Week 2

[Antonio247]

Week 2. 12th-18th April 2004. My weight remains the same 81 kg. Madrid marathon is round the corner. Just two weeks to experience a marathon again. Fortunately, these last days are quite soft to get there eager to run.

Monday. Although it is a rest day, I decided to do some cross-training since I don´t have lessons until Tuesday. I went on my mountain bike at 10 am. The day was sunny although a bit windy. I went to Cabo de Gata along the sea front, road, bicycle lane, Costacabana sea front. There, I took the path towards Retamar crossing a new resort that is being built for Almería Mediterranean Games in 2005. Due to the last days´ rain, there were many puddles and mud on the paths. At Retamar, a beach resort, I took the ground path that leads to Cabo de Gata. Two or three kilometres away from Retamar, near the hermitage of Virgen del Mar, patron saint of Almería, I met a young man from Seattle, Washington in the United States, and two young women from Denmark walking next to a donkey. He told me that they started in Granada and were heading for Mojácar in the province of Almería. They usually make 20-25 km a day. It´s a nice way of travelling along a country. Then, I wished them good luck and a nice time and continued for Cabo de Gata where I arrived after one hour and 45 minutes doing around 25 kilometres. There were few people there since Easter holidays were over for most people. Then, I drank water and ate two bananas and several bars of cereals at the village square. Later, I bought some water, almond biscuits and a bar of chocolate to have on my way back. Then, I went back along the same way meeting the young people with the donkey. As they were taking the longest route, I showed them the shortest and easiest way. I continued along and later I stopped to eat biscuits and chocolate and drink some water. It became windier now and the wind was against me. I got home in 2 hours thirty minutes. In all, I did around 50 km. It took me nearly 5 hours including the breaks. I enjoyed the trip although the last kilometres were hard due to the wind.

[Antonio247]

Tuesday. I left at 7 am. I started at Almadrabillas park. I went along the sea front faster than usual but without forcing too much. It took me 14´40´´. Then, I continued along the road to the river where I turned back in minute 22. The river still had some water from last days´ rain. I got to the sea front in 29´30´´ and stopped for one minute. Then, I decided to run back to the starting/finish line as fast as possible to check how I was. I went back along the sea front meeting people I know by sight because they also go out for a walk or run early in the morning. I noticed my heart beating more frequently than usual. When I still had hal a kilometre to get I heard footsteps behind. It was a young man I often see running quite fast. He reached me and I followed his pace with difficulty. Al though I could hardly breathe, he was running quite comfortably. He was my hare to do my PB in that course. I did 13´11´´,which is not really good for the average runner but for me it was wonderful. Actually, the distance must be around 2.5km. I went on for three more minutes but more slowly. In all, I did 45 minutes and around 7 kilometres.

[Antonio247]

Thursday. I left at 9.30 am. It was slightly sunny. I was lucky because in the afternoon it´s been raining steadily all the time although not too heavily. I didn´t feel like running today but once I got to Almadrabillas park and started running I felt quite well although I noticed my legs still a bit stiff after Tuesday´s run which had been too hard for me. There were a few runners training and many people walking along the sea front. I went along the sea front twice. I tried to go at my marathon pace. I did the first lap in 16´11´´ while the second one, the way back, in 15´49´´. Then, I started again, the first lap in 16´´ and the second lap in the same time. Then, I continued for three more minutes. Sometimes, I noticed a little discomfort in my left ankle and in my left knee but not too serious, Finally, I did some stretching. In all. I did 67 minutes and around ten kilometres.

[Antonio247]

Friday. I felt my legs a bit stiff this morning but I only had to do three miles. I started at 7.10 am from carretera de Sierra Alhamilla next to my block of flats. It was a little cloudy. The temperature was 14º Celsius. I went along the pavement next to the road which doesn´t usually have much traffic. I took the bridge at avenida del Mediterráneo and went up as far as carretera de Níjar near my secondary school. It took me 17´35´´. Then, I went down avenida del Mediterráneo and got to the starting line in 34´45´´. I continued to do 38 minutes and around 5 kilometres.

[Antonio247]

Saturday. I left at 10 pm. It was a nice evening after a windy afternoon. I started at Almadrabillas park. There were a few people having a walk or a drink at the bars, cafés and restaurants by the promenade. I even saw two or three runners so late. It took me 16´30´´ to get to the end of the sea front. Then, I went on towards the university going past the petrol station that is at about half a kilometre from the end of the sea front. From there it is very dark since there are no street lamps. I heard the flow of the river under the bridge, which is quite unusual since it is usually dry. Once I got to the bicycle lane it was lit. I went on to the end of the new sea front to the university and a little further to a palm just opposite the university. It took me 40´40´´. It was quite deserted. There were only a few cars. Then, I came back and had a one-minute walk break. When you do the same run at night, it is so different from when it is in the morning or in the afternoon. I felt a little lonely but I liked the experience. There were stars in the sky but I couldn´t see the moon. I had another walk break in minute 60. After going past the petrol station, I saw three young Moroccan immigrants eating “pipas” ( sunflower seeds ). Then, I got to the sea front again where there were still a few people and got to where I had started in 84´45´´doing about 12 kilometres. When I arrived at home, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid were finishing the match, which Real Madrid won 1-2.

[Antonio247]

Sunday. I went hiking with Atanasio, a teacher of Spanish language and literatures at my school. I picked him up at 8.30 am and went to Ocaña, a village at 57 km from Almería near Sierra Nevada. We intended to go to Montenegro (1711m.), the last peak of Sierra Nevada in the province of Almería, which is a range of mountains in the provinces of Granada and Almería. http://www.mma.es/parques/lared/s_nevada/ The highest peaks are in the province of Granada where Mulhacén (3407m), the highest mountain in mainland Spain is, although the highest mountain in Spain is Teide in Tenerife, Canary islands, which is a little higher.

When we got to Ocaña at 9.20 am the village was deserted. It was sunny but a little windy. A few minutes later we saw a man. We said “Buenos días” and asked him the way to Montenegro. He was very kind and explained the way to us but later we realised that according to our guide book and map we should have followed another route. We went along a path that took us near the peak with beautiful views of the ranges of mountains called Sierra de los Filabres, Sierra Alhamilla and Sierra de Gádor and unexpectedly we realised that the bay of Almería could be seen from several places. As we understood that getting to Montenegro would take us too long, we decided to get back and take another path which would take us to another village called Nacimiento. From there we could go on along river Nacimiento to Ocaña but after waling for more than half an hour along another path we couldn´t find the path to get to the village so we had to go back to the main path again and turned back to Ocaña. We saw a family of wild boars, a little lizard. There were pine trees, holm oaks, aromatic plants. We enjoyed the trip although we couldn´t get to the summit of Montenegro.

I thought a lot about the people who were running London marathon then, especially Nigel and Liz that I didn´t know if she had got over from her injury and taken part in it. We didn´t see any people outside the village except when we were arriving back that we saw a shepherd with his wife, dogs and a flock of sheet. We spent seven hours and a half in all although we stopped to have breakfast and lunch. We must have done around thirty kilometres. When we got to the village, we went to a bar where we had a cold drink and came back at 5.10pm to arrive home at around six pm.

Half an hour later, I saw José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on TV announcing that the Spanish troops would leave Irak as soon as possible. I´ve never been in favour of that war but I think that he should have waited a little to see if UN take charge of the situation over there waiting at least until 30th June for the soldiers to come back.

[Antonio247]

Summary of week 2.

I´m feeling all right this week in which I´ve reduced the kms to 34 the same amount I was supposed to do. I went cross-crossing two days to compensate last week when I didn´t do any cross-training, which has happened other weeks as well. On Monday I went on a bicycle trip to Cabo de Gata and on Sunday I went hiking with Atanasio. Madrid marathon is round the corner.