Madrid marathon. Second part.

[Antonio247]

José Pedro had to stop to have some “Reflex” in his knee, so I continued after wishing each other good luck. I went on alone to meet later two Italian men from Bergamo, Mario and Giuliano, who told me they had taken part in 80 and 100 marathons respectively. They had been to Milan, Rome, Paris, London, New York and they thought that Madrid was the hardest one. We went along Moncloa, where the Prime Minister´s residence is. Then, we went along “Ciudad Universitaria” where many faculties and halls of residences are. Then, the Italians went on and I continued alone towards the biggest park in Madrid, Casa de Campo, km 29 to 34. I started to feel some discomfort in my legs although my heart went all right. I met a pretty black young woman from Netherland but living in Egypt. She told me this was her first marathon. I told her that my goal was to do it in under 4 hours and a half but I´d be glad if I could do it under 5 hours. She said that if I could keep that pace, I could do it. Then, she said that she had to wait for her fiance who was behind and wished me good luck.I said “you too”. After leaving Casa de Campo, we went up avenida Virgen del Puerto with a beautiful view of the Royal palace. My brother was waiting for me there and I asked him for a bar of cereal and I offered other runners who were going along at that moment. From there on, I had to run and walk a lot since my legs felt stiff. I saw Atlético de Madrid stadium. I noticed a lot of people walking too because we were doing the last kilometres and they were uphill except the last two that were flat. I met a man from Jersey who was walking and I told him that we were arriving, that it was just a mile and a half to get to the finish. I remember jogging and walking with a girl who was always jogging but I always reached her. We got to Atocha station, where one of the terrorist attacks happened. I felt sad for all that. There were a lot of people cheering there, telling us that we were really near. There were also runners who had finished who encouraged a lot. My brother came running with me the last kilometre and taking photos of me and a runner from Carreraspopulares.com who I had met before, Storbhas. He offered me some “Isostar” . He picked up his five-or-six-year old daughter, who didn´t feel like, to get to the finish together. He burst out crying with emotion for having finished his first marathon. I felt glad because I had finished a marathon after many years but a little disappointed because I hadn´t done it under 4 hours and a half as I had expected. I finished in five hours, ten minutes although the real time was three minutes less. The advantage of having done such a poor time is that I have a large scope to lower that time on another occasion. I thought that perhaps it is not worth taking part in such a race since it means so much effort but a few hours later I was thinking of doing another marathon in October or November. I don´t know what this race has that makes it so special. Anyway, after running a marathon, doing a half marathon should be a piece of cake. When I finished, I picked up a bag with drinks and food. I was thirsty so I drank a bottle of water. I picked up my bag at the cloakroom tent and looked for Brian who was in another tent. He was very glad I had finished all right and he took a picture of mine and we asked another volunteer to take a picture of both of us. We wished each other good luck and we hope to meet again. It´s been a pleasure meeting you, Brian.

My brother and I met at the Post Office building and took the tube back to the hotel. There was a beggar lying on the floor. Some runners had left food or drinks next to him. I left a milkshake and a yoghurt. It was hard to bend my legs to leave that. We got to the hotel at around 3.30. I had a quick shower, paid the bill and asked for a taxi. We went to Chamartín railway station in a taxi. There, we bought two sandwiches, a salad and a lemon Fanta at Pans and Company which we ate later on the train at 4.45 pm.

It was wonderful not to have to drive back home. I could enjoy looking at the landscape and resting. We went through La Mancha with its windmills, the land of Don Quixote. We also went through the province of Jaén, filled with olive trees. We finally arrived at Almería station at 11.40pm after spending 48 hours away, five of them in the running crowd.

As a conclusion, I can say that it´s been a very interesting experience although quite hard but worth living. I remember thinking when I had to walk in the last kilometres that the distance is too long, that it can make you get injured, that perhaps I should go on with half marathons or shorter distances but once you finish, you forget all the pain and are thinking about the following one.

Thank you very much for all your encouragement and support, amigos y amigas.

[Nigel]

Antonio
All those months of running along the seafront and up the stairs in Almería were surely worth every step.

Your report does not disappoint, since you made us feel like we ran every step with you, from boarding the bus for Madrid to relaxing on the train home across La Mancha and Andalucía. You paint a rich tapestry of runners and scenes along the way from Paseo de la Castellana to Puerto del Sol and, most emotionally, past Atocha. I am exhausted and drained after reading it.

Congratulations on finishing a marvellous marathon in Madrid, and thank you for your atmospheric report. Have a good and well-deserved rest now.

[El Gordo]

Wow, that's a great report Antonio. Very well done on completing your marathon after such a long break.

I really enjoyed the detailed description. It's the small things that make the difference, like leaving the yoghurt for the homeless guy.

A couple of things that struck me: I wonder if it was wise to get the all-night bus on the Friday? The reason I say this is that I recall Hal Higdon saying that because it's hard to get a good night's sleep the night before the race (through nerves and/or having to get up early), it's pretty essential to get proper sleep the night before that one. Maybe this deprived you of some important rest?

Another thing that sounded unusual preparation was the Cava the day before. I know the wine well - it's popular in the UK. I wouldn't trust myself to have only one glass though, so I'd have to wait till after the race.

I'm so pleased that you made it. I hope you're not feeling disappointed with your time. From what you say, the course is a difficult one, and the thought of doing a marathon (or any running at all) in 34 degrees is not pleasant.

As you say, it gives you plenty to aim at when you do your next one. And you beat me anyway. The last marathon I did was 5:15.

I hope you are spending this week stuffing your face with cakes of all descriptions, and having a few celebratory beers. The best thing after a marathon is just to do nothing for a week, then perhaps have a very gentle couple of runs the following week to loosen up again. After that you can ease yourself back in.

One thing I always find after big races is that you have to repair yourself emotionally too. It's a lot of mental strain as well as physical, and you have to expect to have slightly wild thoughts for a while, like imagining that Deportivo can win the Champions League.

So, you think you might do another marathon in the autumn? Where are you thinking of? I haven't decided yet what to do later in the year. I need to get Copenhagen out of the way. If I'm still alive I'll have to make some tough decisions. I'd love to do the Dublin marathon sometime, and we keep saying we must visit Poland, and the Warsaw marathon is in September.

I can just see you now, having emptied your goody bag. Sitting there in the Almeria sunshine, wearing your 2 teeshirts, your sunglasses and your, er, raincoat, in front of a mountain of cakes, emptying a half-litre glass of Cava down your throat. Grinning broadly.

You deserve it, Antonio. Once again, very well done. We've really enjoyed reading your training reports, and I hope you'll continue to describe your next steps.

Cheers!

Andy

[Riazor Blue]

Hi Antonio, well done again for Sunday. You have to be proud of your time given the conditions. Ladies and gentlemen reading this, it was incredibly hot, and, as Antonio points out it's a different heat to the coast. I'm sending you the fotos by e-mail, I've forgotten how my web site works so I cannot post them.

Any ideas for the next one? I hope to see you in Galicia some day soon, we have excellent filloas, rosguillas, tarta de Santiago and a whole lot more...

[Antonio247]

Thanks a lot, Nigel, Andy and Brian. Although I dreamt about doing around four hours thirty, I´m glad because I managed to arrive without any injuries feeling not too bad. Yesterday, I learnt about a man who got to km 42 and fainted due to dehydratation and had to be taken to hospital. It must be terrible.

Nigel, I´m glad you had a good time in Sicily. It´s wonderful to be able to relax after a marathon. On Monday, when I was at school I felt exhausted after the marathon and the whole trip.

Yes, Andy, I knew it wouldn´t be very wise to spend Friday night travelling by coach. I´d preferred going by train sleeping on a couchette but there´s no night train any more. Anyway, I think that on Saturday night I slept very well making up the time lost. As far as cava is concerned, it was just a little glass and I had a lot of time to assimilate it. I felt all right after it even though I´m not used to drinking alcohol but as I had eaten a lot before it was al right. By the way, I´ve got to get Carlsberg beer to celebrate your success in Copenhagen.

I´ve been resting these days but this morning I went jogging for thirty minutes doing the same course than last Thursday, along the port and I felt better than I´d expected. I was also at my physiotherapist to have a discharge massage. Now, my goal is to run a half marathon under two hours. I may go to Almansa in the province of Albacete on 22nd May or if I´m not all right yet, I´d wait to 20th June in Albacete.

I think I should do more speed and more hills to be a little faster.
I was thinking of doing another marathon in autumn. I had in mind San Sebastián, which is very flat but Dublin sounds great. I liked Ireland a lot when I travelled on bicycle nearly twenty years ago. I went from Dublin to Limerick, Killarney- I loved the ring of Killarney, Cork and back to Dublin. The people were very friendly. However, I don´t know if I´ll be able to go abroad at the end of October. I want to apply for London marathon next year. I´ve heard through Nigel, Andy and more people that it is wonderful. Besides, it´s easier to get an entry for overseas runners. That way we all could meet in Lonodn.

Thanks for the photos, Brian. I look a bit tired at the one you took me after picking up my bag at the tent. It was great to meet you in Madrid. It´s really wonderful that you decided to help as a volunteer when you realised that you weren´t in good conditions to run. It must be interesting to see the marathon from another side. I´m looking forward to going to Galicia and doing "Camino de Santiago" on bicycle, not running . If we go this summer, we´ll have a "Torta de Santiago", for instance. You can also come to the south although it is hotter here. You´ll be welcome here. Good luck with everything.


Best wishes, everybody.

Antonio

PS. By the way, Andy. Do you know how Suzie did Stratford marathon?

[stillwaddler]

Congratulations Antonio, how you manage to run in such heat is beyond me, especially as I still haven't attempted a marathon at all yet. Have a well deserved rest and enjoy yourself :-)

[Antonio247]

Sorry I haven´t answered before but I´ve got problems with my internet connection at home, so I´m writing from my school.

Thank you, Stillwaddler. Although it was very hot, the experience was great and worth living. The weather can be very different in April. Actually, it´s been colder these last days.

The marathon may call you one day as it has happened to us. I think that life´s a marathon and a marathon is like life with the good expectations that we all have but seldom come true. In the marathon there are many ups-and-downs and once you get there even if you don´t reach your goal, as was my case,you usually feel happy and eager to try again and do it better.

Good luck, S., and thanks again.

Antonio

[suzieq]

Well done Antonio! You did it!

Now you can sit back and say that you've run a marathon, it really is a huge accomplishment. And doing it in that heat, I just can't imagine.

I, very sadly, did not do the complete marathon in Stratford-upon-Avon. It didn't start until 1:00 p.m. (silly time to start a marathon I think), and by that time the heat was tremendous. Coming from Canada, I'm not used to the heat yet, so it just drained me. I had a nice pace going too, and felt in great shape...but I just couldn't take in enough water. So I pulled off at the half marathon turning point and ended up running in with another fellow from the area who decided to do the same thing. Very disappointing though. Now I'll have to continue my training and do the local marathon in July (starts at 7:00 a.m.). I did think about you as I was running and glad to read your whole report. You sure sounded aware of everything and being able to talk and run the whole way...good for you!

[Antonio247]

Thanks a lot, Suzie. Although I didn´t reach my goal, I´m glad that I managed to finish in 5 hours ten minutes. It was quite hot and hilly especially the last kilometres. I didn´t feel too exhausted the next days, so I started jogging again on Thursday for thirty minutes but the next week I couldn´t go because I had a terrible cold. I started again last Saturday. Now, my goal is to do Albacete half marathon on 20th June under two hours.

It´s a pity you couldn´t do the whole marathon due to the heat and the fact that the race was so late. Anyway, you´ll have another chance to run a marathon in your hometown in July and the experience in Stratford will be useful for you to do it under four hours and a half.


I hope you enjoyed your holidays in Europe. Where did you go after the UK? Did you meet Andy in London?

Best Wishes


Antonio

[El Gordo]

I mailed Suzie but she must have missed my message, so we never did meet up, unfortunately.

[suzieq]

Hello Antonio and Andy:

Andy - I never received your message! It's too bad, but next time I'm in England hopefully it will work out.

I ended up going to Turkey for a week at an all inclusive resort. Would've be good, except it was a German resort and no one there spoke English! I had said I wanted sun and beach, which is what I got. Next time I'll just fly into Istanbul and make my own way around. Live and learn. It was relaxing and hot...

I just love England and wish I had spent more time there - although the high exchange rate for us Canadians is a real killer.

Good luck with your upcoming half, Antonio and the goal of under 2 hours. That's ambitious! I've decided to do the Calgary marathon in July so back to serious training again.

And good luck to you Andy in your marathon. I'll be interested to hear everything about it.

Suzie