How old are you?: 40
Where do you live?: The Netherlands
Website: http://fittastisch.nl
What is your history with sports and athletics?: This is a long story, short summary is: ran full Marathons, burn-out, recovery to 1/4 triathlon.
In 2011, I was 31 and weighed 83 kilo’s (182 pounds) at only 1,75 meters high (5’7). A switch was turned on and I started running again after 10 years of drinking and partying. Only small rounds of two kilometers (1.25 miles). Not more.
I did this until early 2015, when my best friend, who worked at Eindhoven Airport, told me he had a free ticket for the “Eindhoven Airport Run,” which was 13.4 kilometers (8.3 miles). So this was a goal for me, it sounded very hard to train for, but with a friend we would get it :). After the race we were so energetic and ordered our first ticket for the Half Marathon of Eindhoven. We trained together and did it at the end of 2015. But I couldn’t stop and immediately booked a ticket for a full Marathon in 2016 in Eindhoven, my best friend stopped with a half Marathon, so I was on my own now.
I had a lot of races in these years and finished my 1st full Marathon in 4 hours – I was soooo happy! After that, I did the full Marathon in Rotterdam in 2017. It was such a beautiful Marathon with supportive people everywhere. But after that I was having issues with the combination of my work and private life. Less running and more tired (two young kids, who had sleeping issues..)
Early 2018, I started studying to become a personal trainer because I like to help people with sports and already had given advice to others. At the end of that year, I had my first troubles with burn-out. I didn’t want to stop because I felt everyone needed my attention/work and only had a week rest two times, even though my legs couldn’t move at all. I just woke up one morning and my legs didn’t do anything, like they were paralyzed with no feeling in them.
In March 2019, I broke. I couldn’t do the simplest things and I was talking like I drank a crate of beer before talking (obviously I didn’t) and a lot of more issues that I didn’t normally have. Doctor told me burn-out. I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but after reading about it, I understood. I went too far.
After a bad breakup with my job I became unemployed and started working on myself. The first two months I couldn’t do anything. I had on Half Marathon race in the first month, but stopped after 5 KM (3 miles). I was empty and couldn’t do it. It was my first and only DNF (Did Not Finish). I lost the love of running. I could only do 10-20% of my distance and my average speed dropped with a couple of KM per hour. What people normally say, go for a run, this will help your burn-out, actually made it worse as I saw my body malfunctioning and started a negative cycle. Therefore my break with sports.
After a lot of sessions with my psychologist I started running again. The words my psychologist said that made a difference were: “You will never run like you did before, not the distance and not the speed.” After several weeks, the acceptance slowly came and started a new mindset for me. Just relax and enjoy the surroundings more, no pressure distances and speed. Just keep fit and enjoy the little things (for me also stopping for it and making pictures of it helps) like a water stream, a spectacular sky, beautiful flowers, frogs on the road, a beautiful sun rise.
During this journey, I came across an advertisement for a 1/4 triathlon about 100 meters from my house! This was the first time here and first time for me. After the full Marathons my next wish was to participate in a triathlon distance, not a specific distance.
I thought this is a sign from above :P. I was still sitting at home and had time on my hands, not the energy though. My goal was to finish and enjoy every step of the way. I started training even though I hated swimming and biking (this as I am dependent on my gear, which was spooky to me). The first set-back came quickly, a double ear infection prevented me from swimming for 5 weeks in the summer. Fully determined, I focused on biking as these are not the bikes I was familiar with. Everything went well. I trained for endurance, not speed because I lacked energy.
One month before the race I started swimming. Oh these trainings were so beautiful! I started training in the location that my region was freed from the Germans during WWII in 1944. While I was swimming in the lake, big WWII bombers and spitfires were flying by and turning right over me and going back and forward for more rounds, day after day. I appreciated my freedom and was so grateful for the freedom fighters. I really got emotional as I was swimming there. This made it special for me and now I enjoyed swimming.
Finally race day at the end of September 2019! This was MY day. I started swimming, not the breast crawl, but the breast stroke. I was swimming and talking to my fellow breast strokies next to me, just enjoying. Divers thought I had problems with swimming because I was talking and when I came near them they said to each other: No, he is just chatting. I laughed so hard. I told them I was just enjoying the swim in “my lake.” Cycling, also not my cup of tea, but something I had to do. On the road I saw a couple of people with bike failures, so I was happy my bike was my friend and it didn’t fail me. I tried to bike 26 km/h (16.1 mph) and did 27 km/h. (16.7 mph). Now my favorite part, running. Nobody around me anymore, but I gave it my all and finished running just within an hour, so it was also a nice accomplishment. In the end I finished 129 out of 143 starters. Finished in 3h 9 minutes. I had a great experience and that was my final goal for this race. I can say: I did it, even though it was a 1/4 race. I liked it and wanted more.
Every race this year has been cancelled, just as my speed and endurance were increasing. When events open here in September I will do a 1/4 triathlon again – maybe the last time as I want to join the local athletics to focus on a 100 meter sprint ( started right before Covid-19 and had to stop). One week after this race I am trying to do a Half Marathon race on stairs 10,668 steps. I like to be triggered to do strange and special races. Looking forward to train for these races.
I learned to stay positive and sometimes do a step back to go further. Enjoy the little things, it isn’t all a competition.
What do you enjoy most about being an athlete?: My physical and mental health. I’m proud of my Marathons, my 1/4 triathlon, and my “wings for life” races. These are experiences that nobody can take away from me.
Have you experienced any challenges or obstacles?: Injuries: ankle, knee, hip, lower back and my worst one: diaphragm muscle – I had to change my 3rd Marathon to a Half Marathon because I missed a lot of weeks of training. My burn-out is a recent injury, a very heavy one and I am still trying to beat it after more than 1.5 years.
What is your “why?”: Challenges not many people do keeps me motivated and special races give me structure with training – I really need this.
What’s next?: 1/4 triathlon and 10K+ steps on stairs Half Marathon in September/October.
Do you have any advice for someone interested in getting started?: Look for special events, go out of your comfort zone and look around.
Any other comments or stories you’d like to share?: I had a blooper once. Along my road they were putting up low fences next to the street and as they were working there, I couldn’t use my crossing to get to the other side of the street, so I got over the low fence to get to the other side. My first foot was no problem, but my second foot got stuck behind the fence and with the speed I had, I fell face forward in the mud. The road workers were looking at me. Felt so embarrassed I ran away like nothing happened and didn’t look back haha.