From apps to vinegar against the smell of sweat – everything to start running well

To start

Reasons to run

Maintaining fitness and improving health is the reason why 66 percent of runners in the Netherlands take up this sport. Weight loss and the desire to maintain weight motivate 10 percent of Dutch runners. Reducing stress is one of the top three reasons for running for over-50s. People also mention social motives, such as the fun of the running group or the recognition of running achievements.

The first meters

The Athletics Union provides in many places in the Netherlands the Start to Run course. You will be trained in a group and under professional supervision to run continuously for 25 minutes. Athletic clubs and running groups offer similar beginner courses.

If you prefer to start walking on your own, you can find all kinds of schedules online. Or you choose an app that can tell you when you start running, when you can walk again and how well you are doing.

One of the better-known running apps is that of the Flemish TV presenter Evy Gruyaert. Especially since she often encourages you along the way and – if you are lucky that she has recorded your name – addresses you by your name.

Online coaching

If you search a little online, you can find everything about running on a schedule; from a schedule tailored to a few preferences (number of training days, scheduled match time) to an online coach who creates a personal schedule for you and is available for questions. A well-known example of an experienced coach is Rob Veer. The platform Two Zero Nine of former marathon runner Michel Butter and his coach Guido Hartensveld also works digitally, but with customized schedules. And they occasionally offer on-site knowledge and training sessions.

Shoes & clothing

Replace shoes

The cushioning of running shoes decreases over time. Most running shoes last between 600 and 1,000 kilometers. After 1,000 kilometers, the cushioning of running shoes is reduced by an average of 35 percent. Something different applies to fast competition shoes with springy carbon plates. For example, the most famous carbon plate shoe, the Nike Vaporfly, is said to show signs of wear after just 150 miles.

Sweat smell

You can prevent the smell of sweat from getting into your sports clothes by letting them dry before throwing them in the laundry basket. Put them inside out in the washing machine. And don’t use too much detergent and certainly not fabric softener. If the sweat smell has nevertheless entered your sports clothes, it is best to soak them in a bath of cold water and vinegar before washing. Or you can add a splash of vinegar to the detergent.

Power supply

Eating tips

If you’re going to run for an hour or less, it’s not necessary to eat anything extra. If you’re going to run longer, it’s a good idea to take some easy-to-digest carbohydrates no later than two hours before your training – so that it can also go down well. Think, for example, of oatmeal, banana or white bread with honey.

Within two hours afterwards, whether you have walked twenty minutes or twenty kilometers, it is always wise to eat something high in protein and carbohydrates. This way you replenish your energy supply and ensure that there is sufficient protein in the body for muscle recovery (and possible muscle building). For example, you can eat cottage cheese with muesli, or sandwiches with peanut butter.

Train

Running country

The Netherlands is pre-eminently a running country; 40 percent of all Dutch people say they sometimes run. Nearly 12 percent actually call themselves a runner; that’s about two million people. To run is number two in the top ten of most practiced sports in the Netherlands, behind fitness/condition training (individual, indoor) and for football.

After Germany and Spain, the Netherlands has the highest percentage of marathon runners. And they ran the marathon in 2018 on average in 3.52.10. That is the fastest average worldwide after Switzerland (3.50.37). With ‘Rotterdam’ and ‘Amsterdam’, the Netherlands has two world famous marathons.

Interval workouts

With interval training, you alternate running at high and low speeds. At the high speeds you chase your heart rate up. At low speeds you catch your breath and your heart rate drops again. For example, you can walk fast for two minutes and slow for two minutes and repeat eight times, but there are also countless other forms.

Interval training is an effective way to improve your fitness. You will also run faster in the long run and you will burn a lot of calories during and after such a training.

gadgets

First of all, of course: a running watch, with a stopwatch, but also with GPS and a heart rate monitor. Which is not included as standard a power meter, like the Stryd: a small device that you attach to your laces. The power meter indicates in watts how much energy it takes to run at a certain speed. To measure your heart rate more accurately, you could also consider a chest strap with a heart rate monitor. Also popular: phone bracelet and running belt (for water bottle, phone and energy bar).

Running holidays

Group trips are organized to major international marathons. Be prepared for hefty costs: a starting ticket for the New York City Marathon alone costs $358 (for non-Americans) – and then you have to be lucky in the draw. For an organized trip, with flight, accommodation, guidance and a guaranteed starting ticket, you will soon lose around 2,000 euros.

In addition, as a recreational runner you can also go to a training camp, where you can get a taste of the top athlete’s existence (for example in Kenya, the Algarve or Sankt Moritz). Read: rest, nice temperatures, an athletics track, plenty of nice laps in the area and sometimes even guidance from a (former) top athlete. Note: training at altitude (so that your body will produce more red blood cells) works for almost everyone, but it doesn’t make much sense for less than two weeks.

Music

Various studies have shown that music can significantly improve running performance. Especially since the number of beats per minute (bpm) of the songs you listen to influences the number of steps you take. Songs with about 130 bpm are suitable for a slower running tempo, songs with 160 to 180 bpm for faster tempos. There are countless running playlists where the number of bpm is indicated.

But: never turn on your noise canceling while walking, otherwise you might miss approaching traffic.

Running apps

The running app is Strava, a social media platform on which all the data of your training sessions and races are posted. The apps Running with Evy (for beginners), TrainingPeaks (a kind of Strava for advanced users), Trenara (schedules) and the watch apps Garmin Connect and Polar Flow are also frequently mentioned by runners.

podcasts

With the inspiring Dutch running podcasts The Pacer, To the vanes and Loop talk two presenters talk to a guest (or two) about running. At the Smarter Performance Podcast the latest scientific insights about running are central.

Forrest Gump & Murakami

Many people will think of running movies Chariots of Fire or Forest Gump. And with books on What I talk about when I talk about running from Haruki Murakami or The loneliness of the long-distance runner by Alan Sillitoe. But the choice is huge. In the Netherlands, Abdelkader Benali, Dolf Jansen, Hans Koeleman and Jan Knippenberg have written beautifully about running.

influencers

Spanish mountain running phenomenon Killian Jornet offers his 1.4 million followers on Instagram dazzling videos of his running adventures. The Dutch blogger Annemerelcom (33,000 followers) gives an intimate insight into her running family. Follower numbers aren’t everything, of course. Dutch sprinter Lieke Klaver has almost 700,000 followers and former Olympic champion Usain Bolt even 12 million, but the average long-distance runner will find more inspiration from Björn Koreman, Susan Krumins, Diana van Es or Nienke Brinkman. Another recommendation: the American, ultra-athlete & podcaster Rich Roll (880,000 followers).