My official training for the Dam tot Dam Loop started last week. I was in Germany with M and Karla, and decided to bite the bullet, get out of bed early and start the running schedule for the next 9 weeks.
The Dam to Dam run is held every year in Holland and appropriately named as you run from the centre of Amsterdam to the centre of Zaandam (a nearby town). The route is very picturesque with over 30,000 participants and 200,000 spectators.
We now have 8 more weeks to go, and so far so go. Dragging Moe out of bed yesterday morning wasn’t as difficult as I anticipated, considering our late Friday night running a Speed Dating in Amsterdam (strange but true!). After a relatively lethargic few months, it seems we are both raring to go.
We managed to train for over an hour yesterday (a combination of sprints and a long jog, followed by some interval training). I will admit that during the first ten minutes of running, I felt as though I was going to die. Why was it again that I got out of bed early to pound the pavement? Luckily after getting into the rhythm, my old endurance kicked in, perhaps stimulated by Moe's apparent effortless performance (I couldn’t let him kick my ass, could I?)
My boss signed the whole company up with the hopes of some sort of bonding experience due to our mutual pain. I haven’t told you the bad news yet...the run is 16km!! Yep, this will be no little feat--hence the hard core training for 9 weeks! (There is however, a 7km option, which we will both be as equally satisfied running).
And so, today is luckily a “rest day” on our training schedule (which includes 4 days of running a week). We have posted the schedule on the fridge and if for any reason one of us misses a day, we will have to pay up. What's a better motivator than cold hard cash?!
Well Done guys!!!
Keep up the training... sounds like a fun run and a nice distance... I am currently training for the Half-Marathon and what I find the hardest thing about training is not drinking!!! If you figure out how to stay off the booze, let me know. See you this weekend!!!
Howie :-)
P.S. I appologize for the excessive use of the excalamation point, perhaps i'm extremely excited of seeing you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:-p
