I did it! I ran a marathon for the first time in my life. What a fantastic experience! Well, it was tough, but definitely doable. It took me a long time; my final time was 4 hours and 44 minutes, but I didn't walk in between (unlike many others!) and I'm quite proud of that!
An hour before the start I was already at the Olympic Stadium † You need that hour, because you have to hand in your sports bag and go to the toilet, which, given the long lines, should take you at least half an hour to 45 minutes. The atmosphere in the stadium was very special:a mixture of tension and enthusiasm. When the starting gun was fired, I was very relieved. Finally walking!
Well, then it is mainly a matter of continuing to walk. The first ten kilometers were effortless. At the eleven kilometer point colleague Loes stood for a high five and encouraging words. At thirteen kilometers, as agreed, there were friends with a banana and a bottle of water. My father and mother were fifteen kilometers away. Dad ran with me for the part along the Amstel (fifteen kilometers). Cozy! At 22 kilometers my coach encouraged me, at 25 and 30 kilometers my boyfriend, at 35 kilometers my parents and coach again… Crazy really, beforehand I had the idea that I would enjoy walking 'alone'. But a marathon is such a stretch , that it is very nice to walk from one to the other. It's also heartwarming that those people are there for you!
At 25 kilometers I felt my muscles, and then the trick is not to think:and I have 17 more to go. I grabbed my iPod, had a drink and ate another banana for a change. Wow, I'm just running a marathon it flashed through me every now and then. When I was having a hard time, knowing my parents, boyfriend, and brother were waiting for me at the station pulled me through. Just before the finish I was encouraged by people from the athletics association. At 40 kilometers I was allowed to count down. I was looking for the 41 km mark, which was not marked, so it was a huge stroke of luck when I suddenly saw the '500 meters left' sign. Entering the Olympic Stadium was unforgettable. I couldn't stop running. When my medal was put on, I had to hold on to the fence to keep from walking.
At home all I could do was hang out on the couch. I have severe muscle pain , But that should not spoil the fun. “Would you do it again?” my brother asked me yesterday afternoon. My answer was, "Hmm, I'm not sure about that yet." A very positive answer , because I heard from my coach that most people answer right after the 42 kilometers:“Never again!”
PS – Read Tamara's training period diary here >
