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bauer skeeler with softboot and five wheels, from the inline skate tour stories by johan grootveld

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speedskaters with helmets on a recreational skateroute

The Rotterdam Bauer Marathon on Wheels 1999.

(marathon distance 42,195 km)

Almost every year I take part in the inline skate marathon “Rotterdam on Wheels”. That became a tradition. Fortis Bank took over the marathon torch from Bauer (skates). The 2008 edition was the first time, I managed to get my skate friend Jan de Schipper to race together with me. His son races here already for years, with the intention to win. We, elderly people, see our moving time increase every year. The story below is about my 1999 tour. The gps information and Google map are Jan's results in de 2008 edition.

The second Rotterdam “Marathon on Wheels” is on the roll again. Last year the organisers invented this event as an alternative for the wheelchair athletes thrown out of the runners marathon before. The first edition last year, was more than average joined by any arm-powered roller.
Or, for us as inline skaters, leg-powered rollers.

Since last year some things has changed. The organisation now tries to separate the inline loosers from the speedskate champions by setting a TERM for the time spent!
Only two hours for me. Nothing mor than that.
Last year I managed to get on the clock an overall time of about 2:10 uur only after an intensive training. This year a time like that will be good for an offensive retreat in the broom waggon.....

Cees van Zwieten's inquiery during the heavily clouded eclipse at the French town of Laon wasn't quite beside reality: “Only three weeks left. What about your marathon training scheme?”
I only could admit shamefully, I didn't take my measures against a coming marathon humiliation till now.
Onto it! As fast as possible! Following the well-known fysical Stimulating Arrears Law it means continuously pressing laps out of my feet during the next weeks, in the Bergse Skielurbos.
Persist! Nine-and-a-half times over the flat parcours around the skihill make 42.195 meters roller performance. It takes me twó hrs. thirteen mins., I really couldn't make it faster. So we have a problem....
But I don't abandon my goals without fighting for it. Even when it takes three painful trainings a week! I face up to the rejecting reactions at home, because the laps I planned often last till far beyond sunset. Once I graze strongly over the tarmac, after trying to overtake one. But it seems to work. When I felt my energy fading away after only five or six laps in the beginning, after many trainings my skating powers stay present till the end. Is that maybe because of the transition to the anaërobe zone or could it be the result of exuberantly consumed Dextro shoe roller bites?
The answer blows in the wind, but my watch stays clear. Twó hrs. three mins. Not a single second faster. . .
What will that be??...

There it is. The great day. The flags of Beenhakker ("leg-chopper", what's in a name?) rehabilitation articles fly over the Coolsingel city avenue. Frans Bauer (Dutch artist; is he sponsoring too?) cries his emotional sound over the helmets of the gathered rollers below.
As soon as the Rotterdam Wheeled wheelchair races are over, the inline spectacle begins: it is Bauer Marathon on Wheels time!
Many skaters roll in and they fill the start area rapidly. Many skaters try to crawl to the most forward places, hoping to sprint away as fast as possible when starting. Indeed you loose precious minutes in the beginning. I need them badly to get this crazy time limit. But I don't crawl up with those indecent rollerskaters. I will see. Even when I will go down it won't be without struggle. The minutes pass by slowly. Finally the sound of the starting shot sets me free.
GO!
The inline mob slowly moves in the direction of the chronometer mats. I look at the Champion chip that is tied between my shoestrings. Only seldom you can see a gleam of tarmac between all the four- and five wheelframes that pass by. Speeding up now is absolutely impossible.
"This is no good. How much time do I loose here already?"
I drift slowly forward with the stream of inline skaters. Just waiting. Only near the Willemsbrug there is the first possibility to put my legs out without hitting someone nearby. Now it's time to enjoy skating!
The burning sun grows my desire to get a cool mug of unleaded superplus at Shell's. Afterwards my splashing stomach returns more inconvenience then the tankstop solved. So the next laps I leave the petrol station at my right side without entering. Instead using the more convenient small bottles of Dextrosuper, grabbed away every time I pass by the Coolsingel, from my son Jaco's hands.
When passing by the chronometer mats for the second time, the meter only shows 25 minutes. That gives me more perspective. Is it because of the beautiful track, the one way traffic, or the festive athmosphere? Could I maybe escape from the yawning broom waggon mouth?

The second lap is finished. Within the 25 minutes again! I exceed myself.
Seemingly effortlessly my Zandstra's over roll the smooth Maasboulevard avenue tarmac. They even don't worry about the streetcar tracks, stopped up with rope. The sound of an ambulance, shortly after I throw away Jaco's second bottle behind the racetrack barriers, indicates on less lucky inline skaters. Back on the Boompjes avenue volunteers in red Aesic-shirts direct the skaters to the other lane. Tarmac is more rough here, with larger holes. Carefully, but curiously I pass along the accident spot. Police, first aid and much blood. I slightly examine my helmet and knee guards.
For the fourth time there's the Coolsingel avenue again. I stagger over the start mats into the last lap, where the scoreboard indicates only 1:23 hours. The broom waggon disappears from my race scenario. Don't make errors now.
I now catch up with many slower rollershoe riders. Much too fast did they start, these guys.

I round full speed the bypass, specially built for us, through the middle barrier of the Van Rijckevorselweg for the last time. Then definitivily back to the Coolsingel. "I will make it! Easily. Now just try to get a higher ranking!
I am not the only one fighting for better results. When I overtake four, three pass me by.
"Just a moment!" Descending the sloping Leuvehaven alley, and the increase much much speed! Flying on eagles' wings over the Churchill square.
"That's painful!" Along the Koopgoot shopping mall and the Stock exchange I fight the last, straining meters towards the town hall.
I made it!! The scoreboard shows a proudly final 1:49:47 hours when I roll along the relaxing finish . . .
I did it! . . .

pijl

Route map...


Grotere kaart weergeven
inline trip map with road surface quality ratinginline road surface quality rating

pijl

Route description and info...

The info below, together with the Google map, is based on the route I skated 14-09-2008 together with Jan de Schipper and his gps device. My own time ratings were much worse:

(figures based on gps information)
date: 14-09-2008
moving time: 2:03:26 u
total distance: 43,02 km
average speed: 20,9 km/u

The parcours of the Rotterdam Marathon on Wheels is only free of traffic on the event's date itself. You still can skate many parts on the route where there are bikepaths. Only on the last parts there are no bikeways. The tramway street rails are only covered at the event's date. The rest of the year you should be careful not to get your skates in them! Beside that, take good care of the busy city traffic.

  1. From the Hofplein in the centre of Rotterdam (fountain roundabout near Rotterdam CS) take the bikepath along the Coolsingel.
  2. Cross the busy Churchillplein and continue your direction. You are at the Schiedamsedijk along the Leuvehaven (shipping museum).
  3. Turn to the left on the main crossing at the end.
  4. You are on the Boompjes ("small trees"), which changes name to Maasboulevard after you cross under the Willemsbrug. Now a long, phenomenal skateroute starts, right along the river Maas.
  5. Until it ends past the Shell petrol station and the DWL-terrein (Water tower). The bikepath ends at the road bridge near Kralingsezoom.
  6. Cross over this bridge to the left, and then to the left again.
  7. Take from there the bikepath opposite the roadside where you skated before.
  8. Skate the same way back to the city centre.

Do you want to join the marathon yourself? Ask for a subscription form at the organisers desk. You can do it in july or august. If you subscribe at the event's day itself, there may be even place for you. Usually the start will take place on the second september sunday.

pijl

inline roller skaters on five wheel speedskates


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