Almeria 2010

[Sweder]

Antonio -- what are your thoughts on the post-race meal? Have you made any arrangements yet?

I talked to Encarna last Friday. Although she won´t be able to take part at the race, she wants to come to the meal with Pepe and probably Javier. We´re thinking about one place. As the group is not too big, I think we can just book the table and we can decide what to order at the restaurant.

As for the journey from Málaga, if I were you I´d come via, Loja. Granada and Guadix since it is only fifty or sixty kilometres more but it is along a motorway the whole course. If you aren´t in a hurry, you could have a look at the Alhambra in Granada from the outside and I´m sure you all will enjoy the landscape with the ranges of mountains with snow, the nature, etc. Then, on Tuesday you could go back to Málaga along the coast via Motril , which is shorter but the road is not a complete motorway. So, it may take you more or less the same amount of time.

Saludos

Antonio

Thanks Antonio. I think the return journey won't matter too much - we'll be driving in the dark for much of it.
What place were you and Encarna thinking of for the meal? Is it a new place?
Forgive me old friend, I'm on a no-snack diet; all I can think about is food
I'll be asking for a menu soon

[ladyrunner]

OK, will aim for the Merc and try to get a final figure from them. Will mail or tweet you before committing.

Well done EG - I don't mind doing some of the driving too if it's not to expensive to add a 3rd driver.

Julie

[El Gordo]

OK, will aim for the Merc and try to get a final figure from them. Will mail or tweet you before committing.

Well done EG - I don't mind doing some of the driving too if it's not to expensive to add a 3rd driver.

Julie

Thanks Julie - It seems very cheap to add a driver.

[Antonio247]

Thanks Antonio. I think the return journey won't matter too much - we'll be driving in the dark for much of it.
What place were you and Encarna thinking of for the meal? Is it a new place?
Forgive me old friend, I'm on a no-snack diet; all I can think about is food
I'll be asking for a menu soon
[/quote]

Don´t worry, S. You won´t get hungry. I think a new one could be a good option although if you all prefer one of the already visited, we are open to any suggestions.

As to the half marathon itself, the course is similar to the last year´s with some small changes.

The race number will be collected at another hotel, near yours, on Saturday afternoon. It is a bit more uphill on the left side along Avenida del Mediterráneo. It´s called hotel Vincci. It´s the new official hotel.

WWW.mediomaratonalmeria.com

You can have a look at "circuito" ( race course ). I´ve tried a link but I haven´t succeeded.

[Sweder]

Thanks A. A new restaurant would be welcome too. EG & I really liked the small place along the seafront, and the larger place slightly inland (with the goats heads on the wall). So long as the food is good and there is an option for people who don't eat seafood I think we're all pretty open-minded.
I'll try and check out the course later - I'm hoping they've taken out than funny little cul-de-sac part along the seafront; that was weird.
I'm guessing we'll be arriving at hotel Tryp Indalo around 14:30 to 15:00 (depending on how long it takes to pick up our car in Malaga).
Not long now

[Sweder]

OK, here's my attemp at posting a layout of the circuit.
Looks similar to last year with out the cul-de-sac
Looks like they've added some metres onto the first lap after we turn inland at the big roundabout, so we run further towards the bridge, almost to Bar Aqualung, before looping back towards the sea for lap two.
Thinking about it we might have done that last time; I can't be sure. They've changed the finish for sure (I prefer the new finish). We now turn right at the roundabout before the bridge and follow the finish of the 10k last year. It'll be better not having to run up the side of the railway; I always find that terribly hard for some reason (perhaps because it's the last 2 kilometres of the race!).

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

OK, here's my attemp at posting a layout of the circuit.

Wow! Looks great... wish I was going there too.

[El Gordo]

Damn -- still two hauls up La Rambla. Small beer to the Sussexites (and not often you hear that phrase...); a bit more taxing for the Berkshire flat-earthers. Another difference between the two camps is the sight of the sea, which remains a rare treat for me. I always enjoy the glimpses of the Mediterranean in the race, on that stretch beneath the palm trees -- even if it is January.

I did look at the possibility of switching hotels to the new race one. It looks quite a nice place, and not expensive (about the same as the Tryp), but it's a bit further from the sea, and from the stadium, so probably nothing much gained. It's exactly 1 km from the Tryp. Suggest we have a reccie when we pick up the numbers and consider a move next year. It might be nearer the bright lights. (I still find it difficult to work out where things are in Almeria, despite having run and staggered drunkenly round its streets for a total of about a fortnight).

It's disappointing about the early start on Tuesday, but at least the main constituents are still in place, and as Sweder pointed out, it will give our families the pleasure of seeing us sooner than hoped, erm, expected.

All I need to do now is make myself feel like running my first half marathon distance since April....

A question Anlu -- is the pre-race meal in the Vincci as well?

[Antonio247]

Damn -- still two hauls up La Rambla. Small beer to the Sussexites (and not often you hear that phrase...); a bit more taxing for the Berkshire flat-earthers. Another difference between the two camps is the sight of the sea, which remains a rare treat for me. I always enjoy the glimpses of the Mediterranean in the race, on that stretch beneath the palm trees -- even if it is January.

I did look at the possibility of switching hotels to the new race one. It looks quite a nice place, and not expensive (about the same as the Tryp), but it's a bit further from the sea, and from the stadium, so probably nothing much gained. It's exactly 1 km from the Tryp. Suggest we have a reccie when we pick up the numbers and consider a move next year. It might be nearer the bright lights. (I still find it difficult to work out where things are in Almeria, despite having run and staggered drunkenly round its streets for a total of about a fortnight).

It's disappointing about the early start on Tuesday, but at least the main constituents are still in place, and as Sweder pointed out, it will give our families the pleasure of seeing us sooner than hoped, erm, expected.

All I need to do now is make myself feel like running my first half marathon distance since April....

A question Anlu -- is the pre-race meal in the Vincci as well?

Thanks for the link to the race course, S. I think that this course is better than last year. I also found the last hill along avenida del Mediterráneo and carretera de Sierra Alhamilla very dull and tiring.

The new hotel is quite near the Tryp hotel. It must be just 400 or 500 metres away. Both of them are very similar. If you prefer this one, you can change. I can cancel the prebooking. Actually, the hotel fare is a bit cheaper and the expo is in the same place.

As to the pre-race evening meal, there is no information so far. I´ve heard that due to the crisis, there may be no pasta meal, which would be great to have a better dinner in an Italian restaurant or to go and have some tapas in a few bars on Saturday evening.

As to the post race meal restaurant, I think that "El mesón de Sierra Morena", the one with the goat´s heads and pistols, is better situated, in case it is a windy or rainy day. Anyway, we may find a better one, perhaps nearer your hotel.

Antonio

[Sweder]

As to the pre-race evening meal, there is no information so far. I´ve heard that due to the crisis, there may be no pasta meal, which would be great to have a better dinner in an Italian restaurant or to go and have some tapas in a few bars on Saturday evening.

Oh dear God ... please don't tempt El Gordo A.
The mood he's in we might end up on some kind of horrific pre-race pub-crawl

[ladyrunner]

As to the pre-race evening meal, there is no information so far. I´ve heard that due to the crisis, there may be no pasta meal, which would be great to have a better dinner in an Italian restaurant or to go and have some tapas in a few bars on Saturday evening.

Oh dear God ... please don't tempt El Gordo A.
The mood he's in we might end up on some kind of horrific pre-race pub-crawl

All that good training that we have done over the last month could all go to waste on Saturday night!!!

[El Gordo]

As to the pre-race evening meal, there is no information so far. I´ve heard that due to the crisis, there may be no pasta meal, which would be great to have a better dinner in an Italian restaurant or to go and have some tapas in a few bars on Saturday evening.

Oh dear God ... please don't tempt El Gordo A.
The mood he's in we might end up on some kind of horrific pre-race pub-crawl

You know that's not my style... I prefer to store up my pre-race credits and spend them all in a mad couple of hours, or days, after the race.

Without the gargantuan ostrich leg, or whatever they tend to serve up the night before the race, it won't be quite the same. But hey, this event continues to evolve. Looks like there will be a few differences this time around.

Not sure about the hotel change. Will it complicate things for the others?

I'm open to persuasion either way.

[ladyrunner]

OK, here's my attemp at posting a layout of the circuit.
Looks similar to last year with out the cul-de-sac
Looks like they've added some metres onto the first lap after we turn inland at the big roundabout, so we run further towards the bridge, almost to Bar Aqualung, before looping back towards the sea for lap two.
Thinking about it we might have done that last time; I can't be sure. They've changed the finish for sure (I prefer the new finish). We now turn right at the roundabout before the bridge and follow the finish of the 10k last year. It'll be better not having to run up the side of the railway; I always find that terribly hard for some reason (perhaps because it's the last 2 kilometres of the race!).

The only other difference that I can see in the course is at the start where we turned left then right, we are now turning left and left again and then do a dog-leg before returning to the original course. Thought it was a bit strange to add the new dog-leg at the beginning of the course where people are going to be bunched together - it is going to slow the beginning of the race down alot for the mid-pack runners.

I think we ran up to the bridge at the end of the first lap last year after the 10k runners headed back to the stadium at the roundabout. Dog-leg gone from second lap too.

Course is looking good to me

[Sweder]

The only other difference that I can see in the course is at the start where we turned left then right, we are now turning left and left again and then do a dog-leg before returning to the original course. Thought it was a bit strange to add the new dog-leg at the beginning of the course where people are going to be bunched together - it is going to slow the beginning of the race down alot for the mid-pack runners.

Aye carumba; I've just studied the start/ finish in more detail,
How odd is that? The start will certainly be a lot slower (no bad thing for some). I agree it'll be a bunfight for the first kilometre or so but twas ever thus.

And am I dreaming or do we enter El Stadio via a different entrance? (looks like they've taken out the steep drop to the track) AND there's no full final lap, just a part-lap to the finish.

What could possibly go wrong?

Re: the hotel ... I'm not bothered about changing our digs. I'd be surprised if there was availability at the new gaff and it looks no nearer 'downtown', being further up the hill from the Tryp. I'll have a look on MapMyRun and see if I can work it out ...

[El Gordo]

Re: the hotel ... I'm not bothered about changing our digs. I'd be surprised if there was availability at the new gaff and it looks no nearer 'downtown', being further up the hill from the Tryp. I'll have a look on MapMyRun and see if I can work it out ...

They did have availability when I checked the other day, however I tend to think we should stick with the Tryp for this year, as I think we are pretty content with it, but check out the other place when we go to collect our race numbers, and make a judgement for next year.

[El Gordo]

By the way, I was looking at the 2010 route last night, and seeing how it had changed since 2007, which seems to be the last time I have a Forerunner GPS image. I've uploaded the two images for comparison here: Almeria 2007 vs 2010

Just remembered that I only did the 10K in 2008, so don't know if the half mara route changed that year, and of course I wasn't there last year so it may well have changed again then. But certainly compared with 2007, the route is quite different in places. That long stretch along the seafront is out, and as Sweder says. the finish seems to have changed. We enter the stadium in a different place.

[ladyrunner]

The start will certainly be a lot slower (no bad thing for some).

Me thoughts too Ash - no setting a pb for the first 5k this year

I believe that we are entering the stadium on the other side too.

As far as the Hotel goes I'm not bothered either way so long as we can get a triple room for the girls, or one of us can double up with somebody else so that we don't have to pay out for a single room.

VERY IMPORTANT::

Did you spot on the Aer Lingus email that we need to provide Advance Passenger Information if travelling to Spain??

Link here: http://www.aerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01i...ry_addapis

.... and click the 5th item - Provide Advance Passenger Information for travel to Spain.

[Antonio247]

The start will certainly be a lot slower (no bad thing for some).

Me thoughts too Ash - no setting a pb for the first 5k this year

I believe that we are entering the stadium on the other side too.

As far as the Hotel goes I'm not bothered either way so long as we can get a triple room for the girls, or one of us can double up with somebody else so that we don't have to pay out for a single room.

VERY IMPORTANT::

Did you spot on the Aer Lingus email that we need to provide Advance Passenger Information if travelling to Spain??

Link here: http://www.aerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01i...ry_addapis

.... and click the 5th item - Provide Advance Passenger Information for travel to Spain.

Yesterday I went for a run along the new course near the stadium and it is OK. The finish is getting into the stadium along the opposite gate in relation with the previous years´s gate.

Yesterday I phoned the official hotel, Vincci hotel, and they told me that Monday night was not included in the offer. The tariff was 60 € + 7% VAT only the room without breakfast. I was also told that the triple room was not considered in the offer.

[Sweder]

Yesterday I phoned the official hotel, Vincci hotel, and they told me that Monday night was not included in the offer. The tariff was 60 € + 7% VAT only the room without breakfast. I was also told that the triple room was not considered in the offer.

Tryp Indalo it is for me then me hearties.
Phew! Decision made ... just got to regain use of legs after brutal hammering at the hands of the evil Bridgette this lunchtime. A story for another time ...

[ladyrunner]

VERY IMPORTANT::

Did you spot on the Aer Lingus email that we need to provide Advance Passenger Information if travelling to Spain??

Link here: http://www.aerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01i...ry_addapis

.... and click the 5th item - Provide Advance Passenger Information for travel to Spain.

Sweder and EG did you see this note from above??