Word from the front; we've landed at Tryp Indalo with no casualties to report. The journey from Murcia was long if uneventful, save for the battering wind that threatened to shove our minivans off the road at various exposed points. Shirts distributed and seem to be well received. That's a load off my hand luggage
Every year I check in before scurrying off to raid the local supermarket for bread, mantequilla, honey, bananas, water, orange juice and, this year, my current morning tiple, fortified tomato juice. I've no doubt that as in each previous years I'll leave a collection of semi-stale bread, half-mauled butter and a few blackened bananas for the maids to remove. And, this year, a bottle of whatever-the-hell I mistook for tomato juice; it pours rather like salsa dip and contains more toxic E's than a Yorkshireman's rant. Managed to cleans my palate with a visit to the corner bakery with surprise guest Niguel, SP and Claire to indulge in a mountain of mini-pain au raisin, generous slices of apple tart buried under an avalanche of sugar, and any number of baked items smothered in thick, dark chocolate. Oh well :o
Antonio has been a brick - sorting out all manner of requests and queries at race registration. What would we do without him? Flounder horribly I suspect. Pasta supper beckons, then the small matter of keeping SP out of the bars until race time. I confess to being extremely tired and not a little irrascible, for which I apologise unreservedly to my fellow RC-racers.
I'll be much better tomorrow when the work's done and the play's begun . . .
Selah
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Survived! Quick report to say all well, cold and wet, some PBs notably Simon with a 1:28, Jeremy West (first ever half) at 1:39 and creditable performance from Ladyrunner (yes, of course she beat me!) also 1:39. I sliced 4 minutes off my Almeria PB with a fraction over 1:42. SP survived the 10k in 1:08 - more facts and figurs to follow once they're in.
Hitting the showers fnow or some warmth then off to Club de Mar.
Commence au festivale!
[SIZE="1"]I'll explain the odd title later.
It'll take some explaining, too [/SIZE]
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Brilliant news on the PB's and big congrats to SP too...Looking forward to the reports. Hope none of you are trying to fly back into Stanstead this morning.
Looks like we might have more adventures to come down here.
With chaos in London flights out of here are pretty messed up too . . . oh well, pass the tapas SP!!!
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Following the laughable fiasco at the start of the race,I've received an (assumed to be a grovelling apology) email from the organisers.
It will take Niguel or Antonio to translate properly, but if you can make any sense of this.....
Sport Estimado/a, As councilman of Sports of the City council of Aimeria, permiteme the license of dirigirrne for ofrecerte explanations and excuses by ci episode lived in the day of the past Sunday, during ceiebraciOn of XII the Average Marathon City of Aimeria. As you already know, the exit of the test, ci the past Sunday, had to take itself by twice, after ci judge ârbitro of the test, principle sport authority, would make the decision from repetiria, because an important group of participants habia returned a route different from the official.
First of all, I want pedirte, in the name of the organization of the test, rnis mâs sincere discuipas by the annoyances that this incident also could ocasionarte and to your companions in all the senses and also comunicarte that, from ci Municipal Patronage of Sports dci City council of Aimeria, we have returned the decision to suppress to the quota of inscription in ci Average Marathon dci next year, for which you have participated in the 2009 edition.
Ademâs, would want dejarte ciaro that the decision of the repetition of the exit was strictly sport and corresponds to a responsibility dci judge ârbitro of the test, that represents the Bund in a race of carâcter international like this one; and, ademâs, that is a decision substantiated on ci international regiamento and cradle on the pretension that of no way they could be annulled the marks of each and every one of the participants in the race. I am conscious that, at ci moment of the second exit of the test, many of the participants were opposed seriously, because ademâs especially annoying climatology towards the delay for the second exit.
Nevertheless, I believe that ci organizational personnel of the race moviO râpido and, of course, which if I can asegurarte is that all we implied ourselves to mãximo in trying to trim in the measurement of the posibie the disadvantages for you, the participants, the protagonists of all this.
I want that you know that from the organization dci Half Marathon the International City of Aimeria we have very ciaro that ci success of the test resides fundamentaimente in you and ci rest of participants, with ambitious competitive goals and others by ci mere pleasure to participate in the popular race, thus, we trusted that ci next year, in 2010, we pruned to continue improving, learning of the errors and the contingencies who every year we suffered in ci desarroilo of the test, to continue beating participation record and consolidating `our MaratOn' Means between the best ones of Spain. Without mâs, reiterândome in my discuipas and hoping to have you to continue testing our great, receives a warm greeting, :RFLMAO:
As you say, SP, it is a letter of apology because of the mistake at the start and the one hour delay. As every cloud has its linen, to compensate for it, this year´s participants will have a free entry next year. The councellor adds that he expects to learn from the mistakes.
Gracias, Nigel. I´m afraid I haven´t been able to see the film although I remember you showed it at Molly´s on Monday.
Wow free entry for next years race .... sounds good to me.
Must thank EG, Sweder and Antonio for all their hard work that made the weekend so brilliant. Really sorry you couldn't make it EG.
There was a great atmosphere between team RC on the start line. The funny thing I noticed when watching the above video is that we are all standing around grinning whilst all the other runners are moving forward to get a better start!! That's how we ended up at the back of the crowds on the first start .... and the same thing happened second time round too.
After the first start fiasco my expectations weren't too high for the half marathon course and for achieving my sub 1:40 goal, but an hour later the race turned out to be spot on with a great course, and I loved the last 500m around the running track in the Almeria Stadium. Especially my dramatic sprint past Jeremy!
Yes, I wish we could see that finish on tape; it sounds very dramatic, with Jeremy strugglikng having gone off like a rat out of a drainpipe to run out of steam in the last few hundred metres. I'd been there with you if it hadn't been for my pesky hamstring . . .
Glad you enjoyed it and yes, free entry for team RC next year will be most welcome, especially if Sterling remains in the tank. Not that 12 Euros is too bad when you consider the pre-race meal, technical finishers' shirt, race entry, MP3 armband and - let's not forget - the unique punnet of Almeria's finest toms
My legs remain somewhat sore. Hopefully the incredibly strong sunshine (and the ubiquitous Caipirinhas) here in Salvador will help restore them. Planning my first beach run for 6am tomorrow
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Thanks for the thoughts, everyone. Glad you had a good time, despite the glitch. Very well done on the PBs. Despite the two longish inclines and the windswept bit along by the Med, the course does seem to throw up PBs with some regularity. I love the different atmosphere there compared with UK races. Maybe it inspires people a bit.
Will hope to meet some of you next year, if not before.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Special Friends
Super Food
Snoring!
Soggy Start
Second Start
Supping Ale
Snoring!
Speedy (down Hill)
Sunshine!!
Scratch!!
Snow (not)
Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!
See You There Next Year.
Smile.
With all the cameras out on the trip we should have got a photo of it before we started the group t-cutting session. The photos on Facebook don't show the extent of how bad it was and how lucky we were to get away with it!!
I take it that you won't be sharing with a snorer again next year Gillybean??:RFLMAO:
I'm glad to see that you have got your hangover goggles on again Mr Sweds
It's too darned hot to run here at the moment, though I've got my lungs back at last. Will try for a pre-dawn excursion along the beach tomorrow
Not sure why Sweder has posted a pic of a gargantuan tomato with some comedy glasses on it. Must be some sort of tribute to the punnet of said fruit in the Almeria goody bag.
But what's "a group t-cutting session" ??
And I also need to know about events in the Bullfighter's Bar.....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
