Last weekend, I completed my fourth half marathon, one year after I ran my first. Like last year, the place of action was The Hague. And Scheveningen. And back to The Hague.
This one wasn’t the first. It wasn’t the fastest. It was not the one where I came in best prepared.
Instead, it was the one that hurt the most.
For several weeks already, I knew I would not be able to finish under two hours. Why? Because I didn’t train enough. As you may know, I meticulously track my runs, and the data and insights that come attached with it. That story was very clear: you are not where you want to be. So, I decided to be honest to myself. Run. And have a good time.
Until my neighbor pinged me. The day before my run, he ran a half marathon himself. Under two hours. And I let go. I let go of the plan and turned the knob on my watch to 1:59 as a desired finish time. It didn’t work out. I managed to stay on the trajectory for 14k straight. And collapsed subsequently. And at the CPC, that is about the worst point in the race to collapse. At the CPC, the 15k point is the point where you hit the beach. 2,5k false flat from there and more false flat afterwards. Excessive breathing, burning legs. Pain. And the knowledge you’re not there yet and there’s only one way to end this: straight to the finish line.
The last 4 kilometers hurt continuously. I struggled. I wanted to quit. But couldn’t. So I went ahead. Struggled again. Suffered more. Endured the pain. Pushed myself, supported by those along the road. And finally made it. I was not able to force a smile when I passed the finish line. But I made it!
Boy did it hurt. Even after I picked up my medal and emptied the first bottle of energy drink, my feet still didn’t feel solid. Yet I felt amazing. This one hurt the most. But I nailed it. I went on. Pushed through. And got that medal. And when I look at it, it almost feels like this one shines just a little bit more. Because there’s beauty in pain. Loads of it!
Editorial note: the images above (not the medal photo!!) have been created with AI. I was obviously not in the mood or place to take pictures. I used these because the lines stayed with me during the race.
