Annual review: from mountain top to broken flight

2019, the year I started this blog, was an eventful year. I've taken on many new challenges, from training camp, injury alternative to first ultra out of sorrow. But what's best now that the year is coming to an end?

The year 2019 I started quite tough in terms of walking. The training camp on Lanzarotewhich involved running around 25 kilometres every day at an altitude of over 1,000 metres, has shaken a lot loose. This adventure left me with some scars, because of the fall on the first day, but actually the victories suit me better. I never thought that with such strong runners – all much more experienced on trails – I could and should participate. Or that after such a’n heavy fall I could get back to running every day on creepy rides, high up in the mountains.

The fact that I delivered those performances on Lanzarote also made me dare to enter the 44 km Airborne Freedom Trail with its tight time limit later in the year. The fact that many Lanzarote friends were present also certainly helped.

Even though it might have seemed impossible at the moment, Lanzarote also gave me the confidence that the running career wasn't over yet when things were not going well. As with the lagging problems of pneumonia that really took my breath away at the start of last year's hay fever season. Or the ankle injury just before the marathon, which made even walking painful. Luckily I discovered thanks to Wilma on time the Me-Moverwhich I now use for a large part of my training.

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Walking was not only good for my condition and self-confidence. I'm still not really slim, but walking a lot has made me slimmer and more muscular. And because of that I dared to make two bodypaints again. One after the Rotterdam marathon – actually as a backup it wasn't allowed to continue due to injury – and the other one a week after the marathon of Ghent (report of which is number two in terms of popularity).

That first one bodypaint as Kenyan funnily enough, has also been the blog's most popular post in 2019. Apparently my (then 36-year-old) buttocks still manage to sell…

I haven't written about the second bodypaint yet. That's because the photo’s – quite a lot this time – for the most part still need to be reworked. Not cosmetic, my body is as you can see it in all its openness, but because of the backgrounds and especially the wings. I hope to be able to tell more about it soon.

In any case, it was a memorable experience; the first time for me to be paired in the middle of a shop, visible to staff, interns, passers-by and anyone who could enter. So while painting (not during the photo’s) I was wearing a hibue, a kind of adhesive string that actors use during nude and sex scenes to cover the genitals. In practice this makes you much more aware of the fact that you are as good as naked.

This paint has the theme Icarus. A theme that I think fits very well with this year. Life is balancing. There is the desire to fly, sometimes to flee, but don't fly too close to the sun or the water, because then you crash. After Lanzarote I think that went wrong for a while. And little overconfidence that caused the ankles to overload. Now I'm trying to get more balance. But the sun, the freedom to fly, keeps pulling.

My favorites

Even to the failed attempt for the Winter trekking I'm a little used to it by now. What stays with me better than all the races, are the people I met during this run or with whom I was allowed to run.

First of all big thanks to Ramona, who brought me two marathons and some trails. And Simone who took me to the finish line of the Diatrail while I was mentally and physically exhausted by the death of my father-in-law. I'm afraid both ladies have a further addiction and a few ultrain writings to it… If all goes well, we start the year together with 50 km in the Leenderbos.

Of course I can't forget Hans Verbeek too, with whom I've had several walking adventures over the past few years. And the Lanzarote group that has inspired me to various adventures and with whom I did some cool training sessions this summer.

Finally, I'm very happy that the nutrition thanks to Generation Ucan is going a whole lot better now. That's certainly good for times and peace of mind.

And 2020?

The year isn't over yet, the last race (Oliebollenloop) is rapidly approaching. Next year I open with the Leenderbostrail. And after that there are already several challenging runs on the program. And if it catches on, several races on the Me-Mover. So in 2020 I hope to deliver a blog every other week to share progress, tops and flops.