Sorry for having written so little lately. I’ve tried to write a short summary of my sports activities in the year 2018. Sorry if you get bored with my reports, which you’ll probably do.
The year 2018 has been quite interesting sinced I’ve trained and taken part in three different competitions: running, mountain bicycle and triathlon.
The year started with the traditional half marathon in Almería on 4th February (
XXI Medio maratón Ciudad de Almería). This year I started at a slower pace feeling well along the course doing the race in two hours twenty minutes feeling quite well. This year, apart from the friends that came from the Brighton and Lewes area,there came a big group from near London with Steve, who had come here years before. We had a good time at the post race meal and afterwards at the Molly Malone.
On 3rd March, I did the Cabo de Gata trail (
Trail Cabo de Gata). It is a race mainly along dirt tracks that starts at Rodalquilar and ends at San José. I went with Felipe. The course is beautiful in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar park. It is 29.2 km long with a hilly course. After the race, we were given a big plate of paella and a drink.
On 18th March, Felipe, Antonio G. and I went to Lewes to take part at
The Moyleman. The weekend was quite cold with a little snow but we had a wonderful time there with our friends from the area. Felipe did the marathon and Antonio G. and I decided to do the first part instead of the relay marathon.The organisation was fantastic. The race director, Duncan, lent us warm clothes that we had forgotten to bring as we aren’t used to running in cold weather. The volunteers were great since, in spite of the cold weather, they all were very helpful and friendly. It’s a pity Ashley couldn’t be there although we met his wife and daughter who were volunteering. The course was tough but very beautiful. Olly, Naomi’s wife, was always behind us with his bicycle cheering us and helping us not to get lost since we were the last ones. The organisation was perfect with Andy and M. took us in their car to Lewes where we enjoyed the Harvey’s beer and pizza. In the evening we enjoyed the meal a lot at the pub.
On 8th April, Felipe and I took part at the ARGAR race (
Carrera de ARGAR), which is 11 K at parque del Andarax. It’s a race to help children with cancer. Felipe went with me all the course although he could have gone faster and we met a girl in the last two kilometres, so we got to the finish together.
Next Sunday, Felipe and I went to the 10 K port of Almería race (
10 kilómetros del puerto), which is quite flat with beautiful views of Almería and its Alcazaba in the background from the lighthouse. I went at a good pace and finished in 58 minutes 30 seconds. There I met a lot of fellow runners.
Next Sunday, I went on my own to Gádor, a small town 15 km away from Almería, where I took part in a trail race (
II trail del esparto) There I met, M.ª Carmen, who had been a colleague as a teacher who taught children who are ill at home. I also met Jose, who is a friend who takes part in ultra races such as 101 km Ronda or La Desértica in Almería. The course is quite tough with steep hills and dangerous downhills. In one of these I fell down but, fortunately, I didn’t get harmed much. I did the 13,7 km in one hour fifty-seven minutes. After the race we were given a dish of paella, drinks …
On 3rd June I took part in a trail race at Puebla de Don Fadrique in the province of Granada,
La Sagra Sky race. The day before my wife, Carmen, and I went with Felipe and his wife to that little town where we stayed in a hotel. On Sunday,they took me to the start to the short race 13.4 km. Felipe didn’t take part because he was injured. It is quite hard since it gets to a summit (2383 m. altitude) along steep dirt tracks. I met a man from Murcia, Fernando. We went together all the time talking. He told me to go ahead because he didn’t feel well but I told him that I’d rather go with him because I didn’t mind be the last one.
On 17th June, Felipe,Antonio G and I took part at the
CASI popular running, which is held in the outskirts of Almería. It starts at the CASI Cooperative store. Farmers take their vegetables there and they export them to many places in the world, mainly tomatoes. There I met Sophia, a Hungarian woman who is married to a Spaniard. We went together all the time, talking a lot. It was very hot and there wasn’t much water in the course. In the finish line, however, there were a lot of things to eat and drink such as water melon, sandwiches, water, beer. We did 10 K in 67 minutes.
In summer I rode a lot on my mountain bike with Santiago trainig for the Desértica but I also went running since I had to do a half marathon in October to celebrate my 60th birthday.
In September, without having trained much swimming I decided to take part in my first triathlon. It was in Tíjola, 90 km away from Almería. It’s called
Triatlón sprint Ciudad de Tíjola. It was very basic just 400 m swimming in a natural pool (Balsa de Cela), 10 km along a dirt track on mountain bike and 3 km running along another dirt track. Felipe took Antonio G. and I there in his car although he didn’t take part. It was a wonderful experience. In swimming I was the last one feeling exhausted but I managed to pass Antonio G. and other runners with the bicycle. Actually, I finished first in my category (we were only two people) and I was given a trophy and several canned vegetables typical in the Almanzora area, jam jars …
On 7th October, I took part in a 10 K race (
Run 04 Ciudad de Almería) at Retamar along a path that goes toward Cabo de Gata with beautiful views of the sea and the cape. It was quite hot. It took me 67 minutes. There I met several friends who were taking part in the race too such as Leli, Natalia …
On 14th October, I took part at
Treviso half marathon to celebrate my 60th birthday which was that day. I went with my wife, Carmen. Treviso is a beautiful city near Venice with few tourists. The atmosphere was fantastic. I met at the café before the race a boy,Cristiano, who was a student in Venice and had been in Alicante on an Erasmus scholarship. He and other people there were doing the half in order to train for Venice marathon two weeks later.The course is quite flat and goes along beautiful outskirts, parks and by the river to get to the city centre. I went at a good pace until kilometre 12 but then I had to slow down. I felt a bit tired in the last kilometres but I didn’t feel too much discomfort. I finished in 2 hours 18 minutes real time. I was given a medal and something to eat and drinks at the finish. Carmen was at the finish and took some photos.
Next Saturday, Santi and I did
La Desértica. It is a competition that can be done walking or jogging around 70 km or on mountain bike around 100 km mainly along paths or dirt tracks. The weather forecast wasn’t good. Apparently, it was going to rain a lot but, fortunately, it didn’t fall a drop. The course is quite hard with steep hills. It starts at the Mediterranean Games stadium in Almería, goes up to the Legion camp at Viator, Baños de Sierra Alhamilla then down to Pechina to go to Enix and El Marchal, Felix and down to Roquetas de Mar. It is very well organised by the Legion with plenty of drink and food stations and the soldiers cheering a lot.
On 11th November, I went with Felipe and Antonio G. to Aguadulce to take part in the
Gran fondo Mediterráneo race. They did the longer one,14 K, but I preferred doing the shorter one, around 6 K because I wanted to try to go faster than I usually go in races. It was a beautiful sunny day. I started quite fast for my level and managed to do the 6 K in 33 minutes.
Two weeks later, I took part in
Medio maratón Ciudad de Roquetas. At the start I met a girl from Ukraine who lives near Roquetas, Natalia. She was going to do her first half marathon. I started not to fast and managed to go well until kilometre 15 but later I felt tired and the wind was quite strong. I was with Natalia nearly all the race but in the last kilometres I couldn’t keep her pace. I arrived in two hours 18 minutes real time. The finish was at the bull ring. From there we went to the sports pavillion nearby where there was a lot of food and drink but the queue was quite slow.
On 1st December, Felipe and I took part at IV Carrera de ASPAPROS in Almería. It is a race to help this association which is in favour of people with psychic disabilities. The course was 9.1 km. I started not too fast and managed to go faster to finish in 53 minutes 30 seconds.
My last race of the year was the traditional San Silvestre in my home town. I’ve been able to take part in its eleven editions. There were nearly 2000 runners many of them in fancy dresses. This year the theme was gastronomy since Almería has been chosen as Spanish gastronomical capital in 2019. At the start I met Ester, a former student of mine, with other friends disguised as twelve grapes since it is a tradition in Spain to eat twelve grapes at twelve pm on 31st December in order to have twelve happy months the following year. The course starts at Molly Malone at the Paseo, goes up part of La Rambla, then down to turn right to Avenida Obispo Oberá, Puerta de Purchena and Paseo. It was very difficult to run fast the first lap (3 km). However, the next one Ester and I could go much faster. We finished in 37 minutes 50 seconds real time. We went to pick up the goodie bag with the T-shirt, a bottle of water and a banana. There were stands where you could have beer, soft drinks…
In all, I did 1319 km in runs and 1953 km in mountain bike.
I wish you all a wonderful year 2019 and wishing all your dreams come true.
Saludos desde Almería
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP9...J4dFhMRmFR
