3 May 2026 – Finished my 70th marathon.
70 felt like an important number. This marathon journey started with the challenge of finishing “a” (one) marathon. My first marathon in 2015 was Singapore Sundown clocking in 5.30 hour. Cramps, blisters, walking, dribbling the last 5km is now something of the past. Or so one thinks?😁
The 70th marathon did see me struggle in the last 5km with my hip giving way. I blocked the pain mentally and tell myself i need to get to Dreumel. It is the name of a village with significant history for a dear friend who recently lost her dog. She 🐾 was named after the village🤍🩶.
Finishing this gives motivation and hope that i could get to a 100. Yea, thats a good feeling. I think the injury from 2023-2024 really affected my run spirit and sometimes i questioned my choices. Visiting countless physiotherapists over the years confirm it was “overbelast” that the legs were overused and strength building was needed. Squats lunges etc. The boring stuff i never considered is now necessary to keep going.
The marathon self…
The entire route was out in the open. Think 🇳🇱Think wind💨. We ran along the dike and while the first half was a breeze qua tempo, speed and effort i struggled with the second half. The wind, the grey sky, the drizzles, the lack of food, zero gels, the “because it’s 42km!”, all of it combined made it tougher than usual. I kept going, the idea of #70, and in Dreumel🐾 kept me on my toes. If i have to walk, i’ll walk it.
The marathon marks the 100th year anniversary of flooding in Overasselt. The villages in the municipal of Maas and Waal came together to create awareness of the flood.
The villages we passed by were welcoming. Residents line the street, cheer you on, offer you cookies, wine gums, marshmallows. I took them alllll! For such a small marathon, the crowd to participants ratio was really high.
At km 22 my body started “sleeping”. It repels the wind 🫥.
I picked myself up, formed a mental distraction (from the actual run) and focus on the crowd and runners around me. I saw i was not the only one struggling. One did a sprint and walk method. I feel his pain yes but i cannot comprehend why he did what he did. I kept my tempo but he would sprint past me, butt kick stride for a good 5 sec and stops usually just 5 steps away from me and picks it up again after i jog past him. 🤦🏻♀️
At km 33 or so my hip gave way. Stopped and stretched. Zero gels. Not out of choice, just had no stock at home. Gel matters.
More so for the aging and untrained body, to finish a marathon strong one should expect a min of 60-70km run mileage in. I can hear my body cursing me for the lack of it haha.
meysrunningjourney.com 