De 4 daagse (noch einmal !) / the Walk of the World in Nijmegen /July 2013 by Ton van Zutphen

This years walk took place under clear skies...fabulous weather indeed: cool in the morning, sunny throughout, a few light clouds and a temp. around 25 degrees C.  I had trained enough with a 25 kms trial run around the Lainzer Tiergarten a week before in Vienna and a few days walk up and down the river Maas in the vicinity of Lith where my sister Elly lives. The city of Nijmegen welcomed over 40,000 walkers and a much larger number of visitors every day..the mayor expecting nearly one million people over a full week's period. In fact I had never experienced downtown with such huge crowds and amenities: music in the streets, tables outside the cafes, bars open all night long..people swerving with beers and other adult beverages throughout town.
This was the 97th edition and my 5th march. Since my racewalking hobby started I try to pace myself hard during day 1 and day 3 when I am allowed to start early. Day one started off at 05.30 hrs and I came in at 10.15 hours finishing  my 40 kms and ranking first in my category...with a 6th place all together. There is the 'elite bench' of about 15 fast men and women where we talk about shoes and equipment...and speed. Interesting. There is an Englishman who arrives first every year...50 kms in about 5 hours...  and way beyond my league. Third day with the Breedeveld/Groesbeek/Berg en Dal hills I came in 7th and it took me 5 hours. The second and fourth day I walked with my friend Gerard Verstappen and we had time to reminisce and talk about our lives...and plans of which I realize I still have plenty. The third day we met with friends...Antonet, Fritz,  Gerard and others at café De Kroon which is about 400 meters before the finish ...and we saw those who had to be supported to get in before the bell of 17 hours rings...anybody arriving later will be disqualified and cannot start the next day. The last 500 walkers really suffer...but it is all part of the game. This year's registration came to 46,000 walkers...42,493 started and 39,396 made it to the finish at the end of day 4.  
This has now become a yearly event for me: 3 times I walked 200 kms and the last 2 times 160 kms. I hope next year more of our ex student colleagues from the Prof. Bromstreet 40 will participate such as Frie, Frans, Leon,...who dares?
And also Antonet, wife of our dear friend Cees who passed away one year ago in Nijmegen. It was wonderful to be with her, Gerard and his partner Isy at Café 'De Compagnie' where in the honor of Cees a beautifully crafted wooden bench has been placed. The Walk of the World (www.4daagse.nl) has become perhaps a ritual...to continue.
In the end..and an hour after arriving Friday afternoon I had a few difficult moments when I realized I had taken off my cap (to greet the mayor Bruls also), to receive the traditional flowers from Isy...'gladiolen'...walking with a bald head is not smart when the sun is out. I guess I did not drink enough in the last 3 kms. ...life is not perfect. Anyway..I know this for next year and I also realize clearly that 50kms every day is not for me anymore! 

Some stats:
I walked the 'fast' days on Saucony racing flats (FastWitch 5)
Day 2 and day 4 on Nike lunar glide 3
Always wearing running socks of the brand 'X socks' and using 'Rohde' Hirschtalg crème for my feet (before and after)
I had one blister on my small left toe / not really bothering me much
Met a few nice people...Hans, a Dutch power walker with similar interests to live in Vienna, Kirsten,  a retired Norwegian police officer, and the usual French randonneurs, who love it when someone speaks to them in their language.

I look foreward to next year...always third week in July.

Last but not least.... much thanks go to  Antonet who offered me the hospitality to stay and meet little Beer. We both know that big Beer was with us as well. 

Ton van Zutphen finishes Miami Beach 13.1 Marathon (March 13)

Ton van Zutphen finishes the Miami Beach 13.1 miles Marathon on 9th March 2013 / Half-Marathon

This time through a combination of racewalking and running.

I registered only a few days prior to this race; having spent a full week in meetings in Tennessee without proper 'running about' and lots of regular coffees and breakfasts/lunches/dinners. No wonder 90% of my colleagues gain weight. When I received a mail-reminder from the organisers I said to myself...'what the heck, go for it!'

So no proper training, I just hoped my legs and lungs still remembered the experience of the full marathon over one month ago...also in Miami.

Then Saturday morning very early with a taxi from my studio in Coconut Grove to Ocean Drive at SoBe (South Beach Miami). I had plenty of time to do warming up exercises..I think this does help, by the way. Mentally I started to be very ready for this one!

Start of the elite guys/gals @ 6 am (only 40 of them...all supposed to remain under 1 hour 25 minutes)..the winner was a Kenyan Shadrack Kosgei in 1 hr. 3 minutes and 15 secs. Then the other normal 2006 participants made it to finish of this half marathon starting at 6.13 am under a slightly clouded sky, little breeze and 18 degrees. Simply wonderful.

As usual I started at the very back...to avoid being caught up in 'running jams'....and the first 5 miles were great...humming my mantra 'slow down, slow down / but keep going'. The parcours is great with the crossing of long bridges both the Julia Tuttle and MacArthur causeways...together good for 5 miles already and obviously lots of early morning sea breezes. I passed the 5 mile sign under 55 minutes...it sort of went in a haze.

Interestingly the full week before I had not imbibed in any adult beverages. I had taken a bit of the small flask '5 hour extra energy' ( my preferred kind of epo) before the race, and I knew I had my bio household under control. No hunger or having to visit 'the Johns' anymore during this race.

Just before arriving at mile 9 I joined the runners pack of the pacemaker upholding the card 2.30, meaning a group of runners that all aimed to finish just below 2 hours 30 minutes. That's what I did and it worked well for me...I could just about follow in racewalking mode and from time to time I ran. Friends...this is the future...racewalk half, run/jog half. Not too hard on the knees and better for the heart/lungs and legs. Believe me!

Pity that on the MacArthur causeway on the left side there was a car traffic jam and I had to start walking very close to the bridge ramp on the right to avoid the car exhaust...well this is America after all! Also a pity because when racewalking one needs to walk where it is absolutely flat and not on the edge where the road is often slightly bent downwards...Wears one out.....So we were trotting along with the 2.30 group of about 10 runners. The pacemaker cheering us up: 'c'mon # 2345 (my number)...you can do it. We are nearly there; the finish is just around the block......etc.etc.'

The last mile and a half we actually went past the golden sands of South Beach / very pretty with the sun shining and all of us smelling the finish.

I took a last sort of sprint...and ran pretty good for 300 metres.

This time it was an easy go. Could have gone a bit faster if I had coordinated my running better...or if someone ran with me from the beginning.

This was good; next year hopefully again...if I am still in Miami by then / which is doubtful.

As a reward again a beautiful silver medal; oversized US style...but I am lovin' it of course! Then the food we were handed out ..I could not believe my eyes...muffins, canned sugary fruits, and cookies. I stuck to bananas and water and had a sip of 'Michelob' free beer (not be recommended to a European). Luckily there was rice, black beans and pollo (my favourite Black Mountain-Haiti dish). And a great atmosphere with everybody walking on the sand and enjoying the apres-race atmosphere.

　

Some stats:

Winner in my age category arrived in 1 hr. 30 minutes 55 secs. Bravissimo; probably one of the few remaining Neanderthalers

I came in 24th in my age category @ 2.25.29...and missed my Personal Best by 7 seconds. Can you believe this? In Eindhoven, NL last year I finished in

2.25.22.....

Finished as # 1478 out of 2006 participants / men-women combined

Latest arrival finished @ 3 hr. 58 minutes and 15 secs.

I ran on size 13 racing flats Brooks T5 racer...a shoe I can now definitely recommend (uni-sex shoe) with my World Vision tank singlet....and saw only one other WV t-shirt around

Wow....every month a walking or running event...that is what life should become!

tonvanzutphen@gmail.com

Finishing the Miami 2013 marathon

Ton van Zutphen

Finishing the Miami full marathon in Florida, the sunshine state, on 27th Jan. 2013


One prime reason to participate in a Miami half or full marathon is that the weather in January is practically a 'guaranteed mild and sunny' experience. And so it was this time...starting at 06.15 hours with the elite runners. Interestingly the course is not a fast one, not as fast as Vienna or Eindhoven. It took the Guatamalan winner over 2 hours 26 minutes for the 26 miles plus. In Eindhoven, my town of birth, the winner finished last year October in 2 hours 6 minutes....  I am telling myself that this is why my time was perhaps not that good either...in Rome last year I racewalked the marathon in 2 hours 34 minutes, with plenty of cobble stones... and now in Miami it took me 1 minute more! Fact is I did not train much, and there were circumstances I had not expected to face. Here are they: along the course are thousands of volunteers with water and gatorade....but really nothing substantial to eat..except for these energy gels...I was raised on bread, milk and peanut butter so really the gels don't do it for me...they result into an energy blast of a couple of hundred meteres...but are not filling up my stomach and actually at one stage I thought I may have to 'puke' which I saw many runners do.....Secondly at mile 22 we had to run up and down the Rickenbacker Causeway that leads to the bridge to Key Biscayne...lots of wind, no shade for 2 miles (still 3,1 kms...). I arrived at the finish with a crust of salt on my arms, face and legs...
And it all started so well and fast....sun's coming up and the 26,000 runners go off. We cross the bridge to Miami Beach and see the huge holiday cruising ships moored at port, their numerous lights welcoming the crowd of runners. First 4 miles simply jogging and it felt good. Then along Ocean Drive direction Lincoln Avenue and upto the picturesque Venetian Causeway with its Italian named man made small islands...At mile 9 on the Lido island I suddenly  hear someone calling 'papa' and my daughter Kesso overtakes me..I had by then settled in a steady racewalking cadence pacing under under 12 minutes a mile.....
I could not keep up with Kesso and dreaded to be overtaken soon by yet another fast runner of our small group..Rachel or Annette. Well, I kept pushing and where the half marathon splits from the full marathon course, close to mile 13, I believed (wrongly) I was going for a fast one this time....Well friends, 6 long miles to go before Coconut Grove is long way.  Arriving at mile 19 I had nothing really to eat...and I did not want to mix the beef jerky/dried meat with the energybar for risk of an upset tummy and throwing up...No food like dried fruit or nuts on offer; no bananas either. So I slowed down a bit knowing I had a few difficult miles ahead of me. The Rickenbacker Causeway 'did me in'. And many of us: the combination of sun, salt, wind around 11 o'clock created havoc. Many runners started to walk. Finally I was glad I had not experienced the pain in my left upper leg (still there occasionally dating back from the Madeira-levada walking) but when one of the policeman shouted at me and encouraged me to run the last 2 miles...I couldn't do it. Anyway participating is more important than scoring a personal best. For next year I know what to do different: take good and enough food with me...and my own brew of tea, honey and lime!  And a bit of extra training in the last two weeks before the event.
We all finished from our group. Only ladies this time. The 3 men that had committed earlier gave all a no-show. I won't name them here.... 
It was in the end all great: everybody enjoyed the run; nobody got sick, all of us received a beautiful, big and heavy  'bling bling' medal and nobody felt any serious pain.

Some stats:

I jogged/racewalked on a pair of Brooks Racer ST5 / the perfect racemonster for me!
Also tried one of these compression socks and felt very comfortable in them. The fact that I could not walk/run faster had less to do with my legs..more with my stomach and fear of getting sick during the race
In my category of 60-64 I came in 54 out of 74 participants (fastest was 3 hours 39 minutes, slowest took 6 hours 32 minutes); so I have a long way to improve. The wish is once to get under the 5 hours....maybe this coming October in Eindhoven!  
Then our World Vision group did well:
Jenafir House, a PB half marathon at 2 hours 3 minutes: bravissimo!!
Kesso van Zutphen, first half marathon in 2 hours 31 minutes
Rachel Mikanagu and Annette Emiko Taylor both their first half marathon in same time of 3 hours 28 minutes
Dona Nicole Peter's second half marathon in 2 hours 46 minutes

And the evening was spent at the 'Larios' Cuban restaurant on Sunset Drive, great stories and reminiscing. Wonderful to be with Nicole's family as well. Friends, this is now the second Miami marathon in which the Haiti colleagues took part. Next year again. I registered for 2014 this morning!
We should be at least 10 runners next year on 2nd February 2014.

Hasta la proxima!

tonvanzutphen@gmail.com

Levada walking on Madeira Island (Portugal)

from Ton van Zutphen

period 16 -26 December 2012


I had been looking foreward to lots of walking over the Christmas period, not too far from Switzerland in an exciting environment and kind weather. Well, I can tell you this: Madeira, this evergreen island provided everything I wanted:
-  excellent (though at times dangerous) walks, frienly people everywhere, good food (although a lack of fresh fish!), good accomodation and easy to find, nice weather (I only had one rainy day...which I used to travel back from Porto Moniz to Funchal),  good public transport; and one can live well, including hotel on 50 euros a day,  and a lot of astonishing beautiful vistas. For those who do not like to climb/descent... this is not the place for you.

I arrived from Zurich at Funchal airport at noon, changed clothes, swung on my backpack and walked to Funchal..a bit tricky with all the new tunnels that have to be avoided...it took me 6 hours...and it was worth it ..it tought me the lay of the land.  

This levada walking is quite a feature. I can recommend the book: 'Madeira / Wanderfuehrer mit 35 Touren' from Oliver Breda. Books in English also exist though not as detailed as this guide. I finished 12 tours; all of them great walks!

Because ot the time of the year I focussed on walks in the Southern part of the island (warmer and less precipitation), so I did not walk the 'mountain levadas'. Nevertheless, every day I had to walk up at least 500 metres and come down; often on strenuous paths...going down is not my favourite and heavy on the knees. All walking on Madeira is similar: up and down with levelled walking alongside the irrigation canals=levadas. A simple tip...always look at starting going up when walking a levada...the tour from Jardim do Mar via Prazares (steep climb for 45 minutes) toward Paul do Mar (steep going down)...and then back along the 'boulder beach' to Jardim do Mar again...very typical for walking on the island. If I would have done it the other way, my knees would be aching upon arrival. The Western part of the island  with Jardim do Mar, Ponta do Pargo, Achada da Cruz (go down with the cable car to sea-level!), and Porto Moniz is beautiful, quiet, and offers in Porto Moniz swimming in the sea, and a sauna in the Hotel Moniz Sol (which I can recommend).

The levada walk from Ponta do Sul via Ribeira da Tabua, to Ribeira Brava is a challenge and perhaps dangerous....the bridge close to Jangao village has been swept away...but there is a detour / not clearly marked. It is a long trek and I did not meet anyone. After six hours walking, often very close to unprotected and steep sides (one could easily fall a hundred meters...and nobody would know you actually did....) I fell myself two metres when passing a village, I heard shouting and I suddenly looked up..lost my balance..and off I went. Scratches all over which were desinfected with betadine. I was lucky and learned a serious lesson: levada walking requires very precise 'stepping'..always look ahead of you ( a bit like rollerblading), concentrate on the next five metres and look up from time to time to see if the rocky mountain side / shrubs are not going to hit you or your backpak. When looking back..stop first, take a breath and then turn around. The vertigo was reasonable...as long as one does not look all the time far ahead...and of course I had a 'third leg', my walking stick. Very useful! I was alone but I can imagine that walking in a group requires some very clear pre-walk protocol/behaviour agreements.

It is such a beautiful island, green everywhere, with gardens growing sugarcane, lots of different fruit trees, ...all very (sub)tropical. I never felt insecure, the levada walks in my guide were well indicated...one does need a guidebook..as most walks are not marked (in detail) by the authorities.
However, so few of the local population walks the levadas these days..certainly not the young people, in a sense many do not know the state of the paths anymore...so be careful, and check twice if you can.

And every evening I just finished my walk early..found a place to stay easily (no need this time of the year to book); in every village one can find a 'pensao'; lots of Madeirans rent rooms / one just asks in the local bar. Several times I was the only guest in a hotel...
So I walked mainly the Western and Eastern part and went as far as Sao Lourenco, hitchhiked a few times (never had to wait for more than ten minutes) to get to my starting point or into the village where I had planned to sleep.

All good, quiet, great walks; I met very few fellow walkers / I shall return after this excellent experience. Hopefully during October-early November 2013 when it will be still warm  and little chance of rain to do the Pico Ruivo mountain walks.

I stayed also in Funchhal; lovely place; feel of a large village, along the sea, hotel Sirius (21 euros with balcony/breakfast and good!). Most beautiful village I saw is Jardim do Mar. A must see and the mountain walk there is something one shall remember.

A few stats:

• on average I did 30,000 steps every day / my pedometer told me
• with my Vaude Triset backpack 35 plus 8 litres (expandable) ..I advise not to take a larger than  40 litres backpack. The Vaude is cheap but has design flaws..one of them is that when packed it ain't easy to fit the waterbottle anymore into the outside pockets....
• I walked with 6-7 kgs. / all doable
• with new shoes: Meindl GTS lite...expensive but the right sort of boot for the terrain in Madeira. It took 50 kms to feel good in my new boots. The Lowa Renegade is definitely too light; the Lowa 'Camino' will do as well. Make sure your boots have a good grip!
• Cap, shades, sunblock,  and one walking stick highly recommended / in shorts 

tonvanzutphen@gmail.com


ps. I was not impressed with the Madeira wine/aperitivo; the local beer 'Coral' is good and the coffees are superb: my favourite brands are Delta and Tofa. 'Uma chinesa' is a large coffee with milk...normally one euro though in the boonies I was offered for as little as seventy euro cents....and of course take it with a 'pastel de nata'...a Portuguese cake/cookie prepared with almonds...simply delicious.
Wine....a glass of Monte Velho from the Alentejo in Portugal will be excellent with your meal. The local wine from the Seixal area (Northern part of the island)..I tasted but it is more of a 'pinard'. and my favourite drink: water..all good all over the island. No need to buy bottled water.
Oh yes...English spoken widely!