Running

New week, new record! For the first time in my life I ran 12 kilometers, and immediately another 10k PR! This morning it was time for my long run, and while I was drinking my coffee I decided to watch a running technique video again to see what I could improve. Lately I have mainly focused on my heart rate and steps per minute, but today I focused more on maintaining a better posture by sticking out my chest a bit more and leaning forward a bit more. The result was that I suddenly ran much faster and more relaxed without this resulting in a higher HR, and my steps per minute were also fine afterwards with 171SPM. These days I usually run around 6:30 but I’m really surprised that I was able to set both a distance record and a higher average speed without having to make any effort except constantly maintaining a better posture. “Running Tall” was the mantra that I kept coming back to when I noticed that I started to sink back. ...

What I Learned from Kipchoge, the Fastest Marathon Runner in the World Kipchoge is not only a world-class athlete, but also a source of inspiration and wisdom for anyone who wants to improve their life. I recently listened to an interview with him on YouTube, and I was amazed by his insights on running, success, pain, discipline and happiness. Here are some of the key takeaways and a summary of what he shared. ...

Although I was already doing something very similar, yesterday I discovered MAF training through this video: This video is super inspiring because he actually runs a 3 hour marathon while recording! I was already doing base training for my running which I discovered through the r/running Reddit. Here you focus on time instead of distance and do many runs on low intensity throughout the week, and one long run where you go 5 minutes more every week. ...

I ran 10k for the first time in my life today. I ran to the beach and back in Heemskerk on hardened forest roads, listening to the birds and feeling the spring sun on my face. I felt great and had a smile on my face most of the time. Lots of interesting thoughts popping up in the mind as I run and reflect. Hardly noticed that 77 minutes went by because I was having such a good time. ...

If you would have told me 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or even 3 months ago, that one day I would be 50 minutes into a run with a big beaming smile on my face, I would have never believed you, but today it happened. My base building schedule is giving me good results. I did this week’s long run this morning and it was 7 minutes longer than last week’s long run. I ran 8.5 kilometres in 67 minutes. ...

Yesterday I reached a significant milestone. I ran my first 5K! I’ve always been on the heavy side. I did a lot of weightlifting from age 18 to around 27 and I was always rather bulky, but very strong. This meant I was very good at working in the woods or helping people move house, but I’ve never been able to do any running or endurance because my knees would start protesting very quickly. However, I always admired endurance athletes and I had the desire to be able to run more than a few minutes without feeling the urge to die on the spot. ...