Meanwhile it is 4:39AM and I just got out of bed. Perhaps you could call this dedication to writing blogs, but I prefer to call this insomnia. Waking up and getting out of bed this early does not happen that often to me, actually it is one of the things I prefer to skip on race day… But I guess that getting up early is just part of the deal… This time however is just one of these nights or mornings on which I could not get back to sleep. Perhaps it is the thought of me postponing this blog all the time that got me out of bed… So I will give it a go and see what the early morning brings writing this blog.
As the title suggest I am Dutch. Dutch? Yes, I am Dutch and not German as some think when they hear me speak…. Nothing special to me, but for some… Yes, I am one of those stereotypical Dutch guys from (for as far as I know) the flattest country in the world. I wear clogs, grow Tulips on my balcony, eat cheese all day, have a windmill next to my apartment and a dike is surrounding the apartment building to prevent it from flooding. But of course not! None of this is and will never be true. Well, I must admit that I might eat cheese all day, but that is about it for some days of the month. So, what is it that makes me Dutch then? I happen to have Dutch as my native language, and the last time I checked my passport told me that I am from the Netherlands.  And I am a triathlete and proud member of the Timex Multisport Team!
Of course I want to tell you all about my adventures in training and racing triathlon, but first I want to get something cleared to make me feel more relaxed writing blogs in English. Even though some have already told me that my English is better than their Dutch, I want to get this in this blog. So far I have only made fun of myself, which made people laugh, while speaking or writing in English. And I really intent to keep it that way. I have been getting a lot of compliments about my English, but still it is not my native language and I do not believe it is that good… So, I already apologize for the errors or mistakes in my five-year-old English I speak and write. I always give it my best shot, but  sometimes I mess up sayings, words or other things and with that make unintentionally fun of myself or others, which is of course the last thing I want to do! So feel free to correct me or let me know when I make, once more, fun of myself or others. Hmm… While typing this last line I already have the feeling that you are not going to tell me when I make total fun of myself, but that is okay, I got used to that….
With that being said I can get back to what I want to share with you, my passion: triathlon! I could tell my whole history here, but most of it is already mentioned in my previous blogs on my website. Instead I want to stick to the title and what I think that makes me a true Dutch boy. The things I mentioned before are typically Dutch, but none of those things come in handy while training or racing triathlons. I think I wore clogs three times in my live and I can assure you that they are not really comfortable to run a marathon in. Some, however, do run in them for some reason, but I prefer a nice set of running shoes to give me comfort in the last part of the triathlon. During most award ceremonies in the Netherlands the first three competitors get flowers, but for some reason I have never seen any Tulips been given away. Perhaps they all ship them across the world? I like cheese, but it is far from ideal to use as sport nutrition. I cannot imagine to bring a small round piece of Gouda cheese somewhere taped on the frame during a ride, let alone on a run… Powerbar and Nuun are not only easier to bring along, they are specialist in sport nutrition and really up to the task to keep my energy levels and hydration up as high as possible!Althought the dikes and windmills do not come in handy for training, they do come in handy for the country. A large part of the Netherlands was gained from the sea by building dikes and pumping the water from the lands using windmills. Nowadays the old windmills are more monumental than functional, but the dikes still protect the flat ‘sea bottom’ land from flooding again. And this flatland and the constant wind that howls over it, is what I like! Swimming will be flat all over the world, if you do not count downstream swimming or waves. But flat and windy rides and runs like we have in the largest of the Netherlands are not that common. The constant need to push to keep going makes the flats my favorite training and racing grounds. The openness of the flats surrounding Groningen (my hometown) gives no shelter from the weather. Wind will catch you where ever you ride and during racing it will make the difference, if drafting is not allowed. I have raced a couple of Ironmans, but none is as flat as the long distance triathlon we have in Almere. The altitude profile is almost flatter than a straight line drawn by hand! Perfect if you ask me to see who the strongest triathlete is! No time to relax, no way to escape the elements, open views in all directions and a constant whistling of wind in the helmet’s holes! Bring it on!