From beginner to finisher
Conquering the Half Marathon Challenge
Mar. 24, 2024 - Willem L. Middelkoop
Last Sunday, I participated in the Venloop, a half marathon event in Venlo. I completed the 21KM run in 2h05, a result I am satisfied with as this was my first ever 'official' event since I began running just three months ago. In this post, I'll share my experiences with training, balancing fitness data, and feeling fit.
Continue reading![Ooooohhhh... I got a fancy medal!](/blog/2024-03-24_half-marathon/images/i_08_Ooooohhhh-I-got-a-fancy-medal_500px.jpg)
![The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a great little training companion, enabling the tracking of many different types of workouts; like cycling and running](/blog/2024-03-24_half-marathon/images/i_00_The-Apple-Watch-Ultra-2-is-a-great-little-training-companion-enabling-the-tracking-of-many-different_500px.jpg)
![If you use it more often, it will allow you to compete with yourself using earlier sessions - try to beat that personal record!](/blog/2024-03-24_half-marathon/images/i_01_If-you-use-it-more-often-it-will-allow-you-to-compete-with-yourself-using-earlier-sessions-try-to-be_500px.jpg)
![HealthFit uses open and well documented formulas to calculate your training load, directing you into a 'sweet spot' to achieve maximum gains while limiting risk of over training](/blog/2024-03-24_half-marathon/images/i_04_HealthFit-uses-open-and-well-documented-formulas-to-calculate-your-training-load-directing-you-into-_500px.png)
![It even provides you with some shiny widgets for your home screen - nudging you to go for a run or ride!](/blog/2024-03-24_half-marathon/images/i_05_It-even-provides-you-with-some-shiny-widgets-for-your-home-screen-nudging-you-to-go-for-a-run-or-rid_500px.png)
![The Trend Is Your Friend: using WHOOP I tracked my trends, here you see that I have increased the training load (strain) over the past 3 months leading up to the Marathon](/blog/2024-03-24_half-marathon/images/i_02_The-Trend-Is-Your-Friend-using-WHOOP-I-tracked-my-trends-here-you-see-that-I-have-increased-the-trai_500px.png)