Never without… my running shoes!

Have you ever seen Guy De Meersman walking through the corridors in a hurry? Read here why his running shoes are so dear to him.

“Eight years ago I found myself running out of breath from taking the stairs. Then I decided to do something about it. First I put myself on a diet to gain weight and then I started walking. I was 47 at the time. What started as a way to improve my fitness has really become a way of life. I now run two marathons a year and have run the ones in Berlin and Copenhagen together with Elia colleagues. Copenhagen was already my 13th. This is preceded by twelve weeks of intensive training. In those intensive weeks, the distance steadily increases to peaks of a total of 90 km per week. In the rest periods I keep my condition up to date by walking three or four times a week.

Walking is easily accessible. You step out your door and you leave. You do not have to register in a sports club, there is no fixed schedule and outside of a good pair of running shoes you need almost nothing for it. During the week I usually walk in the evening when I get home from work. That also helps to deconnect and clear my head. Then I usually do a tour of 10 km. On weekends I run 20. I leave early in the morning around half past seven. By the time I’m back, the rest of the family has only just woken up. So they are not bothered by it!

I started at Elia in the field as a technician, then grew to brigadier, foreman and now I am Adjunct Maintenance. From January, a new challenge awaits me within OCE (Operational Center of Excellence).

In my current position, I help ensure that the maintenance on the installations is carried out correctly and that the work in the different zones runs uniformly. In practice, that means quite a lot of desk work and meetings and less presence on the ground. But I do try to stretch my legs every hour. You will rarely see me take a lift. I consciously choose movement!”