Amsterdam

The boys and I just before the Marathon.

Ah Amsterdam, the land of windmills, wooden shoes, canals, cannabis and prostitution.  Perhaps no city on the face of the planet has a bigger Jekyll and Hyde complex than Amsterdam.  On one hand she is that cute little Dutch girl, but when the lights go out she becomes something far different.  So what you ask was I doing in Amsterdam?  The answer is none of the above.  I was in Amsterdam to run the marathon.

            I stumbled upon the Amsterdam almost by accident.  I had originally planned to run a marathon in Porto, Portugal but the dates simply didn’t line up.  A trip to the U.S. to promote my new book, The Dover-Phila Football Rivalry: A tradition Shared Through its Greatest Games (shameless plug), meant that I would arrive back in Spain only two days before the race.  This left me looking for another option.  In the end I settled on Amsterdam because the date worked and frankly, I’ve always wanted to see what all the fuss is about.

            After arriving in Amsterdam on Friday morning, we made our way downtown to check out the race expo and pick up my race number, microchip etc…  The expo was held at a sports center that was adjacent to the 1928 Olympic stadium.  The stadium was constructed so that the city could host the 1928 summer games.  By modern standards the stadium is actually quite small.   While today it can accommodate up to 64, 000 people, when the Olympics were held here is could only hold half that.  Regardless of its seating capacity, there was definitely energy present in the old stadium.  The 2011 version of the marathon both began and concluded on the stadium’s track.

            After getting my race number and a quick stroll around the expo, we all hopped aboard the metro and headed back downtown.  Before I go any further though, I have to note that we did not have a map of the city.  Instead we chose where to leave the train by the proximity to Amsterdam Central Station, which is where all the bus and tram lines begin.  Getting off the train, we headed to lunch at a small pub.  Nothing special, but not bad either.  Then we decided to walk a little while.  Of course, as Murphy’s Law would have it, we nearly walked right into the heart of Amsterdam’s famed Red Light District.  It didn’t take long to realize it either as large picture windows began to appear in every store front.  Instead of displaying Futbol jerseys and kitschy windmill souvenirs, these particular windows featured scantily clad women dancing provocatively.  While personally I would’ve enjoyed “the sights”, it wasn’t exactly a family friendly environment.  It was also around this point that Kelly and I realized that we hadn’t seen any other tourists with children since before we got off of the metro.

            After righting our path and steering well south of the Red Light District, we continued our stroll through Amsterdam.  Much like Madrid, Amsterdam is a relatively (by European standards) young city.  Although it was founded in the 1200’s, it didn’t really come into its own until the 17^th century (1600’s).  In fact it wasn’t until the mid 17^th century that the city’s population grew to over 100,000.  By comparison, in the mid 17^th century London had a population of over 500,000.  The real change in Amsterdam is due in part to the construction of the canal system that began in 1613.  The canals form concentric circles around the city center and connect into the river Amstel, Amsterdam’s main natural waterway.  These canals helped Amsterdam to become the financial center of the world by the end of the 17th century.  Most notably, Amsterdam was home to the Dutch East India Company.

            Today the canals are more known for their tourist appeal.  They provide a fascinating way to see the city.  On Friday night, after taking in the architecture and layout of the city, we boarded one of the city’s many tourist boats for an evening cruise on the canals.  Our particular cruise was designed for families.  It provided the history and information on architecture for the adults while the food (pizza and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream) was chosen to entice the kids.  We thoroughly enjoyed the evening as the boats provide a wonderful way to see the city, especially at night.

The family on our pizza cruise.

            Our second day in Amsterdam was spent with a little shopping, a visit to the Westerkerk (West Church), a walk past Anne Frank’s House, and a tour of the Rijksmuseum.  The Westerkerk is the church that Anne Frank writes about in her famous Diary.  Westerkerk is a Protestant church that is recognizable for its soaring west tower capped by the Imperial Crown of Austria’s Maxilian I.  In addition to Anne Frank’s Diary, the Church is also well known as the final resting place of Dutch painter Rembrandt.  After walking through the church we headed next door to the Anne Frank House.  Because of the incredibly long lines, and the mature subject matter, we decided against taking the tour.  The house itself features the hidden annex that Otto Frank hid his family in for two years until their betrayal to the Nazis during WWII.

Amsterdam's Westerkerk

The Rijksmuseum

            Following the Anne Frank House, we took the trolley to the Rijksmuseum.  The museum is a national history and art museum founded in The Hague in 1800.  It was later moved to Amsterdam in 1808.  The current building that houses the museum’s collection was completed in 1885 and was under extensive renovation when we visited.  Despite this there were still over 400 artifacts and paintings on display.  What I enjoyed most about the collection was the focus on using these artifacts to share the history of Holland and the Netherlands.  In a museum the size of the Rijksmuseum, there are certainly hundreds of thousands of artifacts.  Imagine having to whittle that number down to 400 to tell your story.  This led to a very concise and focused exhibit.

            The first floor of the Rijksmuseum was focused on Amsterdam’s and Holland’s history from the beginning up to the present.  It explored the country’s growth due to commerce, the Dutch trade and colonies, and their position as a world naval power.  The second floor was devoted to the museum’s extensive art collection.  Of which they have quite a few original Rembrandt’s.  The most famous of these is titled The Night Watch.  The Night Watch was completed in 1642 and is regarded as a masterpiece for its feeling of action and movement and more importantly for its excellent use of light and shadow.  Rembrandt perfectly highlights the main characters in the painting through his use of light and shadow.  It is almost as if those who you are supposed to notice in the painting are actually being spotlighted.

Rembrandt's "The Night Watch"

            Our final day in Amsterdam was made up by the race from mid-morning to early afternoon and an impromptu trip to The Hague in the afternoon.  The race itself was a great first introduction for me into racing in Europe.  It was my first race outside of the U.S. and honestly I wasn’t sure quite what to expect.  In the end though, 26.2 miles is no different than 42 km. 

            The race began in the city’s Olympic stadium at 9:30 am local time.  We started on the track before leaving the stadium and heading out onto the streets of the city.  It’s important to note here that the race didn’t go into the older parts of the city.  Although we ran alongside of the outermost canal, we didn’t venture into the older parts of the city.  Despite this the urban part of the run featured some exceptional architecture, the Rijksmuseum, and two separate sections that travelled through Vondelpark (the city’s largest urban park).  Despite these well-known sites, my favorite part of the race was when we went south along the banks of the Amstel River. 

            Being a large urban marathon, I didn’t expect open fields and farms.  That was exactly what I got though as I ran through miles 9-14.  Through this stretch the route was a bike path with the river on one side and farmland on the other. The views were of open fields, quant houses, livestock, and historic windmills.  We were also treated to views of rowing teams getting in a workout of their own in the smooth waters of the river.  It was really a nice change of pace, and it broke of the monotony of a typical big city marathon. 

Inside Amsterdam's 1928 Olympic Stadium

            With the help of near perfect weather, 40 degrees at the start and low 50’s at the finish, and the flattest course I’ve ever run, I ended up with a personal best time of 3:07:47.  The best part was that I actually felt stronger as the race went on. It is always more fun to be passing people at the end of a race and not be the one getting passed.

            Following the race, the family boarded a train for The Hague.  The Hague is the center of Dutch government and one of three major cities (along with New York and Geneva) to host the United Nations.  The city is also a popular summertime destination as it is located on the North Sea.  After meeting up with a high school friend of Kelly’s, we travelled to the beach to walk on the boardwalk and get a bite to eat. 

            Kelly’s high school friend is originally from Brazil, but is married to a man from the Netherlands.  They have a three year-old daughter and the kids almost instantly hit it off despite the fact that the little girl spoke only Dutch and Portuguese. We all enjoyed the beach and Douglas was even brave enough to wade into the chilly surf.  Also while at the beach I had perhaps my oddest ever post-race meal.

            Before I get into what I actually ate, I need to explain the post-race meal.  Although the experts tend to recommend a certain amount of protein, etc… to aid recovery, I take a little different approach.  To me, post-race meals should involve something so deliciously terrible for me that I would never choose to eat it otherwise.  Some examples of great post-race meals are; half of a Chicago style deep dish pizza, Chili Cheese Fritos, and a triple Baconator from Wendy’s.  If it’s greasy and full of fat, it’s a perfect choice.  It also goes without saying that this incredibly unhealthy meal is usually washed down by several beers.

Dutch Herring Sandwich

            On this particular occasion instead of the usual I opted to go for a traditional Dutch treat.  I ate a raw herring sandwich that I purchased from a stand on the beach.  It is actually a Dutch tradition called soused herring.  To prepare it, the fish is cleaned and the fillets are packed into a barrel filled with a mild brine solution.  The raw fish are then allowed to ripen in this brine solution for five days before they are ready.  The soused herring is served on a bread roll, covered in diced onions.  Although it doesn’t sound that appetizing to the American pallet, it was actually quite good.  The flavor is salty and slightly fishy (in a good way), and enhanced by the onions.  The only challenging thing about this dish is the consistency which was a little mushy.

            Overall, we had a great weekend in Amsterdam.  Even if you aren’t into the vices the city has to offer, it’s still a fascinating place to visit with great architecture, history, arts, museums, and of course an incredibly fast marathon.