More marathons...

Right, as if one marathon wasn't enough I went and ran the marathon in Amsterdam. Cold weather, shitty legs, low energy, and not ideal motivation led me to finish in 4:42 hrs. A piss poor half hour slower than Berlin and pain for the next couple of weeks. The only reason I finished was that I ended up raising €1400- for a charity in India. Even the last kilometer was too far for me to run. Unbelievable, the stupidity of myself still astounds me every time.

But I'm back to training for some half marathons for next year. Maybe I'll run another marathon in a couple of years, Berlin, London, and New York are on my list. However, first I have to forget how much it hurts to run a marathon, and be better prepared for the next one....

Berlin and other things...

First things first...excuses for not writing for so long. Secondly, I am proud to be a contributor to the global warming problem with my car. And thirdly, one marathon down, one to go...

Its a f*cking long way a marathon, and what a stupid sport, but its the most satisfying feeling I've had in a long time when I ran over the finish. I ran it in 4:28. Not too bad for a first marathon. Got wise words from Heike saying that I should become a participant and not a competitor during the marathon. I refused of course, its nothing for me to be a participant. But a marathon can do strange things to you and by kilometer 35 I was officially a participant and feeling it in every muscle in my body.

Truth be told, I loved running the marathon. Pain, pain, and more pain. But what occurred outside the marathon was in the end more painful for me than the marathon itself... You find out who your friends are and end up realising that you just haven't run enough yet... Honesty is the key, yet the hardest to stick too...

F*CK!!!!

Change...

The question that I faced today was whether I should accept certain things to be set. For example, are norms and values to be accepted without argument? Secondly I was told that certain things can't be changed. For example, norms and value can't be changed.

This idea is in my view the death of society. At the point where we accept that everything is fixed and we should not bother to try and change those factors we might as well not bother doing anything. Secondly, this argument has been destroyed many times over, and the people that advocate this idea have a significant problem with accepting that change is happening. Without changes in believes and norms Russia would still be called the Soviet Union, apartheid would still be an accepted government policy, and more importantly, we'd probably never have evolved beyond the loincloth. Why would we stop wearing loincloths and animal skins if that was the norm at the time?? Why bother inventing the wheel, we're perfectly capable of transporting ourselves by foot, and everyone does it that way so why shouldn't we? Ignorance is stupidity disguised, and everyone is guilty of it in some way or form.

It comes down to how we treat people. The norm is to treat people differently in different situations. Break the norm and you are not accepted, or looked at funny. Once the norm has evolved the idiot that came up with the idea is long forgotten. More importantly, the idiot is probably holding a grudge because the norm by which he was treated was unfair, has been identified as unfair and changed, yet no apology is made. Why? Apologising is seen as a form of guilt, which means that the person apologising should be held accountable, and everyone hates accountability...

That's my rant of the month... Hope you enjoyed it...

Have a good one...

Running for Charity...

Yes, I am another one of those idiots thats running for charity. I'll be running 100 kms (2,5 marathons) for a charity in India that helps build schools and kids pay an go to school. All very noble and everything.

Obviously I should now be instantly more attractive to the female species as I am doing this for the kids...

Or have I ruined the moment now by making that comment???

Have a good weekend...

Drink...

Fridays have been good to me, the saturdays have not been good to me. That might be due to me drinking a little too much and not enjoying the saturdays with a head ache...

Some more pictures from Canada:



PS: Only dutch people could be so fascinated by a dam... What is it with the dutch and water??

Training...

Went for a "short" 15 km run through the dunes yesterday. It went well and all except for that I was held up by 3 girls cycling the same route I was running. Of course it is a well known fact that we have plenty of cyclists in Holland so I'm quite comfortable running and looking out for cyclists. Only this time the 3 girls, who were probably on their way home from the beach or shopping, were having a little trouble getting up the dunes and coping with the wind. Although as a runner I too have a little trouble once in a while with steep inclines and wind, rain and other disturbing weather conditions, I was surprised to find that I was overtaking the 3 girls on the way up the dunes while they were overtaking me once more going down the dunes. This continued over a stretch of about 5 kms. I finally wished the 3 ladies a pleasant trip and took a right while they kept going down the road. I guess its just a weird feeling as a runner to be overtaking people on bikes. The whole reason that bikes were invented was that people could get somewhere faster than on foot. These girls have proven to me that foot power is still a viable transportation form and have restoreed my motivation to keep training.

I ran the 15km in 1:17:00. Not too bad...

Have a good one...

Yes, I'm a spoiled brat...

I think the picture speaks for itself...

Canada Part 4...

The vacation is over. Back in the Netherlands now and fighting against the jetlag. My eyes are closing as I write, so I'm going to keep it short.

The last couple of days have been characterised by the statement: "A room with a view". Going for a 10km run at 7:30 in the morning in Stanley Park, Vancouver, was great, eventhough I am definitely not a morning person. Vancouver is a lot like Sydney, very multicultural, relaxed people with a young population and a sea climate to die for. You're never more than 20 mins drive from a beach in the summer and an hour drive from the ski slopes in the winter. Not too bad, eh!!!

So here a final couple of pictures from the room with a view at the last hotel on the 8th floor and my little room with the view in the plane back.

Canada Part 3...

Bears, Bears, Bears...

They are not half as cuddly as they look... Thats a dead sealion he's standing over...

The sun is shining again... yeah, yeah... Its been a good day...

Canada Part 2...

It can rain in Canada. We've had rain for the past 4 days, might have stayed at home if I wanted to experience rain. Oh well, I've kept myself busy by buying new running shoes. Very cool, and they run great. So, back in training and enjoying the experience. Interesting experience, a bear sighting on the golf course. He just came ambling down the driving range in Whistler. I missed the foto opportunity though, was too much in shock. These things happen, very disappointing.

So here's a few pictures that I did manage to capture. Oh yeah, I'm in a town on Vancouver Island now that has as its motto: Half the speed, twice the pleasure... A good motto to live by and do stuff I think...

Canada Part 1...

In case you didn't know, I'm out enjoying a 3-week trip in Canada. Travelling from Calgary to Vancouver going through the Rocky Mountains is the plan, and so far has proved a success. The Rockies are such a different landscape compared to the Netherlands. Obviously, we're above sea-level here, and there are lots of mountains etc. but the vastness and ruggedness of the area is scary sometimes. Kilometers followed by kilometers of forest and mountains. Unbelievable, and nothing that I've seen before. Deer walking in front of your hotel window, bear sightings on the golf course, it just doesn't stop. The best mountainbiking I've experienced in a long time over tiny trails up and, more enjoyable, down the mountain. Plus going for a swim in a bright blue lake where there's no one to be seen or heard for miles is a refreshing experience (in more ways then just the swim). The lakes in the Canadian mountains are such a bright blue, and completely clear. The science behind this phenomenon is that minerals from the glacier melting water in the lakes absorb all the colour out of the sunlight except for blue, so the blue colour is the reflected. It left me to enjoy the beautiful cool water in the 30 degree heat (yes, it's been 30+ degrees every day this week), and be able to see my shadow on the bottom of a 6 metre deep lake.

There is one negative to this story, the mosquitos... No further explanation needed... And I'm falling behind in my training...

Enjoy a selection of my pictures...

The Genius of Economics...

Why I like economics... Reading an article in the Economist of July 7th made me realise once again why economics is so interesting. Its the question of whether all economic decisions taken are rational decisions, and in particular those that concerning the splitting of a pot of money. The example is from the ultimatum game where the first player proposes how to divide a sum of money with the second party. If the second player rejects this division, neither gets anything. If the second accepts, the first gets his demand and the second gets the rest. You'd think that the second party would always accept the money offered, who would reject free money?? However, this often doesn't happen when the offer is low, usually under 25% of the stash of money. Of course, the rejection of money is often done by people not trained in economics.

To continue along these lines a doctor from Harvard University tried to understand why even economists would reject the offer of free money. The study looked at only male subjects and found that the respondents that rejected the offer of free money had a 50% higher level of testosterone than the average level of the accepting respondents. In fact, in a final offer game (where only one offer is made) 5 of the 7 men with the highest level of testosterone rejected a $5 ultimate offer (out of a pot of $40), yet only one of the 19 others made the same decision. The explanation for these results? People strive for relative instead of absolute prosperity. They would rather accept less themselves than see a rival get ahead. This behaviour is more likely in individuals with high testosterone levels, since that hormone is linked to social dominance.

The question remains whether this behaviour is irrational. It is not irrational per sé, but it is differently rational. The things that money can buy are merely a means to an end, in this case social status, which consequently brings desirable reproductive opportunities (yes, SEX!!!). If another route brings this status more directly, the money becomes irrelevant. Therefore, the money isn't important, the sex is!!! (would this premise also hold for women??)

If you really want to wreck your brain, think about what effect oestrogen might have in this economic game.

Information and theory found in the article: "Money isn't everything" from The Economist of July 7th 2007.

One Training Partner Less...

Back in training for less than a couple of days and I've lost my favourite training partner, Max, the family dog. He's going on 12 years old now and unfortunately he can't keep up with me anymore. It makes running that much more of a lonely enterprise. I enjoy the loneliness though, sometimes... In many ways Max has been a perfect training partner. Always gave his best, no matter what, never complained, doesn't talk continuously (which implies that you have to talk back), and always had a grin on his face. I have seldomly seen a more content character on this earth.

I've therefore decided that its better if max doesn't join me for my runs in the dunes on the Dutch coast. He slows me down, and comes back a broken dog. Who ever said running was healthy? Its a shame though, but has been good fun while it lasted. A sentence that can be used to describe so many things in life...

If you want info. on what breed Max is, check: http://www.drentschepatrijshond.org/
The site is in Dutch, but the pictures are good...

Update on me: injuries are under control, everything else is doing fine, jobsearching is exciting...

Have a good one...

Things I have to remind myself about...

"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright... and when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend..."

- Red in Shawshank Redemption.

Great music tip...

Ben Westbeech - Welcome to the best years of my life

Great jazz-funk-dance sound... Check him out on myspace.com

http://www.myspace.com/benwestbeech

Fathers, Mothers, and a cool quote...

"Do you want anything from the shop?"
"Cornetto" - From the movie 'Shaun of the Dead'.

Brilliant writing can be so simple.

Happy father's day to all the fathers. I bought my dad socks this year, haven't seen him that happy in ages. Absolutely brilliant...

Had a busy weekend. Planned to go have a drink with some friends in Utrecht on Friday. We came up with the plan to go play poker at the casino, but this plan was disturbed horribly when we heard that all the tables were full. Very unfortunate, yet we decided that we weren't going to give up so easily and we jumped in the car and drove to the casino in Amsterdam. We got a seat at a no limit Texas hold 'em game at 11pm and got to it. As usual I lost my 10 euro, another massive disappointment to work through... But, I ended up winning about 60 euro at the blackjack table. A good night out. We got drunk till about 4 and then I got on the night train. For those who have never been on the night train, don't bother, it is the longest train ride that you will experience. After getting off the train I walked for 45 minutes to get to my parents place in The Hague.

Which brings me to my mum. Funnily I scared her shitless Saturday morning when I came in at 6am when they weren't expecting it. Plus, an old dog is a bad guard dog. Our dog is so old he barely raises his head to bark at the person at the door before he goes back to sleep on his pillow in front of the stairs. Brilliant!!!!

So that's it. Weekend gone with little sleep and another week of studying and writing continues...

Have a good one...

Its been a week...

Its been a week and nothing drastic has happened. Life seems to take its course and throw a roadblock or two in front of me, but no serious car crashes yet. Although I have found out that I need to learn to time my performances on the golf course a little better. Finished 4th in the club championships strokeplay over the weekend, but really let the championship slip out of my sweaty hands by screwing up in the second and third rounds. Its the MOST FRUSTRATING sport I have encountered in a long time. And its a good thing that I don't have to earn a living by playing golf, or I be more broke than the bum down the end of my street, although he's probably earning more money by getting the dole off the government every month. Typical...

So life on the links is frustrating, but the weather is great. The ice cream I buy melts in my freezer, thats how warm its been. I've got the standard golfers tan. A 'v' on my chest and sleeves on my arms. Hilariously unattractive of course. But unavoidable, since I'm sure I'd drive the other golfers gagging off the course if I'd walk around topless. And there's a whole summer ahead of us. I've said this before and I'm going to say it again, Long life global warming... The only shitty thing is that training is really tough in a 25 degree heat, been waking up early to go and train...

So spare a thought for the lonely morning runner when you're drinking your coffee in bed...

Have a good one...

Some good music...

Here's some good music I'm listening too:

Keane: Under the Iron Sea
Bløf: Umoja (Dutch band)
Röyksopp: Melody A.M.
The Shins: Chutes too narrow, Oh, Inverted world, Wincing the night away
Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (their first album)
The Strokes: Is this it
Muse: Black Holes and Revelations
Koop: Koop Island (great relaxing jazz music)

Good week of Golf, Bad week of Running...

Its been a bad week for running. The weather and niggling little injuries led to the worst training run since two months. It has to do with the injuries, but also with a lack of motivation. Since I have no plans to run any meets until August it becomes harder go out every other day to train. Its really frustrating when things don't quite work out, and a training session that doesn't go well leaves your body hurting four times as much the next day. It makes you question the reasons you're running the many kilometers per week. Will give it a go again tonight, see if it goes any better. If not, I'll be taking a week off.

Like the title says, its been a good golfing couple of weeks. It seems that although the running form is not going well, I'm finally hitting a bit of form on the golfcourse. It helps that the course is looking great at the moment and that the weather is okay, but I tend to give myself the credit when things go well and blame other things when things are not going well. Typical sportsman I guess. With the club championships coming up its the best time to get a bit of form, not to mention about time to get a bit of form. Its been an extremely frustrating season so far. My last couple of rounds: 75, 76, 74 (Par 72 course, www.nngcc.nl). Even won some prizes, a second place and a best bruto score, I now have a complete set of engraved whiskey glasses, yeah, yeah.

On that bombshell, I'm off for a run...

Have a good one!!!

One more thing: Want to congratulate a friend of mine on reaching 30!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ULRICH!!!!!!!

The Rabbit...

The rabbit has a charming face:
Its private life is a disgrace.
I really dare not name to you
The awful things that rabbits do;
Things that your paper never prints -
You only mention them in hints.
They have such lost, degraded souls
No wonder they inhabit holes;
When such depravity is found
It can only live underground