Cursa Nou Barris - 10k

After a week of more than 100 kilometers of mostly mountain training and then a week of hard work and little training today it was time for the 11th 10k race, with one more to go the 9th of June to complete all Barcelona 10k Challenge runs. I already knew this race and I knew the first 5k had some steep and rather long uphills, so not a big chance on improving any PB.

I arrived nicely on time and the weather was great today, rather cool with some clouds in the sky. During the warmup I got confirmed my legs were tired, but hey, I would do my best and try and go for 37 minutes anyway. Nicely on time we were shot a way and after the normal pushing in the first meters we quickly settled for a good pace to pass the first k in 3m34. I missed the second k marker and passed the 3rd kilometer just within 11 minutes, but then the harder uphill started and by the time we passed the halfway timepoint I was already on a 38 minutes schedule with little aches here and there, but I hold on during the easier second half to finish in 38m21 after a good paced last kilometer.

I waited for my neighbour Pere who just missed out on breaking the 45 minutes barrier with 45m08! Better luck in four weeks when we meet again for the Cursa de la Maquinista! Meanwhile lots of mountain training, probably with some entries here!!!

Cursa dels Bombers - 10k

Of the Barcelona 10k Challenge 10 races of 10k are done, 2 more to go!!! After a busy week and sensitive hamstrings and therefore less optimal training (recovering from a marathon takes its time) today I ran the Cursa dels Bombers. Around a quarter to nine we left home with the whole family and around a quarter past nine, nicely on time we arrived at the start area and I started my warm up. 27000 runners is a whole lot and it was crowded everywhere. I entered my box on time and before being shot away we kept one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the attack during the Boston Marathon. Strength and love for family and survivors and may the victims rest in peace!

This year there was no big show. We were shot away and the first meters were chaotic. I hope nobody tripped! Still the first k went ok in 3m38 and the second k was nicely on schedule too, eventhough I felt I was going too fast. Until the 5k mark we were mostly going slightly up and passing just behind schedule in 18m34 was good, but I already was struggling to keep pace and in the coming kilometers slowly but surely the pacer with the 37 minutes balloon disappeared out of sight. Around the 8k I was running near the 38 minutes schedule but when passing the 9k mark in 34:34 I knew that finishing within 38 minutes would be impossible today. Soon after turning onto the last straigth to the finishline I saw Montse and Jordi and waved and more closer to the finishline I heard Emma shout out loud. Without really sprinting I pushed for the last meters and I am still happy with 38m25!

Cursa del Corte Ingles - 10k

Toady we had a first day of good weather in a long time and also the first race only three weeks after the marathon. Since training was far from perfect including a fall in the mountains a week ago and a stiff bruised knee as a result, I was just very happy to be able to join the party of well over 60.000 people running today. One of them was my daughter Emma who made a late decision to join in.

Eventhough it was sunny today it was still chilly when we left home at a quarter to nine. We walked up to the subway station and there Emma went underground and I started my warmup, since the start is rather nearby. My left knee was still stiff so I took it easy with the warmup movements like high-knees and butt kicks. On my way down I felt it might be important to have a good stop at a toilet and I am glad I did so! This did mean I had to really hurry and push my way through the multitude and enter my box just on time. I pushed myself to the 4th row or so and soon it was 9h30 and we were shot away. As always people joined the race higher up Paseo de Gracia and Carrer de Aragò, so I started with a really high pace to try and avoid the traffic jam that those slower runners cause. This made me run a 6m50 on the first 2k, which is very fast, but at least now I could run at my own pace. Soon we entered Plaça España and Av. Maria Cristina were the first uphill starts. I missed the 3k and 4k markers so a first indication of how I was holding out came at the 5k where I passed in 18m54s. On the second steep climb up to the Olympic Stadium I slowed down and just did the best I could to go up. After going around in the stadium there were still a few meters to climb and then the long downhill back to the city center started. I was really tired from the climb and also the downhill was a bit hard on my recovering knee so I did not go down full speed. I no longer remember the other passage times but I am happy with finishing the 10776 meters in 44m11s!

This was an excellent training to get back into rythm for the next race in two weeks from now, la Cursa dels Bombers where I do want to perform very well, if possible a time below 38 minutes!

After picking up my Coca Cola I looked for a good place to wait for Emma, who was just about half-way. The last people left Plaça Catalunya when the fastest runners were arriving already!!! After a good wait and seeing thousands and thousands of runners come by I spotted Emma in the crowd. In spite of having fever she made it and had a good time!!!

 Emma (on the right in blue T-shirt) near the finish

Barcelona Marathon - 42k

Very happy with 3h06m25s!!!! It is no PB, but after two years of finishing well above 3h10m with difficulties during the last 10k this year I was on the 3 hours schedule half way and kept running well untill the very end, eventhough finishing with the Parallel does not allow for sprinting in the end, since it goes uphill noticebly.

After getting up really early and having some toasted bread and banana for breakfast I left home around 7h15. At the subway station I met my neighbour who would run his first marathon today. It was rather cold and drizzling and we walked in the direction of the hall where we could leave our clothes. This year they separated the runners into two groups, one in a hall on the left and the other in a hall on the right so me and my neighbour had to split up to change into our running clothes.

So we took a picture and wished eachother good luck. We were asked to change outside, so I quickly took of my clothes, dropped my bag and started an easy warmup. With some 10 minutes to go I went to my box we we all patiently waited for the start while tiny drops continued to fall down. The start was slow. Eventhough I was in the second box, it took me about a minute to cross the start line and the pace during the first meters was very slow. After passing the first kilometer in 4m30 I started to pass other runners jumping on and off the sidewalk. In theory I started in a group that wanted to finish under 3 hours, but the pace was well above that. The second kilometer was the same and when the 3 hour pacers passed I joined the group that was chasing them to pick up pace. The first 5k passed in 21m30 and soon we turned onto Gran Via and we started to have more space to run. I left the group behind since it was rather irregular running with the people in the group changing position all the time. I started to feel more comfortable and I passed the 10k mark in just over 42 minutes now running on the schedule I wanted and and even running up Passeig de Gracia did not break my rythm like the years before. Upto the 20k mark I was feeling ok, but between 20k and 25k I had a moment of feeling uneasy. I slowed down to 4m30 per kilometer pace and found my rythm again. This year I only drank water and swallowed down gels with it at the 15, 20 and 25k marks. In general that went very well and also with the cold and rainy weather I guess dehydration was less of a problem. When passing the 30 mark I knew that I would be ok untill the end and just concentrated on running form and cheering on other runners that had to stop and walk or stretch because of cramps and other typical "last 10k events". The uphill of Parallel was tough but I did not break down and I was really happy with how the race went today. With more specific marathon training I think I can still break the 3 hours a second time. Maybe next year :) !

Meanwhile my neighbour from upstairs resisted well and finished in 3h58. Many congratulations!!!

Barcelona Half Marathon - 21k

Being in shape and being able to perform well have a delicate balance in life. After a busy week with long days, less sleep, training less and feeling tired on the rest days before the race, I already had my doubts before I started and with all done I still am happy with a 1h26m58s. The race started at 8h45 in the morning so I got up early to prepare and around 8 a.m. I arrived near the start and since it was not too cold I changed into my running clothes, stored my bag and started with the warmup in the Parc de Ciutadella. With about ten minutes to go I left the park to enter my box and nicely on time we were shot away. The first kilometers were very regular passing in 3m45 and 7m30. Then we went slightly uphill running along the Avinguda Paral.lel and I maintained good pace on the first 5k passing in 19m01. During the 6th kilometer I lost pace for a while picking it up during the 7th, but the running in general was not very smooth and I slowed down a little and passed the 10k in 38m46. I still could not maintain pace and most kilometers passed in above 4 minutes so running a Personal Best today was impossible. I passed the 15k in 59m21 and just held on to pass the 20k in 1h21m50 and a last kilometer near 5 minutes. Next is the marathon and after the experience of today I know rest is going to be important in the coming weeks.

Terrassa - Half Marathon - 21k

No Personal Best but still very happy with 1h24m33s. The half marathon in Terrassa is run on a very hilly course and this is an excellent time. I arrived well on time and walked to the start area from the town center what took longer than I thought. Nearly there I met two other runners and talked with them and they already told me this certainly wasn't the fastest half marathon. When we arrived at the starting area we wished eachother good luck and I continued to the place where they stored your clothes and made the last preparations before starting the warmup. It was very chilly this morning, but luckily the sun helped a bit, eventhough it would soon dissappear behind the clouds as was predicted. At 10am sharp we were shot away, with a really thundering traditional rifle. 

 

The first few hundred meters were on an broad boulevard which was great for space and easy running from the beginning. The first 2k were quick, in spite of trying to go easy, in 7m30, and on to the 5k mark I maintained pace passing in 19m exactly on the 1h20 schedule that I hoped to be able to follow. Upto the 5k point the course already started to climb and it continued to do so, and rather steaply, for 3 more kilometers at least. Ofcourse my pace dropped considerably and I passed the 10k marker in 39 minutes with a 5k partial of 20 minutes. For 2 more kilometers the road went more up than down and then we started to go really downhill, sometimes very steaply like the meters just before the 15k marker which I passed in 58m47 with a slightly better 5k partial of 19m47. After 2 more kilometers of more downhill than uphill we turned up to a broad boulevard called Rambla Égara, which was all uphill untill the 19k marker. Here I really lost pace and even the last two kilometers that were more flat I just barely held on and finished in 1h24m33s, with a last 5k partial of 20m27 and a last kilometer in about 4m50. All in all I am happy to have run here. The course is hard but nice to run and there was quite a crowd cheering us on and the ambiance at the finish area was great. Lets see what I can do on a flatter course in 3 weeks from today!!!

Cursa Sant Antoni - 10k

Continuing to be in good shape with another 37m00!!! I tried hard to improve my PB but it was not to be today. Yesterday it was cold and rainy and we were very lucky to start the day with a little wind and only a few clouds and no rain to be seen at all. After a good warmup I entered the first box and after some 10 minutes we were shot away.

 The first few meters (I am on the right)

The first 20 meters were a bit rough but we found rythm very quickly and the first kilometer went by nicely in a low 3 minutes, later confirmed at the second kilometer mark with 7m06. Running along the Gran Via nice and straight I maintained excellent pace and the 3rd and 4th kilometer went by running 20 seconds under the 37 minutes schedule and I arrived at the half-way mark in 18m05. The sixt kilometer went by very well too still maintaining the 20 seconds under schedule and even the 7th kilometer that goes slightly uphill I maintained good pace. Up to the 8th I started to struggle a bit and most of all during the ninth kilometer I lost my pace and margin passing 5 seconds behind schedule now. I had just enough push left to arrive at exactly 37 minutes! Happy with repeating a very good mark and now onto longer distances for the next two months and starting with strength and mountain training already!

With the finish line in sight