Season 2016

[Bierzo Baggie]

La Peña del Seo 1576m

Charlie Cat said “find me a mountain”.
Here is one.
 It's not the highest of mountains but it is a magical one. It’s a mountain which holds a thousand secrets with enough tales of espionage, secret agents and Nazis to be worthy of another Indiana Jones episode.
There are indeed enough tales to fill several books.
One of those books has already been written.
Raul Garrido’s novel “El año del Wolfram” was a prize winner in the 80s. Much of the story was based on fact and its main character is a dense element as heavy as gold and as black as a moonless Bierzo night.
 
Wolfram or tungsten has the highest melting point of all the elements which makes it ideal for use in cannon shells and missiles. There were rich deposits in Portugal and northern Spain and for a couple of decades the stuff was like gold-dust for many impoverished little villages in the vicinity of a mine. One of the biggest mines in El Bierzo was found within the huge lump of rock called “la Peña del Seo”. The Nazis knew how to exploit the tungsten deposits better than anybody. They paid a handsome price for it too and gangs of young men from miles around would scramble over the crags armed with sacks, picks and pistols. In those terrible times a man was prepared to kill for a decent piece of wolfram.
  In Garrido’s book, a tantalising mixture of fact and fiction, there was the mysterious figure of a British secret agent who lived near Cacabelos. His role ranged from smuggling POWs between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic ports, providing a safe haven for wounded guerrilla fighters in the aftermath of the Spanish civil war and keeping tabs on wolfram movements. This person really existed and there are still people who (just about) remember him although his actual role in all of the above is sometimes cloudy and unclear. Can’t expand on this any more, I lent my copy of the book to Jesus Scooter-man 2 years ago after a previous visit to “la peña” and I haven’t seen it since!
 
Splendid Sunday morning. Circular route from Cadafresnas village, up past the ghostly ruins of the miners’ barracks, past the mine face which is slightly higher up, and then on to the mountain, a merry scramble across the top and down the other side, a soft shoe shuffle through the snow and back to the village. Didn’t see a soul, just me and my shadow.     2 hours 50 minutes.
 
https://picasaweb.google.com/11835619296...SeoFeb2016

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

So ... now that the boar hunting season is over, you're substituting being shot at by tungsten miners? You, BB, have to be the most colourful of RC runners. There must be a book in there somewhere.

Great stuff, keep it coming!

[marathondan]

Looks like a fabulous morning's work, BB. Great photos.

However, maybe you should spend your Sunday mornings trying to find Jesus?

[Bierzo Baggie]

Less tungsten talk and more running technicalities.... as I was saying.
 
Sunday’s long “run” was the polar opposite of the Wednesday session. There was no need for speed ... (as long as I made it back for dinner). The first 25 minutes along the access track to the miner’s camp were as slow and as cautious as they come. With age and experience I have learnt to run slow. A younger me would have set off too quickly and returned in a sorry state.
 
The next 25 minutes were a run-walk up an ever increasing gradient. The dividing line between run and walk is sometimes difficult to perceive. When it is very steep a walk can be more efficient and even faster. Other times a tottering run can represent a rest from a prolonged and vigorous walking action. Upside down running.
 
The next hour or so was on the mountain. The pathless ascent occassionally involved resting a hand here and there. There were stops to shoot photos and get my breath back at the same time. There were even short sections along the top where proper runnuing was possible
 
The descent over a layer of soft, crunchy snow was sinkingly uncomfortable at times but kind on the ageing chassis. Last year on the same section I had twisted an ankle coming down the scree and rocky rubble. Descending is another type of running too. I find it hard to maintain the concentration necessary and sometimes I just have to stop. Another excuse for a photo!
 
Back on the trails that criss-cross these mountains, back to the miner’s camp and 20 minutes to the car. Felt pretty good. As always it’s difficult to calculate the time spent actually running . About an hou? Maybe more..
 
Wednesday: 4 laps of the usual midweek circuit with a more comprehensible sort of running action and no more tales of tungsten.
21 and a half minutes.  

[Bierzo Baggie]

February drags to a close and the routine has stuck, 3 runs a week plus a swim. This week was no different except that improvisation finally took over on Sunday morning and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

 
Running gets a bit lonely sometimes. And I am easily distracted.
 
If I see somebody I know near the beginning of a run I will often tag along and modify the original route or even scrap it altogether. This Sunday Monte Pajariel was teeming with people.
 
First I met Zamora the carpenter who was on his way back from San Esteban where there had been a dog race going on. A dog race? The dogs and their owners cover a 7km off-road circuit but you must have a dog to take part. Neither I nor Zamora the carpenter have dogs. Would have been nice to watch though. We stopped and chatted as you do.
 
Then I saw a couple of runners crossing the wooden bridge. Both wore identical yellow jackets. I tried to chase them down, which meant me running a bit faster than I should have done. Just as I was drawing up level after 5 minutes of hot pursuit along one of the undulating Pajariel trails I saw Terry McDermott. Distraction number 3.
 
Terry has got a superb perm and to be honest I’m just jealous because he must be about 15 years older than me. Anyway we’d arranged to meet on the wooden bridge the day before and I’d frozen my bollocks off waiting for him and he didn’t show up so I wanted to at least have a word. By the time I’d had word with Terry I was so far off my original long route I decided I might as well chase down the bright yellow twosome again and what do you know? One of them was Pepe Reina. A lot of ex-footballers on Monte Pajariel this morning!  We chatted for a while about local events and I discovered that it was Pepe who had encouraged Pedro the lumberjack to run the Aquilianos. Pedro lumberjack broke the course record on his first attempt and the rest is history. So engrossed was I in the conversation that by the time we parted ways I hadn’t got a clue where I was going.
 
Eventually decided to do the reverse of the original route but noticed a familiar tug deep in my left calf as I approached the first big hill. It was cold, all the stopping and starting, speeding up and slowing down hadn’t helped and as the ache intensified into mild pain it became obvious I wasn’t going to complete this run. So I started walking home.
 
 Just then, Pepe Reina and his mate appeared once more. Their route had been blocked off by a burst river bank and they were heading back via Monte Pajariel again. Weak willed and easily convinced, I was pulled along and unwisely I started running again.
As I said distance running can get a bit lonely and one can make some poor decisions as a result. If I had stuck to the original long, slow route as planned I probably wouldn’t have got injured.
 
Saturday 38 minutes
Sunday 40 minutes running. 
              40 minutes walking.
              At least 40 minutes jabbering away like an old ‘n in the fish market.
      One very sore left calf.  
 
Might have to rest a while.

[Charliecat5]

Running gets a bit lonely sometimes. And I am easily distracted.
 

I would argue that it is the distractions that make running enjoyable.  If it's about pounding out the distance for the sake of pounding, count me out.  If it's about running with people who make you smile, taking a left instead of a right for the hell of it, running through a patch of thorns because you've kinda got lost again, chatting for half an hour in a coffee shop, etc., etc., then count me in.
I for one, cannot wait to find an excuse to coming running with you. Who knows where we'll end up.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Running gets a bit lonely sometimes. And I am easily distracted.
 

I for one, cannot wait to find an excuse to coming running with you. Who knows where we'll end up.

...most likely being shot at by boar hunters.









Come to think of it, I might join you.

[Charliecat5]

Running gets a bit lonely sometimes. And I am easily distracted.
 

I for one, cannot wait to find an excuse to coming running with you. Who knows where we'll end up.

...most likely being shot at by boar hunters.



Come to think of it, I might join you.

Being shot at by boar hunters has to preferable to running with Mr Pink Shorts, also sporting for my visual pleasure, full length black and white socks and occasionally the loudest Key West sunset T-shirt you could possibly imagine.   He thinks he looks cool! 

It is no surprise we see little wildlife on our jaunts over the Downs. 

[Sweder]

Being shot at by boar hunters has to preferable to running with Mr Pink Shorts, also sporting for my visual pleasure, full length black and white socks and occasionally the loudest Key West sunset T-shirt you could possibly imagine.  

Who is this bastion of sartorial inelegance?
I must avoid him at all costs.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Running gets a bit lonely sometimes. And I am easily distracted.
 

I would argue that it is the distractions that make running enjoyable.  If it's about pounding out the distance for the sake of pounding, count me out.  If it's about running with people who make you smile, taking a left instead of a right for the hell of it, running through a patch of thorns because you've kinda got lost again, chatting for half an hour in a coffee shop, etc., etc., then count me in.
I for one, cannot wait to find an excuse to coming running with you. Who knows where we'll end up.

Oh yes, and that's why I'm walking with a limp...

Seriously, agree with you 100%

And about Sweder's dress sense I do not feel qualified to comment .....but I did like that shirt

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

And about Sweder's dress sense I do not feel qualified to comment .....but I did like that shirt

Don't feel bad about it BB, we all make mistakes.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Made the Wednesday night rendezvous despite the sore leg. 22 minutes in the dark. Oo errr.
 
The Alto Sil is just over 2 weeks away. A few big names have signed up and I’ve heard a rumour that there’s a Welsh contingent coming over.

https://www.facebook.com/CarreraAltoSil/...011616432/

Sunday morning race to get through first in Balboa.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

The Alto Sil looks as amazing as ever, BB. Best of luck with the next two weeks of training!

[Bierzo Baggie]

Race report: Trail Balboa (last Sunday).
Remember the time when running was a relatively painless activity? When things got tough you either slowed down a bit or pushed on, because you could. And speeding up would involve a rush of blood to the head and a surge of energy. A change of gear even.
Middle aged running hurts.
That is the painful reality.
Injuries disappear only when superceded by other injuries. The dull ache in my left calf will be replaced by a sharp pain in my lower back. Problem solved.
Sunday morning: 21k and 1200m climb.
 
Balboa is a small agricultural town famous for its pedigree cattle and its “palloza,” a traditional thatched building made of local stone and where man and beast once shared the same living space. The appearance of these buildings, think Asterix and Obelix or iron age hill forts, is often attributed to the influence of the Celts in this area. Man adapting to his environment with the resources that were available at the time is a less romantic and more likely explanation. The swallow will build the same nest wherever you find her.
 
There was snow, quite a lot of it on the surrounding hills, pretty in places, especially higher up where it was soft and shapely like lemon meringue. The endless landscape of sugar coated pine trees and gorse bushes also pleased the eye. But there was also dirty, slushy, mud-caked snow where the runners cut a rude furrow through the virgin whiteness. Some short sections of descent were slideable. To gain places you could just sit down and launch yourself through the cold, greasy mud until your arse went numb. Overtook a few people in this undignified way.
 
2 hours 50 minutes, 105th out of 207 finishers.
 
Beers in the palloza afterwards.
I’ll tell you what, the craft beer craze has reached El Bierzo too but it’s all a bit hit and miss I’m afraid. Much of the stuff the pointy bearded craft brewers peddle around here tastes like dodgy home brew to me. Bierzo’s beer of choice was the instantly likeable Estrella Galicia 1906, a nice premium lager, safe, cheap and friendly …just like me!
 
And with beer in hand, thawing out next to the open fire of a palloza-restaurant, the aches and pains finally seem worth it .. for now.

[Antonio247]

Congratulations on that tough half marathon, BB! Beautiful poetic report and fantastic pics.


Saludos desde Almería.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Congratulations on that tough half marathon, BB! Beautiful poetic report and fantastic pics.


Saludos desde Almería.

Thanks Antonio, the pics aren't mine though, didn't take the camera with me this time. Didn't think it would survive!

Wednesday Still hadn't really recovered but dutifully made my weekly date with darkness. 4 laps as fast as possible in 21 minutes. Calves of steel. Back of plywood. Worrying pain from left bum-cheek.

[Charliecat5]

Congratulations on that tough half marathon, BB! Beautiful poetic report and fantastic pics.


Saludos desde Almería.

Thanks Antonio, the pics aren't mine though, didn't take the camera with me this time. Didn't think it would survive!

Wednesday Still hadn't really recovered but dutifully made my weekly date with darkness. 4 laps as fast as possible in 21 minutes. Calves of steel. Back of plywood. Worrying pain from left bum-cheek.

Don't talk to me about painful bum-cheeks.  I pulled both gluts track running on Thursday, yet foolishly ran 10 miles today marking out the Moyleman course ready for tomorrow.  They're like finely tuned piano wires now.  Still, it makes you feel alive! 

[Bierzo Baggie]

Last Sunday  
5k in support of cancer research and in support of the Ultra Running Butcher whose wife Rosa had died of said disease the previous week. Nearly 1000 people took part, walking, running, with pushchairs, with their dogs, Fernando Loco on his unicycle..etc..etc...
My first ever timed 5k but time was irrelevent for this one. Ironic that this should take place at exactly the same time as the Moyleman.

Alto Sil tomorrow. Mini-Zegama.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Slightly mad Alto Sil this year with quite a few big names making an appearance. Will try to write a decent report ...might take me a while though 


https://picasaweb.google.com/11835619296...ltoSil2016

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Looks as amazing as ever - looking forward to the report, BB!