Kolazina trail - 24k

 Finally work and race calendars lined up and I was lucky enough to be able to run a race in Basque Country. The Kolazino Mendi Eguna is organized in a small town near Bilbao called Bedia and I opted for the 24k trail. The week leading up to the race it had been raining a lot and the day before we were sent an email regarding the obligatory material asking us to pack full bad and cold weather gear. Basque country is well known for harsh race conditions and it looked like this time would be no exception. Also this time one of my brothers, David, came over from the Netherlands to spend some days in the area and Saturday morning we woke up early to prepare for driving from Getxo to Bedia. On our way there it started to rain again. We parked the car and in the drizzling rain I made put on my rain jacket and backpack and then we walked to the start area looking for shelter. The race would start at 10 o'clock and we still had about an hour go, so some shelter would be nice.

getting ready 

But first I picked up my bib-number 108 at the local "fronton" . In the goodie-bag there is a nice T-shirt and colour matching running socks.  

picking up my bib-number

Then we go to the only bar in town to have to stay warm and for my brother to have a coffee and more breakfast. About half an hour before the start we said our "see you laters" and after some exploring I went for a short warm up run and the last preparations before having my gear checked and entering the start box.

checking out the start area

the start area in front of XXX church

The nice thing of my brother being at the start is that he has made a small video of the start and also the arrival. Since the start was a slight uphill and also had a right turn right after the start it was very easy for him to film us.

 

At 10am we were shot away, and as always some sprinted away and I settled into an easy jog. It stopped raining and was just a bit cold at that moment. After a loop through village we headed for the forest.

leaving Bedia, very soon we will run on a muddy trail

still clean

And after just over a kilometer we entered a muddy trail right away. With mud everywhere and up to our ankles trying to find the best path was of no use, getting wet and muddy was just unavoidable. I tried to unfold my running poles, to find out that one did not lock in extension. After trying a few times I just gave up and continued with only 1 pole. Not ideal, but without tools I would waste a lot of time trying to fix the other one.

most trails were like this or worse

going downhill slipping and sliding and trying not to fall

On the first section we had our pictures taken very often, which is always nice as a memory. It was slow going. I thought I would be able to do the 24km in about 3 hours, but the first 5k already took over an hour, so unless the long downhill at the end was less muddy it was more likely to take me over 4 hours in total. At some point at an almost flat section crossing a field my right foot slipped sideways and I hit the ground, luckily without any consequences.

the "one pole" hiker

At some point the skies cleared for a short while and had some sunshine. I did not bother to take of my jacket expecting the weather to change again.

one of the rare moments we had some sunshine

And so it did. In our approach to the highest point of the race, the Mandoia (638m) more and more snow was appearing and it started to be foggy and cold again. At the aid station just before the summit I had a quick chat with the volunteers while eating and filling up my water bottle. They we well prepared for the cold with a fire in a drum to stay warm.

the aid station just before the summit of the Mandoia, it is cold here

Before the actual summit it started to snow and at the top with a strong wind blowing conditions were not exactly pleasant. This summit is more or less the midway point and I arrived here just over 2 hours. So indeed I would need more than 4 hours to finish today.

near the summit of Mandoia in the fog with lots of snow

at the top of the Mandoia a strong wind is blowing snow in our faces

At some points the downhills were once again steep and slippery and I went down slowly to try and avoid falls. From time to time runners would pass that were doing the shorter loop and had started later. They moved quite a bit quicker than me, but it was of help to see where they were sliding and be more cautious. With about 5km to go we split up again, since the 24km course has an extra loop with 2 climbs in it. The climb is rather steep but not too muddy and in the downhill Sergio, a colleague of work in Bilbao, passes me. We both had been looking for eachother without seeing, so finally we did and had a chat while slipping and sliding down the hill. He was slightly faster than me and I did not want to force anything. One more uphill were I still more or less followed him, but he slowly dissappeared ahead of me on the last downhill. With everything muddy taking out my phone to tell my brother I was ok but going slow was problematic. So I just continued. The last part was the same as the path we started on, very very muddy and here I fell a second time though in a controlled manner so I got up and continued without issues. Then finally we are back on asphalt and after a few more minutes I finished in 4h31. 

Since I arrived later than expected I have no idea how David spotted me to film the whole arrival. 

I went straight for the hoses to clean my hands and running shoes. Then I chatted a while with my brother and Sergio who had arrived 3 minutes before me. Looking at the skies it was best to quickly go back to the car. On our way there it started to rain and the wind picked up, but all in all very happy with the adventure of today. More running in may. 

after over four hours running through mud this is what you get

with my brother David at the finish

cleaning up a bit

with Sergio who finished just before me

Cursa dels Nassos 2024 - 10k

After some weeks of less than optimal training today another 10k. This time I wanted to try and go out at 4m30/k pace. I did not think to be in shape for going under 45 minutes yet, but at least I wanted to try and see how long I can maintain that pace. After warming up, with some strange aches in my left knee that luckily dissappeared I lookd for my start box, which with the many runners that were out today was already way back from the real start line. I knew that the first kilometers would be chaotic for the same reason.

At 17h15 we were counted down and it took 2 minutes just to cross over the real start and the first meters were way off the pace I was hoping for and only after some 500 meters I could start running normally and somehow managed to do the first kilometer in exactly 4m30. The second, third and fourth were still very chaotic with people going at very different paces, some falls because of that, but I still managed to maintain pace eventhough the irregular running takes more energy, Just before the 5km mark we make a sharp U-turn and that also made me slow down a bit and I crossed there in 22m39. The next kilometer was not as bad as other times, but I did slow down somewhat. The seventh kilometer was maybe the hardest and the slowest. From the 8km mark it is just straight and very slightly downhill as well as the last 500m so as soon as you make the turn you can see the finish line. I was very tired already and just tried to accelerate a bit and finished in 46m09s, surprisingly one second slower than a few weeks ago, but happy with how it went overall.

I will likely do some other 10k and then pick up training for the mountains again. 

Trail Torrons 2024

 Piera

22km

Entre Cabanes - 20k

 Today a change from the 10k distance and road running. For years I wanted to run this race in Preixana and today I was finally healthy enough to give it a go. The race starts and ends in this small village about 35km away from Lleida so I got up early to drive there from Barcelona. 

It is, among others, organized by Jordi Martínez whom I know from a group of trailrunners that go for a run at least once every year just before Chrismas. He told me it was rather cold in the area so I was warmly dressed since indeed it was freezing. After picking up my bib number and going for an easy warm up run in the fields just outside the village we gathered in the starting area. Between the 3 distances and both have run and walk options we were easily more than 100 people in the end. A young runner walked up to me and asked if I knew how and how well the course was marked. I replied it was my first time, but expected excellent marking. I asked him why he wanted to know, guessing he was in it for winning the 13k distance and he smiled and nodded. 

At 10 o'clock we set off for a run just about all the time on dirt roads, small trails and even at times just crossing fields without any path. Though the total height gain was only 145m the feeling was we were constantly either going up or down apart from a few stretches. As always I started out way too fast, but it is also lots of fun to go as hard as you can and just try and keep pushing until the battery is empty, and over a 20k distance the drama of running on empty is much less. The marking was indeed very good, eventhough at some point I was distracted and went off in the wrong direction, but since I did not see any markers up ahead I only lost like 30 seconds and just when turning around was whistled back by another runner as well. Up to 10k I was more or less running 5m per kilometer pace, but I already knew that I could not sustain that until the finish line. Also around 15k my right knee started to tighten up and be sensitive so I slowed down to 6m/km pace and enjoyed running through the fields. After a last uphill and downhill we enter Preixana again and I finished in 1h52m50s which I was very happy with. It was still cold, but the sandwich (bocata) and drinks were handed out in a huge tent, part of the local fair organized that same weekend, so we could sit down and eat comfortably and warm. I had a brief chat with another Jordi (also of the same group of trail runners) and Jordi Martinez and then headed back to Barcelona.

Next week we will meet again for more trailrunning, but not in race format. And definitely a race to repeat!! Check it out here.

Cursa Jean Bouin - 10k

 Though still not 100% fit, most of all because of some "niggles", but with some 10k style training done over the past weeks today another race to see where I am at at the moment. Today I was at least feeling good enough to arrive early at the race start and do a reasonable warm up before entering my start area. I no longer am in the first group, what means starting well back from the start line since this is a very popular race and also both a 5k and 10k mixed at the start. At 9 am we slowly start to move and the first kilometer is very slow, eventhough still at 4m50 pace, which I thought would be my goal pace, but in the second kilometer I easily went slighty under 4m30 and up to 5k without too much effort I could maintain that pace and passed the halfway point in 23m14s. My watch was measuring the kilometers slightly shorter so I never was really sure about my real pace and just trying to manage my effort to have some reserve for the last kilometers that go somewhat uphill on the Av. Paral.lel. It is still very crowded and the pace is never completely regular because of groups that block the progress and it will would continue like that up to the finish line. Without going into a full sprint mode I picked up the pace slightly in the last kilometer and finished in 46m08. Much faster than expected and without any suspicious aches or pains. In another 2 weeks a somewhat longer event, and continuing with training for 10k, with some speed and some endurance workouts.

Cursa Bombers - 10k

 After Trail de Bisaura I did no real training at all. I went for a treadmill session two days ago, only 3km, just to try what running felt like and it seemed like running was much easier than walking. I think in the end I have a small tear in my cuadriceps and I can still feel it when walking, but not at all when running.

I started in the first wave of under 1 hour 10k, though I wasn't sure if I could run 10k at a decent pace. The treadmill trial over 3k I did at 8k per hour pace, so definitely slower. Once we could settle into some pace after the inicial chaotic start I was passed by the 50-minutes pacers and thought I could at least try and stay with them for some kilometers. The 3rd km, on the Paral.lel is going slightly uphill and only when entering the Gran Via I could run with some ease again, still at the 50-minute pace. As in many 10k's the 6th kilometer was hard. The 7th and 8th I regained rythm, though I could clearly feel the lack of training. The last 10k I just concentrated on breathing and trying not to slow down and surprise surprise I was able to finish under 50 minutes. In 2 weeks another test, hopefully I can start training again.

Unofficial time 49m45s!

Trail Bisaura

 DNF due to injury

Very bad weather and slippery trails