De Wit in Tokyo: Tokyo Marathon part 3: I did it!

Jongens, hij zit erop! of liever gezegd: in de benen! Mij werd gevraagd een stuk te schrijven over mijn belevenissen in het club magazine van de American Club, dus vandaar het verslag in het engels:My resolve to complete a marathon first arose about 10 years ago. The iconic race seemed the perfect way to culminate my track and field experience and love for the sport. How cool would it be to run a race that people had been competing in for thousands of years? The mother of all distances. So with curiosity and determination to rise to my own personal challenge, I added it to my bucket list while being here in Japan. However, the chance of obtaining a start number of the Tokyo marathon via the lottery is equal to winning the Powerball jackpot so as expected no luck for me around summer last year. I decided to run a 24 hour relay race in Hiratsuka instead…a very nice experience but no marathon. A little later the luck was on my side when I obtained a place via a raffle of Tac’s Women's Group! After competing in more than 25 official half marathons, I finally could kick into a higher gear with about 18 weeks to go until February 26st. Numerous tours around the Imperial Park, Gaien Park and Akasaka Palace followed, the guards did even recognize me. Also the treadmill, the spa, and the pool at the club became good friends. I was really determined to go for an optimal preparation until M-day.We started in front of Shinjuku’s metropolitan government building with about 36000 runners in near-perfect conditions. As expected I had to let go the Kenyans and Ethiopians and run my own race. The marathon course had changed in preparation of the 2020 Olympics and took me alongside a lot of Tokyo highlights. Everywhere you looked were people clapping and cheering! The first half went smoothly. I was amazed in what costumes people could run. I even saw a Michael Jackson moonwalking. Mile 20 brought the beginning of the infamous marathon fatigue of which you knew it would come. I slowly developed pain in muscles which I did not know I had them. Thankfully my family was nearby all dressed up in Holland’s national color orange to give me the boost I needed. Also many more Tac members were cheering from this point onwards. Amazing! From mile 23, I began to focus on every ache and pain, salt crystallizing on my sweaty face. My body was screaming at me to STOP and I had to lower down my pace. But my motivation was stronger than my body. I was determined to finish. Each painful step would bring me closer to my goal. And the goal came closer and closer. Less than a mile before the finish I could hug my kids and wife again since I realized that I did not make the 4 hours mark I had in mind before the race. And a little later I crossed the magical finish line! A small step for mankind but a huge leap for me! I did it!Thanks to Tac’s Women's Group, Linda Farrell, the Japanese man who sprayed my upper leg muscles at mile 24, and everybody who supported me!Volgend bericht in het frans ok?