oktober 21th 2018
A little bit hesitating do I walk towards the start zone. The colored pacer flags are gently dancing around in a sea of people. Nervously I am searching for my color.
3hr45 - 3hr30- 3hr15... got it, in pink: 2hr59! The mythical 2 in front, where allready so many recreational runners have grinded their teeth over. Intentionally waiting to get into the starting zone I glance at the other runners. Seeing all these athletes lined up so close from the starting arch, I wonder if this really is where I belong. Quickly I brush off the thought and go through my race plan one last time. Staying out of the wind for at least the first 25k, and just follow the group. Have a gel every 30 minutes, and try to consume enough water regularly. Saving energy early, this will be the key to succes. In a trailrunning podcast, this has been beautifully described as follows: you have only one scoop of peanut butter to spread out over your toast. This one scoop has to be sufficient to spread out over the whole piece of toast, so you cannot be to lavish in the beginning, or you bite into a dry piece at the end.
European marathon champion Koen Naert is present at the starting arch, and with a loud bang from his starting gun, he sounds the start of the running event. At 9am sharp, we start running over the cobblestone streets of Bruges. If all goes well today, I should be running across the finish line in the center of Bruges before the tower bell of the Belfort sounds 12am.
Focussed on the pink flag, I try to look ahead to see what turns are coming up. As is often the case with running events, the start is rather chaotic. People wanting to pass you, and slower runners who seem out of place that you have to get by. We are running on both the street and sidewalks.
I try not to be stressed by all this, as our brain is a big consumer of energy. That energy is exactly what I have to be keeping as much as possible off for the latter part of the race. At the end of my slice marathontoast there should still be enough peanutbutter, so I have to spread cautiously now.
The first couple of miles that take us through the medieval centre of Bruges, and alongside the little canals are going smooth. Soon enough we leave the city, and are heading to Zeebrugge, the city at the North Sea. Weather conditions are ideal, the little wind that is blowing today will give us a gentle push in the back during the 2nd half of the race. The part along the canal passes by without much effort. I stay on the left side of the group, because after the bridge I should see my support crew for the first time. My wife Evelien, accompanied by our 2 young daughters are on the side cheering along every runner. Evelien had the difficult task of parking the car somewhere close to the race course, and then getting to the spot we agreed upon at the right time with 2 small children (our daughters are 5 and 3 years old). Our interaction upon passing by is brief: I throw a empty soft flask to the side, and manage to grab a full one. This is something you wished you had practiced a bit better in advance, but all goes well. They are cheering me along, and this gives me motivation.
Are you not going too fast Jeroen?
Kilometer 15 takes us through Lissewege. A pittoresque little village in the Polders. Again we get a cobblestone street to run upon. In the reflection of a window I see myself and the group I am following. This triggers again the voice in my head. ‘Are you not going too fast Jeroen? The road is still really long, and already you are running so fast! You really think you can pull this off?’ Quickly I am able to put my focus elsewhere. ‘Wauw, what a nice idyllic village, we should come back here once with the family. Oh great, a band playing and people supporting from the sidelines. Great atmosphere!
The race course takes us further direction Zeebrugge, and soon enough we reach the halfway point of the marathon. During kilometre 22 we run along the coastline, and we have to take a U turn. From now on it is running back into the direction of Bruges, and the finish! This tought gives me a mental boost, and the legs still feel good. So good even that I decide to leave the group of 2hr59 behind me. The little wind of today will give a gentle push now all the way until the finish line. After kilometre 24 I accelerate ever so slightly, carefully without it costing me too much effort.
For a couple of kilometers it feels like I'm hardly touching the ground
tap tap pfff tap tap pfff, the rhytm of my breathing and steps on the ground, this is my world. I don’t think about what’s coming, or what has been. I am truly ‘in the zone’ or experience what they call ‘the runners high’ For a couple of kilometers it feels like I’m hardly touching the ground, and am flying over the asphalt. Running along the canal, the sun low on the horizon, and there is a little mist hanging over the water. WAAUW is the only thing that comes to my mind with seeing this view. Meanwhile my playlist with motivational music is playing, and my thoughts are running ahead. For a moment I see myself running underneath the finish arch.
Let’s stay focussed now! How long am I running? Where am I going to see my support crew again for the final soft flask? I finish the remaining coconut water first, and then it’s time for another gel… brrr the watch shows 32k. A 10k to go, at this point I do feel my legs yes, but this is not yet the wall I have hit in previous marathons, and for now it seems to hold off. Meanwhile the half marathon course joined that of the marathon. The paces we are running are no longer equal to those of the half marathon runners. This means passing a lot the people, if I want to keep the pace. This motivates, but also costs some energy for sure. The many miles are slowly starting to creep into the legs.
I no longer have much breath left to warn slower runners, and my breathing is getting louder and louder. Ghrrrgh pfffffghr tap tap ghrrrgh pffffghr tap tap, the necessary pace is still there, but things really start to feel heavy now, and the pain is really building. 37k and the watch shows 4min20sec for the last kilometre, and that is too slow! If I want to finish within the 3hrs, then 4min15 is what’s necessary! GGGHHhhrgh PFFFghr tap tap GGHHrrgh PPFFghr tap tap, my breathing is soo loud now, it already warns the slower runners before I even run close to them. I am hurting real bad now, but yet I manage to run 2k at 4min13. ‘How crazy’ says a young women to her running buddy. This remark gives me some energy, even if only for a short while.
Kilometer 40 takes the runners alongside the ‘Damse vaart’ and by now the pain is so intense I no longer seem to hear the music. The pain is screaming loud in my ears and I am no longer able to keep the desired pace, 4min22/k. The part on the ’lange rei’ gives us another cobblestone street. My breathing, if you can still describe it as breathing is now sounding like loud painful groaning. ‘Come on, one more kilometer, everything you got!’ The voice wants to motivate, but the enormous pain is just taking over. Cramps are ready to fire if I want to push even more. Balancing now on the fine line between cramping up and failing, or achieving my goal.
Less than a single kilometer to go, I feel a gentle push on my shoulder. Somebody is trying to pass me. I glance over my shoulder and see a pink flag! The 2hr59 pacer group, or at least what is left of it. If I allow them to pass now, I also will have to pass for my sub 3hr goal, after getting so close. I try once again to speed up. Just fast enough to stay in front of the group, but cautiously to not go down on the side of the road with cramped up legs. I wish this would be over, so the massive pain I am experiencing would stop. Why didn’t I study the course a better, so I would know how much longer I have to take this. Finally the last left turn, and we have the end stretch to the finish line. The clock shows 2hr58’37” With the last bits of energy in my body I sprint towards the red carpet and finish line.
--- 2hr58'59" --- Goal achieved!
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