Cursa dels Bombers - 10k

Sometimes it just isn't your day. I trained well last week, but still, this morning as soon as I started to warm up I felt like it was going to be struggle. I finished my warmup well, but had not understood that the race started at 10am, thinking it was a quarter before. Anyway, as usual, this race has a nice show before and during the start and at least I was in a good position at the front and finally we were shot away.

The first meters were very crowded, I did not look back, but it seemed like a few people tripped and I just started slowly looking for the right space to move onwards. After a few hundred meters we started to settle in a pace and the first kilometer went by in 3m47. The second was more relaxed and 7m20 was quite ok, but like I felt in the beginning, things were not going easy. The third kilometer goes uphill and I came closer to the 4m/k limit passing in 11m17. Just about when I arrived at the Gran Via, starting a long stretch that was flat I was passed by the 37 minutes pacer and I knew I could not follow. The group that went with the pacer very slowly pulled away from me and I passed the 5k in 18m40, just like last week, but without hills today. The rest of the race I just maintained pace just under four minutes per kilometer and when I look onto the final stretch I looked for Montse and Jordi. Jordi was the photographer today and made this nice shot of me, sports photography is not easy!!!

All in all, I guess the warm weather and travelling the week before did not help in my performance today. I will "play" with other variables, though the mountain season is here and I think I will concentrate fully on that this year, while continuing to practice forefoot running.

Cursa Corte Inglés - 10k

Back on track with a very good time on this hilly course, 42m32s and around 39m30s over the 10k which was actually well past the 10k marker. This is not comparable to the other 10k races since there two serious climbs in the course, most of all the second one, between 5k and 6k.

Since the marathon I have been training very differently and not as often because it takes a lot of effort and getting used to. Some other day I will explain it in more details, but with the injury of last January and my knowledge on running, combined with talking a lot about it with my brother, I decided to switch to forefoot running and apart from that change to doing extensive series in stead of intensive ones and only recently I started to feel a bit comfortable with it. Today I ran the first 5k on my forefoot, afterwards with all the climbing and the long steep downhill I did not continue in order to not overload my lower legs.

La Cursa del Corte Ingles is THE popular race in Barcelona, it is free and some 73.000 filled the Plaça Catalunya area this morning to run and/or walk for just a bit over 10k. It was a sunny day after heavy rain earlier this week and the jog down from house to the starting area was already very pleasant, eventhough it was still 8h30 am. After arriving I did a long warm up and felt quite ok. My starting box was not at all crowded and I was just behind the first runners. Around 9h30 am we were shot away and in this race it is important to start fast. Many popular runners line up aside the first few hundred meters of the course, since they are not checked by any timechip, and join the race as soon as the elite runners have passed. Only in the first kilometer I had to avoid some of those runners, but the quick start and lack of training maybe would make me pay for passing 2k in 6m40. I slowed down a bit and until 5k maintained 4k/m pace where I passed in a nice 18m40. Already having passed the first uphill soon after the 5k mark the second more steep and longer uphill starts and here I did have to slow down, though I tried to maintain form and push uphill and pick up speed while entering the Olympic Stadium. After leaving a last hundred meters up and then the long downhill started. I passed the 8k mark in more or less 31 minutes. The last 2 kilometers and a bit I just maintained pace. It was warm and humid and had some difficulty breathing, so I was happy to pass the finishline in what later turned out to be a race record 42m32. Next week a more serious try during the Cursa de Bombers to do a full 10k with forefoot running and see how that goes.

Cros Can Caralleu - 2k

A few years ago I ran this cros myself and this year it was Jordi's turn. We know the park where it is run and Jordi knew he had to start easy in order to have breath enough for a rather steep uphill a few hundred meters after the start. While Jordi lined up and waited for the start I went to the place where this uphill started to try to make some pictures. Far away I heard the signal and soon after the sounds of the childrens feet announced their arrival at the beginning of the climb.

 

 

Jordi was doing ok, not following the leaders, since there was a lot of different ages running, and running his own race. He climbed up in steady pace when he was out of sight I crossed the park to another part where they would do a zig-zag down my video there was not so good, and Jordi was clearly having stiches, but holding on nicely!

I went back to the first point and made a few last pictures cheering Jordi on to the finish, where I could not make it on time to make a picture there without hindering the other kids. So no time no finish picture just another great experience... Jordi said next time he would have to train!!!

 

Barcelona Marathon - 42k

A quick first line I will later expand into the full story. Rather warm but still a good race and happy with 3h28m53s. The first 30k I was running quite ok, but the last 10k though I never "hit the wall" were far more slow, but nothing unexpected, since I had never run more than 1 hour since january.

On a warm and sunny sunday morning I went down to Plaça Espanya to join the 18000 runners that would run the marathon of Barcelona today. Once again things had changed in dropping your bag, though this time changing outside was no problem at all because of the high temperatures. After dropping my bag I went to the warming up area to run a few rounds and go to the toilet a few times. This time I did bring a small water bottle so I could drink until just before the start because we would need every ounce of fluid possible today. When I arrived at the start area my box was already very full, so I squeezed my way in and at the notes of We will rock you by Queen and Vertigo by U2 we waited to be shot away around 8h30.

The start was very crowded so I just ran an easy pace and much to my suprise the first kilometer went by in 4m30, just about the pace I wanted to run. Once the group stretched out a bit the 3 hour pacemakers went by, though actually I was going more or less their pace at that moment. We winded through the Sants neighbourhood and I passed the 5k mark in 21m30 running steady and easy with the 3hour pacemakers very slowly pulling away, but with the lack of training I knew I more had to gamble on 3 hours 30 and so far I was feeling ok. Normally I would not drink anything yet here, but this year I drank almost the whole bottle to assure sufficient liquids in the body. We passed the Camp Nou footballstadium and climbed up to the Gran Via, a first slightly more difficult part. Onwards to the 1st 10k the course was flat or going down and I passed the 10k mark in 23m running a very regular pace so far. I took my first sportsgel with 2 bottles of water here, which is not easy drinking a lot and running fast, but becoming dehydrated is worse.
On we went going up Passeig de Gracia and then passed the Sagrada Familia onto the Meridiana where we would turn at the end just about where the 20k mark is. I passed there well under 1h30 and ran the half marathon in 1h32m41s, so 5 minutes faster than a month ago, and holding back ofcourse for the other half still to go. The 10k split was 44m21 over a minute slower than the first 10k but the most important was I the fact I was still running well. I kept drinking a lot of water and cooling my head, neck and arms, since the sun was out in full force though many parts of the course we enjoyed shadow and a little breeze from time to time. On to the 30k mark I was slowing down, but I still felt ok. The 10k split dropped to 49m06, but my head was clear and after swallowing a last sports gel around the 32k mark with only 10 left it was only a matter of holding on and trying to run in good form and with a high turnover. Just about when I passed the 40 mark I phoned my family to inform them of my progress. My 10k split had dropped to 58m56 now but I felt good and this year just wanted to finish and not injure myself. Soon after I had my picture taken by Emma, Jordi jumped onto the course, and with a few quick see-you-soon kisses for Montse the two of us continued to the finish-line with Jordi being able to run much much faster than me at that moment, since I was going at 6m/k pace. But finishing under 3h30 this time was a big success and I am very happy with it. Also afterwards I felt good, tired but not exhausted, and apart from some small aches I was pretty much ok.

Barcelona Half Marathon -21k

A month the hamstring injury. No training, just a few slow runs and today just trying out the body and see what half a marathon feels like. I ended in 1h37m27s, for me normally that would be very slow, but under circumstances I think first of all I am happy to have finished without any important aches and secondly I now know that the marathon in 4 weeks needs work and taking it easy during the actual event. Quite a challenge when used to always go for PB.

Cursa de Sant Antoni - 1 mile

What should have been an attempt to once again break the 37 minute barrier turned out to be another lesson in how delicate it is to keep a balance.

The bottom line is that I am injured, pulled hamstring, and I am really hoping I can get back out there training soon, but also know that I have to have patience in order to not pull it again.

Meanwhile Jordi ran a one miler, with a friend from school and did pretty well. We have no official times yet, but counting on the video we shot they entered in the top 30 and not too far behind the first runners.

Jordi entered 26th in 7:04 (4:24 avg/k) and his friend Dima just behind him in 7:09.

The day started with rain and when we left home it was still raining, but looking at the sky it seemed that soon it would stop at least for a good while so we took the subway that took us close to the race area and walked the last part where we met Jordi's friend Dima and his parents and sister. By then it stopped raining indeed and the last runners of the 10k race were arriving. Jordi and Dima would start in the second group, so first around 11am we watched a group of somewhat younger children start at their 1-mile race. As soon as they left Jordi and Dima did some warmup exercises, but were actually to excited to do it in a concentrated way.

Some ten minutes later it was their turn and they entered the start area and both found positions in the front line. They were shot away and like always blasted through the first hundred meters like they had to do just that, run a 100, but there were still 1500m to go...

Less then 6 minutes later the first runner arrived and soon after Jordi and seconds behind him Dima arrived as well, Jordi with determination on his face pushing hard for the finish line.

For Dima it was the first time he ran this long and he arrived very tired, having run very very fast on the first few hundred meters. Experience will help him improve in the future.

After the finish they recieved a bag full of small presents and soon recovered from the run and ready for the rest of the day. Next up is the half marathon of Barcelona. I hope I recover well from my injury and will be able to run a 21k in good fashion.

For moving images you can go here.

Cursa de l'Hospitalet - 5k + 1k

Once again a double event this weekend, with Jordi running a 1k first and afterwards my first official 5k for me. Both are fun but tough race including up and downhills that I wanted to know in more detail so I made a track of it in Wikiloc.

Track Cursa de l'Hospitalet 5k

I guess more than 100m up and down for sure, so not ideal for running any personal best, which explains the 18m34. Still knowing how other runners performed I am happy. I ran a very steady race in spite of all the climbs and had enough push to finish strong on the track.

Jordi also ran very well, finishing in 8th position in 4m19, the younger runners also had to go downhill first and come back uphill before entering the athletics track for the three quarter lap to the finish.