Sunday, October 20th was D-Day -my first marathon. The training period went smoothly, and I completed all sessions as planned. The ultimate goal was to finish in under 3 hours, but anything below 3 hours and 10 minutes would be fine. I knew that the 3-hour target would only be achievable if everything went perfectly.

Just like prepping for a gran fondo, the day before a marathon is pretty chaotic. There's a million things to think about, pack, and double-check.  My family and I headed to Antwerp the evening before. You always hope the kids sleep well in the hotel, and thankfully, they did. The last hour before a marathon start is never the most enjoyable. Unlike gran fondos, marathon starting boxes are time-based, so no need to be in your start box three hours early. Seriously, can we all agree to skip the early box lineup in gran fondos? Waiting in a start box for three hours is just insane. Those who are so competitive to be that early in their start box should try to become a professional cyclist rather than polluting semi-competitive events.

Back to the marathon. The first 15 kilometers felt great. My pace was steady, between 4:00 and 4:10 per kilometer, and I was running without any real issues. But to crack a sub-3-hour marathon, you have to go even faster to counter the inevitable slowdown after 30-35 kilometers.

Trouble hit around kilometer 15. My calf started aching, and the pain only got worse. It wasn’t a muscle tear—those come suddenly and would’ve stopped me immediately. I could keep running, but the pain forced me to slow down. At kilometer 17, where my family was cheering, I was ready to quit. Running another 25 kilometers in pain wasn’t appealing. I grabbed a drink with electrolytes and heard my wife say, "It might get better." Somehow, that shifted my mindset. What if it did get better? You never know until you try.

So, I started running again less than a minute later. The pain didn’t ease up at first. Maybe my wife was wrong. But then I found a rhythm where the pain was bearable—around a 4:30 to 4:45 per kilometer pace.

I powered through for the next 25 kilometers, ensuring I drank enough and consumed plenty of carbs. The countdown truly began between kilometers 25 and 35, a particularly tough stretch. But after kilometer 35, knowing the finish line was near kept me motivated. The pain remained, but I accepted it, adapted, and pushed on. Sub-3:10 was out of reach, but maybe sub-3:15 was still possible. Focusing on this goal kept me going. I gave it my all in the last two kilometers and crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 13 minutes, and 8 seconds. It wasn't the time I'd hoped for, but under the circumstances, I was happy. Most of all, I was proud I didn't give up. The lesson for myself is that as long as the body holds up, you should keep moving forward!

After the race, my left calf swelled up and turned red. It wasn’t too big of an issue, but I went to   the doctor the next day. A scan showed no muscle injury or shin splints and it wasn’t a venous or arterial problem. Most likely, it was a mix of smaller factors causing the issue. I usually run in      the forest, so the harder marathon surface might have been a shock. My running shoes were pretty new (but I usually don’t have problems with that). Plus, I didn’t drink much the morning of the marathon to avoid bathroom breaks. All these decisions were made with good intentions, but together, they weren’t the best combination.

With this experience under my belt, I'm excited for some leisurely bike rides with friends, topped off with a good beer or wine. Once my injury heals, I'll mix in running sessions into my cycling training plan since it's such a great complement for cyclists. I am also already making plans for a new marathon in the future.  But for now… it's all about rest and delicious food! 🍻🚴‍♂️🍷