Gràcia - Montserrat 62k

Very happy with how this non-race went (Gràcia - Montserrat is a so called resistance march and there is no winner, all that matters is arriving). After a first rather fast part and a second very demanding part because of the climbs and downhills as well as the difficult trails I finished in 9h06. Many thanks to Sergi, a fellow runner who knew the route and I just tagged along untill the last steep climb to the Montserrat Monastery.

Of the first part I made a short video, during the second part I only took some pictures.

After picking up my control card we had to stamp underway and receiving a T-shirt we gathered around the Town Hall of the neighbourhood Gràcia in Barcelona to wait for 5 o'clock in the afternoon, meanwhile looking up to the dark sky. Minutes before the start it actually started to rain and many people took out their raincoats to put them on. I judged from the colour of the sky in the direction we would be heading that it wasn't going to be that bad and left my raincoat in my backpack.

At 5 o'clock we where "shot" away with a noisy firecracker, picked up our green plastic drinking cup and after fumbling it into my backpack I was underway. Contrary to the ultra-race starts only few people were running, after all it is a resistance march. A few were setting a very high pace, but I was determined to take it easy in order to save strength for the later stages of the course. It was strange to run through all the familiar streets, under the light rain, and making way to the edge of the city to enter the natural park Collserola.

Once across Ronda de Dalt we have a first short but steep uphill and I walk up. After a minute I start running again when the trail flattens and soon I am on the Carretera de les Aïgues where I do a lot of my training. It has stopped to rain by now. After about a kilometer of running flat we go up really steep and soon hit the stairs of la Font del Mont. From what I have seen at this moment there is only one person before me and one just behind. I expected to have more runners on the course. I kept nice pace going up the stairs and shortly after reaching the top we have the first checkpoint. Here I went the wrong way, but the runner behind called me back and we enter Collserola passing el Font de la Budellera heading towards Vil.la Joana.
When we pass there people are still setting up what will be the first aid station, but having plenty of water we both continue on to a short downhill. A long uphill follows, starting with a really narrow trail that later becomes wider, no sign anymore of any runners, what suprises me. I keep an easy pace and once at the top following the crest started running again. Just behind a landhouse called "Can Pascual" we start a very narrow trail. This part is new to me. It is a very nice dense and humid forest and is harder than I thought going up and down and after the rain being very slippery so I once again take it easy untill we come out of the forest already very near the next Checkpoint near another landhouse "Can Calopa". At some point in the forest a runner passes me, going way faster than me. He was before me at the first checkpoint, but told me he lost his way at some point. At the next checkpoint he already left, but the runner that warned me before was still resting a bit here.  I refuel and eat some watermelon and soon after I am on my way again. Only 50 meters out I have a few minutes of confusion since the path is barred with some plastic bands and I am not sure whether to continue or not. After a few minutes another runner comes down the same path and he tells me has done the Gràcia-Montserrat several times and he is pretty sure that we have to cross the bands. This runner, Sergi, goes more or less at the same pace as me and we stay together and talk from time to time.

The trail to the third checkpoint is wider at most points and we walk the uphill at good pace and run the downhill. From time to time we can see Montserrat still far away. Soon we arrive at checkpoint Can Maimó and refill all "liquids" and eat some banana and on we go. We crossed underneath the highway to pass through a less beautifull part winding through an industrial area "Rubi Sud" for a few kilometers but soon we are back on a path again for some time. The asphalt stretch in Castellbisbal is even shorter and after a right turn leaving the town we meet some people that are setting up and aidstation for the shorter course (about 40km instead of 62) coming from "el Papiol", and after exchanging a few words we continue with more views of Montserrat from time to time.

Near Ca n'Olivero we have a good sight of Montserrat

Somewhere at an open place, people are preparing a Pasta Party for those who walk this course and will arrive here around midnight. We continue running and just before nine o'clock we arrived at the 4th checkpoint "Ca n'Oliveró".

Checkpoint Ca n'Olivero after almost 35km

Once again we drink and refill bottles and eat some watermelon and continue onto "Ullastrell". At some point here we come to a big landhouse and we can go left or right, but without indication. Sergi and I both feel we have to go right, but only many kilometers further we find indications of being still on the right course. Slowly the sun is setting giving us great views of Montserrat backlit by the sun.

Sunset over Montserrat near Ullastrell

Entering Ullastrell we are about two thirds in, but with the more difficult part starting from there on. I phone home and prepare for the night putting on my windstopper and headlamp. It is not really cold, but surely at the higher points wearing only a T-shirt will not be enough. I eat some bread with hazelnut-chocolate spreading, happy to feel my stomach is perfectly ok with that. Drinking a lot seems to guarantee my stomach accepts food and gels without problem.

Checkpoint Ullasterell time to prepare for the night

In the steep downhill along a very narrow and stony trail it is clear that Sergi is going stronger than I do. He keeps slowly pullling ahead from me but seems fine with letting me catch up from time to time. Once down it is almost fully dark and we cross a part through a creek. We jump from dry patch to dry patch though from time to time dip into water or mud. After a while we start to climb and after crossing some local roads twice we arrive at the 5th checkpoint "Coll d'Olesa". We only stopped very briefly here and soon start the for me most difficult part of this course. First a long uphill with loose stones winding through dense bushes untill we pass the top marked by a huge cross that stands black against the starry night. And then a really steep very technical downhill where we had to concentrate a lot to have the right balance between running down and have time to place our feet at the right spot.
The checkpoint here is unmanned and we stamp our controlcard ourselves and continue downhill. Some kilometers after there is an aidstation but we hardly stop here. Soon a runner passes us, going much faster downhill than we do and another group seems to catch up with us too. We continue and slowly the path becomes more easy until finally we are running almost level again into the valley below Montserrat. Since leaving Ullastrell from time to time we could see the monastery's brightly lit windows against the black silhouette of the Montserrat mountains and it was coming closer and closer now. The group we saw behind us earlier passed us, though shortly after we all coincide at the aidstation and checkpoint at the parking of "Aeri de Montserrat". Here I only get more water and eat some banana and then we cross the bridge over the river Llobregat to start the most steep uphill of the course. I tell Sergi to go at his own pace and meet up at the finish. He slowly dissappears into the night though from time to time his and other runner's headlamps flare up higher up the mountain. The trail is narrow and very steep, but I feel very well and keep pushing at good pace. Half way there is a flatter part, before starting the so called Wall, a part that is mainly stairs going up very steep. Just after two o'clock I arrive at the Monastery of Montserrat a few minutes behind Sergi and a few other runners.
I was tired, but with good sensations in general and happy with having done this well known resistance march from Gràcia to Montserrat. I still could eat without difficulty and enjoy two chocolate croissants and drink more water already thinking of my recovery.

At the finish 62km and tired but certainly not exhausted

The Monastery of Montserrat at night, quiet without the regular tourist crowd

Thanks to the organization and all the volunteers and also once again many thanks to Sergi! A very recommandable course, going through different landscapes and offering great views!!!

Mix it up - training for the upcoming ultras

In the past few years I have searched and read a lot about run training and ultra-marathon training. The latter is no science yet and after following different approaches in previous seasons, this season I have made up my own mix of training sessions and next saturday I will have my first test. Ofcourse there were a few reasons underlying the different approach this year:

• back to back long runs made me very prone to injury
• most schedules care less for VO2max training
• last year I did not feel strong in the up and downhills of UTMB
• continue doing some forefoot running

So my training of the last few weeks has consisted of the following:

Sunday: paced long run on hilly terrain, up to max 2 hours and increasing pace
Monday: rest or easy 8k with optionally some forefoot running at higher tempo
Tuesday: 15x200m sprints purely forefoot running
Wednesday: High intensity up and downhill training on stairs and steep mountain trail
Thursday: rest or easy 8k with optionally some forefoot running at higher tempo
Friday: 5x2k with 2 minutes rest, the typical 10k to marathon training series
Saturday: rest or easy 8k with optionally some forefoot running at higher tempo

The rest days depended on work and feeling, being at most 2 any week.

The results in training seem to be positive, this week, already tapering I did a 6x1k series training and could easily run times I only had during my peak 10k training so the speed is there and during the last long run, I could easily run even the steepest uphills and still have some breath left at the top.

So next saturday I will run some 62k as a test, not only for training, but also for fueling.

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.