The Nijmegen 4 days Marches has been going for 95 years and this year I was part of it. Depending on age you can walk 30 km, 40 km or 50 km for 4 days so you end up with 120 km, 160 km and you guessed it, 200 km.
Of course I wanted to do 50 km a day and that meant getting up at 2.30 in the morning slash night slash "not an hour for humans" and start walking at 4 am. To walk 50 km a day takes around 11 hours with a few breaks here and there because you walk with a average of 5 km per hour, roughly. Some people are even faster but I am not one of them.
In the beginning we - my girlfriend Patricia and I - were walking with a group of 7 other people but they started with a very fast pace so it was just the two of us and about 45.000 other people who signed up for this crazy march doing what ever distance.
After two days, 100 km and 14 blisters Patricia had to quit if she wanted to be able to walk for the rest of her life. Amazingly she finish the second day with all those blisters. I would have quit the march way earlier if it happened to me...
I ended up on the third day with the original group we were suppose to walk with, that was now reduced to 4 people.
On the third day we hit the 7 Heuvelweg (7 hills road) and here lots and lots were struggling to get over the hills but with the support of cheering people on the side of the road, I didn't have such a hard time. It was fantastic to see all these people walking over the hills.
Day four was rough for every one in our group but with thousands and thousands of people cheering the last hard 15 km of the 200 km, we were sort of carried to the finish in Nijmegen centrum with flowers, candy and of course beer. It was amazing to see so many people cheer for you.
It was definitely one of the hardest things I have done in my life and I have never asked the same question so many times... why the hell do we do this??? Would I do it again...... hhhhmmmmmm. Surely :-)
At some point, kinda most of them, it was not very funny to walk... Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Taking a break and trying to smile about it. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Patricia getting treatment for her blisters. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
How it looked like for most of the 11 hours a day. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Early morning after two and a half hours of walking. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
In every village we came through people were cheering and clapping. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
... and giving out candy. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Jesper Rosenberg and Peter de Haas with Bas in the middle. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
7 Heuvel Weg with lots of people cheering. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
More candy getting handed out for the walkers. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
About 45.000 sign up for the marches (30 km, 40 km, 50 km). Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
More people cheering. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
English bobbys doing the 200 km. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
7 Heuvel Weg... the seven hills road. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Bas walking on a dijk. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Jesper and Bas in a good mood at the 7 Heuvel Weg. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
7 Heuvel Weg. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
At this moment Peter was sitting up but during this rest he was to tired and was leaning over the table. This was on the third day and after 30 km. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
7 Heuvel Weg. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Peter de Haas. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Lots and lots of soldiers. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Taking a rest with his tired feet up but still had to take a photo... Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
7 Heuvel. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Walking boots. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Sunrise. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Adrie. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Adrie and Peter. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Bas. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
All very tired on the fourth day and after 175 km in the legs. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Best name for a town. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Head between the shoulders and just walk. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
The last 15 km out of 200 km was very colour full with lots of flowers. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
And more people cheering. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Bram, Bas and Adrie. Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
Nearly at the finish, carried by beer and kisses from my girl :-) Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011
200 km in 4 days is as easy as two fingers in the nose... Nijmegen 4Daagse, Holland, July 2011