Objective : Valencia half marathon

[Antonio247]

1st September 2008
I´ve decided to train for Valencia half marathon with some other friends such as Encarna, Pepe, Javier, on 16th November, and lose four kilos for then. http://WWW.mediomaratonvalencia.com

My weight was 89 kg this morning, which means that I´m really fat. Actually, this summer I´ve trained very little and I´ve eaten too much. So, I´ve decided to start the new season doing more sport and eating in a healthier way.

Then, this morning when the long teaching holidays are over at last, I decided to put on my running clothes and trainers and go for a run. I started at carretera de Sierra Alhamilla on the way up towards the estadio Mediterráneo. The first kilometre took me 7 minutes 10 seconds, at least half a minute slower than I used to be. Then I went along the bridge on Avda Mediterráneo and along that avenue as far as Avda del Perú, near my school. It took me 16´ 15´´. I did some stretching and came back along the same course. In all, I did around 4.5 km. I did some more stretching. The temperature was 24º Celsius. I felt all right when I finished but very sweaty.

I intend to have fruit for breakfast so I had an apple after having a shower. As the English proverbs says “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

[Ana]

High disciplined as you are, you will get fit just in a bit. The new season's habits and your friends will help you for the rest.

Valencia sounds a really interesting project.
This city has improved so much the last time... Is a real beautiful place to visite and eat 'paella'.

I will think about it and write the organisers. perhaps they could organize a 10 K

[Antonio247]

Gracias, Ana. It would be great if you three could come to Valencia so that we could meet and have a good time all together.

You still have time to train and take part in your first half marathon.


Saludos

Antonio

[Antonio247]

At 9:40 pm I managed to go for a run. I´m very busy with the resits this week, I went along carretera de Sierra Alhamilla as far as the bridge but today I didn´t go across it but went down along avenida del Mediterráneo towards the sea front. Almería´s fair is held at the esplanade by the avenue. This year it ended last Suturday I could see that the funfair had been removed although some “casetas” – which are walled places where people dance, drink, eat, etc – were still there. My legs were a bit stiff and I went a bit slow. After 21´30´´ I stopped at the sea front to do some stretching. I saw some runners there. The temperature indicator showed 25º Celsius but it felt cooler due to the wind. I went along the sea promenade as far as the port in 18 minutes then I continued for one more minute and walked forfive or six minutes to the Almadrabillas esplanade where I stretched again. In all, I jogged for 40 minutes and did around five kilometres.

I`ve had some fruit for breakfast all these days. I expect it will be noticed in my bathroom scales next Monday when I see how much weight I´ve lost in one week.

[Sweder]

A good start to your new campaign Antonio. I'm sure you will be feeling strong very soon

[El Gordo]

Good to see someone back on the road.

89kg = "very fat"?

What do you mean, Antonio? I was never close to being that light through all 5 marathons. My current weight, I'm horrified to reveal, was, on Monday, 239 pounds, or 108 kg. :o:o:o

The good news is that I've had a very healthy week. No running of course as my knee is still troublesome, but I've been eating very nutritiously. No processed food or meat. Been pushing lots of vegetation down my throat, and no alcohol. Will be interesting to weigh myself when I return home. I must have lost a bit.

Anyway, good luck for Valencia. How far is that from Almeria?

[Antonio247]

Gracias, amigos, for your encouragement.

EG, if I were as tall as you are, I´d weigh more or less like you but I´m only 1metre 69 centimetre. I´m glad you´re eating and drinking in a healthy way.

This morning I phoned again Almería half marathon organiser and they told me that the race will be probably on the last Sunday of January but they can´t confirm it yet for sure. So, Valencia half would be two months and ten days before.

Get better from your injuries, SW and EG.

Antonio

[Sweder]

Hmm . . . 2.24 am and just crawling in from a Girlschool album launch at the 100 club is possibly not the best time to jump in here but I suspect El Gordo was wondering about the physical mileage (or kilometres) between the cities of Almeria and Valencia.

There again I am horribly p*ssed . . . :o

[Antonio247]

Sorry. It is about 435 km away.


Saludos desde Almería

[Antonio247]

When I got to the Almadrabilla esplanade, there was an old man with his dog and three street dogs walking alone. I started at 7:30 am and went along the sea front as far as the end. It is 2.5 km in all. It took me 16´50´´ . There were people walking, running and walking their dogs at that time. I went back without stopping feeling stronger than the previous days. It took me 17´10´´. A bit slower the way back. I continued for one more minute to do 35´ in all. After that, I did some stretching in front of my flat.

Today, I didn´t have fruit for breakfast since I took a tray of little cakes to my school because it was my last day there. I´m going to teach Spanish to immigrants in other schools in Almería. I wanted a little change and I think it can be an interesting experience. Anyway, I can go back to English teaching in two years´ time if I don´t like it or there aren´t any students who need my help.

[Sweder]

Good luck in your new job A. As you say, an interesting change from your usual daily routine.
I take it you didn't take that tray of cakes to school just to eat the lot in front of your class?

[Antonio247]

Gracias, SW. I couldn´t help having two or three little cakes but I wasn´t the only one.

[El Gordo]

Good luck in the new job, Antonio. I hope you don't lose your superb command of the English language.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Congratulations on the new job Antonio. I bet it’ll be very different to teaching English. What nationalities are you going to be teaching? Sounds like a great new challenge.
Keep practising your English here.. I love reading your race reports with all their little details!

[Antonio247]

Gracias, EG and BB. I wish I had a good command of English. Anyway, I´ll keep practising my English by using it as much as posible. At least, by reading your posts here and writing a little myself.

BB, I´ll teach Spanish at two schools, three days in one and two days in the other one. In one school, all of them are Moroccans. In the other one, there are students from Morocco but also from countries of East Europe. Anyway, the groups are not completed yet since classes start on 15th September and more students can still enrol.



Saludos desde Almería

[Antonio247]

Today I decided to do a little cross-training to avoid injuries and have some active rest from runing. So, I took out my mountain bike at 8 am and went along the sea front in Almería and the bicycle lane as far as the end of Costacabana sea front. Costacabana is near the airport where we went to have breakfast last year after picking up El Gordo, Nigel, Suzie and Sweder at the airport in January 2007. According to my mileometer I did 9 km in nearly thirty minutes. There were many people doing sport at the sea fornt in Almería. The temperature was 20º Celsius. A bit cool. On the way back I saw a group of runners from an Almerian running club. In all, it took me nearly one hour and did around 18 km.

I´m not following a training schedule. I just do what I feel like doing although it also depends on the time I have for it.

[Antonio247]

7th September

At eight am I arrived at the Almadrabillas esplanade. There were already people walking like Mª José, a former teacher at my school already retired, or doing sport. Today I decided to go west. I went toward the port, Nicolás Salmerón park, which I like because you can run on a dirt track, and I got to Pescadería neighbourhood where my new school, IES Galileo, is. From there I went to the fishing port with little boats and the smell of prawns and got to a hidden beach called “playa de las olas” where I could see some anglers and divers. It took me 28 minutes. Then, I did some stretching and went up a hill to come back along a lane by the road to reach the park again and the esplanade in 26 minutes. In all, 54 minutes. As I felt all right, I decided to complete the hour by going to the sea front and come back to the esplanade. The distance around 7 kilometre. Then, I did some stretching. It was a beautiful summer day. The temperature around 25º Celsius and no wind.

This first week has been better than I thought since I hadn´t trained four days a week for a long time. Besides, I rode on bicycle one day. To sum up, four days – 22 km. Cross training – one day – riding on bicycle one hour, 18 km.


1-7 september 08 RUNNING CROSS-TRAINING
4 km + 5 km + 5km + 8 km Bicycle – one hour 18 km Feeling all right.

[Antonio247]

8th September 2008

On Monday I didn´t do any sport, just walk to school and back around 5 km. Before having an apple for breakfast, I weighed myself. The bathroom scales showed 88 kg, that is, one kilo less than the previous Monday.

9th September

I went for a run at 9 pm. I started at the Almadrabilllas esplanade and went along the sea front. It was crowded. There were a lot of people strolling, some running and a few riding on bicycle. It took me 17´20´´ to reach the end of the sea front which is around 2.5 km long. When I was coming back, I met a former colleague from my previous school who was also running, so I decided to go back with him for about 300 metres and back towards the espalanade and Nicolás Salmerón park. He´s a Natural Science teacher and his name is José Vicente. It was great to run with him since it is more interesting to run with more people. We talked about the way he likes running, which is going too fast, which makes him get tired soon. I advised him to go more slowly so that he could run further. When we got to the park, just opposite the port, I went back to the esplanade although I decided to stop at Club de Mar since I had some discomfort in my right calf. I stretched at the Almadrabillas park and put some ice on the calf at home and some cold water in the shower.

[El Gordo]

Well done on your vanishing kilo, Antonio.

I had a pretty spectacular first week of my diet. Yesterday morning I was 10.4 pounds, or 4.7 kg less than a week earlier. Seven days of healthy living has given me a good kick start.

No running as yet though.

[Antonio247]

Congratulations, EG. It´s really amazing how much you´ve managed to shed in just one week. It´s a pity that you´ve got still problems with your injury. I hope you get it over soon so that you can start training for Brighton 10 km soon.