{"id":4789,"date":"2016-03-03T11:50:49","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T10:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=46751"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:17","slug":"running-the-marathon-part-1-its-tough-but-im-not-giving-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/03\/03\/running-the-marathon-part-1-its-tough-but-im-not-giving-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Running the marathon (part 1): ‘It’s tough, but I’m not giving up’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cLet\u2019s see if I can do this\u201d, Christian Meckelburg, 20, thought when a friend asked him if he was interested in running a marathon with him. Every two weeks, he will check in with EM<\/em> on his training progress. This is part 1: \u201cIt\u2019s tough, but I\u2019m not giving up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRunning a marathon is the sort of thing you keep putting off because something always gets in the way,\u201d Christian Meckelburg, 20, told EM<\/em>. \u201cBut that\u2019s exactly the thing. The right time never really comes. So when a friend recently asked me to run a marathon with him, I immediately said yes.\u201d It will be the first time Meckelburg has run such a long distance. So far, the International Business Administration student has never run a race exceeding 10 kilometres.<\/p>\n

Parental support<\/h3>

His parents were very supportive when he told them about his plan, particularly his father. \u201cMy father once ran a marathon himself, just to see if he could do it. Whenever he told me about the experience, I promised myself I\u2019d one day do the same.\u201d It really helps that both of Meckelburg\u2019s parents are doctors. \u201cMy Mum is sending me dietary supplements, such as vitamin supplements. As for my Dad, I consult him on my training schedule and what types of shoes are best for running.\u201d His father often tells him about his own experiences. \u2018According to my Dad, the start and finish are the easiest parts of a marathon, because you\u2019re experiencing an adrenalin rush at those points. My father never ran another marathon after his. I\u2019ll be interested to see how I fare in mine.\u2019<\/p>\n

That he should pick the Rotterdam marathon out of all marathons was a logical decision, said Meckelburg. \u2018I feel at home here, even though I haven\u2019t lived here for very long. My training runs are a good way to get to know the city. I live in Kralingen, so that\u2019s where I do most of my running. But thanks to my training runs, I\u2019m now getting to know places I had never visited before, such as Rotterdam-Zuid.\u2019<\/p>\n

Won't give up<\/h3>

The friend with whom he was supposed to run the marathon has by now decided to run a half marathon instead, but Meckelburg does not intend to follow suit. \u201cWhen I set myself a goal, I won\u2019t give up. It can be tough sometimes, because I\u2019m doing three or four ten-to-fifteen-kilometre runs a week, and on top of that I have to study.\u201d In a way, though, his studies are benefitting from all the running. \u201cMe studying involve sitting in front of a desk all day. It feels great to be able to run after that. While I\u2019m off running a lap, I can stop focussing on all the thoughts swirling through my head for a little while. I always feel better after running.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t

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