Cursa de la Mercè

So here we are, back again, one week later. Today started cloudy and not as warm as last week eventhough there was a rather high humidity. This time I slept well and had an easy morning preparing for the race. Everything went very smooth and just before entering my "box" I met Andrés and his wife Silvia - somehow we always run into eachother if we run the same race - and we wished eachother good luck. With 16.000 runners the start was very crowded and when we were shot away at 9h30 the first meters we had to take care to not fall. One runner unfortunately did so, I hope he is ok!

After the first turn onto Parallel we have lots of space and when we arrive at the next turn the pack
already has stretched out. The first kilometer passed way too fast in 3m34 and the second was still going at the same pace 7m08. But I was feeling ok so when turning onto the long stretch we would run on Gran Via I really settled for a good pace and hold this pace untill the 5k mark which I passed in 18:37, very fast considering the race of last week, eventhough it was good to feel I could run at this pace for at least 5k again. From then on I had to slow down. I still don't have enough stamina to push the second 5k. I manage to run around 4m per kilometer. Just before the finish line I hear my family cheering me on and wave. With a second 5k split in 20m40 I finish in 39m17, much better than last week, but still a lot of training to do to go for 37 minutes!

Cursa del Poble Nou - 10k

After running through many different landscapes the last two months we are back to the streets of Barcelona. After a bit more than one week of more serious training a first 10k to kicks things of with and try and see how much speed I lost in the holidays. The pre-race was far from ideal, coming home very late and waking up very early after a busy day yesterday, but around 8h45 I started my warmup. It was very warm, so soon I was sweating quite a lot without really putting any effort in yet. After a really last minute visit to the toilet I found myself a place in the front pack and at 9h30 we start our run. The first hundred meters were a bit restless, with some people crossing in front and some pushing but from than on we had space to run comfortably. I did not see the first and second kilometer mark so to my surprise I passed the 3k marker in 12m00! I seemed to be running at much slower pace than I thought! The next kilometers went by somewhat faster in between 3m50 and 3m55, but after the halfway mark I felt that I would have a struggle to finish inside the 40 minutes today. It was very warm and I really had to focus to keep a reasonable pace. After kilometer 6 we run in the shadow for more than a kilometer and I feel some better. The last 3k the course has a lot of turns which does not help to keep pace. I pass the 9k marker with more than 4 minutes left to stay below 40 minutes. I try to run faster but I feel my hamstrings complain and preferred to not risk any injuries since next week I wanted to run another 10k. After all I finished in 39m57 and after measuring the course on the internet it seemed to be longer than 10k, but anyway, there is a lot of training to be done if I want to break the 37 minutes barrier this season!

Portnoo area - Ireland

When we arrived in Portnoo I knew I had to run here, even it was only for a short run. So on a lucky sunday morning I woke up really early at the same hour the sun was just starting to break the dark of the night and I could barely see the roads I had to run on. It was very cold still so I set of at good pace to become warm. After an uphill and a downhill I came along a part where the sea crushes loudly on the rocks far away while the low tide marks the landscape.

Shortly after on the left of the road a lake could be seen - this area has water in all forms and sizes - and here many birds are welcoming a new morning.

After about half an hour I enter a small village of scattered houses called Rosbeg and I drink some water from the bottle I carried with me and continue through the still very cold morning.
With every turn of the road the views change, from winding roads with bushes and small rock formations...

... to moorish fields with farm houses surrounded by trees...

... and lakes so quiet they perfectly mirror the landscape behind through the misty haze that hangs above the water...

... and sheep grazing the fields everywhere...

At some point near Kilclooney Beg the sun finally makes his appearance too and I slowly head back for Portnoo.

The sunlight is still red when I arrived at the beach painting red the clouds on the other side of the bay above Portnoo

and while still hiding behind some clouds created a beautiful play of light.

Soon a small dog came up to me and seemed to like jogging along. I first ran on the dry part with my running shoes still on , since I was not sure what the end of the beach would be like.

and it was good I did so, since on turning right at the end of the beach the sand changes into rocks covered with algea and waterplants that the low tide left uncovered. Along the edge there was a narrow path and soon the rocks change into dunes with waist high grass that is still wet with dewdrops.

After the dunes I enter a green of the local golf course and decide to turn back here. The sun was out and I wanted to see if I could wade to the island in the bay in front of Portnoo.

Knowing I probably would have to walk through the water anyway, after the rocky part I took off my shoes to run barefoot and with my dog companion still running with me we enjoy the cold sea water while the sun is starting to warm up the morning.
I wade to the island and back shortly afterwards, knowing the tide is coming in and not wanting to swim back.

When leaving the beach the dog wanders off and I put my running shoes on again to enjoy the last minutes of this great scenery. For those interested you can find a map of this run here.

Rondje Hobrede

During the summer holidays I stayed in Purmerend where my running career started and ran one of the back then longer training rounds. I took my camera with me to put up some pictures of the absolutely flat countryside I used to train in. For local runners I have included the route as well. The first kilometer is just getting out of town and soon we leave town through a small tunnel underneath the highway.

Coming out of the tunnel the small village Kwadijk provides a nice picture with its remarkable water-tower that is a landmark that can be seen from very far away.

The village is a typical stretched out line of many houses along the main street. Going right and at the local bar to the left I enter the countryside behind the village enjoying the strong wind that blows today.

At some moment a farmer on his tractor greets me and while he enters a field I continue the way to the next village Hobrede.

 

I remember this used to be very far away eventhough it is only some 5k up to here. I run through the quiet village and leave by the bridge that crosses the "Beemster ringvaart" a canal that surrounds on of the polders here and a great place to go iceskating in wintertime. 

After while I come back to the other end of Kwadijk and once again cross the canal and continue on the other side of it to have a last glance at the water-tower.

Back in Purmerend I enter the town over "the little bridge" as we used to called it.

Great run with great memories!