This is the first time I take part at a duathlon and I really enjoyed the experience. Last Saturday, on 1st October, I left Almería by car at around 9:30 am. It was a lovely sunny day. I went to Aulago, a white village in the Filabres range of mountains. It is about 50 kms from my home town on the way to Calar Alto observatory. It must be 800 metres altitude. There were a few cars parked near the entrance to the village and a few people around there with their bicycles or warming up.
I went to the village and saw a big white tent where there was a van and a few people queuing to enter the race. We were given some form to fill in and when it was my turn, I gave ten euros and was given a T-shirt, a bag with a strap to wear while running or cycling and an eye-shade. Then, another girl painted my race number with my number twice, 34.
After going back to my car and taking out my bicycle, I went to the start line to leave my bicycle in the place set for them and did some warming-up. I also drank some water at a fountain in the village and took some pictures. At 11.20 am, the race on foot started. There were 43 runners. We went along the road towards the road crossing that takes to Almería or Calar Alto for one kilometre and back to the start line. I arrived the last but one in 9´50´´. There was a drinking station there. So, I drank a glass of water. Then, I took my bicycle and went along a street to a stony place where we had to get off the bicycle. After that we had to follow a narrow steep path where we had to dismount again. Fortunately, we got to a broader path where we could ride more comfortably. There were signs showing the way in stones and ribbons in the trees. There were many olive trees, almond trees, a few fig trees. It smelt very well with a lot of aromatic plants. However, in another part of the course, we were near some greenhouses. We even had to ride on a lot of tomatoes left on our way. I went with a few cyclists I met there. One of them had to finish by 1:30 pm because he had to start working at 2:00 pm at Almería´s prison, which is near the airport and he said that he could be there in just half an hour. When we were near the village walking up a steep street, we saw a man sitting on the floor. He said that he had some muscle discomfort.. We encouraged him to follow us. We arrived at the village after around 18 kilometres and left our bicycles. We drank another glass of water at the drinking station.
I did the same two kilometres that we had done running before with a young man, Juan, who is from Almería as well. He told me that he had been working in London as a waiter for six months. He also advised me to do some hill series and short distance series on a flat surface once a week if I want to run faster. We did those two kilometres in 10´50´´. Then, we had a powerade can, a banana, some died fruit, a coke. We saw other people arriving on bicycle and later on foot. After that, I went to my car where I got changed and came back to have a plate of paella and some coke that we were invited to have as well as the people who went to the village fair. The dish of paella was very good. It had seafood and meat.
I had a good time there and I really enjoyed the experience of doing both sports in a race. Besides, it was very relaxing to go for a run after riding on bicycle.
Well done Antonio - you're stacking up the races at the moment which is probably why you're looking so fit and healthy. Most of us are struggling to wake up after the long summer.
I've never had to contend with a tomato-strewn path before. Probably the closest was at the Hamburg marathon where there were frequent water and fruit stations. For a hundred metres or so after, the road was full of slippery orange peel. Pretty treacherous. Without them, I'm sure I would have knocked an hour or two off my time....
Did you say that you've entered the London Marathon in 2006? Or did I imagine that?
I'm just enjoying a cup of tea in the Almeria mug you gave me, by the way.
Cheers!
Andy
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
You always seem to choose pretty interesting races, Antonio. This one looked fun. Glad to see you're still planning to be in Granada - you're looking in good shape for it.
Like the guy you were talking to, I really enjoy hill work and short fast runs, and they do seem to help my speed and my confidence... I found this groovy tool http://www.teamoregon.com/publications/wizard.php quite useful. It tells you how fast you should run those short 800m intervals and stuff.
It really was interesting. I´d love to take part in more duathlons since that way I´d be able to compete in both running and mountain cyclyng, which are my favourite sports. Besides, I think it´s good to alternate the training in both sports to avoid injuries. It would be even better to go for a swim as well but I get tired very quickly when I swim since I can´t swim very well.
I found interesting the website you mentioned to see the pace we can follow depending on our targets. I should do some hill work and fast run series to be able to run faster.
I´ll probably go to Granada early on Sunday. We could meet half an hour before the start of the half marathon at the stall where we can pick up our race numbers. I´ll be wearing the 2005 Reading half marathon T-shirt. Anyway, I´ll send you an e-mail a few days before the half marathon so that we can confirm where and when we can meet.
I had problems with my Granada half M entry - I had to put it right by going into the PMD in person. I'm guessing (or remembering?) that you aren't relying on the on-line entry. If you are, it would be worth a phone-call. I mention it in my training diary for this month... (It is that exciting to me.)
I have a friend who is in the veterans class (and I think will be running in Granada) who does almost all his training on a bike. I understand he was (and is, I expect) a very good cyclist.
I fancy doing a triathlon this coming year (2006) - swimming was my sport when I was younger. I know there is a tri team in Almeria - do you know anything about them? Any events? We could chat about it when we meet... (I'm also think of the Raid in Almeria if they do it again this year. We'll see.)
We'll talk by email before the event in any case. So far my training is fairly low key - but I fancy going off fast and seeing what happens. They say you should always try new things....
Í have problems with sending by fax the form in which I state that I´m responsible for anything that might happen to me at the half and the copy of having paid 5 euros to take part at it. Apparently the number I sent the fax is a telephone number but not a fax. I sent an e-mail to the organisation to check if the number was right or not.
Last year there were several triathlons in the province of Almería. Here in Almería it was the first time it was held and I think it was the first Sunday of June. In Roquetas de Mar there was another one in July, which was also the first time it was organised there and there was another one at San Juan de Terrerros, Pulpí, near Aguilas in Murcia which is held every year, I think.
The raid in Almería - 103 kms - was the first time last year. I expect it will be held next year again. I´d like to try plodding and walking this year.
Looking forward to meeting you in Granada. I don´t think I´ll get a PB since I haven´t managed to train properly and I´ve got a cold lately but I´ll try to improve my time in Almería this year - 2 hours 11 minutes. By the way, Which half do you think is softer ?
My friend Paul has also had problems with the fax - apparently not working?? Not to mention the other issues you point out. I used to work in 'process improvement' back in the UK. Not a popular subject here in Granada!
I suspect that the two courses are pretty similar - the weather was unkind in Almeria I thought (that nasty wind down by the sea under the old mine train bridge), and was better in Granada. That said, I found the Almeria half easier by far, but I was fitter than I had been in Granada - it was my preparation run for the Sevilla marathon. I got round in about 1hr26 and didn't feel too awful, and I saw the great man, El Leon, in person, so I'm bound to be more fond of Almeria. The worst bit of the Granada marathon last year was a couple of loops of the same slightly hilly section near the PMD. They have changed the route of the Granada half quite significantly this year, but the guy at the centre assured me that the new route was pretty flat all around - he didn't look like a runner though...
As far as the weather goes, I don't know about down there by the coast where you are, but a define chill has arrived here! (You could say that today the weather is perfect for a half marathon...)
I duatlón de montaña Aulago. 1 Oct 2005
