Dear reader,
For the last two years I have been running in one of the largest city runs in Amsterdam. It is called the Dam tot Dam loop. With this run we run from Amsterdam for 10 nautical miles north towards Zaandam. This is the oldest city run in Amsterdam. The first year I did it, it was raining so much that you could swim the entire distance. Last year it was so hot that half way during the day they canceled the run. This year there are no events in Amsterdam because of the corona virus.
This year a lot of things have gone differently and so will this run. This year they call it the "home" edition. You may run on your own pace, own time and own route. So me and my dad (he has been running this city run for many years) are going to make our own route, with support along the way and a yearly goal to run 10 miles. This week I am going to take you on the journey what I did to prepare, diets and why doing such a run means a lot for my success.
Preparation:
To prepare for a run you have to run. It is as simple as it gets. This is 10 miles so just over the 16km so you do need to have some kind of practice and training. In the months during the lock down I have been running a bit more and that is where the preparation started. I was all ready working out four days in the week in the gym so some extra cardio could help me stay in shape. I work in a restaurant and during the summers on the terrace I walk about 15km a day!
But the preparation for a walk and a run are very different. Because I don't run every day or every week I do need to get the running in my schedule. I live next to lake, when you would run it around it would be 6km that comes to about 35 minutes in running. I use this lake as my base to keep myself running, the easy and great thing about having a lake to run is that there are no short cuts. So for the last weeks I have it a habit to run at least twice a week around the lake. From there on I am expanding my distance to 8km and 10km.
Diet:
It is very important to eat the right foods during the training. You need to keep your engine running at the right pace. A healthy diet helps with the energy levels as well with the recovery of the body. For this month in preparation for the run I have been eating vegan. I want to see what the difference would be in my energy levels and in my recovery with regards to eating a plant based diet or a vegetarian diet. My goal is to test if I have more energy during the run as well as if I recover faster.
Not only do I change my food habits but also my drinking. I will not be drinking during this process to make sure I sleep well at night and I have all my days enough energy to exercise whenever I need to. When you have a hangover from the night before then you need to recover from that first before you can get back into your routine. For me my hangovers get worse as I age, so the recovery take longer to. I don't have the feeling to feel like that so then I choose not to drink instead.
What it means for my success:
Success comes in many different forms. For me working out and preparing for this great run is part of my success. It is commitment to myself to keep going and never quit. Sometimes it gets hard, when you run 16 kilometers it gets hard during the run, your legs feel tired, your mind tells you it is okay to stop. But it is not why I started this. I want to prove to myself that I can finish what I have started and that what ever live trows at my during the run I will not quit.
I have been working months on preparation, from running, to dieting to not drinking to keep focused on my goal. The same goes for every other part of my journey. It takes time, energy and patients. Often you doubt yourself if what are doing it worth it and if you are not doing to much or the right thing. The only thing I know is keep going. The roads are long and the sacrifice is big, but the reward is so much better and when you made it to the finish it is an accomplishment in your journey.
I have finished the run in 1:29:10, this is 8 minutes faster then I did last year. All the hard work has paid off and I am able to be better prepared for next year. Challenge yourself once and while, do the impossible and go out. You live and you learn, you only get better and keep having challenges make you focus more on the price that is a head of you. I want to end this blog with a thanks to my family whom have supported me during this run with water and fruits to keep going. Making them proud and having their support is what you need to keep the great work.
Thank you for reading and enjoy your week.
Franklin, Moments2Success
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