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#elfstedenzwemtocht
Ribbelvingers. Blauwe voeten. Geen huid meer over, geen greintje kracht. En toch. Een glimlach. Slaap, Maarten. Slaap tot we bijna zijn vergeten wat je hebt gedaan. En word dan wakker, sta op, en lach. Lach omdat geen mens ooit zal doen wat jij hebt gedaan. Omdat geen mens zo gek is het te proberen. Lach om de wereld, lach om het leven. Lach. Wij lachen met je mee.
Leeuwarden
Hier begint het. De Tocht der Tochten, het barre afzien door de Friese slootjes en meren. Het is koud, normaal gesproken dan. Anders gaat ‘ie niet eens door. Geen rayonhoofd dat z’n bed uit was gekomen, deze keer. Geen wekenlange twijfel: giet it oan? Geen Unox-mutsen, geen koek en zopie, geen peloton. Eén strijder. Eén doel. Nogmaals Ljouwert, maar na een rondje Friesland. Een rondje van tweehonderd kilometer. Niet over bevroren water, maar door lang gesmolten.
Sneek
De eerste stempel is de makkelijkste. Je kón nog niet eens zo hard als je zou willen, altijd reed er wel iemand in de weg. Altijd, behalve nu. Nu al alleen. Nu al in trance. Aftasten, kijken hoe hard je kunt. En altijd die ene gedachte in het hoofd: nog honderdtachtig kilometer tot de Bonkevaart.
IJlst
Nee, dít was de makkelijkste. Sneek amper voorbij, en nu al een tweede stempel. Zo komen we er wel.
Sloten
Door de sloten naar Sloten. Je zou er bijna woordgrappen van gaan maken, maar je voelt je armen, en denkt: misschien toch maar even niet. Focus. Geniet, maar blijf denken aan het doel. Het gaat pijn doen. Je had gehoopt dat het mee zou vallen, dat je lachend over de streep zou komen, maar hier weet je: dit wordt een hels karwei.
Stavoren
Waarom is het zo moeilijk om te eten? Honger als een paard, maar slikken gaat moeilijk, en kauwen al helemaal. Langs de kant staan ze, al die mensen. Ze juichen. Ze rennen mee. Ze laten borden zien met bedragen waar je alleen van kon dromen. Even bestaat de pijn niet meer. Dat ze daar staan, in korte broek, met bier in plaats van Beerenburg, met ijs in plaats van worst, het deert niet. In de winter zou het sowieso niet lukken. Dan maar in augustus.
Hindeloopen
Dan ben je weer alleen. De pijn is terug. Je voelt de vermoeidheid, niet het soort dat je op zondag lusteloos op de bank doet zitten, maar echte vermoeidheid. Je arm omhoog doen is een hel, je andere nog meer. Maar het moet. Je moet vooruit.
Workum
Waar is dat bord. Dat bord met die drie cijfers, een één en twee nullen. Hier nog niet. Je zit stuk, en de helft moet nog gedaan. Meer zelfs. Weg van het IJsselmeer, de provincie in. Voor het eerst zwem je een heel eind in de richting van Leeuwarden. De goede richting. Even, heel even, denk je: het kan.
Bolsward
Een bocht. Weg van de grote stad. Nog verder naar het noorden. Daar waar de ijzige wind de schaatsers zo vaak geselde, daar sijpelt het besef binnen: de Bonkevaart is ver, ver weg. Maar er is hoop. De hoop van de helft. Vanaf nu tel je af in plaats van op. De dubbele cijfers, waar er tot nu toe steeds drie op de borden stonden.
Harlingen
Weer dat meer. Weer verder weg van het doel. Harlingen is de hel, ongetwijfeld een mooie stad, maar je wil er weg, weg, weg.
Franeker
Nog drie steden, maar het is nog zo’n eind. Waarom die omweg? Is honderdvijftig kilometer niet ver genoeg? Het is magisch, dat getal. 200. Maar het is zo ver. Schouders heb je niet meer. Tenen ook niet, vingers, voeten. Je hebt geen lichaam meer, alleen een hoofd – en zelfs dat begint van je vandaan te glijden. Leef je nog? Het zou kunnen.
Dokkum
Bijna vijftig kilometer liggen er tussen Franeker en Dokkum. Het mikpunt heet Bartlehiem: geen stad, maar er is een brug. Een brug zo bekend als de hoogste cols in de Tour de France, als de stenen van Roubaix, als de kop van Bloemendaal. Twee keer moet je erlangs. Twee keer. Zonder lijf. Zonder kracht. Twee keer. Zonder gedachten. Een eeuwigdurende beweging, zonder aandrijving, zonder energie. Eeuwig duurt ‘ie niet.
Leeuwarden
De Bonkevaart stroomt leeg. Leeuwarden huilt. De stad, de mensen lachen. Ze zijn trots. Het was een gevecht. Tegen jezelf, tegen de wereld. Tegen een ziekte die zoveel mensen in z’n greep houdt, maar die jou niet kon tegenhouden. Dat kon je zelf ook niet. Het enige waar je van verloor was de schepping. Als jij het niet kan, kan niemand het. Het was te veel. Het was te ver.
Het was precies ver genoeg.
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