Road to Rotterdam Marathon 2026

This was originally going to be titled Road to Amstelveen Marathon 2026, but stuff changed, so here we go...

Training

• I ran a half marathon in October 2025, 1 year after giving birth, and that went relatively smoothly with a time 2:09. I realized I'd like to run a marathon again now we have kids that sleep through the night and when I see that running is one thing that helps me to balance the very mentally exchausting job I have.

• I made a training schedule that accomodates my needs (specific times I can train with kids, e.g. stroller run, night shifts and so on) and started following a 16 week plan that started with runs of 10 km and had the max run of 30 k (ended up running 32 km). I still adjusted on the go as I was sick several times and saw that I can better do long runs on Saturdays with M (2,5 km run to ballet while she bikes, run 45 min, run 2,5 km back, do another 10+ km on top after) so it is less work for my husband. I ran with the stroller standard on Wednesday mornings and sometimes on Thursdays too, and did some evening runs Mon/Tue/Fri, basically, what fit the schedule.

• Trainings were okay, but life is very busy for marathon training. It is also hard to run after night shifts as you are already feeling drained...

• I followed this plan right up to the original date of the marathon, but then caught a stomach bug from our little son and fell ill Friday before the marathon. I thought I was feeling better on Saturday but then got sick again the night before the marathon and decided to DNS (better DNS than DNF...). It was a bummer but after all probably good as I needed to fly unexpectedly on the upcoming Tuesday and wouldn't have been in shape to do a late flight after the marathon.

• I decided then that I was either going to run the marathon of Gent 2 weeks after or the marathon of Rotterdam 4 weeks after. Rotterdam ended up suiting our plans better so I found a discounted ticket online. I had wanted to participate already and drew the lottery but didn't get a spot before. Better, as I got it quite a bit cheaper than originally.

• I made an alternative schedule for the next 4 weeks, again with some help from AI. It was all going OK until I realized that my shoes might be a little too small and did a 25k run with larger backup shoes, then 10 km the day after and felt quite some pain on the bottom of the left foot the day after. I decided to take 2 days off and it went better. I went to buy a pair of shoes the week after but was treated pretty unpleasantly at the store and only ended up buying a new pair the week after which didn't leave enough time to wear them in and run with those shoes. I did lace my shoes better and bought a light pair of running shoes.

• Just 1 week before the race I had a block of night shifts and fell ill with a stomach flu again, this time a lighter one. Needless to say, I'm done with the stomach flus now. I took the week before the marathon easy, running 3 times 5 km.

The race

• I stayed at a friend in Amsterdam the night before and departed from Amsterdam at 7:30 am to arrive in Rotterdam at 8:48. I had enough time to get my bib number, get a coffee (and have a half of it), drop my bag. I ate 2 white buns with jam and 2 bananas in the morning (1 just before the run) and drank 1 big bottle of diluted sports drink. My wave departed at 10:41 but the toilet wait was very long (next time, go to the next toilets) so I ended up getting going a little after that. I realized that morning that I had armbands for 4:45 and 5:00 but not for 4:30 what I actually wanted to run so I had quickly looked it up. I wanted to run the first 21 km under 165bpm and then until 35 km under 170 and let it loose after that.

• Clothing: Fusion shorts, light Craft running socks, Asics Nimbus shoes, well worn Nike singlet, light cap, my running vest

• 1st part - my HR went up in the first km, probably because of excitement. I ran a little slower, but then kept the pace around 6:20 as I wanted to run under 6:24/km in total. My new watch and the new screen settings were helping a lot with it. I didn't know the track, only that we needed to go over Erasmusbrug 2 times and that the last bit (30-35 km or so was going to be at the Kralingse bos and were supposed to have less people cheering. Looking back, I didn't think thtat was the case, there were people cheering everywhere and the last km it was even a little much for me as the road was pretty narrow and people were everywhere, it was just a big party.

• Around 20 km we ran over the Erasmusbrug again and I saw that I was going to get the time under 4:30 if I kept going like this. At the same time I was cautious as everything can happen when you are running a marathon. The weather was a little too warm for me in the beginning of the season (14-15 degrees and sunny) and I kept drinking my sports drink (2 flasks in the vest), taking a gel every 7 km and a dextro every 5 km and from 35 km every km. The drinking points were at every 5 km and I took 1-2 cups of water there. I loved the sponges as they really cooled you down. I did feel my legs getting heavier from 25 km but I guess it is the part of the deal you kind of signed up for. Went to the toilet at 30 km when I saw an open one, I guess it was a good idea, but could have done without probably as well.

• The bit in the Kralingse bos was kind of nice as there was a lot of shadow. I had passed the 4:50 and 4:40 pacers a while ago but didn't see the 4:30 pacers anywhere (they had started before us and I saw one part of the group just before and just after the finish line). Soon enough, we were already out of the forest. At 35 km I saw someone they had just resuscitated (he was better, they were cooling him and the AED was taken off), that of course hits, it is not just a little run.. Hope they got well after. The second person was put laying on his side at 38 km, probably waiting for the ambulance. Around there I saw I was going to meet my goal. I didn't feel like the last gel, and also felt a little bit of a headache by then. I had almost finished all my sports drink. There was a last drinking point, so I took the water and just tried to run as quick as possible by then with those legs and the crowds. The last km was long, so long (it didn't help that I had started my watch a little too early and ran the race a little longer in the end), but I crossed the finish line with 4:27 (official time) with a big smile on my face! Well done!

Recovery

• I took the banana (lot of work for a free banana, a slogan said by the side of the track), water cups, a bottle of sports drink and started limping towards the bag pickup (there were road works, very heavy to walk on such uneven tracks after a marathon!). I got my bag, got the medal engraved (included in the ticket that I had taken over from someone online), changed some clothes and started going towards the train station. As I was quite slow and thought I really need to eat something those next 3 hours I will be travelling, I only got the train at 16:35. I got some water (had already 2 bottles of sports drink), fries and a sandwich but could only eat those fries (salt please!). I wasn't feeling that hungry but wanted to prevent starting to feel bad like I had previous times after the marathon. I did start feeling lightheaded when I was standing up in the first of the three trains, but it was also warm. I did make it home nicely and got picked up by my husband.

• At home I saw that the running belt had been rubbing the skin a little much and that the singlet had chawed around the arms a little too. Also got a sunburn and one blue toenail (damn shoes). I ate some nachos and some chocolate and that was it what I could have that evening. Drank quite some sports drink and woke up kind of warm and thirsty at night too and drank some more.

• The next day I was feeling a little low on energy but very happy. I had a course at work and really needed to go, so I kept drinking fluids and eating little bits during the break. Tuesday I was already feeling better but the legs were way worse. I tried to go for a run on Wednesday but that was a little too early (2,5 km with 8:50/km), but a total body workout on Thursday was OK. Today is Friday and I can walk OK and feel also fine, except feeling hungry at weird times, so I guess my body is just taking all the energy back. I've already had delicious cakes and a McSundae this week, tasty!

What next?

• I see that I can get faster, as my marathon time was improved by 30 min compared to fall 2023 despite all the issues around illnesses. I would really like to run faster yet. It is somewhat easier to run 30 min shorter time as well as then your total time running is less and the wear on the body is smaller. I see that running is a sport I can really accomodate in this busy life and it supports me nicely.

• I am signed up to run the marathon of Groningen (hometown marathon, the first one!) on the 31st of May. I am not fully sure if I'm running then as they only start the marathon distance at 10:30 and it can be too warm for me. Also, I don't have a lot of time to recover this way. It would be doable but let's see first how the recovery goes.

• I would like to run a fall marathon too, most likely Antwerp in October. We are visiting Canada in the summer so that leaves me not so many options to work out in the holidays, but I think this all is doable.

• Some question marks: physiotherapy? PT? Running group?