Antwerp Marathon will be half the fun

Posted on August 23, 2025•By John Kraijenbrink•Column

Antwerp Marathon will be half the fun

Today is, do or die. If today’s run goes well, Antwerp Marathon stays on the schedule. If not, it’s the end of my season. Off-season time. Healing time. I haven’t had a painless run since I got injured in May. I haven’t had a nice run since I got injured. If today is depressing again, I call it a day.

I blame myself. Torn ankle ligaments need care. Need rest. Last week my friend Matteo came to visit us. He tore his ligaments a couple of years ago. He walked around with a brace for eight weeks. Only after that was he allowed to walk without and carefully start running again. I had a brace for two days, and was running within eight. Not wise.

UTMB CCC

The wish is the father to the thought. Next week is UTMB week. I desperately wanted to run the UTMB CCC. Last year I failed. Overheated. This year my whole year was planned around this race. I wanted revenge. I wanted to cross that magical finish line in Chamonix. Until the Trail Alsace, I was perfectly on schedule. And then disaster struck. You know the story by now.

There was only one way to be in shape for the CCC. Act if nothing happened. Train, as much as my ankle allowed. The only problem, it didn’t. Worse, it doesn’t. I’ve let go of running the CCC weeks ago. But there is life after UTMB. And that life is the Antwerp Marathon. Or, had to be the Antwerp Marathon. Because also for a marathon, I have to run. A lot. And so far that hasn’t happened.

Pain

Every run has been a painful one. Running two days in a row, is too much. There is more damage to my ankle than initially thought. What, I don’t know yet. My osteopath thinks my cartilage is damaged. Whatever it is, it hurts. A lot. I can walk; I can’t run pain free.
That’s why today is do or die day. The Antwerp Marathon is eight weeks away. It’s time to do tempo runs. It’s time to make miles.

Today is a step in that direction. Hopefully a good one. On today’s programme there are twelve kilometres, with three tempo blocks of one kilometre. Nothing crazy, but the first run longer than 10k and the first cautious tempos.

Strong legs

Tempo one was okay. No pain. My legs felt strong. That was a while ago. I’ve been doing tempo work on the bike. It looks like it transfers to running. Now I am doing my second fast kilometre. Fast-ish. I’m running marathon tempo, so nothing crazy. But it still feels good. No pain. My ankle feels tired. Stiff, but that’s okay.

So back to an easy kilometre. It’s funny how slow easy feels, after just a few tempo runs. I think marathon tempo is my favourite speed. Nothing crazy fast, but certainly not excruciatingly slow. I mean, everybody has a pace that feels good for her or him. What is slow for Kilian Jornet, is fast for me. What is slow for me, might be fast for somebody else. That’s the beauty of running; we all only fight against ourselves.

Fighting against my body

This fight today is against my body. Or maybe better, against my mind. The body said no a couple of weeks ago, the mind said go. I should have listened to my body. It’s so much wiser. It took me a weeks to discover that. Now I am ready to listen. That’s why I am out running. One more tempo, hopefully that will give me my answer.

This tempo goes even easier. As if my legs are happy to run fast again. My legs, because what’s up with my ankle now? A little nagging feeling. Not too much. Is this a red flag? A couple of hundred metres more, that’s all I want. That’s all I ask. Come on, ankle. You can do it.

There is the beep. Back to slow running. Are you happy now, ankle? Is this okay for you? Looks like it. Feels like it. Three kilometres of this, and you’re home. Does this mean Antwerp is still on the schedule?

24 hours later

24 hours later. New day, new run. Slow today. Running a marathon is also running back to back. Yesterday was twelve kilometres, today eight. Eight easy ones. Eight with Sara. A bit of chatting, a bit of waking up. The nagging is there, the pain not. Will it stay away? Can I do two days in a row?

Time ticks by. Sara runs. In silence. Breathing in and out through her nose. The trick to run slow. I follow. Say something every now and then. But mostly, I listen. To my body. To my ankle. The legs are happy. I think they miss running long distances. I do. The ankle is not so happy. Stiff after yesterday.

The kilometres tick by. Five, six, seven. Sara’s watch beeps. Time for strides. I speed up. Sara isn’t awake yet, stays behind. When I finish, she finally starts. Apologises. Lost in thought. The second strides we do together. By the time we do number five, Sara sprints away from me. My ankle doesn’t want to run anymore. Pain.

Maybe, just maybe

We walk a bit. Then shuffle home. Walking is no problem. Jogging is okay. Running not. Tempo’s not. The Antwerp Marathon is not going to happen with this ankle. But it’s good enough to run. It think. I hope.

The ten kilometre is sold out. It would be nice to run with Sara. Be her pacer. But full is full. Changing distance is only possible if the new distance isn’t sold out yet. It is. What’s left is the half marathon. That’s half the fun. But maybe, maybe my ankle will allow me to run that one. Let’s give it a go.

Keep on running.

John Kraijenbrink

Running Coach - Massage Therapist - Yoga Teacher - Journalist - Gear Tester. I run for the joy of running. Yet, I like to challenge myself to be the best version I can be. For me that means dedicating myself to a structured training plan. You can find me on the road, trails, on my gravel bike or in the swimming pool.