“Help, my boyfriend is training for the marathon (and I don’t even like sporty types)”
Kimberley van Heiningen lives with Kevin, is (bonus)mom of Norah (5) and baby Jackie. She writes about motherhood and everything that comes with it. This week about her suddenly sporty other half.
‘I signed up for the Rotterdam Marathon,’ said my boyfriend. That has apparently always been on his bucket list and had to get it done this year. I had completely missed that memo in the nearly four years we’ve been together, but I tend to mentally check out the moment someone nudges the conversation in a sporty direction.
Nothing personal. I don’t care who you are or how much I think you are (and I think my daughter’s father is pretty sweet, believe me); sporting pursuits will always rust my untrained ass. Not ideal, I can tell you, if your husband is training for the marathon.
‘By character’
Because, yes, you don’t just walk ‘on character’ for 42 kilometers and 195 meters. You have to train seriously for that. Often, for a long time and just at the moments when I had a cozy Netflix marathon in mind – even without a sporty man an illusion of course, binge with a baby, but that aside – or an extensive Sunday brunch. Anyway, Sunday is racing day and then to sip the mimosas on my own is also something.
So I’m at an impasse. Of course I think it’s pretty. Is it going again, through wind and weather, another typhus end. Ever faster, ever further. I’m not imitating him. But it’s also uncomfortable, such a man with a passion. It’s a bit raw to me after all these years: the nicest father, funniest man and my favorite fellow Burgundian suddenly turns out to be sporty. I don’t even like sporty types, I suddenly have one sitting next to me on the couch. At least when he’s not running.
“Sporting pursuits will always rust my untrained ass”
Project Marathon
Meanwhile, a world has opened up for me. One of schedules and sports watches, running gels and fifty-dollar socks – which must not be lost. This makes Project Marathon quite a challenge for me, since washing socks is always a kind of Russian Roulette here. I put them in the drum, whether they come out again (and in what condition) is the question.
My selective hearing, which suddenly switches to sports terms, also has a hard time now that the marathon is a popular topic of conversation. Do you know Godwin’s Law? That every discussion eventually ends up with Hitler? We start here with planning a city trip, but end up with the number of minutes per kilometer.
Still, I see it positively. The running virus may even stay on for a while. For example, until November 5, when the New York City Marathon is held. Because a city trip to the Big Apple? Coincidentally, that has always been on my bucket list.
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