There are people who spend all their life in the pursuit of happiness. I think that I´ll spend of my life in doing a half marathon under two hours. I think it is good to have a goal that you think it is possible to reach because it makes you feel motivated.
This is the second year I take part at Benidorm half marathon. It is a rather peculiar race since the marathon and half marathon are held on the same day. The former starts at 8:30 am and the latter at 10 am. Besides, you meet people from the marathon in several places depending on their pace and yours.
I had managed to go the previous day and stayed at La Era Park hotel with Manuel and Pere who live in Barcelona. They were going to take part in the marathon race. I picked up my race number, chip and a bag with a T-shirt, a bar of chocolate, some gel, leaflets, etc.
On Sunday it was a warm day. The temperature was around 20º Celsius and there were some people sunbathing on the beach or having a drink in the sea front cafés and pubs and I even saw a few swimming in the sea.
I went with Manuel and Pere to the start line, which is a the town hall and very near our hotel. We wished each other good luck. There were around 400 marathon runners. A few minutes after the start, I heard through the loudspeakers that a young woman who had been two years in coma because of a motorcycle crash was going to do the half marathon with crutches in order to raise money for a charity. Everybody clapped a lot and when I saw her later in the race both runners and public encouraged her a lot.
Before the race and while queuing for the toilet, I met a man from near Birmingham who had come for a week and who has taken part at London marathon with a good for age entry. There were a lot of harriers from the UK with the name of their hometown, others with a text like We´re running for Jackie, The Luke appeal, etc. There were also runners from other countries such as Belgium, The Netherlands apart from many parts of Spain. It was funny to hear people speaking in English, Spanish, Valenciano ( The Catalan language spoken in the region of Valencia ), etc.
It took me one minute to get to the start line and at the beginning we had to go carefully because there were a lot of people, around 1700 runners. I felt well and I managed to go to a 5´20´´ pace for the first 8 kilometres but afterwards, I felt some discomfort in my thighs which made me slow down. We went along the sea front towards the west and back towards the city centre with people sitting at the cafés having breakfast or at the pubs having a beer at 11:30 am. Then, we went towards the outskirts with a long hill to go back to the town hall.
I met some female runners from Brighton and Hove while climbing the hill in km 16. I told them about The Snake that Sweder often mentions. They told me that they took part at Brighton 10 km last Sunday. They also told me that it was too hot for them. I couldn´t keep their pace on the downhill but I met them at the finish. When I was going downhill, I saw Manuel going up the hill and a few minutes later I also saw Pere. We wished each other good luck.
In the last kilometre a young woman from near Coventry reached me and we talked a little about The Lady Godiva half marathon in October in Coventry and Jane told me that she has taken part in London marathon twice. We arrived together in two hours eleven minutes real time. We congratulated each other and picked up the glass memento and took out our chips. We said goodbye and I wished her a happy weekend and a safe journey back home since she was leaving the next day. Later, I picked up a little bottle of water, an orange, a chocolate and a glass of Coke. In went to the guardarropa ( left baggage ?) where I picked up the bag I had left and changed my T-shirt . A few minutes later, I saw Manuel and Pere who had done the marathon in 3 hours 45 minutes and 3 hours 58 minutes respectively. We asked a Belgian man, Christian, to take a photo of us with Manuel´s camera. He told us that he had finished the marathon in 3 hours 59 minutes. He also said that it had been his sixth marathon in Benidorm and he had taken part in two half marathons there as well.
Although I didn´t reach my goal, I had a good time. I´ll go on in the pursuit of lowering the two hour barrier in another half marathon.
Do you have any thoughts about how to get below 2 hours? Are you doing any hill work or intervals to help improve your speed? Perhaps if you slowed your pace from 5:20 to 5:30 (or even 5:40) you could get through without the thighs causing problems - and you'd still finish under 2 hours.
Maybe with so many RC runners going to Almeria next year perhaps someone could act as pace maker to get you all in under the 2 hour mark
Well done Antonio! Considering how hot it was, I think your time is good. And your friends did well in the marathon.
I would also like to get under two hours. But I think its like MLC Man mentions - I'll have to be doing hills or stairs or something hard like that in order to bring my time down. Maybe in Almeria we'll be able to achieve our goals - something to aim for.
anlu247 Wrote:I met some female runners from Brighton and Hove while climbing the hill in km 16. I told them about “The Snake” that Sweder often mentions. They told me that they took part at Brighton 10 km last Sunday. They also told me that it was too hot for them.
Oh goodness, I can just imagine these two Brighton Belles hearing about Sweder's Snake from the man from Almería! Bravo Antonio, another excellent race report. You make all the races you take part in sound like 'must do' events!
A pace maker for a sub 2 hours Almería eh?
Well, if you're serious I would happily take that on. I'm not especially quick but I do tend to run fairly even halves, and I'm confident I could pace out a 2 hour Almería run (provided someone can lend me a Garmin). It would be something very special to help you reach that goal.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
I'm another wannabe sub-2 half runner. I can't say it will never happen, but I'd have to drop my best average pace by about a minute a mile which is a tall order. Perhaps if you keep shedding the weight, you'll make it. Me too. It would be good for you to achieve your goal in Almeria.
Anyway, well done on continuing to knock out these races. You always seem to have something up your sleeve to surprise us with.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
It would be wonderful to do Almería half under two hours but I should do longer runs once a week, hills, speed and interval training and lose some more kilos. With SW´s help and encouragement in Almería, it sounds not so difficult. Perhaps Andy, Suzie and myself could make it here but if we can´t, it doesn´t matter much. The important thing is to go on enjoying running.
By the way, the course will be very similar to the two previous editions but the Rambla hill will be one kilometre less and we´ll go along the road by the sea front, which is flat, the same distance. Then, it is a good chance to drop our time.
anlu247 Wrote:.......the Rambla hill will be one kilometre less and we´ll go along the road by the sea front, which is flat, the same distance.....
Hurrah!!
It would be a big step up for me between now and end of Jan to get close to 2 hours, but let's see how the training (and the weight loss) goes over the next 2 months, and you never know.
It may be more realistic in 2008, when I'll be chasing MLCM and SP along the fringes of the Mediterranean.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Antonio
Many congratulations on a good race in warm conditions in Benidorm. Looking at your pictures, I guess it truly is the age of Aquarius ...
And that really is excellent news about the Rambla in Almería, which I must say has quite made my day.
I won't be chasing any PBs there, though, so perhaps I should volunteer as a pace bunny for the sub-2hours brigade, always assuming that there are any takers for the attempt, and that I manage to make the distance myself ?
That would give you all exactly two months to get ready, and for me to practise my legendary motivational techniques.
Nigel Wrote:I won't be chasing any PBs there, though, so perhaps I should volunteer as a pace bunny for the sub-2hours brigade, always assuming that there are any takers for the attempt, and that I manage to make the distance myself ?
Viva amig@s ! Y que vamanos, slackers !
OK, way cool - looks like '07 Almeria is going to be a doozie
anlu247 Wrote:By the way, the course will be very similar to the two previous editions but the Rambla hill will be one kilometre less and we´ll go along the road by the sea front, which is flat, the same distance. Then, it is a good chance to drop our time.
[SIZE="6"]What!!!???[/SIZE]
That's it I'm bloody well not going!
There's hardly any hills as it is. Cutting them short? Lots more flat stuff? What's the world coming to . . . :mad:
[SIZE="1"]mumble mutter grumble sigh . . .[/SIZE]
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Yea! What great news about the Rambla. I didn't mind the first time around, but the second time it didn't feel so good. Now maybe a sub two hour is possible. But I don't think I'll be able to pace with anyone as I do the 10 min. of running, 1 minute of walking. Although, that said, if we're keeping around the same time near the end I'll pass on my walks and go for it with the group. Could be a fun and challenging half marathon.
Congatulations on completing the Benidorm half marathon, a few of my friends from my running club went out to do it, not seen them since. Keep working towards that 2 hour mark it will come with perserverance, hope to see you on the start line at Almeria.
Hi Antonio,
Well run. I'd imagine that Benidorm must be just about the most com¡smapolitan race in Spain. They said that the foreign entrants in the Barcelona marathon this year was huge, but I would imagine that the percentage is greater in Benidorm.
It's a shame that I can't make it to Almeria again this year, i was thinking about the marathon in Badajoz which is the veterans championship this year, but I'm way too slow at the moment. It'll be Viana do Castelo in Portugal again - not a bad way to celebrate my birthday.
Hopefully we'll meet up again one day soon, either in andalucia or in galicia.
If I can get somewhere around 1.30 -1.40 I will be happy. My personal best is 1,27 but I'm not looking for that in Almeria. I will be just happy to compete in the race.
PaulK Wrote:If I can get somewhere around 1.30 -1.40 I will be happy. Paul
Same here. I think the race starts at about 11 am, so I hope to get in around 1:30 pm or perhaps a little earlier. Let's leave those fast buggers to knacker themselves out, eh?
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Benidorm half marathon. 26th Nov 2006.
