2012 Closing out part 1 (in case I do a part 2)

This may (or may not) be my last write up for 2012. The runners festive (look it up on Facebook you runners www.therunnersfestive.com) has started again. From 23 December up to and including 01 December. Physical and Virtual friends around the world pledge to run a certain distance. Log it on the website. And at the end the good people from The Runners Festive add it all up.

What happens if you run less than your pledge? Nothing, you still have ran?
What happens if you run more than your pledge? Nothing, you still have ran?

But it's just a little incentive to run. Last year I pledged 50k and I think I did 60k or something. This year I pledged 100k. This may be a bit more of  a challenge. But hopefully the mountains/hills and/or beaches from / near Marbella will help.

I did my first 13.7km today, with 7kg on my bag. Need more leg work in the gym. So I guess tomorrow is gym/run day.

So much for 23 December.

The coming week, most likely 27 December, I will be doing a Bikram Yoga. That is when my mate Wayde tells me a time/place where to meet and what I need to bring.

The last week has been very lazy. Just a bike ride (48 km), a gym strength session (45 minutes) and the above mentioned run. Pretty lazy. So I need to run up to and including 25 December. Than go off and see the in-laws for a lovely turkey (pizza in my case) with wine (beer in my case but mainly soft drinks as I drive) Xmas dinner. With 16 or so other people.

I look forward to Marbella, still seems to be 20 degrees (C that is) so nice an warm and capable of running. Maybe should bring the wetsuit for a swim in the sea.

Not so looking forward to a RyanAir flight. But you can't win it all. At least seats reserved, for outbound and inbound flight. You can even by a £3 fast track security lane thing at Birmingham airport. So it maybe relatively relaxing. As much as it can be relaxing at 0630 in the morning.

So far I'm totally on schedule with my non-existing plan for the MdS. I would advise my fellow running friends just to chill. Unless you break your bones or a scorpion kills you you will finish it.

I must say I have been very pleased and privileged with the people I met through the MdS event and the other running events I am doing. Really cool challenging and motivating people.  Thanks all for this.

On the 22nd we (my girlfriend and I) met up with friends in London Southbank. We strolled the Xmas market where we had mulled wine. Than a funny/nice dinner in Wahaca Southbank with is built from 8 recycled shipping containers. Very nice food. Than back to the market where i had a cinnamon bun and a coconut macaroon. 

Probably way too many calories. But who cares once a year.


For now, I wish you all very nice Christmas, do eat and drink as much as you want.
Of course a great new years eve as well. Do eat and drink as much as you want.

CU you guys soon, back in Richmond Park.


https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/michielhoefsmit
http://www.therunningaroundmethod.com

A quick update - my sports CV

As there are some issues with my website. Thank you website hosting company and I am in process of looking for sponsorship, I decided to do a quick update and add my sports CV to my blog. Cleary what I've done in 2012 is part of 2013 MdS. What I will do after MdS is just to keep on living.

If it's true that too much running may kill you earlier, well - I rather be Scared to death, than Bored to death.

This week has been a quiet week. Only two cycle rides, some weight work in the gym and a run. Clearly slacking here. Need to do better.

For now, happy reading and stay healthy.

2013 –
London Ultra 50k run (February)
Bath Half Marathon (March)
Marathon des Sables - 6 days in the Sahara (April)
South Downs Way 100 mile run (June)
Amsterdam TCS Marathon (October)
Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes (November)

2012 –
London Ultra 50k
Bath Half Marathon
60 Mile Tour de Tendring cycle ride
Holten Triathlon Olympic Distance
London/Richmond Park Duathlon
Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes - Nice to Cannes

2011 –
Kingston Run
Bath Half Marathon
Half Ironman Antwerp
London Triathlon Olympic Distance
Swim 2.25m/3.4m Hampton Court to Kingston Bridge
Half Ironman Galway
Hankley Hustle 10 mile Surrey Hills
Marlow Half Marathon

2010 –
Kingston Breakfast run
Half Ironman Oceanside California
Dorney Lake Olympic Distance Triathlon
35 mile Northampton Shires & Spires (DNF)
London Triathlon Olympic Distance
London/Richmond Park Duathlon (long distance) DNF
Kingston run
Hankley Hustle 10 mile Surrey Hills
Marlow Half Marathon

2009 –
Kingston Breakfast run
Sprint Triathlon Dorney Lake
Half Ironman (Distance) Trentham Gardens
Kingston Breakfast run

2014 – onwards in planning
UVU Jungle Marathon
Sierra Leone Marathon
Badwater
Spartathlon
Atacama Desert
Gobi Desert
Comrades
Kalahari Augrabies
Full Ironman (or 2)

Lost Worlds Racing - An Interim Update

As you all or hopefully most of you know, I'm the Ambassador for UK and The Netherlands for Lost Worlds Racing (www.lostworldsracing.com).
What this means is increasing their brand name and recognition. So I'm working on a few ideas.

Why would this fit in a MdS Blog? Well I was wondering this myself as well. To a level I still am, but I think it's all part of becoming a part of a different environment and world. Not a parallel world or universe, just something else, a change in interest and a change in who you meet up and hang out with. It's also part of mental preparation for the MdS. Getting in the mood of being active, rather than just sitting in front of some technological electronic device.

Now, what I've noticed is that everytime I mention the Causeway people I know get excited and their eyes get a little glimmer and sparkle. Of course I asked why is this? And it seems it's a gorgeous part of Ireland. I will most likely go and check out on the 4th of May 2013 when the Causeway 50k and 100k is.

This is the other part why I decided to write an extra episode of my blog. For those of you interested in participating, below are links to registration. And because I like and love y'all so much, there is a discount :-)

What is so special about Lost Worlds Racing:
When I mentioned it to this sales lady friend of ours, she immediately thought about dinosaurs. Well there ain't no dino's anymore. But they are National Heritage sites so we would like to believe that when the great reptiles roamed the earth, they went here as well.

What it means that the runs are in National Heritage sites? Well it's not your everyday place where you easily get access to. So it's a special place. And special places need to be treated special and preserved for years and generations to come.

So what we see in the MdS, is how the organisation under Patrick Bauer does everything to ensure the desert stays pure and we can keep on running and visiting it. They give back to the desert.

Why do we stick to 50k and 100k. Well those distance are do-able well within 24 hours and we try to do them on a Saturday. So Sunday can be the recovery day. It's about making it convenient and attractive to participate in a one day event.

So if any of you is interested, please feel free to contact me on michiel@lostworldsracing.com or (+447795333765) with questions.

Ireland
http://causewaycrossing2013.eventbrite.com/?discount=michiel2013

Italy
http://tuscanycrossing.eventbrite.com/?discount=michiel2013


Sweden
http://ladoniacrossing.eventbrite.com/?discount=michiel2013

Another week (s) went by

Hello, I am back.
Some sad news, my hosting company has made www.hoefsmit.com disappear from cyberspace so there is a call outstanding to repoint it.

Some good news:

• I'm working slowly but surely to get www.lostworldsracing.com and our races promoted. Up and Running in East Sheen, www.barefootrunninguk.com e-zine and I've requested a page in ultra tales e-zine.
• I have a call later this week with a knowledgeable person about some ideas I have.
• I've started running with a backpack (about 1kg) with additional 6kg weights in there.
• I have marshalled at the Bushy Park run. And I realise how far I can still go but how far I've come already. There is a guy there with a 50 pound backpack and a husky dog who runs it as fast as I do. Which is about 22 minutes. There are people there who take more than twice that time. And I still dig them. Pretty cool. Respect as they say.
• I think I will be in Ultra Tales in January

Last week I did a lot of cycling, running and weight sessions. Mainly to work (the running and cycling, the weights in the gym). My body is in pain, but it's muscle pain and not joint or bone or nerve pain. So pretty happy.

Between Xmas (which I'm not a fan of) and New Year (party in Marbella) I will be joining my friend Wayde for a Bikram Yoga Session. That seems to be something hot, so can't wait.

When writing this I am watching Man vs. Food. Tempting, Tempting as they say. The Yoder Peanut Butter cake looks fab.

So off to the Netherlands on Thursday night after meeting up with some old friends/colleagues in London. Train to Harwich, crash on the boat and sleep till in the Netherlands.

People ask if my training is going ok. As I've said before, if I had a plan I would know. I ain't got no plan, so I don't know. But I feel ready. Would love the date to move to 20-27 December. How cool would that be, Xmas in the desert? Yes I know some of the guys signed up, not excited about that :-) But what it means for me is: I'm ready mentally and physically. So that must be a good thing.

I'm cautious with my events before the MdS. Got two planned, a 50k and a Half Marathon. May do the Kingston run but that is 24 March so may be just to close, from a potential injury point of view.

I can see my Triathlon friends getting back in to training as well. My plan is hard until 24 December than off for 25-26 and hard again. Some hill running in Marbella coming up. Can't wait, but have to, so what can I do :-)

So much for today. But I will be back soon.

Keep safe and love thy neighbour

M