FEED ME! 🐱

The only 2022 winter or spring marathon that’s available to me was almost full, so I registered myself with an early bird entry. It’s the Two Rivers Marathon on February 6, 2022. It’s my first time running there. It will be 10 weeks after my next marathon on November 28, 2021. 🏃

I thought I found an interesting blog by an ultrarunner, except the last post was by his wife, telling the reader this person died of a heart attack. Gulp! 😖 Life is precious, folks. One day may be your last. Better spend it doing what you love most.

Since nothing is happening in my life without cause, I guess I’ll have to challenge myself with 100 story ideas.

While only strongly advised ATM, I’m wearing a mask 😷 inside grocery shops again. It will be mandatory next Saturday, plus stricter access rules for crowded places with a QR code app or printout, to nudge people into vaccination, which is far more practical than holding out 🇳🇱

I suppose I can unsubscribe from Dr Who podcasts now, since one glance at episode 1 of series 13 was enough to be no longer interested in the show.

I did my third long run in preparation of a marathon on November 28, 2021. A marathon under 4 hours is feasible, as is one under 3h45'. The reason it was so much easier this time is that I ate more protein for recovery. It did wonders, slept like a rose, woke up ready to go! 🏃

Currently reading: Gulliver’s Travels (Wordsworth Classics) by Jonathan Swift 📚

Finished reading: Het beste van Bommel / 2 Heer Bommel overtreft zichzelf / druk 1 by 📚

Zeer vermakelijk, als je begrijpt wat ik bedoel.

Making my small town garden winter-ready. Still time to do some planting before December.

I can see myself doing this exercise weekly. I guess this will be the only one to share, for now, because I already feel self-conscious about it. Still, I’m curious if it’ll get better over the months to come. Hopefully, by next year, I’ll be able to join NaNoWriMo with a plot.

No idea if this will generate a plot for a story, but I’ll try it tomorrow.

Currently reading: The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classic Collection) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 📚

How to write a story…

I have no clue. It’s a nice notebook, though. Maybe I need stickers to improve my storytelling chops. No clue who sells those, stationery shops? Are those still around?

Read an article in my local free newspaper about a recent war movie on Netflix, The Forgotten Battle (Slag om de Schelde). It’s about the WW II battle for the river Scheldt after D-day. Here’s a good YT review for you (spoiler free, even though it’s based on real events).

Did a 10 mile hike along my hometown’s harbor and sluice with its drawbridge. Very industrial and noisy, not really for tourists, although, there’s a separated single sidewalk, and, partially, separated bike lanes on each side of the road for the 5000 people who work here.

Currently reading: Galileo’s Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science by Peter Atkins 📚

I suppose today will be a show of strength of character, as with a very tired body I’m going to run a 10 km race in Utrecht, the Netherlands, called Maliebaanloop. It’s 4+ hour of travel for a 50 minutes 🏃 race. I expect to be exhausted when I come home.

I’m doing a kind of dress rehearsal for a marathon, by doing a 32 km long run today, 10 km race tomorrow. I didn’t sleep well, woke up at 4:30 am, for a run starting slightly before 7 am, in the dark. The sun’ll rise after 8 am. To say I’m nervous is an understatement 🏃

Chimney with industrial heritage status. I’m sure many oldtimers’ memories will be sparked by the smell of cleaning alcohol, which its factory produced until the early 2000s.