University is almost over

Quirijn Waaijenberg • 15 June 2025

My time since the last blog and the recovering from a fracture

In the last blog I mentioned something about trying to be a bit more consistent with my writing... This didn’t happen, as for those who check back weekly. I don’t have a good reason for it, only that writing at the time just felt like a burden, not something I enjoyed anymore. And that is a big part of why I do certain things! I do things because I enjoy doing them, not because I must or when it’s forced on me.


Today I just felt like opening my laptop and writing away.


So, let’s start where we left things — my collarbone is for the most part healed. There’s still some mild discomfort when doing a wrong movement, and my shoulder is really stiff or something. I have a hard time lifting my arm without help, and when I do it still hurts quite a bit.


There is some good in this as well, since I’m able to run and bike again (not outside yet), but it’s progress — so I’m happy with that. My body is less happy with me, because it’s protesting even after just running for 25 minutes or biking for 45 minutes. I think if I just continue taking it easy and build back up, in no time I’ll be back riding and running more and longer.

For now, that’s enough about sport, since it’s not where I want to be and I’m obviously not happy to be thrown back after it went so well before the crash.


Let’s do some university talk.

Last week I had my final few classes here at the university in Australia. I really enjoyed this last unit: Law and Business. It was super interesting and something new. I had to do an essay about a legal question, which was actually really interesting, and I think I did quite well on it. I also think it’s a good thing to know in the field I’m studying — a good tool to have in my backpack.

I had an oral presentation too, all in the last week or almost last week. Next Wednesday is officially the last day — a final exam and my first actual written exam. It will be across the street, so just a short walk this time (no travelling to the city tower where my classes normally are). Usually I had some type of quiz in my units, but never a 3-hour exam.

This weekend I made a summary — luckily I can use it during the exam because it’s an open book exam, and we’re allowed to access our notes. That’s really good for me since it’s based on Australian law.


After that exam I’ll start to plan some travelling around Australia and hopefully do some outdoor cycling again. I want to go to Sydney and maybe another city. I want to hang out with some people here before I leave, and I’ll need a nice place to crash — because as of July 1st, I’ll be leaving my dorm room. Which is interesting, because I have a lot of stuff… I have to figure out how to take everything with me lol.


That’s it for now, and I still hope that if you read my blogs, you still enjoy them. I’ll always try to write if I enjoy writing at that time, or if I have big news to share. Like finishing university, or leaving Australia — maybe even travelling belongs to that category.

See you next time!
Q

PS: I hope to have some picture next time!

by Quirijn Waaijenberg 26 September 2025
It’s Friday, the day before the race, and I’m currently chilling in bed while writing this piece about tomorrow and the past few days. Right now, the weather is dreadful, and it’s not looking much better for race day: lots of rain, and there’s even a chance the swim will be shortened — or that it could turn into a duathlon 😅. Honestly, a shorter swim would be better for me since I’m still coming back from my broken collarbone. The last few days have been amazing though. We had good weather and lots of fun during the course recons with the Dutchies. On Monday, I went out with my dad on the bike course in pouring rain and also dipped into the lake — surprisingly nice water at 19°C. Today it’s closer to 16°C. The bike course was super slippery in the rain, especially with the new downhill section near the end of the 16 km loop. On Tuesday, we went out with a big group for a two-lap ride in the sun, and later in the day we did an easy swim in the pool just to keep the shoulders loose. We wrapped it up with a pizza party with all the Dutchies in Molveno 🍕🇳🇱. On Wednesday, I only did two laps on the run course with some speed work. The run feels fast, but there’s one slippery section in the middle of the 5 km loop that could get tricky. Thursday was all about the bike: I took the cable car to the top of the climb and did the descent five times — with the last one freaking fast. It felt so good that it really got me hyped for race day. In the afternoon I chilled a bit, then went to watch the short track race that I narrowly missed qualifying for. Still, watching Romy Spoelder, Hugo Bosscher, and Bart Cooymans tear up the track was awesome. Both the men’s and women’s races had some epic battles at the front. And now, here we are: one day before the race. I went for an easy jog this morning with some speed — legs are feeling amazing. Later today I’ll do a short swim in the pool, then it’s dinner, bike check, and straight to bed. Tomorrow morning it’s game on: race day! 👉 You can follow the race live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VK9o1GcyBE 👉 Or check the live tracking: https://www.endu.net/en/events/xterra-world-championships/results My race tips for tomorrow: Swim: Survive it ! Just kidding 😅 — it’s going to be a mental game in the cold water. The most important part: even though it will be cold, try to get in the water before the start so your body adjusts properly and it won’t be such a big shock. Bike: Push hard uphill, stay careful on the downhills, and take corners high to keep speed and find easier lines. On the rock section: DON’T brake on rocks 🚫🪨. If you’re scared, just hop off the bike — better safe than crashing. Run: Full gas to the finish. Enjoy every second, because this is the LAST TIME in Molveno for the XTERRA World Champs! Have fun out there and race fast! — Q out ✌️
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by Quirijn Waaijenberg 24 April 2025
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by Quirijn Waaijenberg 17 April 2025
For everyone wondering why it's been a while—first off, I'm sorry I haven’t written anything sooner. The second reason is... I was busy wasting time. I had a difficult time settling into university life and training after the race. I had to do everything myself again, which isn’t great when you're tired and feeling a bit alone.