It was a rainy weekend. It started raining on Friday afternoon and stopped on Sunday although it wasn´t raining all the time. It was great since we have a drought and we need water but it is a pity that it hadn´t been one week before or the next week. As a taxi driver told a few runners from Alicante on Saturday afternoon, In Almería it rains three times a year, one was yesterday, the other one is today and the third one will be tomorrow. Therefore, when Andy RC, Andy SP and Ashley ( Sweder ) arrived on Saturday at 10:30 it was raining. It was great to meet them after ten months when I met them in March at Reading half marathon. We went to their hotel in Almería Tryp Indalo and after a few minutes, we walked to café Hernández where we had breakfast : a drink and some slices of toast. Then, we drove to my building where I left my car in the car park and walked to a bar in the city centre, El Quinto Toro, where we met Carmen, a colleague of English at my school and Juan Pedro, another teacher of English and an experienced runner. We had some beers and tapas although AndyRC preferred water since he hadn´t drunk any alcohol since New Year. After that, we went to another bar where we had some more beer and tapas: paella, meat, etc.
At 8 pm, my brother Jose and I picked them up at their hotel after a little nap since they were very tired because they had slept very little to catch the plane that left at 6 am. We went to the stadium where they picked up their race number, chip and bag of goodies: a T-shirt, a pack of tomatoes, some leaflets with information on Almería, etc. There were some stands where you could buy some running equipment such as Verdegay shop, which is owned by one of the best local runners José Antonio García Verdegay, or http://WWW.todofondo.com stand where Sergio, who is its webmaster and the official photographer, also had some running equipment for sale. I met some other runners from Almería who I often see in other races or training along the sea front such as Jorge, Alejandro, AntonioL, etc. We had pasta dinner at the VIP hall with a fantastic view of the stadium. There, we met Carmen, with her six-year-old little son and Encarna, a friend of Carmen, who took part at El Ejido race on 31st December and she wants to run Almería half next year. The meal was quite good. It consisted of pasta salad, chicken and chips and for dessert crème caramel. Afterwards, my brother and I took our English forumites to their hotel so that they could rest well for next day´s race wishing that it didn´t rain again. Actually, it had already stopped raining.
Next day, I picked them up at 9 am and took my mountain bike for Andy SP to be able to do the half on bicycle and take photos along the course and give us some water or food if we needed some. We got to the stadium car park and I left them to give a race number to a friend of mine, Riccardo, who is from Italy. He had phoned me the previous day to ask if I could enter him. I suggested giving him my brother´s race number since he wasn´t going to take part. I met him where the race numbers are given. I also met Jerónimo who is a friend from Almería who was going to take part in the half or Germán, a man from Madrid, who always runs with a T-shirt with the Cuban and Spanish flags. He takes part in a half or a marathon every weekend. He is in his sixties and had taken part at Ayamonte half marathon, near Portugal, last Sunday. A few minutes before the start, it started to rain. Everybody was worried since most of us are not used to running in the rain. I met Ashley at the stadium gate. He told me he didn´t mind the rain since he was used to it. For me, it would be the first race in the rain and I found it better than expected. The rain lasted about half an hour but there were a lot of puddles mainly at avenida Cabo de Gata.
The race started at 10 o´clock. I started with Andy and Ashley although the latter soon said goodbye. I followed Andy´s pace and we talked a little. I had to stop in km 3 to urinate and reached Andy at the beginning of the Rambla. I decided to go a little faster, so went on to meet Riccardo and later Germán, who told me he had done 1 hour 50 minutes in Ayamonte but he felt some discomfort. When we started to go down La Rambla, he went on faster. The floor was wet so you had to be careful in order not to slip. Going downhill, I reached a few runners dressed with the same equipment from Alicante but I left them behind soon. I saw Encarna at La Rambla just opposite Gran Hotel Almería and she encouraged me. At avenida Cabo de Gata I saw my sister, María del Mar and niece Elena, who were cheering as well. My brother was also coming on his bicycle taking photos. In km eight or nine, I was overtaken by the first runners. I saw José Vicente, a student of mine who did 1 hour 23 minutes on his way back to the Rambla. We cheered up each other. I also saw Alejandro, a runner I met when I did the 123 km race on bicycle or 103 km on foot last April. I also saw Antonio L., who had encouraged me to run again in 2000.
At the auditorium roundabout the puddles were so big than a man form the organisation told us to run on the fountain pavement instead of the road. I went back along Cabo de Gata avenue to the Rambla for the second time going up the hill and then downhill where at the end of it, I saw Encarna again with Carmen and Paquito, who encouraged me saying Ánimo, Antonio. I also met a former student of mine, Juan, who was doing it on bicycle. He had also taken part at the 123 km bicycle race last April. He kept me company for a few kilometres and we talked about going for a ride in Cabo de Gata where he lives. We went together along Cabo de Gata avenue and avenida del Mediterráneo. This year, I felt quite well in the last kilometres in contrast with the last year when I felt very tired. I remembered where Suzie overtook me last year near the bridge. I went on carretera de Sierra Alhamilla and told Juan I wanted to reach some runners I had in front. He told me not to go too fast. I managed to reach them and others. I even saw a few runners who were walking due to some discomfort in their knees or calves. When I reached the stadium, I felt fine. I saw Sweder in the stadium encouraging me and taking a photo of mine. We had to go for a lap and a half in the stadium. When I reached the finish, I saw Sergio from Todofondo.com who was taking photos and I was given a plastic bag. I took out my chip and was given some Aquarius, a mandarin, a banana from the Canary islands, a bag with a torch. I had arrived in 2 hours, seven minutes, thirty-two seconds, four minutes less than last year. A few minutes later, Andy arrived and later Riccardo. We congratulated each other and Andy and myself went inside the stadium where we met my pupil José Vicente, who was very glad since he had finished his first half marathon in one hour 23 minutes at the age of seventeen, since he will be eighteen in May and he was the fourth in his category. Actually, the first three winners also belong to his category. Nevetheless, he was awarded a cup. Later, we met Ashley who was very glad because he had done 1 hour 47 minutes, which is his PB. Andy was also glad since he had done three or four minutes less than last year. We went to the car where we met Andy SP on bicycle. We had some water and cereal bars and went back to the hotel.
At 3 pm, my brother Jose and I met them at the Rambla where we took some photos with Almería half marathon T-shirt on. Afterwards, we went to Club de Mar restaurant where I had booked a table. I met a colleague, Paqui who was having lunch with her husband and daughter. We ordered a beer which we had with some almonds. Later, we ordered a local white wine, Viña Laujar and Rioja Crianza red wine since another Rioja that Andy had ordered was not in perfect condition. We had paella and tuna with onion, except my brother who had scrambled eggs with fresh garlic and Ashley who had beef. We also ordered two salads. As a dessert, mango, pineapple, pudding, crème caramel or coffee. We had a good time in the restaurant and drank to our absent friends who couldn´t come this year and also to our next PBs. After the meal, we went to pick up my car. On our way to get the car, I introduced them to my wife, Carmen, and my eight-year-old son, Víctor. After that, I took them to the Mediterranean stadium where they watched the football match UD Almería against Numancia. Unfortunately, Numancia beat Almería 1-2.
On Monday morning, I met Ashley and AndySP at the hotel restaurant where they were having breakfast. They had been up late the previous night having some drinks with Juan Pedro. There, we met a Kenyan female runner who was the second in the female category. Later, AndyRC came down and had a cup of coffee in the bar. Afterwards, I drove Andy SP and Ashley to the seafront. It was sunny and warm at last. From there we could see the sea and some snowed mountains in the background : Sierra Nevada, Sierra de los Filabres and Sierra Alhamilla. It is really unusual to see snow from Almería but the last weekend had been very cold. We had breakfast at a café in the sea front where we saw a young woman running with a limp. She is one of the best local runners. We considered that she shouldn´t have gone for a run with that injury. I had to leave them since I had lessons at school at 12.50 pm.
I met all of them on Monday evening at Molly Malone but the music was too loud so we decided to go somewhere else. I suggested Café National Geographic where we had a bottle of Rioja and some crips and nuts. By the way, while AndyRC was taking a picture the table turned down and some wine fell off. So, we asked for another bottle. After that, they wanted to go back to El Quinto Toro where they had had some wine and tapas before but when we arrived, it was closed. Then, we went to another bar in the city centre, El Ajolí, where we had another bottle of Rioja and tapas of Baked potatoes and baked ham and drank a toast to all the forumites absent including M. As it was a bit late, around 12 am, I wished them a safe trip back home and thanked them for having come here again.
I think it has been an intense weekend for all of us. I feel glad to have taken part at Almería half with these friends who came from England and have been with them, my brother and other friends in several places socializing and celebrating our achievements. It would be great if they and any other forumites could come next year.
Antonio, I really enjoyed your account of our days in Almería.
You, your family and your friends made perfect hosts, showing remarkable tolerence for our English obsessions with bars, beer and football.
It is my intention to return next year, although we may need to revise the re-hydration schedule
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Fantastic report Antonio - makes me wish I could have been there. Maybe next year?!
One question:
anlu247 Wrote:... a few runners from Alicante on Saturday afternoon...
Does Alicante make a light red wine? I ask because a winery called Rockford in South Australia make a magnificent light red wine called Alicante, but I know of no other wine by this name, and didn't know if it was a grape type or a wine district somewhere...?
Great report, Antonio. You're way too polite about the Brits though. Let's face it, we are a bunch of drunken yobs. On the way home, nursing hangovers from hell, we agreed that we'd behaved badly compared with the civilised hospitality we'd received.
MLCM - Alicante is a large town/city on the east coast, roughly central if I'm envisaging it properly. Not sure if it's a region as well. Not as far as I know. Something of a honeypot for British sun-worshippers. Much of Spain produces wine of some kind though I'm not aware of Alicante producing anything that's deemed good enough for export. It's pretty hot there, so I wouldn't associate it with delicate, light reds. If they're made at all, they're probably pretty hefty. I suspect the brand was chosen just because it's one of those easy-to-remember names.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
It was great to be with you last weekend. I´m sorry that the weather was so cold and rainy although on Monday it was better.
It would be wonderful if you could also come next year,MLCM,and take part in my local half marathon and try our wines. By the way, in the province of Alicante there are several wines although not very well known. In fact,there´s a half marathon known as "Medio maratón de la uva" - "Grape half marathon" in Aspe,in the province of Alicante in December but I think it is mainly grapes to be eaten as the twelve grapes we have in Spain to celebrate the New Year, each grape for each month. A good way to start the new year having some fruit! That tradition comes from a year in the 1920s,I think,when there was an overproduction of grapes. This is a link on Wines from Alicante. http://www.kike.c.telefonica.net/alicante/losvinos.htm
Good write-up Antonio. Makes me wish I had been there. Next year for sure! And congratulations again on a well run race. You guys all look good with your race t-shirts on. Brings back some good memories.
Many congratulations on a fine race and an excellent report, Antonio.
I enjoyed seeing the pictures and I can certainly recognise the coffee bar on the Promenade and those marvellous 'Atleta' badges. One of those hangs on my office door handle today ...
We missed you, Suzie, a lot as well as Nigel and M.
It would be wonderful if you all could come next year. If MLCM came as well, there would be runners from all the continents, except probably Asia! Because there are always fast runners from Africa.
IX Medio maratón de Almería. 29 - I - 2006
