Two weeks later, I am still taking it in. On 12 September, I crossed the finish line at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam in 8:42:07. It was a personal best, my first win as a professional triathlete, and it made me both Dutch and European long distance champion. I had hoped Almere could be a special race. I’m not sure I had fully imagined how special.

Almere is about 35 minutes from our home in Utrecht. We usually travel a long way for races, live out of a hotel room and have to work out where to train and what to eat. This time, I could sleep in my own bed, prepare meals in my own kitchen and follow my normal routine. It sounds like a small thing, but in the week before a full distance race, that familiarity made everything a little easier.

I had put Almere on the calendar early. It is my home race, as well as the Dutch and European long distance championship, and I knew plenty of people would come to support me when racing in the Netherlands. Usually, I’m drawn to hilly bike courses. Almere offered a different challenge: a flat course through the polder, where the wind can feel like the Dutch version of mountains.

 

 

We spent a lot of time training on the course so I would know what to expect. Even the week before the race, when conditions were almost stormy, I went out on the dike. With the wind behind me, I briefly saw speeds of 60 to 70 kilometres per hour. Race day turned out to be much calmer, but I was glad I had experienced what the course could throw at me. I had also run the marathon route in training. The one thing I hadn’t done was swim in Almere’s open water.

The final days went smoothly overall. There was a little last-minute stress because I needed a different race suit for the championship and it arrived late, with some adjustments still to be made. But on race morning, I woke up at home, had breakfast in my own kitchen and drove to Almere with plenty of time to get ready. In transition, I kept running into people I knew. That was very different from racing abroad, and it made the morning fun, even while I was trying to stay focused.

A swim that kept me in the race

I was nervous at the start because I wanted to do well. I also knew there were strong swimmers in the field and that I would probably have a gap to close later. The fastest woman swam around 53 minutes; I came out of the water in 1:05:56. For me, that was a pretty solid swim which I was happy with.

Swimming as a professional has taken some getting used to. As an age-group athlete, there are usually plenty of people around you. In a smaller pro field, you can find yourself swimming alone, especially if you miss a faster group. I would always like to be closer to the front, but I was satisfied with the swim I had put together. Now I could get to work.

Finding my rhythm on the bike

Before the race, Thijs and I had agreed that he wouldn’t give me time gaps during the bike leg. I wanted to ride by feel, stick to my plan and leave enough for the marathon. There was one exception: if I was riding the fastest bike splits, he could tell me.

I came out of the water almost alongside Barbora Besperát and thought we might spend part of the ride close together. That was true at first. But when we reached the dike, I put my head down and settled into my effort. I assumed Barbora was still behind me. By the time I reached the other end near Lelystad, I realised I had ridden away from her.

 

 

Later, out in the polder, I saw Thijs holding up a sign: I had the fastest bike split at that point. That gave me a boost, but it wasn’t a signal to push harder. I knew roughly where the other women were and believed I could make up time in the marathon. With around ten minutes to close to the front, the best thing I could do was keep riding steadily, fuel well and arrive at the run ready to race.

That is exactly how the second lap went. The weather was quite kind to us, I knew the route, and there were no surprises. I finished the bike in 4:36:18, the fastest women’s bike split of the day and my fastest ever. It was also my first time racing a truly flat full distance course. I was pleased with the ride, but I knew the most important part of my day was still ahead.

Ten minutes to chase

The marathon is where I hoped to make the difference. This time I did want updates, and Thijs began giving me splits as soon as I was running. I started with a purpose. After the first 10ish-kilometre lap, I had already taken almost seven minutes out of the gap to the lead and passed several women. The possibility of winning began to feel real.

 

 

The atmosphere on the run course was incredible. Every lap brought more familiar faces, cheers and encouragement. I could hear the support even while concentrating on my pace. Each time Thijs told me the gap was smaller, I became more convinced that if I could keep running like this, I had a chance.

During the second lap, I caught Maaike Vooren, who had led much of the race until then, and Morena Stevens, who had just moved into the lead. I didn’t want to settle in beside them. I kept going, opened a gap and focused on running my own marathon.

Later, I eased the pace slightly to make sure I could carry it all the way to the finish. But Barbora was also running strongly. Halfway through the final lap, Thijs told me she was still holding her pace, so I lifted mine again. I wanted to leave nothing to chance. The last kilometres hurt, but I could feel the finish getting closer.

 

 

I ran the marathon in 2:54:47, the fastest run split of the day. Barbora finished second, 2 minutes and 41 seconds behind me. When I crossed the line first, I was exhausted and completely overwhelmed. My first professional victory, at a race so close to home, with so many people there to share it.

Looking back, I’m proud of more than the finishing time. We prepared carefully for a course that was different from the races I usually choose. I swam well enough to stay in contention, rode with confidence and patience, and then ran the marathon I knew I was capable of. Everything came together on the day that mattered.

 

 

It has taken a couple of weeks for that to sink in. Becoming Dutch and European long distance champion still feels like a gift. Thank you to everyone who came to Almere, shouted my name, followed the race or sent a message afterwards. And thank you to the sponsors and people around me who believed in what I could do. This result gives me so much motivation for the races still to come this season. For now, though, I’m going to enjoy this one a little longer.