OnlineWanderer: Mega wandel marathon #el01

MegaWandelMarathon

#EventLog01

Hellow, fellow Wanderers ✋

I hope everybody is doing well and enjoying the new ideas for the blog and the new layout!
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or think something is still missing, please let me know. 💚

Today will be a short but exciting post, because...

I FINALLY DID IT! 🎉

Breaking Through That 15 KM Barrier

If you've read my previous blog posts, you probably know that I've talked about feeling a little stuck at the 15 km mark with my hikes.
I've been training both inside and outside the gym, trying to get stronger and slowly increase the distances I'm comfortable with.
And because apparently I needed to make absolutely sure I couldn't slack off... I signed up for the Mega Wandel Marathon. 😅
My goal: the 21 km hike.

The event raises money for Stichting Het Gehandicapte Kind, a foundation supporting children with disabilities, which made the event feel even more worthwhile to me.
It also seemed like a really inclusive event, with relatively little time pressure to finish.
And we all know I'm not exactly the fastest hiker. 😂

Three Loops, 21 Kilometers... Right? 👀

The event takes place around the Olympic training grounds and the NOC*NSF facilities in Arnhem.
Instead of one big route, the trail consists of several loops of different distances. After each loop, you return to the start/finish area before heading out again.

For the 21 km distance, that meant three loops:
Loop 1: 11 km
Loop 2: 6 km
Loop 3: 4 km

11 + 6 + 4 = 21.

Sounds good, right?
Well... 😏

And Then There Was the Heat ☀️

On the day of the event, it was extremely hot and humid, which didn't exactly help make those kilometers feel any easier.

The organization had created some shaded areas for hikers, but most of those were around the start/finish area, remember, you returned there after every loop, and they were mostly occupied by supporters.
That meant a lot of the actual participants ended up taking their breaks in the full sun.
There also wasn't really any free cold drinking water available. Unless you settled for tap water, which by that point was pretty lukewarm.

Don't get me wrong: the staff themselves were incredibly kind, supportive and enthusiastic. Absolutely zero complaints there. ❤️
But considering the heat, I do think the organization could have done a little more to protect the hikers, especially those taking on the 21 km and 42 km distances.

The Beautiful Part... and the Grind

The first loop was easily the most beautiful one.
It actually surprised me how quiet it was!

The route took us past the massive training grounds, into the nearby forest and past this cute old train station. It really felt like an actual hike, and I was enjoying myself.
The other two loops were... well...
A bit of a snooze. 😂

They mostly followed bike paths alongside large pastures. Nothing was blocked off either, so we constantly had to adjust our pace and move aside for cyclists and other hikers.
It definitely started to feel more like a grind.
But I was still enjoying it.
Because honestly?

I was freaking participating. And I was DOING IT!

Something I'd been working towards for quite a while was actually happening.
And then came the surprise...

Wait... How Have We Already Walked 18 KM?! 😳

I was walking the event together with a colleague, and when we finished the second loop, we checked our distance.
A little over 18 kilometers.
Uhm...
We still had another 4 km loop to go.
You don't have to be particularly good at maths to realize that wasn't going to add up to 21 km. 😂
And let me tell you: that is NOT something you want to discover at that point in an event.

But we pushed on.
20 km passed.
Then 21 km.
The distance I had actually signed up for.
Then 22 km...
Then 23 km...

And at that point, quite a few people around us were starting to complain.
There were several activities along the final part of the route. We were asked to sign a huge board with something inspirational, there was a little quiz about previous editions, children wanted to shake hands and give high-fives...
Which is all really sweet!
Except quite a few of us were basically in survival mode by this point. 😂

We had already passed the advertised distance and still couldn't even see the finish.
It took almost another kilometer before...

WE FREAKING DID IT! 🎉

23.7 KM. DONE.

Was it annoying to walk almost three kilometers more than I'd signed up for?

YES.

Did I complain about it?
Also yes. 😂
But did we freaking finish it anyway?

HELL YES!

And THAT is the part I'm taking away from this.
This was the first walking event I've ever participated in, and I was genuinely so proud of myself for completing it, and actually finishing in relatively good shape!
For someone who had been feeling stuck around 15 km, seeing 23.7 km on my watch felt HUGE.

Not 15.
Not even 21.
23.7 freaking kilometers. 💪🥾

And apparently I haven't scared myself off yet either, because I've already signed up for the Midzomerwandeling, where I'll be taking on another 20 km hike.
Being able to sign up for distances like these and actually think "Yeah, I can do that" feels like such a milestone.

And I'm excited to see where I can go from here. ❤️

Now I'm curious...

Have you ever participated in a walking or hiking event like this?

Maybe you've even done the Mega Wandel Marathon yourself?
And what do you think about an organized event advertised as 21 km ending up being almost 24 km? Would you just see those extra kilometers as part of the adventure, or would it annoy the hell out of you too? 😂

Let me know!

Untill next time,
Happy Wandering! 👋