It all started with a week of
bushwalking with Leo in Australia during March 1999. Having been
able to keep up with the odB patriarch of walking
(twenty years my senior I might add), I was pronounced capable of doing the four day march in Nijmegen. It became an idea that
took on a life of its own. Before I knew it, I was registered for the 84th Four-Day March of Nijmegen (Vierdaagse van Nijmegen), as were the other two rookie
walkers, Mies and Flip, plus veteran Leo (of course). Did we sign up for
the 30 km event? Of course not. Was 40 km an option?
Gracious no. We would do the 50 km course!
Day 1
Sorry, no pictures of the
start. At 4:30 am, the flash on my camera would be insufficient for
capturing any more than the few meters ahead of me. I can tell you though
that there were wellwishers on most every corner as
we headed north out of town for the bridge across the Maas. Even in the
first hamlets we traversed at 5 am, people were out in their yards,
bundled up in their lawn chairs, watching and cheering, wishing the hordes "Succes!!!". Of the
43,008 people who register for the 84th Vierdaagse, 41,093
started, and it seemed like they were all trying to navigate down the narrow
streets at the same time.
The route took us within a
block of the home of Jack and Stien odB in Valburg. Much to our delight, they had set up a rest
stop for the odB walkers, having refreshments and
food ready. One lucky walker even got a light leg and foot massage,
courtesy of Kees van Splunder. With water
bottles topped off, we fell back in step with
the masses who continued to file past.
In Valburg
[photo by Jannemie Hartog-Janse]
Jim, Mies, and Flip
That is good, ya!
[photo by Jannemie Hartog-Janse]
Day 2
This day's route took us
through Wijchen twice, where we were greeted both
times by Flip's family: Annick, Lisa, and Julius, who had hot coffee and light
snacks for us. In the afternoon, we also had the pleasure of meeting
Annick parents, Yann and Joos Hardeveld. The
sight of familiar faces was a welcome break in the monotony.
First rest stop, in Wijchen.
[photo by
Annick van Hardeveld]
Leo, Flip (standing), Mies,
Jim, Rennie van Aken (a bushwalking mate of Leo from Australia)
Leaving Wijchen.
[photo by
Annick van Hardeveld]
Day 3
Quite unexpectedly in the
afternoon, while traversing the seven hills, we looked up just in time to see a
sign on a lamppost bearing Jim's name. It was put there by the parents of
Jacorien Wouters, whom Jim had befriended while she was on an extended work assignment in San Jose, California. Ironically
the sign referenced TUDelft, the work place of
Jacorien's husband Jerry, whom the Wouters had thought was the 'connection'
with Jim. After a short conversation and a group picture, we were once
again on our way.
Sign in
Groesbeek haling Jim.
[photo by
Tinie Wouters]
The four odB
walkers
[photo by
Tinie Wouters]
Jim, Mies, Flip, and Leo
Day 4
The odB
walkers each wear a special T-shirt on this final day. It showed an egret
eating a frog, but the frog's hands were around the bird's throat, preventing
him from being swallowed. The caption read, "Never ever give up!". Through
the course of the day, many of our fellow walkers voiced their concurrence with
that small, but powerful message.
The masses approaching
Grave, and this is only a small part of the column walking 50 km.
Nearing the finish line.
A mere 285,000 steps and 43
hours of walking after we started, the four of us had our medals. We had successfully completed the
course! Each of us, for our own reasons, had accepted the
challenge and met it. With the gratification of knowing that they were
equal to the task, the rookies took to verbalizing their hard learned lesson, "Never ever again!"
Maybe.
Last update: 30-May-2009