After my dad died in May 2021, I discovered that running and grief go well together.  But after the sudden death of my 25-year-old daughter Lucy, running has become my lifeline. It helps me get up in the morning, and start the day.  Mornings are the hardest.  Because mornings are the hardest for me. When I open my eyes in the morning, it hits me like a sledgehammer every time:  Lucy is no longer here.  And when I realize that, I just want to disappear.  To no longer feel the pain.  Running helps me get out of bed.  Running and grief.  Do I ..read more

Happy Mother's Day to all running moms! And here's a little treat for you: What are your plans for today? Don't miss any of my posts! Get yourself a free subscription, and you'll never have to worry about missing out! Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner ..read more

I love funny videos about running! Jogging muppet This one features a jogging muppet. He's attacked by a dog, and everyone is faster than him. It's like looking in the mirror! Jogging muppet: lyrics  One, two, three, four, nice and easy, One, two, three, four Oh, it's lovely! Jogging! Round the park in the dawn, before the dark, pulls you up and leaves you fit though it often makes you pant a bit. Jogging, down the street friendly folk ... trying to pass the time of day, I can't stop who wants to anyway. Goodbye those bulges up front everywhere I sit, my I'm feeling fit, and I'm wanti ..read more

I was inside minding my own business, peeling potatoes and such, when I heard the most horrible scream, followed by more screams: 'Alarm, Alarm! Otsmom, alarm!'  (The neigbourhood kids call me Otsmom, Pietsmom depending on which one of my children they're playing with.) What's happening?! I nearly jumped out of my skin and ran with the speed of light outside, towards the screams. Speedy Gonzales couldn't have gone any faster! Ots little friend, Oliver, met me outside, repeating with a voice ringing with sensation: 'Alarm, alarm Otsmom! Ots whóle head is bleeding.' Indeed, there Ot ca ..read more

Can you imagine people telling Paula Radcliffe to go home and take care of her children instead of participating in marathons?  You can't, can you?  Yet that's exactly what happened sixty years ago, to Dutch runner Fanny Blankers, during the last time the Oympics were being held in London. Running not suitable for women But Fanny proceeded to win 4 gold medals, surprising friend en foe, and put women's athletics on the map in one swell swoop! Before that, running wasn't considered suitable for women.  After all, their private parts might fall out! Better if they stayed home ..read more

It's one of my daughter's favorite anecdotes:  'Remember mommy, when you went our for your first run, and only got till the corner of our street, and you came home cryin' 'cause you were so tired?! I used to grit my teeth, and go 'Hahaha', but then I realized something: this anecdote gives me the opportunity to impart some (running) wisdom! Lesson of wisdom! So now I just smile and say: ' Yes that was funny, wasn't it. But have you seen how far mommy can run now? That's because mommy put in the time and effort to practice, and practice makes perfect. And the same thing applies to you ..read more

Here are 5 things about me as a runner. Do you know those people who say: 'Don't mind the mess!' and then you walk in, and it's clean as a whistle? They're the same kind of people who say: 'Oh don't mind me. I'm such a slow runner, I'll néver be able to keep up!' And then you eat their dust? That person is nót me. When I say I'm not very fast, I'm not kidding. It takes me 45 minutes to run 5K. And that's after 21 years of running. I like making money by running. I have this app which earns me 15 euros per month for running! I get a kick out of watching myself on my crosstrainer... And whi ..read more

Because of the tropical heat break I missed two of my scheduled runs Worriedly I logged into my training schedule, and was relieved to read that my goal to run 10 kilometers in 1 hour was still attainable. It made me feel optimistic: apparently you cán be a slouch now and then without doing permanent damage to your goals. The same thing goes for motherhood And what goes for running, goes for motherhood. A bad day of motherhood, when the children are driving your crazy and you lose your temper, doesn't mean you've screwed them up for life. You can still attain that goal most moms strive for ..read more

I'm not a big fan of competitions. The only running competition I'll ever win, is the one where you get a prize just for showing up. There are no clearcut criteria for motherhoodAnd as for motherhood: there are no clearcut criteria to determine the winner. One juror may lavish you with lots of points for doing Arts and Crafts, but another may reward Reading Bedtime Stories. I wouldn't know where to begin. My competitor is MeBut even though I'm not competing, I'm constantly plagued by one annoying competitor. She always wants to do júst a little better than me.  If I manage to reach a c ..read more

Running and raising kids have a lot in common. Just like you whip your body into shape by running, you whip your children into shape by educating and raising them. When you first start running there's gonna be protestsWhen I first started running, my body was not amused. Just like a child protests agains the demands you make on it, my body moaned and groaned when I made it run more and more miles. It protested with tired muscles and responded slowly. But in the end it adjusted! My body became lean and mean, a real running machine! And the moans and groans became shouts of joy. The same thing ..read more