Cursa Nou Barris - 10k

After a rainy night and morning the streets were still wet when I arrived at the sports centre Can Dragò where I left my backpack after taking off the extra clothes. During the warmup I still noticed the race of yesterday ofcourse, but not as much as I feared. This race has no grouping by time, but the atmosphere was very relaxed and I could walk up to just behind the fasted runners and have a good start position.

The start was more relaxed too, maybe 50 meters of some pushing, but then there was already room enough to run a regular pace. I did not see the 1st nor the 2nd kilometer sign so the first pace indication was at 3k in 11m30, which was faster than I imagined. Up to the 5k mark there was quite a lot of uphill to run and passing just within 20 minutes was quite ok. From there on we went slowly downhill and I passed the 7k mark in 27m35. Slowly the race of yesterday is noticable and maintaining pace is not easy and the last kilometer contrary to earlier races I have no push left except for the very last meters when we enter an athetic track field and I sprint as fast as I can to finish in 39m22, which considering the race of yesterday and the hilly course of today I am very happy with.

Pujada al Tibidabo - 9k

Great running weekend with 2 runs and my son running as well tomorrow. Today a good heart and lung tester running up to the top of the Tibidabo. This time a 5k for junior runners was added, so after warming up and doing the typical preparations first some 50 boy and girls huddled up for there almost straight climb to the Tibidado. About 5 minutes later it was our turn. I had a good start, but the very steep climb to "la Carretera de les Aigües" was as always demanding and luckily about 1k of running flat afterwards was good to recover and prepare for the long climb that follows. I had some less strength uphill than last year, but I maintained a steady pace and soon we passed the first younger runners. At the end of the first uphill I rapidly changed pace for some 100m slightly downhill and then we enter a very narrow path that climbs very slowly, last year I struggled here, but not this time. About half way a long downhill starts and I go down fast and comfortably eventhough at the end 3 runners pass me able to go downhill even faster! The uphill to the finish is a constant change of rhythm, going up at different slopes. Once out of Parc de Collserola we approach the lower part of the "Parc d'atraccions del Tibidabo" and at the end a last few steep curves up to the last straight to the finish line, where I only have breath to sprint the very last meters to complete in 46m45, 5 seconds faster than last year, which regarding the injuries of this year I am very happy with!