Just a week after finishing my first half marathon in Cracow, I found myself standing on another start line — this time in Amsterdam. I wasn’t planning to race again so soon, but I couldn’t resist being part of the 50th anniversary of the Amsterdam Marathon. It felt like the perfect way to celebrate my growing love for running.
On October 18, I took part in my second official race. Luckily, this one was much shorter (at least compared to 21.1 km): a 7.5 km run right in the heart of Amsterdam.
During the week between races, I did a couple of light workouts — one easy recovery run to let my body rest after the half marathon, and one tempo run to get a feel for my pace. In the end, I decided to aim for a 50-minute finish. Nothing too ambitious, but realistic enough to keep me motivated. With that goal in mind, I headed to the start line.
This time, I wasn’t running alone — my husband and a couple of friends joined me. The atmosphere was amazing, full of laughter, excitement, and pure running energy.
The weather couldn’t have been better — a sunny day with no wind or rain, around 15°C. For the Netherlands, that’s practically a miracle! It truly felt like perfect race conditions.
As soon as the race started, I realized that my new watch wasn’t showing my pace! At first, I was confused and even a bit nervous — how was I supposed to run without knowing my numbers? But very quickly, I turned it into an advantage. I started listening to my body instead — running by feel, not by data.
And honestly, it turned out to be the best race ever.
I felt completely free — not limited by numbers or pace alerts, but fully in control of my effort. I trusted myself, and I ran the way my body wanted to run.
I crossed the finish line with several personal records I hadn’t even dreamed of. Those limits I thought I had? They were only in my head. They didn’t reflect how much I’d actually grown.
Official time: 42 minutes.
The result felt unbelievable. I still can’t quite believe I did it.
That race reminded me of something simple but powerful: only you can set your limits. Nothing else — not your watch, not an app, not someone else’s expectations. The only thing you should truly listen to is your body. Trust it. Trust your training.
Because when you do — you’ll find freedom in running.
And that’s where the real joy begins.
You must be logged in to post a comment.