Old Men Running

[Bierzo Baggie]

Villablino trail
A week to recover after a muscle battering road race and in quick succession a 10k off road race, a no-nonsense, up-down affair with the descent somewhat steeper than the climb.  I liked the look of it.  
 
Villablino is a suitable location, a once thriving mining outpost now in decadence, last call up the Sil valley before the limestone mountains of Babia and gateway to the steep alpine pastures of Asturias. There has been very little mountain running activity in this area over the years and I have often wondered why.
 
The race first appeared on the calendar 3 years ago. Having missed it last year due to injury problems I was determined to make it this time even though it was only a week after the Ponferrada 10k. I wasn’t to be disappointed.
 
Teamed up with a rejuvenated Wild Oscar for the 1 hour drive. On a dull day this can be a grim journey for some, mining paraphernalia litters the roadside, crumbling cottages, steaming slagheaps, the final chapter of a familiar story for mining communities everywhere. In fact this week the last working coal mine in El Bierzo officially ceased production and the 5 miners on the last shift marched up and down the murky tunnel one last time. 
https://www.infobierzo.com/asi-muere-la-...ro/424301/
 
Villablino has lost perhaps half of its population over 20 years. Agriculture and tourism offer less lucrative alternatives for the miners’ children who stay on.
Great place for a mountain race though!
 
There was a similar turnout to the Ponferrada 10k but with a more specialist field from a wider catchment area. They came from Leon, Asturias, Galicia and even the Basque provinces. There was a world champion in our midst too, the local runner Merillas, one of the few mountain runners to have beaten Kilian Jornet at Zegama.
 
Enjoyed the race. Climbed surprisingly well along trails marked in places by the snowfall of the previous week. Descended comfortably at first but a slight twist to my right ankle sent out a warning that I still need to be careful. Once we left the more technical sections I could stretch my legs again and finished in 64 minutes, pushing myself into mid-field respectability, a rare achievement for me these days.
 
Hot chocolate and prizes in the local sports hall afterwards. There were local meat and dairy products a plenty for the winners of the various categories, although none for us! No matter, it had been fun and a good workout.
 
Some nice photos here, only a couple of them mine…
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2KqJFExZRVvgk9dE7
 
Next race on the agenda, 4 years after our last appearance, the famous Dragoman race from the castle of Villafranca to the village of Dragonte. The only way is up…