Blog

During my long flight home from Kauai to the Netherlands is a good time to reflect on the past few weeks. The past three weeks have been amazing, lots of impressions and memories have been made. The World Ironman Championship in Hawaii is behind us and what an experience it has been. The one race we have been looking forward to all year. As it was my second time racing in Hawaï, you would expect the World Championship to feel less special, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is something magical about the Ironman World Championship in Kona and I think this race could surprise me every time.

The 2023 season is well underway and the first races are already done. In the first races I have already achieved some great results. Five weeks ago I finished my first full distance race of the year, Ironman Hamburg. A day that unfortunately still has a bitter aftertaste. Three weeks ago I finished in Oud Gastel, a fun and well-organized local race. Last weekend it was already time for my second full distance Ironman this year, Ironman Thun.

Offseason came to an end and it was time for the first race of the season. Time flies when having fun. Had a lot of fun during offseason with training and some running races, also with success. Got a new half marathon personal best in 1 hour, 20 min and 59 seconds. Also made progress on the bike and I was excited to show it on race day. Ironman 70.3 Marbella was on my list as the first race of the season. As the weather in the Netherlands wasn't as good as we all hoped for during spring, it was a night trip out to the Spanish sun. Besides the sun, the climbing on the bike and the swim in the sea were 2 things I really liked about this race. And the race was a perfect preparation for Ironman Hamburg, my first full distance of the season on the 4th June. 

It took me a while to start writing about October. That month was just a crazy one, in multiple ways. To start off with the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii and to end with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George. In between I had to deal with some personal circumstances and I had to work full time as well. Afterwards I needed some time off triathlon to recharge the battery for 2023, which I did. Let's start with a throwback to Kona and St. George. 

The past couple of months have been crazy. A lot of ups and downs, but I found my way up recently! After catching Covid, I wasn't feeling myself. Had a hard time with my lungs and respiratory tract. After seeing a medical doctor a couple of times, we finally got our hand on it. Got the right medication and now I am fully back and hungry to race! Luckily I had a fully packed race schedule this year, so Ironman 70.3 Maastricht and Ironman 70.3 Duisburg came right on time.

What a crazy month it has been! From becoming World Champion Ironman in my Age Group to smashing my personal best at the European Championships Ironman in Hamburg. It was definitely not an easy month, but one I would never forget!