Runners Bound

“Runners understand each other. We don’t just sympathize. We empathize and help each other because we’ve been there before. That’s the great thing about runners. We stick together!”

Whether on the road or on the trail, we are all bound by one thing and that is our LOVE for running. Brands, pace, body size, religion, sexual orientation, etc. are nonexistent. We’re brought together by our passion for running, our goofy, endorphin-tilting smiles and the twinkle in our eyes…

Few months back I saw on twitter a tweet from @loopmaatjes if anyone has a nice idea about a product for his webshop…

Who is @loopmatjes? Loopmaatjes in English is RunningMates If you follow @loopmaatjes you would know that he can really motivate you. How can he motivate you? lets say if it is snowing and you dont feel like running, if you check your twitter you would see that @loopmaatjes has retweeted the tweets of other runners who enjoyed a run in the snow...this definitely motivates to get out of the door...if someone out there did it you can also do it!!
Also he brings people together , so if you are looking for a running mate who run at that pace in this town all you have to do is just tweet and add @loopmaatjes in your message. Mr @loopmaatjes will retweet that and I am sure you will have a running mate who shares your passion to run with you…He also organises events like the Loop Van LedscheRijn and twitteruns, and above all he has a nice webshop where you can order running clothes and products and it says @Loopmaatjes and #LoveRunning and also you can have your own twittername on the back!

Well his tweets triggered me to think of something simple, cheap and symbolic which can bound us as runners. What could that be? A Wristband.
When I shared my idea he loved it he asked me what colors shall we choose and here they are: 

As simple as that I really think if I would see someone with that wristband I would know he is runner and this creates a bound without words!! Who else can understand a runner beside a runner?
Enjoy the video below! That is who we are!!! Runners who LOVE RUNNING!!

Me at 52"of this Film

Egmond Half Marathon

Egmond aan zee half marathon is one of the most beautiful races I have ever run! What a peaceful run. I loved the variety of the course between sands and dunes! I loved running on the sand, the North sea on my right side the sun shining in my eyes like a diamond in the sky :) and nothing was running through my head , just a pure enjoyment in this crispy cold sunny weather!

My day started by picking up Christine from Amstelveen and we drove to Alkmaar where I dropped my car and we took a bus to Egmond. Once arrived we got installed in the sport hall where we met with @RunningMarcel and his running club also with @Rwshoe. It is always nice when you go to a race to just meet up with people who share the same passion and you can talk about running with the same excitements!

Me, René, Christine and Marcel

I didn't have a goal because in my last half marathon race Ameland Adventure I had to step out of the race and my knee is still playing games with me so I wasn't sure how my day will turn out! I just love running and I was going to run for fun and do my best! Women start was a little earlier than the men's start.

At 12:00 after I dropped my bag, I run together with Christine to the start and we stood up just behind the Elite runners. I am always fascinated by those fast women! The start took off on time and the first kms like always I went too fast but then I managed to find a nice pace. A small round in Egmond and then toward the sea to run 7 km on the sand. No words can describe how beautiful the scenery was, I think I was day dreaming until I realized that the fastest men just passed me and made me feel like a turtle next to them! I am not kidding it is not normal how fast these men can run! If I sprinted I wouldn't catch up to them! True inspiration!!

From the sea to the dunes a small path that leads you back to the start! The whole time I felt strong in a comfortable pace I didn't check my pace not even once! What I really enjoyed the people along the course! I love when I hear people cheering us up! The only thing I realized that around 12 km I was light headed I felt dizzy but of course I knew what was the reason I forgot to drink water, I also had a gel with me but I didn't think I would need it! At that moment I took the gel out and for the first time I finished the whole gel! After couple minutes I felt energized again a happy me I cruised my way toward the finish line.Just before the finish @Hero tapped my shoulder and passed me and with a big smile I finished  pain free race with a time of                                  

1.32'19

'Happy-Ness'

At the finish I saw Rob Veer, of course you can never walk by without spotting him with his red hat! We talked a little and then I headed back to the sport hall after proudly picking up my medal and before I freeze from the cold!
Then Rene and Christine showed up all happy that they also didn't have any cramps or pain while running! I headed upstairs with Christine to have a drink with her running Club, Marcel who also didn't have cramps and was happy to have finished joined us for a bier!

Happy with our Medals! Christine, Marcel and Myself

Then we took the bus back toward the parking, I dropped Christine safely home and I headed back to my hubby and my little boy! I loved going to Egmond but my day started at 9 am and I was not home before 17:00 it was somehow an exhausting day for a 92 min run and for sure that is not how I would like to spend my sunday but I surely enjoyed it!

All in all, I am very satisfied with my run, I am trusting myself more and more I am learning how to run fast again and I am sure one day I will be back to the level where I was before my Injury if not better! I need to stay patient and I know I will be there!

SylvesterCross

My finish tile

What is a better way to make a closure of a year where I was injured, than running a cross on soft sand with up and down hills and not having a knee pain?
On the last day of the year I run my first cross and that was a test for my knee and a new experience. I really wanted to end 2012 in a different way!
While I was talking to Rob Druppers and told him I am running the Sylvester Cross in Soest he offered to sign me up since he was part of the organisation and I may pick up my start number and stay in the VIP tent! What a luxury! Of course I couldn't refuse his offer!


On the race day, I had to work a little bit in the morning then around 12:00 headed to Soest to run 3 x 2000m on the sands!
I am not a fan of laps but it didn't bother me so much this time! I actually liked the 2nd and 3rd lap more than the 1st lap because I knew what to expect!
I went to VIP tent picked up my start number changed into my running clothes. In the VIP tent there was a buffet with soup sandwiches, Oliebollen, Coffee and drinks, VIP athletes were very well taken care of! I went on a warm up run and at 13:30 I was at start. What I didn't really realize is that i was going to run with one of the best women in the Netherlands! Oh that is great! So now my goal is to finish not dead last and I didn't ;)

As soon as we took off I only saw sprinters flying... First round was more like testing the ground as we say, I run in a very comfort pace the whole 3 laps but every lap was a little faster and that is what made me proud! I managed to run a solid 3 laps on a tough course without complaining about anything beside heavy legs!

I finished  the 6,3 km in 29' 35 and I got a nice tile! Apparently every year you get a different tile so now on I have to build up my tile collection.
I really enjoyed running a cross it is a total different feeling then the asphalt running. It is challenging and pushes you in a different way and that exactly suits me :)