Doubts about the Chianti Ultra Trail

Posted on March 16, 2025•By John Kraijenbrink•Column

Doubts about the Chianti Ultra Trail

Do you know that feeling; everything is perfect and then it’s not? Not, is how I feel today. Food poisoning. Three days ago I went out for lunch with my parents-in-law. I will spare you the details, but I spent the evening on the toilet, until at both sides only water came out. Today I still feel sick and I have doubts. Doubts about the Chianti Ultra Trail. Can I run? Should I run?

I’ve said it before; making it to the start line is harder than making it to the finish. Even at an ultra marathon. So many things can go wrong. And there is only so much we can control.

Life goes on

I know, going out for dinner isn’t the wisest thing to do before a race. But the race was more than 10 days away when we went for dinner. That should be fine, shouldn’t it? Plus – as my coach Brendan Lombard always says – life goes on. I mean, I can’t live in quarantine for a month because I’ve got a race coming up.

Well, to be fair, I have. Sara and I had tickets for the theatre in the week after Carnival. We didn’t go. The whole village was sick. We didn’t want to get sick, so we stayed home. Same for the Dutch Indoor Championships Athletics. We gave our tickets away because we didn’t want to be in a crowd. Too risky.

Start eating

Yet, I’m sick. I haven’t eaten for two days. The idea of eating something makes me feel nauseous. But my race is a week from now. I have to start eating if I want to run.

The worst part is, I felt super ready. All my training sessions were spot on. Better still, I improved my personal records in the half marathon and thirty kilometres in the last two weeks. I was on fire. And now I’m sick. Unbelievable what one bad pizza can do.
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Main spring goal

The thing is, the Chianti Ultra Trail isn’t my main goal this spring. The Rotterdam Marathon is. I want to run a personal best there. Am I jeopardising that by running Chianti weakened? Should I not start?

I have five days to go. I don’t want to make a decision now. If I can eat by tomorrow, that should be good, shouldn’t it? Ahhhh, doubts. I hate them. But I guess they are part of being a runner.

Keep on running.

John Kraijenbrink

I run for fun. I run to be in the mountains, in the forest. I run, because running fascinates me. That’s why I study all the science about running. What I discover, I share with you. To help you to be a better runner, but above all to help you having fun running.