Tag: Sport

Preface

We had planned our trip to the French ski resort La Plagne well in advance, so ever since October last year I’ve been counting days down. My previous wintersport occasion in Sölden had only left good memories (and a couple of bruises, too, but that’s unimportant).

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Yesterday, December 17^th, Houten hosted a charity event called Rotary Santa Run. For just €10 every participant got a red Santa Claus outfit, a couple of drink vouchers, and a possibility to take part in a funny and useful event. The collected funds will go to the organisations Jeugdsportfonds Houten and De Nierstichting .

A total of about five hundred Santas of all ages and walks of life have gathered at the central square of our Houten.

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Last weekend, 22-23 October, has been marked by a colossal event in the Belgian Brussels, lead by the Doshu (hereditary head) Moriteru Ueshiba, a grandson of Ōsensei Morihei Ueshiba.

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And here we are, almost four months after the exam I officially possess a Shodan Aikido Aikikai:

The diploma has been solemnly granted by Marc Jongsten (who also took the exam) during a short ceremony at Aikido Centrum Leiden.

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I’m just back from Amersfoort where I’ve quite successfully finished a half marathon, 21.1 km.

The day’s been a scorcher with 27 °C (81 °F) in the shade. On the Dutch scale it’s a lot, and with a clear blue sky you feel like being roasted.

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This spring is full of sporting activities. First aikido (I hope my certificate with nice Japanese characters is already on its way), now a half marathon.

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Last weekend, on March 19, 2016, the author of these lines has qualified for the first dan Aikido Aikikai.

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I’ve been lucky to have had a good deal of wintersport this season, as well as to come back in one piece.

Our destination was chosen to be the Austrian Sölden, also located in Tyrol like Ischgl where I’d been a year ago.

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The year is coming to an end again, with so much left to run. I can’t repeat my 2013’s record of 800 km this year—in 2015 I’ve only run some 600 km. Not because I’m lazy, but due to being more active in aikido.

Houten’s “bike avenues” are great to run on, also because there are not so many bikes using them at the time when I’m running, that is in the evening and during the weekend.

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Every winter an average Dutch casts glances at the thermometer, hoping for a real cold to come.

The cause for such a strange wish is called Elfstedentocht, or the Eleven cities tour.

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