Toral De Los Vados

[Riazor Blue]

Toral is a village of about 2000 people. It's got a river, it's got (or had) a coal mine, there's wine, 'botillo' and it's got a marathon. The marathon was celebrating it's 20 anniversary this year. Here in Spain Toral de los Vados has a reputation as 'a runners event'. I've probably not worded that very well, but what I mean is that it's organized perfectly from a competitors point of view. True enough it's a super event, only spoiled by 42.2km of running.

We drove the 200km from La Coruña to Toral de los Vados late on the Saturday afternoon. The week previous to the race (4th July) Spain had been suffering some of it's hottest temperatures for ages. OK, it was not so bad in the North, and La Coruña wasn´t affected by this heatwave, but as we drove over the frontier into Castilla y Leon at 8.30pm, the temperature showed 33 degrees.

After picking up my race number and goodie bag we went in search of a hotel. Toral was full. Not only was there the marathon (with 530 runners) it was also fiesta weekend, so we ended up outside the village in a quiet motel on the old Coruña-Madrid highway.

We dined in the town of Ponferrada at about 11.30 (temp 22 degrees) then it was time to try and sleep (with the heat, no air-con, and fiestas). Oh, i forgot to mention, as it gets hot in this area of Spain in July, the race started at 8.00 in the morning. So, I managed to doze off at around 4.00am only for the alarm to go off at 5.30. Noisey buggers these fiestas.

After breakfast of 2 powerbars and a coffee, we drove into the village ready for the start. it was 6.45, three-quarters of the people up and about were runners (or associated with runners), but 25% were still celebrating the previous night. More coffee followed, then a gentle warm up.

There was a minute's silence at the start in remembrance of a local runner killed in a car accident a few days previous. We set off at 8.10 more or less, with the temperature at 13 degrees, which wasn't too bad.

[Riazor Blue]

I had decided (my race plan having been hurriedly scribbled on the back of one of the girlfriend's fag packets) to set out at 3hour 20 pace and to see what happens. 3h20' is 4'45" per kilometer, and I nailed it.

Well, for 21km at least... probably longer.

But more of that later. I'll save the excuses for the end.

Of the 530 entrants, I reckon that 400 actally started. At least two I saw in the morning who, having travelled from Seville, dropped out before the start due to a heavy session in the previous night's fiestas.

The course was more or less flat, which was surprising as all around were mountains. We left Toral after 3.5km and set off towards Cacabelos, now famous for it's wine (denominacion de origen BIERZO for Andy) but also famous as a battle site during the Napoleonic wars (a recreation being held each year - with a healthy number of Brits in attendance aswell). I was running with a group of 5 guys from Ferrol and another from Bilbao, keeping well to my pace. Passing through Cacabelos we ran about 6km on the 'camino de santiago' the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela, the burial site of St James. This year is a holy year, when St James' day falls on a Sunday. With this there were many more pilgrims than usual, we must have passed about 150 during our 35 minutes on the route.

14km marked a third done, also time for a power gel. There had only been water in the drinks stations up till now and a few carbs would come in handy I thought.

Pressing on, we came to the half marathon in Ponferrada at 1h 42' which was more or less (casi bloody perfecto) on schedule. Only problem was that the legs were feeling a bit tired. My running partners also, were feeling a bit tired, and those from Ferrol dropped off a bit after 25km.

28km saw the guy from Bilbao saying adios.. and me taking another powergel. Things had reached an equilibrium now, for every runner that I overtook, another would overtake me. We were at about 22 degrees now and the hamstrings had started to grumble a bit.

30km saw a loo break and 32km was passed in 2h40'. I had starte to slow, but never mind. With 10km to go, if I ran 5 minute kilometers I would finish in 3 1/2 hours.

34Km - only 8km to go... that's an easy run on the esplanade in La Coruña. 34.2Km cramp in the right hamstring. So I stop for a couple of minutes to massage it back to life, then on again.

After 30km there were drinks every 2km, which was just aswell as the temperature was now around 27 degrees. At 36km I took my drinks walking for the first time ever.. carried on running then the cramp returned. After massaging the thigh back to life, on I pressed. at this stage I was passing more walking than running. The heat had started to take it's toll.

We entered Toral again at 38km, it was a 1km run down the side of the railway, turn right by the river, right again to bring you by the station, run through the start line the about 1 km jently uphill to the sports stadium. 300 metres around the track ad that was it.

I have to say that coming down the finishing straight it was nice to hear " and number 1746 is Brian Carrau, an Englishman living in La Coruña" then the applause from the already finished runners and supporters.

After drinks, nuts, etc, photos shower etc it was time for the post race lunch. Cold meats, cheeses, bread, chorizo, fruits yoghut washed down with local wine and mineral water.

Strange things happen at these events, we just happened to take a place sitting next to an English guy who lives in Ponferrada, and a German guy who lives in Comunidad Valenciana, the only other foreigners in the race (Portuguese not included). How wierd is that?

Another nice touch from the organizers, at the end of lunch we were able to collect cetificates for the event, the fastest service I've seen.

Finally, after lunch it was down to the river (and into the river we dived - go there Brucie baby !!!). Given that the river is mountain snow melt, it was great for the legs...

[Riazor Blue]

Oh yes.... the time.... and the excuses....

3hours and thirty eight minutes.

The excuses.... well, it was hot. No, that's not an excuse. The truth is that I really missed out on a lot of training, what with the shop and all of that (which is going well - as I hear you asking). The truth is that you can get away with running a fairly decent half marathon with minimal training - two or three weeks to tone everything up again, but the full 42.2km will always find you out.

Will I run Toral de los Vados again??

You bet I will.

And I've got a score to settle.

[Nigel]

Well done, Brian, on an excellent run, all the more commendable after the disappointment of missing out on Madrid and amidst the excitement of opening your own running shop in La Coruña.

I can remember many a scant and thirsty breakfast in fiesta-time taken just as the sun emerged into the cloudless skies of a summer's morning in Castilla-Leon. A day's geological fieldwork in the hills of Burgos and Soria always seemed a daunting prospect as the temperatures began to rise inexorably and the lack of sleep taxed a weary body and mind. It is hard for me to imagine running a step, let alone a marathon under those conditions, yet you succeeded, and with a great time, too.

Congratulations on a marvellous run, and an excellent report !

[El Gordo]

Thanks for the great report, RB, and well done on a great run in difficult conditions.

Andy

[Antonio247]

Well done, Brian! I´m glad you´ve managed to train for the marathon after your injury for the Madrid marathon and with so little time due to the running shop. I´m also glad it is going well.

Sorry I haven´t written before but I´ve been away from the computer for nearly two weeks.

Hasta la vista.

Antonio