Achiever story: Frouke Poot

 

Running, I've been doing it for about eight years now. Never thought that I would do it and that I would actually make it to the finish line of THE MARATHON!

 

Maybe every runner dreams of running 42.2km, but it wasn't exactly my real dream. Somehow I often thought 'I can't do that, can I?' The wish of the marathon really didn't come right away. Building up slowly from 0 to 5 km was already a big step for me. I am a swimmer and not a long lane swimmer but a synchronized swimmer. Short and intensive. Nothing to do with endurance sports. A cure in the water lasted a maximum of 4 minutes and that was super intensive.

 

Running is really a different kind of sport and intervals are what I like to do the most. The long run is often a struggle for me. Especially when the runs got longer and longer. My first half marathon was a real victory. The whole marathon plan came after I ran my tenth half marathon for charity (Kika) in Madrid.

 

Why not whole? My biggest fear was therefore not so much in running the marathon but in the start area… As crazy as it may sound, me and a lot of people crammed together in a start area don't go together. I panic and pass out. I definitely needed a stick behind the door and I found it by walking for charity again. Berlin, where my first marathon took place, was a challenge. A long challenge… For an hour and a half I was crammed into the last starting area with a lot of people. The marathon had already been run before I even had to start. I was empty when I finally crossed the start line, but I did finish! Never thought I could do this. I never thought about giving up that day, but that these were not the ideal circumstances.

 

It makes me a marathoner. Not a fast one, not a special one, but from my own strength and ability. I think if you really want it you can do more than you think. Find a motivation, a goal to do what you would like to do and don't give up! Stay and look at yourself, there are already so many others.