Week 12

[Antonio247]

Week 12. 2nd -8th February 2004. My weight is 81.8 kilos, 200 grammes less than last week. Not much but at least I haven´t gained any weight.

Tuesday. I got up early this morning at 5.30 so I decided not to go to bed again. I was looking forward to going for a run but as it was too early I decided to do some abdominal workouts at home before leaving. Then, I went down and before crossing the avenue I heard the noise of a woman´s shoes but I couldn´t see her. I thought that when she saw me with that look she would jump frightened. Fortunately, she didn´t. She was a young woman who seemed to be from a South American country. Then, I crossed towards the park and did some stretching . Later, I went along the sea front slowly and continued as far as the petrol station near the river in 22 minutes. I went back the same way in nearly 22 minutes again. I completed one more minute to do 45 minutes and about 6 kilometres. Then I did some stretching including more abdominal workouts. The morning was nice. Actually, the temperature clock showed 14º Celsius at 6.45 a.m. As usual, I met some regular early morning runners. The sky was starry and I felt fine. I wish I could get to the marathon without any injuries and feeling so well but it´s still a long way to Madrid.

[Antonio247]

Wednesday This morning I went out for a run at 6 . I started from my usual point at Almadrabillas park. I went up La Rambla as far as the staircase that leads to a sort of balcony that overlooks the Rambla at the south and the mountains and motorway at the north. It took me 25´25´´. Then I went down but as I had to do seven miles I decided to take advantage of the little traffic and few people and went towards the city centre, the old town. I went to Puerta Purchena, Almería´s Piccadilly circus and to the Town Hall square known as “Plaza Vieja” ( Old Square ). Then I went up to the Alcazaba, an Arabic castle. From there I went down to Nicolás Salmerón´s park known as “el parque”. Then, I went into the port for half a kilometre and came back to the start/finish line in 70 minutes. I completed three more minutes to do seventy-three minutes and around ten kilometres. I did some stretching before crossing home. I went slowly and felt all right. The temperature at 6.45 was 12 degrees Celsius.

[Antonio247]

Thursday I left home at 6,40 am. Before that, I did some abdominal workouts. I started from Almadrabillas park going to the end of the first part of the sea front, around 2.5 km long, in 16´ 37´´. Then I came back a little faster in 15´3´´. I slowed down for three minutes and then I went one minute faster slowing down another 3 minutes to go faster one minute and finishing three more minutes slowly. Afterwards, I did some stretching. In all, I did 41 minutes and about 6.5 km.

I think this is the first week I´m following Hal Higdon´s plan strictly and the truth is that I find it well. I thought it would be hard to train three consecutive days but I´ve enjoyed it since Tuesday and Thursday were short distance days. I´m looking forward to Saturday when I´ll have to do 12 miles alone. As my friend Manuel, who lives in Barcelona says, we must see the positive side of everything. He says that I shouldn´t worry about being running alone for two hours since it will be a wonderful chance to be on my own, to talk to myself, to think about many things. I think he´s right. As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado said “Caminante, no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar”. It´s difficult to translate it into English but perhaps it could be : "Walker, there´s no way. You make your way by walking". I´m not sure if the translation is correct. If you find a better way to translate it, I´d be grateful if you tell us, Nigel, Brian, etc.

[Antonio247]

Saturday. Today I had to do a long run. 12 miles. I was a little afraid of having to do such distance alone but , actually, it´s been a wonderful experience. I couldn´t go early in the morning as I´d have liked, then I had to put it off for the afternoon. It was a sunny afternoon. I preferred starting in a different place so we went to Costacabana, which is a resort by the sea near the airport. My wife and son left me at the end of the sea front and I walked to a path that goes towards Retamar, Cabo de Gata. The same one I took on Friday 30th January but the other way round. It is usually a quiet and lonely place but today there was a 4X4 raid and there were many cars and people over there. Then I went to an deserted old building which used to be a "Guardia Civil" headquarters. It took me 37 minutes. Then I went back to Costacabana. In minute 40 I stopped to walk for one minute and drink some water. I was wearing a sort of strap with a pocket to carry water and cereal bars and so on. When I got to the start point, I continued along the sea front which must be 1.5km long. I stopped in minute 76 to walk for two minutes to eat a cereal bar and some water. Later I plodded along the road to the university where the half marathon gets for about another 1.5 to take the sea front to my usual starting point which is about 6 kms long. In minute 124 I walked for one minute while I was drinking a little water. I got there in 2 hours 24 minutes. I continued until I had done 2 hours 30 minutes doing in all about 20 kilometres. I went quite slowly but I enjoyed being alone such long time. Although sometimes I felt the loneliness of the long distance runner, I think it is a great experience that I wouldn´t mind doing again although perhaps on another occasion I may ask someone to come with me on bicycle so that I don´t have to carry water and food and I can talk a little from time to time. Perhaps for the 20 mile run, it could be advisable.

[Antonio247]

Summary of week 12 I´ve followed Hal Higdon´s schedule but on Sunday I couldn´t do the cross-training because I had to go to Granada to see an aunt of mine who had to go to hospital due to not feeling well. Finally, she was taken home because she wasn´t too bad. I took my mother and sister in the car. We enjoyed the trip since the landscape is great. You change from the desert of Tabernas to Sierra Nevada with a lot of snow in its mountains and many almond trees in bloom in the plain. Besides, I had some typical cakes from Granada called “piononos”, which are delicious and I bought very good bread ( you´d have liked it, Andy ) made at a village called Dólar, on the way to Granada. Nevertheless, as I went on foot or on bicycle to school and other places I think it can compensate. This week I´ve done twenty kilometres alone, which has been better than I expected. In all, I´ve done 42,5 kilometres. I´ve just noticed that it´s the marathon distance but I´ve done it in four days.

I´ve already booked the hotel for the marathon. I´m staying at Hotel NH Parque de las avenidas. I booked it at a travel agency for 50 euros a double room VAT included. I haven´t entered yet but I´ll do it soon. I´ve read we´ll get a lot of things in the bag: Two T-shirts, a raincoat, sunglasses.

[Riazor Blue]

Hi Antonio, the hotel, is it near Cibelas? I'm still waiting to know if the girlfriend can get the Saturday off work before I book the hotel. If it's 50€ for a double, I may just book it anyway.

I should be getting my entry free for buying Adidas Supernovas, but as yet I'm not on the list. How long it takes for the shop to send in all the details, I don't know.

Sounds like the training is going well. You will grow to love a long run now and again on your own, I do it all the time. The only problem is carrying the water. Can you do much off-road running where you are? Up here it's very difficult. There's a forum in Galicia and I asked if anyone knew of a few trails for long runs. It seems that in Lugo and Orense there are trials, but not much around La Coruña.

[El Gordo]

Originally posted by anlu247
[b] I´ve read we´ll get a lot of things in the bag: Two T-shirts, a raincoat, sunglasses.

A raincoat in a Spanish goody bag? Life is full of surprises...

[Antonio247]

Hello, Brian

The hotel is a bit away from the start/finish line, around three km I think but it is well communicated by tube and bus and it is in a quiet nice area near Plaza de Las Ventas. It is a four star hotel. I think it is quite new and the price is good. Apparently it is the only one you can get for only one 50 euro voucher that weekend. You can also book it through Bancotel.

I´m glad with my training. I think it is good to follow a programme although in a flexible way but knowing what you´ve got to do every week more or less and avoiding overtraining. Fortunately, there are still some unpaved paths nearby although it´s getting more and more difficult. However, at La Coruña there must be a lot of surface with grass to fo for a run. I think that running on the grass is the least harmful.

I´ve read some information on rucksacks in http://www.carreraspopulares.com/foro/home.asp?tema=4
in the topic "Mochila para correr".

I hope your girlfriend can get Saturday off so that you both can go to Madrid and live the marathon atmosphere.

Well, Brian, good luck.
Antonio

[Antonio247]

Sorry, Andy, I hadn´t seen your post. Yes, it doesn´t rain much in Spain although in northern Spain it really does. However, here in the south when it rains, it can rain cats and dogs but not for too long.

I´m glad you´re all right again and back to your training. It is good to take a rest from time to time to take the training back with more encouragement. The marathon day is getting nearer. I´m glad with Hal Higdon´s schedule, about which I learnt from you. ( I´m teaching relative clauses these days ).

Well, good luck, Andy.

Greetings from Almería Saludos desde Almería

PS. By the way, how are you getting on with your Spanish lessons?

[El Gordo]

Originally posted by anlu247
PS. By the way, how are you getting on with your Spanish lessons?

I'm afraid my Spanish lessons have dried up, Antonio. My wife is still going but I decided life was complicated enough as it is.

[El Gordo]

Originally posted by anlu247
PS. By the way, how are you getting on with your Spanish lessons?

I'm afraid my Spanish lessons have dried up, Antonio. My wife is still going but I decided life was complicated enough as it is. I seem to be juggling quite a few things at the moment, so something had to go.

Perhaps I'll start again later in the year.

[Antonio247]

Yes, there´s no time for so many things, Andy.

Well, perhaps now you can learn some Danish although in Scandinavia English is widely spoken and you won´t have any difficulty in being understood.

Regards,

Antonio