Well that was disappointing!

Just returned from what was to be a leisurely 57 minute run and I tell you what, I felt like I was right back to the start two months ago! :[ That did not go well at all. I thought a weeks break would do me good but the opposite is true.

Pain in my ankle again (when will that stop hurting???). Panting like crazy, heart rate through the roof, legs felt like they weighed a ton each...... my god that was gnarly.... I only ran about 1 lap and walked the other lap, while trying to run intermittently. Even whilst walking my heart rate was a good 120 BPM?!

Not sure what happened there but whatever, at least I got out there again and started week 6 on my schedule, hoping the other runs this week will go a little better. On Friday I'll do 2 x 20 minutes fartlek, and on Sunday I'll run for 62 minutes in my usual pace. I might try to run the Bosbaan track in Amsterdam then.

Alright, where were we?

So folks, after a week of not running and coming home to a flue and chickenpox infested home this weekend :( I'll be picking up my schedule as of today. Come rain or shine!

I'll be starting week 6 today, and the time and mileage is still increasing nicely by means of this schedule. Wonder if I'll notice the week outage.... Can't handle many more weeks of delay otherwise I will not be ready in time for the half marathon scheduled for 14 March, the Fortis CPC half marathon 2010 . Unfortunately, the choice of food in the past week has not been "marathonly correct" but hey, we'll just have to lose that as we pick it up again. So long!

Had to happen....

So unfortunately, there's been no running at all this week due to the fact that I'm still suffering from a major cold, cough and headaches intermittently. So its'now Friday and I've not done one run all week (should have been well into week 6, but as it stands I now need to start week 6). I guess it had to happen and I'm planning my first run this weekend, when I'll hopefully be back on my feet. Traveling (I'm now in glamorous Bracknell, UK) hasn't helped either as my days are packed and evenings filled with the mandatory team dinners and partner meetings......) As of next week things will have settled down I hope. See you then! :)

Difficult running

Completed two runs in two days but must admit, they've been the most difficult to date. Probably partly due to the fact that I'm still not 100% well (coughing, got a slight cold, feel tired), but also due to the fact that both runs have been accompanied by common running pains (shin splints, sore knees, sore hips and sore tendons). Not good and probably need to be a bit careful as I don't want the injuries to get worse -- meaning weeks of no running! Will take a two day rest to see if it gets better.

Half way - week 4 complete

Completed week 4 (had to catchup a run I missed last week, so actually doing 4 runs this week), feeling a little under the weather so wasn't a great 60 minute run. Chose to run along the lit, car filled street of the 17th of July, all the way to the Bundestag, through the Brandenburg Tor and back again to the hotel. Even though it wasn't a great run, I still enjoyed being out there. Something almost therapeutic about making the miles, great to clear the head and get some energy. Back out there tomorrow, to do a faster albeit little shorter run. Distance wise I should be covering the same ground but might look for some new scenery along the more quieter park roads. Hopefully, that cough and lingering cold will be further gone tomorrow..... Looking forward to coming home to Amsterdam and the fam though...... :)

Historic running in Berlin

Hello from Berlin! Will be here all week and exciting to be here in such a historic week. It is the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down (today on the 9th of November). So lots of ceremonies happening all around, with the climax tonight at the Brandenburger Tor.

Having arrived yesterday in time to complete my scheduled run for the day I pretty much headed straight out to the park after dropping my gear at the hotel. The hotel is almost in the Tiergarten park, Berlin's green lung. The park is huge with a few marked runs, so that's great. The only downside is that the majority of the park is not lit at night, and with dusk coming so quick it's hard to see early on where you are running. Moreover, there are quite a few major roads crossing the park, making it hard to keep your bearings and it also means you have to wait at the traffic lights.

Anyway, I managed to completed another fartlek run (2 x 20 mins) which went really well. Also ran right in front of the Brandenburger tor and the Reichstag which are beautiful buildings to see. Afterwards I went to see the sights in town by foot and must have walked for three hours so my legs and feet are pretty sore now. Must remember to take a cab next time! :)

Tomorrow is my next run, will try and make it out to the park a little earlier if possible.

A donkey never hits his head three times on the same stone.......

D'oh! Dumbass!

Did it again, ate only just a tad before my run yesterday because I was starving after I came home from work. It was enough to make me pretty uncomfortable the first lap, but luckily not enough to stop me from completing the task at hand! The weather was pretty appaling, with intermittent showers and a low 10 degrees. But my gear did hold up (still in shorts, technical shirt and waterproof windbreaker). This time too, I ran further and longer than I have and as long as I stick to the program and heartrate zone, its working! Ran for 57 minutes yesterday, so did two laps in the park the long way around (starting at the Casino at the park entrance and ran it all the way on the outside. Good stuff, but still a few annoying girls overtaking me in twice the speed whilst happily chitchatting about, well, stuff that girls chitchat about. Oh well.

Anyway, will miss out one run off the schedule this week (so only doing 2) because of a very busy schedule and horrible weather/lightning. Me running in that was an idea that scared the crap of my lovely better half, so I decided to keep her happy and stay in. Next week as I'll be in Berlin, I can catch up the run and do four, so I should still stay on schedule!

Arrividerci amigos!

Berlin - Tiergarten Run

No matter where you are in the world, you can always find a park or forest or other area to go running. As I'll be in Berlin all of next week I decided to Google where I could continue my training runs. Low and behold, right next to the hotel I'm staying is the Tiergarten, Berlin's central park!

And I found a nice 7.7 KM run that also provides some major sight seeing! I'm chuffed! =]

(The red dot on the map below is next to my hotel!)

This is one of the few places where you can combine sport and sightseeing! While the southern part of the track runs through the green lung of Berlin - the Tiergarten - the northern part passes the most famous government buildings, such as the Reichstag and the Bellevue Palace, home of the German president.

You can best start from the Hansaviertel (the red point on the left on the map). The route passes by the new Ministry of the Interior and Schloss Bellevue (Bellevue Palace), official seat of the German Federal President. Next comes a group of residences for government employees commonly referred to as the "Bundesschlange" ("Federal Snake"), and finally the "Band des Bundes" with its solitary buildings: the administration buildings of the German Parliament, the German Parliament "Reichstag", and the new Federal Chancellery. Then enter back in the Tiergarten, Berlin’s "Central Park", which takes you back to the Hansaplatz.

The track: The total length is about 7.7km, bringing you back to the departure point. Within the Tiergarten you can vary the tracks of course, the one indicated serves just as a reference. It is mainly on large tracks or small asphalted roads, and the relief is essentially flat. 

Credits to: http://www.runningmaps.eu

It's official, NYC 2010 registration completed!

=] =] Great, wish me luck for the lottery in March! I'm already making a back-up plan as I hear lots of folks don't get in with their first lottery. So already checking what it would cost if I book through one of the official Dutch travel agencies who have guaranteed entry tickets as part of the package.

Third week finished, and moving nicely along!

Ninth run of the schedule now officially under my belt and starting week four of the first 8 week training schedule. And like every time, this run too is proof of improvement. Completed a 52 minute run at ease and in that time did two laps and almost made it back home from the park, whereas last time I only made it across the park twice. So great to see the heartrate is coming down on the longer runs!

Watched a good bit of the NYC Marathon yesterday (unfortunately on the net, as the only channel to show some was Eurosport, and only for about an hour) and was inspired by the 45,000 folks who started the run. And with everyone who completed the run came a story of why they participated; be it to celebrate life, to reach a momentous goal, to raise money for charity or simply to have a great time with 2 million supporters en-route. And the Dutch were well represented with almost 2,000 kloggies running, including our own NYC Marathon 6-timer Pieter Christiaan van Oranje (van Vollenhoven) who did it in 3:34! Nice one! Weird and still almost unreal that I'll be there next year, but if things keep going as they do, why the hell not!!!

Also, as of today I should be able to enroll for the 2010 NYC Marathon, yes sir!

Check out the 2009 start on the Verrazano bridge below, how impressive is that! Insane!