Next day, I picked them up at 9 am and took my mountain bike for Andy SP to be able to do the half on bicycle and take photos along the course and give us some water or food if we needed some. We got to the stadium car park and I left them to give a race number to a friend of mine, Riccardo, who is from Italy. He had phoned me the previous day to ask if I could enter him. I suggested giving him my brother´s race number since he wasn´t going to take part. I met him where the race numbers are given. I also met Jerónimo who is a friend from Almería who was going to take part in the half or Germán, a man from Madrid, who always runs with a T-shirt with the Cuban and Spanish flags. He takes part in a half or a marathon every weekend. He is in his sixties and had taken part at Ayamonte half marathon, near Portugal, last Sunday. A few minutes before the start, it started to rain. Everybody was worried since most of us are not used to running in the rain. I met Ashley at the stadium gate. He told me he didn´t mind the rain since he was used to it. For me, it would be the first race in the rain and I found it better than expected. The rain lasted about half an hour but there were a lot of puddles mainly at avenida Cabo de Gata.
The race started at 10 o´clock. I started with Andy and Ashley although the latter soon said goodbye. I followed Andy´s pace and we talked a little. I had to stop in km 3 to urinate and reached Andy at the beginning of the Rambla. I decided to go a little faster, so went on to meet Riccardo and later Germán, who told me he had done 1 hour 50 minutes in Ayamonte but he felt some discomfort. When we started to go down La Rambla, he went on faster. The floor was wet so you had to be careful in order not to slip. Going downhill, I reached a few runners dressed with the same equipment from Alicante but I left them behind soon. I saw Encarna at La Rambla just opposite Gran Hotel Almería and she encouraged me. At avenida Cabo de Gata I saw my sister, María del Mar and niece Elena, who were cheering as well. My brother was also coming on his bicycle taking photos. In km eight or nine, I was overtaken by the first runners. I saw José Vicente, a student of mine who did 1 hour 23 minutes on his way back to the Rambla. We cheered up each other. I also saw Alejandro, a runner I met when I did the 123 km race on bicycle or 103 km on foot last April. I also saw Antonio L., who had encouraged me to run again in 2000.
At the auditorium roundabout the puddles were so big than a man form the organisation told us to run on the fountain pavement instead of the road. I went back along Cabo de Gata avenue to the Rambla for the second time going up the hill and then downhill where at the end of it, I saw Encarna again with Carmen and Paquito, who encouraged me saying Ánimo, Antonio. I also met a former student of mine, Juan, who was doing it on bicycle. He had also taken part at the 123 km bicycle race last April. He kept me company for a few kilometres and we talked about going for a ride in Cabo de Gata where he lives. We went together along Cabo de Gata avenue and avenida del Mediterráneo. This year, I felt quite well in the last kilometres in contrast with the last year when I felt very tired. I remembered where Suzie overtook me last year near the bridge. I went on carretera de Sierra Alhamilla and told Juan I wanted to reach some runners I had in front. He told me not to go too fast. I managed to reach them and others. I even saw a few runners who were walking due to some discomfort in their knees or calves. When I reached the stadium, I felt fine. I saw Sweder in the stadium encouraging me and taking a photo of mine. We had to go for a lap and a half in the stadium. When I reached the finish, I saw Sergio from Todofondo.com who was taking photos and I was given a plastic bag. I took out my chip and was given some Aquarius, a mandarin, a banana from the Canary islands, a bag with a torch. I had arrived in 2 hours, seven minutes, thirty-two seconds, four minutes less than last year. A few minutes later, Andy arrived and later Riccardo. We congratulated each other and Andy and myself went inside the stadium where we met my pupil José Vicente, who was very glad since he had finished his first half marathon in one hour 23 minutes at the age of seventeen, since he will be eighteen in May and he was the fourth in his category. Actually, the first three winners also belong to his category. Nevetheless, he was awarded a cup. Later, we met Ashley who was very glad because he had done 1 hour 47 minutes, which is his PB. Andy was also glad since he had done three or four minutes less than last year. We went to the car where we met Andy SP on bicycle. We had some water and cereal bars and went back to the hotel.
At 3 pm, my brother Jose and I met them at the Rambla where we took some photos with Almería half marathon T-shirt on. Afterwards, we went to Club de Mar restaurant where I had booked a table. I met a colleague, Paqui who was having lunch with her husband and daughter. We ordered a beer which we had with some almonds. Later, we ordered a local white wine, Viña Laujar and Rioja Crianza red wine since another Rioja that Andy had ordered was not in perfect condition. We had paella and tuna with onion, except my brother who had scrambled eggs with fresh garlic and Ashley who had beef. We also ordered two salads. As a dessert, mango, pineapple, pudding, crème caramel or coffee. We had a good time in the restaurant and drank to our absent friends who couldn´t come this year and also to our next PBs. After the meal, we went to pick up my car. On our way to get the car, I introduced them to my wife, Carmen, and my eight-year-old son, Víctor. After that, I took them to the Mediterranean stadium where they watched the football match UD Almería against Numancia. Unfortunately, Numancia beat Almería 1-2.
IX Medio maratón de Almería. 29 - I - 2006
