The heel is fine today, thanks Antonio. I'll be out for a run tomorrow morning, which will be a good test. If it's sore again afterwards, I'll have to see a physio next week.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Good luck on Sunday Antonio and John.
It's good to see you and the Spanish Crew flying the competitive flag for RC; the English-based contingent, inspired by your example, is stirring . . .
. . . slowly.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
This is the first time I take part at Granada half marathon. I´ve never considered myself prepared to take part at this half because it is too early in the season but this year I was eager to run at it since I had started training earlier and I was looking forward to meeting the new forumite Johnb.
It is really great for me to go back to Granada from time to time. I think it is a beautiful place and it reminds me of the time when I was a student at its university.
I left early in the morning, at 6:15. The temperature indicators showed 17º Celsius. When I was going towards the motorway, I saw a lot of youngsters at the Rambla going back home or somewhere else. When I was getting to Granada, I found a police car in front of me. As the speed limit was 100 km an hour in that part of the road, I decided to go behind them until the speed limit was 120 km per hour. Then, I overtook them and when I went out towards another motorway which would lead me to the sports pavilion I was going to, the policemen asked me to stop. So, I braked and waited for two civil guards to come to my car. There I was in my shorts and the Reading half T-shirt. They told me to show them my driving licence and the car documents. They told me that I was driving too close, that it could be dangerous in case they had to break quickly. I told them kindly that I thought I kept the distance correctly adding that I don´t like driving fast. I told them I was going to Granada half marathon. Fortunately, they let me go on without fining me. I drove on thinking that I am a really careful driver, so it would have been unfair to have been fined. I´ve only had a fine in twenty-eight years as a driver. It happened the first year I had my driving licence. There was a radar in Aguadulce, near Almería. The speed limit was 40 km per hour and I was driving at 60.
I managed to arrive at the sports centre in spite of the lack of indications after asking some people. It was early, about 8:20. The temperature was around 13º Celsius then. I picked up my race number and chip. I met some other people from Almería and a friend from Granada who I met in Córdoba when we were doing the military service in 1981. He works as a prison officer near Granada. He told me that he wasn´t going to run because he had some lumbago pains; his brother would run with his race number. While I was talking to him, John arrived on his bicycle and recognised me. We were very glad to meet. This friend from Granada knew John by sight because they have taken part in other races. Afterwards, I went with John to pick up his chip since he already had his race number. We talked about running, teaching English, Yorkshire, Almería, Granada, etc. John also introduced me to Paul and his wife. They live near Alhama de Granada and run a sort of outdoors company. Later, we went to a café where there were a lot of runners having something. They were frying churros but I thought that if I had some, I´d run even slower. So, John had a black coffee and I had a chocolate milkshake and two magdalenas, a sort of little sponge cakes. John didn´t feel like eating anything since he had had porridge for breakfast.
Afterwards, we went towards the sports centre again and met my friend Dani. He´s also a teacher of English. He lives in Granada where we met when we both studied English Philology there. He had come on bicycle and he took some photographs at the course and rode with me the last six kilometres.
John and I wished each other luck before the race and I went with Dani towards the last positions of the start line where Dani took a photo and met a friend who was taking part as well. The weather was good since it was about 15º Celsius by 10 am and the sun was shining. It was a beautiful morning more typical in spring than in autumn. As there was a man with a placard showing más de dos horas - more than two hours- I remained there and asked the man what time it meant. He said that depending on the people it could be one hour 58 minutes or two hours two minutes. He added that it could be seen in km 15. I noticed that he was wearing a T-shirt in which was written 1994 2005 Fifty marathons. He had a strong accent from Granada. The first kilometre took us 5´ 30´´. I managed to go with that group four or five kilometres but I preferred going at my pace doing km five in 28 minutes.I reached km 10 in around 56´30´´, which made me happy since I didn´t know if I´d be able to do ten kilometres under one hour. I remember talking to a man and a woman from Cuenca who told me about an interesting race in a beautiful surrounding with steep hills near that city in Castilla La Mancha. It is 15 km long and it is in June. There were a lot of drinking stands with water or oranges and in some also sponges and there were even some showers to go down them if you liked, which reminded me of Madrid marathon last year when it was really necessary due to the heat in Madrid on 25th April 2004. The people encouraged us a lot and the volunteers were very friendly as well. We ran near some cafés where I could smell of churros and once I could see in the background the Alhambra, a really beautiful Arabic building.
We went along neighbourhoods in the outskirts until we reached km 14 or 15 when we were in the city centre. Dani was on his bicycle and kept me company as far as the stadium. We went along Puerta Real - Granada´s Piccadilly Circus - and went towards Paseo del Salón where the Subida al Veleta starts. Unfortunately, Sierra Nevada has no snow yet, which is a wonderful view. We went along some avenues to reach the stadium. There were people encouraging us outside and inside. I managed to finish in two hours eight minutes 30 seconds real time. When I arrived, I picked up a bottle of water and a banana. Then, I gave back my chip and was given a bag with a long-sleeve T-shirt, a cap, a mini Maritoñi cake, a Puleva fruit milkshake, etc.
Afterwards, Dani and I went to the Coca Cola stand where I asked for a glass of Coke for Dani and a glass of Aquarius for myself. Then, I collected the sweatshirt I´d left at the Ropero, at the stand where clothes are left. I looked around to see if John was over there but I imagined he had finished long time before and had already left. Then, we went to my car where I got changed. After talking a little about running, teaching English as a foreign language, etc and thanking Dani for coming and taking pictures and keeping me company on his bike, we said goodbye since I had to pick up my sister and niece who had come the previous day by train and we were in a hurry. On the way to Almería, we stopped to eat some sandwiches, drink a Coke and buy some bread and cakes at a bakery.
I´ve really enjoyed this half marathon since I didn´t feel too tired. I think I can do a half marathon under two hours this season if I´m lucky with injuries and can train four or five days a week. It was great to meet John and having Dani there.
Nice report there Antonio. Granada seems like a very good half at this time of year.
It sounds like you managed 2:08 very comfortably, so I'm sure you will break 2 hours this season, although perhaps not in Alméria - I still say that race has hills, even if Andy didn't notice them!
Are you planning to run in England next year?
I will run in Brighton (February) and Reading (March).
With kind regards from Sussex,
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Thank you, Ashley. I felt better than in Almería although in Granada there were also hills. Actually, I think that Almería half is a little flatter.
I´ve applied for the London marathon ballot. If I´m not lucky, I´d like to run a half marathon in England. I´d love to go to Brighton half since I went to Reading half last year but there aren´t any flights on Monday from Gatwick in February, which would make me miss a day of classes. Anyway, If I go to London marathon this year, I can go to Brighton half in 2007.
All the best from Almería.
Antonio
PS. As soon as Almería half marathon website appears, I´ll tell you all. It would be great if some of you came here again. I´d help you with the lodging and anything else you needed, of course.
Thanks Antonio.
I for one would love to come back to Alméria.
Apart from the great experience of the race itself I really enjoyed the hospitality you , your friends and family and of the town. I will keep you informed about my plans.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Well run race Antonio! Sounds like it was fun. The weather was perfect too, which does help.
I do think if you were on a flat course, getting in under two hours would be feasible. But not with hills - and there seems to be hills in all your races over there!
I may or may not be able to join the RC group in a half next year. But hopefully you get into London and we can all meet up then.
Excellent report, Antonio, thank you. Minor spelliing note (as I know you like to be corrected): we "brake" in a car, not "break".
I've not been to Granada, but M tells me it's very beautiful. Sounds like a nice course with the usual generous array of items in the goody-bag. 2:08 is a respectable time if the course is 'less flat' than Almeria. If you can keep away from the churros, I'm sure you'll be able to get below 2 hours in the coming months - perhaps even in Almeria.
Personally, I wouldn't mind going back to Almeria for the half, though at the moment only Sweder and I have shown much interest. I'll prompt people with an update in the other thread, later this evening.
Cheers
Andy
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Thank you, amig@s, for your support and encouragement. I hope I´ll be able to do a half marathon under two hours but I don´t want to get obsessed with it. If I go on training four or five days a week and manage to lose three or four kilos to be under 80, I think it will come alone.
Thank you, Andy, for correcting that mistake. I´m sure it won´t be the only one. I´m aware of the difference between "break" and "brake" in spelling although the pronunciation is the same as they are homophones. I´ll seek consolation in believing that I was thinking what to write in English and not in Spanish to translate it into English.
I´ll be glad to welcome both of you in Almería as well as any others who felt like coming here. I´ve been told in several sources that it will be on 29th January,the last Sunday in January. As a matter of fact, I met the webmaster of http://WWW.todofondo.com at Granada half and he confirmed me the date and he also told me that the Patronato Municipal de Deportes has asked them to do the website again.
It would be great if you could also come, Suzie, but if you can´t , I expect to be lucky and go to London marathon as well.
