Since the Europeans I have had some time off from training and I just started my off-season training program. From now until December the focus is not on training, while I still am doing it, but on my study. I really do have to finish it, I have been around (on the University) for over 6 years now and that is really long enough! And if I finish this year I do have the possibility to go back Down Under again, to fulfill a dream... Namely to race and finishing the Coolangatta Gold, it is not my type of race since I am more of a 'sprinter' but it is just a challenge  and accomplishment to finish the 46,65 K course. I am more of a one round around the cans type, that can manage a 'normal' Ironman (Oceanman), but that is already a challenge!

So currently I am focusing on my courses, but that does not mean that I do nothing with my sport or training. During the LifeSaving off-season I do keep on swimming and paddling my craft. But not as much as in the (pre-)season and I do add some other sports activities to the program. Therefore I recently bought an ATB, to go cycling and biking with friends even when there is some snow/ice on the road. And since I am going Australia to do the Gold I do have to extend my training sessions, and on the bike you can quite easily go far a 5 hour trip. Doing this in a pool, on a board or ski is hard and running would be impossible because off risks of injuries.

Next to this Koen de Haan (Trivelo), Robin den Oudsten and I have been busy with the start-up of a MultiSportsTrainingscentre in Eindhoven, we will combine a LifeSavingTeam and a TriathlonTeam on the campus and facilities of the Eindhoven University of Technology. So far we have 10 athletes willing to work with us and thsi includes 2 World Champions in Lifesaving and medal winners on European and World LifeSaving level and the Triathlete's are internationally active and have the potential to win medals on (inter)national level or have already done this.

This time's trainingtip is, during the off-season fins a sports activity that enables you to keep fit but is not specific to LifeSaving. This works refreshing and when the(pre-)season starts again you are ready and eager to get started!!

The European Championships where held in Alicante Spain and for the first time since I have been competing at these championships (since 2003) the 200m obstacle race, 4x 50m obstacle race, beach sprint and the beach relay have been scratched. I am not happy with this, and I know that with me many more athlete's aren't!
But all in all the championships are still big enough to be properly conducted, so we raced in Alicante Spain. We started on Friday in the pool, for me and for the Dutch team this wasn't the best day. We got disqualified on the 4x 25 manikin relay, on a disputable rule and by a referee that was NOT in the correct position to judge. But they held put, sadly for us as we had a chance on medals! Individually I started on the 200 Super-lifesaver, where I swam a new Best time (2.21,5) but I still haven't broken the 2.20 mark... And I also did the 50m manikin carry, here I swam an 34. That is not good, my best time is 31,7...
The second day of the championships was also in the pool, I had to swim the 50m free in the medley relay. We did ok and finished 4th, we had some bad luck in the transition from 3 to 4, but the lads solved it professionally. But with this we blew the chance on a medal, with some mathematics we figured a silver medal would have been possible.... And individually I swam the Rescue Medley, but since the pool had a drop on 17m, the referee's had decided to put the manikin right in front of it, so records could not be broken (to my view, it was actually a set back in time, you swim faster under water then carrying the manikin), I still managed to swim under my PB and under the Dutch record in 1.09,3, but it does not could for the statistics. So all in all we had some bad luck in the team events, specially because the line throw went wrong as well, but I personally swam well.
Day 3 was on the beach and on a Sunday, I raced the Board and Ski individually and was the fin swimmer in the Rescue Tube rescue race, We finished 7th in the RTRR and I made the final on the Board, but I did not really push myself since I knew my chances where on the Ski race. And this final was straight after it, with a good start I managed to get away second fastest, with David Loosen from Germany and during the race around the cans Julien Lalanne from France came by and James from Great Britain and I raced each other for the 3rd spot, since the judges couldn't see a difference between Jimmy and I so we finished equally 3rd.... So I won my first individual MEDAL on any championship ever!! Day 4 on the beach, the Monday,  I did the Oceanman and the Oceanman relay, on the Oceanman I finished 9th and in the relay we finished 6th.
Unfortunately for the event Alicante is positioned at the Mediterranean and not at a beach with waves, this was in favor of the flat water swimmers, but sadly the ILSE sport commission wants it this way... They say that in this way everybody is able to do and finish all events.

The week after I got home (with most of the team), we conducted the LDOM, a Long Distance Ocean(wo)Man in Roermond at Koers Zuid. This event wasn't just a 21k Oceanman (2k swim-6k board-9k ski and 4k run) but also an event for the under 14, they did a 750 surf race, a 2k board race, a 2k run and a 2k Oceanman (500 swim- 750 board and 1k run). This event was a success, thanks to the weather and the over 50 athlete's that took part in it! As a season finisher we also finished off with a BBQ!
Based on all the positive comments and the big number of athlete's it seems that it will be repeated next year!

Training tip:

Recovery, after a long period of training and racing you need to recover. I am currently doing this by not training for almost 3 weeks. I will do some events here and there, but not to much or to win it. And after these 3 weeks I will start easy training sessions and do some other things as well, as for instance riding a bike or surfing. This keeps your head clear, since you do not have to go back to the pool...