still hurts.
Talking of revenge, the CCC isn’t the only race I want to take revenge on myself. The Rotterdam Marathon is on my list as well. See, I’ve run two marathons in my life. Both times Rotterdam; in 1993 and in 1995. The first one I ran together with a few friends of my sister. I stayed with them for the first 30 kilometres. One guy started to struggle only 15 kilometres into the race, so we had to walk a lot. In the end I left them and ran to the finish on my own. It took me more than 4,5 hours.
4 hour barrier
I knew I could do better. So two years later I ran again, together with a friend. We wanted to beat the 4 hours barrier. We did good, up until I hit the wall and could barely run. The last couple of kilometres I shuffled to the finish. Begging my friend to run a bit slower. My legs just didn’t want to move anymore. When we crossed the finish line, the clock told us we had failed; 4:05.
I never had the chance to run again. My ankle didn’t want to anymore. But the trails have changed my life. I’m running again. And yes, I’m staying away from the road as much as I can. Too much impact for my ankle, too much impact for my muscles, but – you know – one race should be doable. One marathon. Just too finally break that 4 hour barrier.
Crazy challenge
It does mean a crazy challenge. See, Chianti and Rotterdam are just a couple of weeks apart. For Chianti I have to run long and slow, for the Rotterdam Marathon fast and short. Well, short… Funny to call a marathon short. Back in the nineties fifteen kilometres felt like an unbridgeable distance. Now it feels short. I guess that’s what happens when you start to run ultras.
The Rotterdam Marathon will be my only road race this year. I think. Well, kind of. See, I’ve got something else planned that’s a bit differently. A big bit. I’m going to do a triathlon in June. I told you, I like all this biking I’m doing lately. I like swimming, so why not try my hand on a triathlon. Not a whole one. I still think it’s crazy to bike 180 kilometres, but a quarter. Swimming one kilometre, biking 45 and running 10. That should fit in my training schedule. I regard it as cross training.
Train more, race less
But the main race of course is the CCC. I’m still pissed-of I had to step out. This year I want to make it. To prepare I’m planning to train a lot – strength, heath resistance – and race less. So Chianti, Trail d’Alsace (50k), an Olympic distance triathlon and the Drielandenpunt Trail. That’s it. Focus, focus, focus and then revenge.
Keep on running.
