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.