Week 13

[Antonio247]

Tuesday 27th January 2004. I couldn´t go out for a run. I still have stiff legs after the half marathon but I felt like going to the gym to do some workouts. So, at 6.30 p.m. I left home to cross the avenue and get to a gym where you can pay just the days you go. It´s quite cheap. Only 1.50 euros. When I arrived there were some men and women doing different workouts. I started with the exercise bicycle for 17 minutes, to continue with some rowing for 4 minutes. I also did some stepping. Although my legs are a little stiff, I couldn´t help jogging a little at the treadmill. I was 12 minutes but going slowly. I only did 1.2 kilometres but I felt all right jogging on it. Then, I followed with some abdominal exercises and strength workouts with my arms and shoulders. I sweated quite a lot and felt great. I think I should do at least one session a week before the marathon. I was there for about 60 minutes.

[Antonio247]

Thursday 29th January 2004. I went to the park just opposite my flat at 6.15a.m. I did some stretching and abdominal workouts. I decided to plod along the sand on the beach, which is not as hard as the sea front pavement. There were only two young women and a young man who were speaking a foreign language, perhaps Russian. I plodded along the sand as far as the first part of the sea front in 20 minutes 20 seconds. I stopped to do some stretching and went back along the same way. As it was a little dark I didn´t see a man walking a Husky Siberian dog until I was very near them. I came back in 20´ 10´´. I continued jogging four more minutes in the park. Then, I did some more stretching and abdominal workouts. While doing this, I saw some runners who usually go very fast running slowly. Actually, I saw them at the half marathon last Sunday. It´s great to be able to go for a run again after a few days resting or doing only strength exercises last Tuesday. In all, I did forty-four minutes and around 5,5km.

I went to my physiotherapist ,Paco, at 9.30 a.m. since Thursday is my best day because I start lessons at 11.45 a.m. I had a discharge massage to avoid injuries. I asked Paco how often I should go for a massage and he told me that taking into account the kilometres I do every week, I should go once every three weeks. That´s what I´m going to do then.

[Antonio247]

Friday 30th January 2004. I decided to go on a bicycle trip since it is a holiday at secondary schools. It´s our saint patron´s day St Thomas d´ Aquinas. In fact, it was on Wednesday but it was moved to Friday. In spite of the weather forecast, cloudy day, it was a wonderful sunny day. I took the bus towards San José at ten o´clock. There was a group of teenagers who also took advantage of their day off to go on a day trip. There was also a lady in her fifties talking to the driver about how slow the health system works in Spain, especially the waiting lists to be operated or to see a specialist. Well, I got off at El Pozo de los Frailes and took the road to Los Escullos, a small resort on the coast. http://www.degata.com/There I went to a restaurant where I bought a 1.5 l bottle of water and asked the waiter what the path to San José was like. I followed that path which is not bad although sometimes you have to get off the bike because of the stones. It´s uphill and downhill. On the way to San José, I met two men from Germany who are spending their holidays at Roquetas de Mar. They had left the car at San José and had gone to Los Escullos so that then they were on their way back. They told me that they lliked going on holidays to southern countries in winter when it is very cold in their country. They like hiking a lot and they have done some more walking in the provinces of Almería and Granada. Then, I went on to Cala Higuera and San José. http://www.indalia.es/playas/cabogata/ca...a=cabogata This resort looks very different from summer when there are too many people. It is a beautiful white village without tall buildings. From there I went along a path to beautiful beaches called Los Genoveses, Mónsul where some film scenes have been shot, for instance, Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail in which Sean Connery manages to destroy the German plane by throwing birds to the plane. It´s a pity that metal no parking sign have been put up along the path. I think it doesn´t fit at all. There were a few cars and vans in the car parks near the beaches. Well, then I went a hard uphill to get to La Vela Blanca. From there there´s a beautiful view of the beaches and cliffs. Then I went downhill to Cabo de Gata lighthouse. From there I had to go up a 10% hill and then go down to Cabo de Gata village where I stopped to eat something at the sea front. http://www.jorgetutor.com/spain/andaluci...degata.htm I continued towards Retamar along a path. http://www.indalia.es/playas/bahia/bahia...oria=bahia I stopped to get a 1.5 l. bottle of water and a cake at Retamar, a resort 15 km from Almería. I sat at a table a few minutes while I drank some water and ate the cake and enjoyed the sunshine. I went on home along another path that leads to Costacabana along the coast as well. Then I went along the sea front to get home at 5 pm. In all, it took me doing about 68 kilometres.

I enjoyed the trip quite a lot. It was wonderful to be alone for a long time in the nature without any buildings and with few people.

[El Gordo]

An interesting-sounding day out, Antonio. What sort of weather conditions do you have out there at the moment? Here, I'm looking out of the window, wondering whether to brave a run. It's Saturday morning, very windy and cold, and the sky is dark. I also have a slight hangover which never helps much.

[Antonio247]

Yes, Andy, it was a really wonderful day yesterday.

This morning the weather was wonderful. It was very sunny. It´s a pity I couldn´t go out for a run. Now it´s a bit cloudy but it isn´t cold or windy. It must be around 15º degrees Celsius.

I think it´s a good idea to join a club. It must be more motivating. Perhaps I could also joing a group of people who go for a run every Saturday and Sunday at 8.45 at the sea front. However, I think I´m too slow for them and I´d also have to run alone. Anyway, I could start with them and come back when they overtake me on their way back.

Congratulations for losing weight and reaching your time goal as well. I find it hard to lose one more kilo. I´ll have to make a big effort to be under 80 kilos for the marathon.


I hope the weather over there gets better and you can go for a run.

Good luck.

Antonio

[Antonio247]

Saturday 31st January 2004. As I couldn´t go out for a run this morning, I went at 8.15 pm. It was a nice evening. I decided to go to the lighthouse because I had to do about 8 kms ( five miles ). When I had done less than half a kilometre I thought I could try to follow my physiotherapist´s piece of advice. He saw me at the beginning of the half marathon last Sunday and told me that I could increase my speed by rising my legs a bit more, by lengthening my stride and moving my waist more. So I tried to do it and got to the lighthouse in 23´45´´. My usual time was 26´30´´. Then I decided to slow down a little to avoid injuries and from minute 30-31 I walked briskly. Then I got to the start line and finish in 48´59´´. I continued two more minutes to be sure that I had done at least 8 kms I took my heart beats at the end. They were about 160. I usually have 120-130 beats a minute. I liked the experience. I think I should try to go faster in the short runs. My aim for Madrid marathon is to finish under 4 hours 30 minutes, so I have to increase my speed to reach it. In all, I did 51 minutes and around 8 kilometres. Tomorrow I have to do a 7 mile run, about 12 kilometres. I expect I´ll be able to do that although softer than today.

[Antonio247]

Sunday 1st February 2004. Although I felt a bit tired from yesterday´s run, I went for a run at 6.15 pm. It was a nice afternoon. There were a lot of people strolling along the sea front so I decided to go along the beach. I continued along the road to the dry river and went on as far as a place where there are some works. I walked one minute from minute 30 to 31 and went back to the end of the first part of the sea front. It was already dark. Then I stopped one minute to do some stretching and continued at a faster pace doing the sea front in 15 minutes. There were still a lot of people strolling. By the way, I met some people I know who were going for a walk. I continued two more minutes and then I did some stretching. I felt better than I expected since today I felt my legs a bit stiff. In all, I did 70 minutes and about 10 kilometres.

Summary of week 13 It´s been a softer week since I had done Almería half marathon the previous week. I´ve gone for a run three times instead of four but I have done two cross training days instead of one. I´m trying to get more speed and strength.

I´ve already completed one third of my training for the marathon. I feel quite well and eager to try to finish the marathon under 4 hours 30 minutes. There´s a question in a Spanish forum in which you can try to guess the time you will do. I´ll try to do it in 4 hours 22 minutes. I like that number. I think it would be great if I could do that but, anyway, just finishing it would be wonderful.

[Riazor Blue]

Cor, I wish I could go cycling up here, I've got the bicycle attatched to a static trainer in the bedroom. Seeing a) the state of the country lanes in La Coruña, b) how the galicians drive c) the hills, I'm sure that I'd be dead in 15 minutes on the road.

Keep it going Antonio, sounds like the training's going well. 4h22, sounds good to me. Be careful with the changes in stride length though. I don't know anything about your running gait, but if it's not causing you problems, I would not try to change so close to Madrid. The most important thing is to stay injury free. Increasing your stride puts different strains on your legs, especially the knees and upper leg muscles, it will take time to for your body to adapt to these changes.

[Antonio247]

Yes, Brian, I think you´re right. I shouldn´t experiment changes now since it could cause injuries. I think I couldn´t stand being injured when I´m feeling so well. I´d better take it easy and try to go a little faster but not too quickly.

Well, good luck with your training, Brian. We´ve just finished our first third in our marathon training. I´d like to run one or two more half marathons before Madrid and one or two 20 miles but doing them slowly and enjoying as much as possible.

Regards,

Antonio