Herzog with another strong (and enjoyable) performance in IAAF Cross in Brussels
Only a week after a strong race in the European Cross Championships, Adrienne Herzog provides another strong showing in the IAAF permit Lotto Crosscup in Brussels by placing fourth in a strong international field. In extremely muddy conditions, Adrienne was the only European in the strong field to be able to move with the African contingent.
She explained on a post via her Facebook profile, “I enjoyed every sec of today's IAAF Lotto Crosscup in Brussels. It was Herzog vs Africa...going into the last lap I thought I was fine with my 1500 speed but this Kenyan girls where rock stars... I am feeling stronger every week and leaving back home with confidence and a smile. A very big thanks for all the support last week and the (Belgian) crowd today!!”
After a brief, but positive cross country season, Adrienne plans to return to the US for a brief stint before heading into a training camp with her coach and a large group of other Dutch athletes where she will begin to prepare for a late winter road 10k before beginning to narrow her sites on the 5.000m qualification time and London.
Adrienne back among European best by 5th Place finish in Europeans
After just three months of preparation with her new coach, Honore Hoedt, and with very little specific tempo work, Adrienne showed herself back among the top European athletes with a strong 5th place showing at the European Cross Country Championships in Velenje, Slovenia. She struggled in the beginning with a fast pace off the downhill start and was unable to get into any rhythm until the second half of the race, where she was finally able to settle in and begin to try to make up the gap that had built.
"I didn't feel great the first kilometers and only felt good at about half way. Of course I dreamed from another medal but i'm very pleased with my level at this moment. All focus is on the outdoor season and I'm in a build up phase"
Reflecting on the race, she is pleased with the result based on a lack of “race specific training and only one competition. Mostly my first two races showed me I'm on the right road to run very fast this summer. This 5th place made me hungrier then ever to work very hard towards my next aims”
She plans to possibly compete in the IAAF permit cross country race in Brussels, where she is a former champion having won the race in 2009. Later in the winter, she also plans to prepare her debut 10k on the roads, intended to set a fast time in a race to be decided towards the end of the February.
Warandeloop Victory 2011 & Dutch tittle! Picture by Erik van Leeuwen
Adrienne shows she is back & ready for Europeans with Warandeloop victory
Adrienne showed last sunday she is back and in shape for the European Cross Country championships 11 december in Valenje Slovenia.
In a strong internation field she took the lead right from the start, only Simret Restle from Germany could follow her. In the last 500 meter Adrienne
could use her 1500 meter speed and pulled away quite easy and took home the over all victory. By winning the over all race Adrienne also captured the Dutch tittle, it's her 5th Dutch long XC tittle.
"I'm extremely happy with this victory. I have been able to train very well the last months but I didn't know exactly in what shape I was. Right from the gun i felt strong, I really needed this race to be able to go deeper in two weeks."
Adrienne ran the 8.1 km in 27.29 last year when she was in great shape she ran 27.30 on the same course only without the trees as obstacles on the course. In 2009, the European Bronze medal year,
adrienne ran 27.54. This statistics show that Adrienne can go with confidence to Slovenia.
Let's start on a very positive note: man, I'm happy to be back racing. How I missed those race nerves and just toeing the line and giving all u have until crossing the line. It's really one of the things I love doing most already since i was a little Adrienne girl. The last months have been a big rough emotional ride and all that has effected my training in many ways. I had to deal with quite some little injury problems that interrupted me. But most important the normal "elevator to success" was out of order, I feel like the last months all i have been doing is climbing step by step up the stairs (if elevator is out of order all u can do is take the stairs). Putting a complete new team of people around me after I decided to leave spain and start working with other people but mostly move to order places to new houses with new coach new training mates etc etc. Writing this now I honestly feel that after a horribly rough ride I now know I have build " my new elevator to success"..I have to say that I guess I have to practice and fine-tune before i will really be able to use it successfully but that will only need to happen next year (London) and in december for the Europeans cross championships.
To come and arrive there we decided to get back into some racing rhythm and race small track meets.
Two 1500 races down and some mixed feelings are left.
I entered the first Flanderscup race with having no big pb plans. I went into it to enjoy being back at the track again and look for a time somewhere around 4.10- 4.12. I ended up racing a far from ideal race with a fast first lap 65 and a slow second lap (because I just lost all feeling of pace and ran very defensive) I only noticed at 800 that i felt way to fresh and actually started chasing back some girls. I finished way to fresh in 4.16.00 not a great time but a very strong feeling left told me I was ready for quite a bit faster.
Arriving at the yesterday Flanderscup with a big wind blowing my only goal was trying to win the race. Sometimes we are way to much focussed on times and all i love about running is that its so simple, just feel, give all and try to finish first (a good time will come by itself then). I raced aggressive and stayed in the back of two Kenyan girl, feeling very good all the way and really enjoying the fact that I was able to challenge the Kenyan front. But the last 300 they accelerated so easy (I guess they would been able to do this no matter what the pace or weather would have been) I ended up finishing 3rd 2.5 sec behind the Kenyan girls in a slow time (because bad circumstances, wind, rainy). All i want to remember is that I was the only European who was able to follow/challenge this girls and soon enough, when I have to, i will be able to kick with them or kick them…i will take the line in 2 (maybe3) more track races 1500&3k and hope to set some good results until the real buildup for cross will start..
finally, big thank you to all people&sponsors who have been in my back the last period. Everyone from family & loved ones to friends, coaches and pacemakers to just random fans who did send me an encouraging word..Thanks, and just a big fat virtual hug!!
Adrienne back with a good result in the Vienna woman 5km
After a long period without races Adrienne decided last minute to take the line in the Woman's 5km in Vienna.
On a very warm day in the Vienna city park she finished a strong 5th place. Adrienne went into the race ranked 5th place on paper and
she was happy that she felt competitive and strong after such a long time without racing. Ana Dulce Felix showed that she is in amazing shape but place 3 Sabrina Mochenhaupt
and place 4 fElena Romagnolo and Adrienne her self all crossed the line very close to each other. It also showed Adrienne that the
new training system is paying off.
"I'm very happy I decided to go to Vienna and race, it was an amazing event with 25.000 woman taking part and the race organization was amazing. it feels like a good start of a new fresh season. It was a very hot day (30C) but i
had a pretty strong feeling, some of the elite athletes who raced with a Garmin measured a 5,1km so that means the time doesn't say me to much but the strong result and feelings does give me confidence.
I still miss the specific racing fitness and I didn't hold back for the race so it's time to sharpen up over the next
weeks to be able to set some track pb's. Most off all I did enjoy to be back there and race with some very strong european girl."
"I also want to use this moment to thank all those people who have been supporting me so much over the last period and my family and boyfriend who came out to see me race"
It has been ages since I wrote something on this blog space, big sorry for that. I probably haven't been really in the mood to communicate much with the big group of people who follow me and who I don't know personally. Instead of that I have been very close to my real good friends, family and most of all, my boyfriend (now fiancé). I know some people really wanted my reaction on all and since it's impossible for me to react in person to 50 journalists (who in too many occasions not even write my honest words, but instead take things out of context, etc. etc.) Because of this, I decided to spend some time back in the Netherlands for a little while to tell my story to NOS Studioport. We had a good and long interview where I was given space to tell my story. NOS Studiosport decided to not broadcast it – unfortunately this shows that they expected something else – it is unfortunate that me being completely relaxed and telling and explaining all that happened isn't as attractive as me maybe being nervous and in tears not knowing what to answer. In fact this is a great example of what media can do to you… For now I have decided to not worry about it. I am completely focused on a few very important people in my life and I feel so fortunate that they support me without a fail. I also really feel I need to thank some people for their wonderful encouraging messages in twitter or by my website. Thank you all so much.
So where are we? I am in the Netherlands; I have been here to do tons of treadmill tests and to get everything on track for this summer season. Unfortunately, I now have to wait until I have my professional athlete visa before I can fly back to Boulder, CO, USA. Thanks to my manager and my boyfriend (now fiancé) for helping me almost day & night to expedite this visa process as much as possible. Yes, I'm very happy with some changes in my personal life; disappointed my Spanish adventure came to this rough end, but extremely excited about my American adventures. Boulder USA is like a true runner’s paradise at 2000 meter altitude, with an amazing trail system and plenty of runners out there. I have a great support team around me in Boulder and plenty of great people I work out with: Benita Willis, Kristen Fryburg Zaitz, Renee Metievier Bailey. And the best pacer and wind blocker is for sure my boyfriend, who will move to Boulder in May. One of the biggest and most important things this last period is that we got engaged. We are extremely happy and excited about this journey and most of all we are very, very, very in Love. So the decision to go to USA after all that happened wasn't a big one for me… although I have to say; my family right now is pretty damn far away. I hope they can come to visit me an awful lot ;)
As for the running part; for the first time I really feel like I train like 5000 runner, building up big strength and mileage weeks. As for a couple of weeks ago my biggest week ever run was 140km (something I ran maybe 2x a year) as now I try to make stable weeks of 140- 160 km, something I believe is very needed to race a very fast 5000 meter. I stay away from fast work right now to be able to really build a big base of km's. As my first race comes closer (Prefontaine) I will go down in these big mileage weeks and start to gear up those fast muscles again. I'm very excited and feel very good and happy about all this…as i have to say that all the changes and stress from the last period has definitely effected my training some days. I have had more interruptions - little pains, running noses etc etc…just because "I'm not a robot" a phrase my boyfriend has heard me saying just a little too often over the passed period…
That’s where we are right now, I hope to fly back soon to Boulder, be with the one I love and workout in my new running paradise with great inspiring people out there…
Thanks again for all those people who supported me over the last period. I can't wait to race very fast this summer. I hope that my running fast in these races will reward the many people who have supported me along the way the last months…
Finally I almost forgot to mention that I'm extremely happy with my sponsors, they are right behind me supporting my back, and I’m very happy have some great new support partners on my way to London: www.sportscontrol.com & my new club running2000.
Herzog with another strong (and enjoyable) performance in IAAF Cross in Brussels (22-dec-11)
Adrienne back among European best by 5th Place finish in Europeans (13-dec-11)
Adrienne shows she is back & ready for Europeans with Warandeloop victory (30-nov-11)
The elevator to success (28-aug-11)
Adrienne back with a good result in the Vienna woman 5km (23-may-11)
Finally...an update.. (28-mar-11)
Adrienne shows her shape by winning the Warandeloop in Tilburg (29-nov-10)
Pouring rain and strong victory in carrera de Ajo, Spain (15-nov-10)
Victory in Milla de Berango (3-oct-10)
Victory in Milla do Barco, Galicia, Spain (15-sep-10)
After set back comes a bounch back.. (22-jul-10)
Adrienne kicks off season with 5000 PB in Hengelo & some frustration (30-may-10)
Adrienne qualified for world Championship final and finished 12th place (14-mar-10)
Adrienne goes to World Championships, EA and Dutch article (24-feb-10)
Adrienne set new 3kpersonal best 8.53.80!! and qualifies for Word Championships (20-feb-10)
A solid result in Sevilla: 7th place in strong field (17-jan-10)
Strong second place in Zornotza Cross Country, Amorebieta, Spain (10-jan-10)
Adrienne superior in Soest (31-dec-9)
Adrienne wins in white Brussels (20-dec-9)
Fantastic bronze medal at EC Cross in Dublin 2009! (13-dec-9)
Chasing my dreams
I have a dream, I want to see come true. I won’t give up, no matter what I do. If there’s a long, long way I have to go I’ll keep on running this. I know I’ve got the power to make it come true.
I’m chasing my dream, go and chase yours too
Personal Bests
800 meter
2.06.12
1500 meter
4.06.07
3000 meter i
8.53.24
5000 meter
15.34.34
4 EM
20.59.90
Fanmail
hemkl (3-jan-12)
hemkl (1-jan-12)
hemkl (1-jan-12)
hemkl (1-jan-12)
Sponsors
Links
Asics
Koninklijke Nederlandse Atletiek Unie
Stichting atletiekstad Apeldoorn
Central park: the best coffee place!
Gert- Jan liefers, Dutch 1500mtr record holder
Golazo: my managment
Groningen Atletiek
International Association of Athletics Federations
