Two years ago I ran the Aquilianos route in 8 stages as preparation for doing the Aquilianos route in one whopping all day session and be back before lunch. I kept a training diary
here and very enjoyable it all was except for the fact that I wasn’t back for lunch and I ended up crocking my ankle.
This year as preparation for
the task ahead I’ve decided to do exactly the same but this time I’ll join stages together to get in the long runs I probably wouldn’t do otherwise. I’ve spent years failing to complete the “obligatory” long runs by taking short cuts, turning back early or simply not getting out of bed. Don’t like them. Won’t do them. Always end up suffering as a result (running marathons with insufficient preparation, etc.. etc..) Doing sections of the Aquilianos route will take a bit more logistical planning than simply going out the front door and running somewhere but at least I know I’ll complete the task set.
Sunday. Stage One. Trail running section.
Ponferrada to San Clemente. About 15 kms and 450m of ascent. 1 hour 50 minutes or thereabout.
To do this first stage I had to drive to the far flung village of San Clemente, leave the car and cycle back. Got soaked in the process. Dried out back home, had some breakfast and ran back to San Clemente.
It turned out to be a run-walk in quite muddy conditions. The first walk break came near the end of the first big climb when I met somebody to walk with. The fellow had just seen a couple of roe deer skipping down Monte Pajariel. We chatted and agreed that it’s difficult to understand the enjoyment some people gain by blowing these beautiful animals away. So we cursed the hunters and then we cursed the noisy quad bikes as well before going our separate ways.
Started running again and dropped down into the Oza Valley behind Monte Pajariel and then followed a smaller tributary always accompanied by the roar of the swollen stream foaming and frothing to my right. The birds were in hearty chorus and the vegetation was quite exuberant but the muddy puddles and the chill air and the morose grey sky suggested lingering winter more than encroaching spring. Reached the outskirts of Villanueva (where there is a cart museum) and eased off into another walk to cross from one valley to the next. The Aquilianos peaks were hidden by low cloud but dirty streaks of snow that ventured from beneath the murky shroud hinted at a fair smattering of the white stuff further up.
The descent into the other valley turned into a bit of a mudfest and I struggled to keep my feet in places. Slid into the village of Valdefrancos “Valley of the Franks,” and followed a narrow path above the River Oza once more. Noticed that I was only a couple of minutes slower than two years ago despite what felt like a lot more walking which seemed to suggest that an energy efficient walk-run is better than a bloody minded run-run when going up steep hills. 15 more minutes and I was back at the car in San Clemente just as the church bells were calling the old folk to mass. Felt pretty knackered and it’s dawning on me that
the task ahead is going to be harder than I’d thought.
Took some photos. One was of a rather curious contraption that was once used for shoeing cattle. And that reminds me of a particularly hilarious joke I heard somewhere (probably on this forum).
Paddy (or Taffy, or Enoch from Baggieland) goes for a job as a blacksmith. The fellow says “have you ever shoed a horse?” and Paddy replies, “no, but I’ve told a donkey to bugger off a couple of times.” Boom boom.
Remind me not to tell any more jokes..
The all new training diary.
