Big Guy Runnin' - My Journey to Sub3 Marathon

The final episode of the year. 7 things I learned that took my running to the next level in 2024.

My next mission: Half Marathon in under 1h 26mins. Full breakdown of why I do not just take it easy over the winter, how I'm training differently for this race and how it all fits in the big sub3 master plan!

My big wrap up on all things 2024 Berlin Marathon: A detailed break of my race , how I finally got my fuelling right, some general thoughts on Berlin Marathon and much more...!

It's game time for Berlin Martathon 2024. Let me give you a final download on my race target and strategy, my nutrition plan for the week and the actual race fueling, all the crucial pre race logistics and some of my own little tricks to be as ready as I can on Sunday.

Less than 2 weeks to go to Berlin and I still have not found my goal Marathon pace. How I plan to do that over the next couple days and why it is absolutely crucial for a succesful Marathon - breaking it all down in BGR #26!

I got Covid and have not been able to run for 3 weeks. Needless to say that this is a huge setback for my Berlin Marathon ambitions. That said, no training plan ever really goes to plan. So I'm fully focused on my 3-step plan to make Berlin a successful race nevertheless.

42k is a long distance to run - let alone to race. I learned that the hard way in my first Marathon. Since then, I've incorporated distinct ways to build "Marathon Confidence" into my training. It's no rocket science but a simple 3-step process I recommend to anybody to check off for a successful training block.

Week 3 of my prep for Berlin. Trying to do every single workout of my training plan. Not very fancy and rather unexciting, but mastering "micro consistency" is probably the most important part of a successful race prep. How I'm approaching it and how my little "framework" (big word, I know) may help you with your running goals - tune in!

To sub 3 or not to sub 3... in theory, a good training block could take me within reach of going sub 3 in Berlin in 10 weeks. But theory is useless when sh*t hits the fan at 30k. The only way forward is complete lock in mode on training over the next 10 weeks. How many KM I am trying to run, how I split it up and why + all the other non-running stuff I'm focussing on - episode 22 of BGR!

Busy week. I hit the lab for a full-on running performance analysis. Full breakdown on why I did it, how it works, how I performed and if it's worth it (vs. just trusting your watch). Also, I PR'ed my 10k race. For my first ever top10 finish- Yeah.

8 weeks since the last episode - A lot going on: Why I didn't publish for 8 weeks. Those runs when you feel that the engine is growing. Why I finally think I know what it means to run intervals. Epsiode 20 of BGR - We back, friends!

After the Marathon is before the Marathon. The training for Berlin has started. Kind of. To go under 3:10 (maybe 3.05?) in Berlin, I plan to do not 1, not 2, no: THREE (!) training phases stacked on each other. But don't worry, I`m not crazy. Phase 1 is pretty chill so far :-) Anyways. Get the full breakdown. Oh and yes: new podcast art. You dig it?

This was fun! Took 8min of my PB, ran a negative split and even had time for a mid-race no2 break - lol. Full breakdown of my marathon: the prep, pacing strategy, fueling execution and how my mental model really made all the difference. If you do any kind of endurance racing you can probably relate to a lot of this!

It's race week. What more can I say?! No more messing around! Sunday 21.04. I will run the Enschede (NL) Marathon. Im breaking down my target, some reflections on my training, key learnings from my 1st Marathon, and all the big and small things that go into race prep.

With my marathon next week, s**t is getting real. I did a 38k "engine test" long run from which I took away a couple of good learnings. Also, after getting a lot of engagement on my Twitter post about finding a new race shoe, I figured I'd dig into which shoe(s) I run and why and share a key detail about creating the perfect shoe experience that has nothing to do with the shoe itself...

My first race of the year was a lot of fun. So decided to do a little race report and share some notes about pacing hills, hip flexor strength, and managing a bad stomach. Enjoy!

My first race of the season is approaching: a 25k trail run, covering 9 hills with a total of about 500 meters elevation. Great opportunity to talk about trail running: How and why I, as somebody who lives in flatland suburbs, do trail running. I will also share how badly I´ve hit the wall in previous trail races and what I hope to do better this time around. Tune in! 

My last weeks of Marathon training haven’t been going well. Sick, a lot of work, travel and family obligations - I haven’t been able to follow my plan. So I decided to make some changes to run a succeful spring Marathon still. Also: Why and how you can turn your next vacation into a mini training camp and comeback stronger instead of dropping the ball. Tune in!

Despite the pod being called BIG guy runnin', I was not necessarily a strong guy runnin'. I decided to change that and develop a consistent strength training routine next to my marathon prep. 3 months in, I can feel (and see) the differences. In this week's episode I what strength training routines I built to get there, why I'm 100% convinced every runner should do strength trainin...

Running is a mental game. Over the years I developed simple mental tricks to become a better runner that I'm sharing in this episode. Tune in!

0km - I got sick and haven't run for a week. It sucks, but it's part of the game and since it somehow happens in every training block, I've found some good ways to deal with it without putting my entire training block off track. Check out BGR E10 where you can even watch me talk :)

Episode 8 on time management got a lot of feedback. So taking it one level deeper and sharing why starting to run early in the morning has been amazing and my little tricks to get myself out in the dark and cold at 5.45. Lets go!

"How and when do you run so much?" is a common question I get. Thinking about the answer made me realize how much of doing consistent endurance training comes down to being good at time management. I'm breaking down my principles and little tricks I apply to manage my time efficiently to be able to run >70k a week and hit the gym regularly while working full time and hanging with...

Spring racing season is 12 weeks away so its the time of the year where we stop messing around and start a training block. Picking the right training plan is the most important ingredient to run a successful race (and hopefully a PR). I talk through the pros/cons of the different option and why I decided to keep it somewhat old skool for my spring Marathon training! Tune in!

'Consistency > Intensity' has been THE biggest lesson of my running journey over the last year and that's what most people get wrong with New Year's resolutions. Tune in to hear how I turned my 2023 New Year's resolution into a complete change of my lifestyle on the back of which I ran >2.000km, beat all my personal records and dropped 5kg of bodyweight (read body fat). H...