Great Valverde!

As I wrote before in my blog I am a great fan of cycling. This Sunday, Ponferrada held the UCI World championship where some of the best cyclists of the moment took part. I really enjoy watching this race because it is usually very exciting and it is one of the best shows of the season.
 

I was following the race since I got up thanks to Twitter and different websites. Of course, I listened to the radio and I was able to watch the last kilometres, where, normally, the race is decided.

Experts said that if somebody wanted to surprise the bunch there had to be movements in the last climb. But the Polish Michal Kwiatkowski was cleverer and he decided to attack downhill.

Some of the top tried to reduce the gap he made: Nibali, Purito but it was Alejandro Valverde who did the best movement. However, it was too late because the Polish was going for the gold, while his pursuers didn’t get to a real understanding to catch him and only Gilbert tried to help his team mate Van Avermaet.

 

Finally, Kwiatkowski won the gold medal, Gerrarnas got the silver and Valverde won the bronze. The Spaniard did it again and won for fourth time in a row a medal for the Spanish National team. It wasn’t a very hard circuit and he did his best. He nearly got silver and he won other important cyclists like Gilbert.

 

I think that the cycling fans haven’t been fair with Valverde. He has won many stages in the best races, got six medals during his career in the world championships, this year he was third in the Tour of Spain and fourth in the Tour of France. Maybe he will never win the Grande Boucle, but all the success he has had during his career is incredible.

 

Some people say that sometimes he is not intelligent and that doesn’t make the best decisions in the crucial moments, but you can’t ignore all his victories. It is incredible all the wins he has had and I really think he deserves to be in the list of best cyclists of the history of Spain 

 

PS: The UCI world championship was amazing but I can’t finish without pointing out the performance of the Kenyan athlete Dennis Kimetto, who run the Marathon under 2h 3 min. And the fans of golf also enjoyed the fight between Europe and the United States in the Ryder Cup.

My first race in the new season

This Wednesday I have decided to put my name down for my first race IN the season. I will make my debut the 19^th of October in the Cursa de la Tardor that takes part in Sant Andreu de la Barca, the village where my sister lives.

It will be the second time that i participate in this race. The first one was two years ago and I really enjoyed. First of all, because there wasn’t many people and that is good to keep a regular pace. Once a race becomes popular you find a lot of people and you have to avoid them during a lot of kilometres until you have plenty of room. I remember that you had to go over two laps to a circuit that had a very tough slope near the end.

 Apart from the race, what I liked more was the butifarra sandwich they give you once you over pass the finish. It was really nice. The good thing about this year is that I don’t work that particular Sunday so I will not have to rush back home as I had to two years ago when I had to attend Espanyol’s B match.

Even though I always say the same, this time I am going to take it easy. I am not going to worry about how long it takes me. However, I know that once I start running I will have the feeling I could go faster and try to improve my performance.

The Cursa de la Tardor will be my first race of a season in which I have not planned which races I will take part so far. I am sure that I will put my name down to the Cross of Sants and I am thinking of running other popular races like Clot OR the Jean Bouin. Now I have to decide whether or not to take part in the half-marathon of Barcelona and I think I will.

I know that if I want to improve I need to work harder and train other exercises I don’t usually do. Sometimes I think I should do a schedule and try to go ahead with it but it would take too much time and I prefer to use my free time in other profitable matters.

I like running and I like the way I feel when I put on my shorts, my t-shirt and my running shoes. It is a very special moment that makes me happy. I am looking forward for the 19^th of October to arrive. Come on!

Last day of summer

This Monday is the last day of the summer. Three months that have gone very fast and that, this 2014, haven’t been the best of all. We haven’t had very good weather this year, but I have enjoyed as usual. I have to admit that I prefer winter and cold, but summer is a great period because days are longer, is warm and you can spend more time outside. Maybe the temperature hasn’t been the best but you always find the way to have fun.

 

This summer I went to Berlin, city I really liked, and a few days to the beach in Palamós, where the weather particularly good. However, there were good days and I enjoyed them. I have also worked hard, but I think that you afford it differently. Maybe it is because there is less people in the city, no traffic jams and that after work you usually have more time to do things and go out. But, as everything, summer has arrived to its end. Actually, today we have had quite an autumnal day, even though I am sure it will be very warm during the next weeks.

 

 

On Saturday I was putting away the beach towels and the costumes and I thought: “See you next year”. Shortly we will have to start forgetting of swimming, sunbathing, ice creams, terraces...  I will still wear my shorts during a few days and I am sure that after the bad summer we had we are going to enjoy some hot days in future before that autumn really starts. However, one of the best seasons of the year has finished and now we have to get ready for other that is not as good.

 

 

Probable, autumn in the saddest seasons of the year because one starts noticing the cold weather, days are shorter and you don’t want to be out in the street as you do in summertime. Anyway, I hope that this season will bring us good news and that is good for everybody.

Getting worse

15 years ago I started to study Journalism. I think I always wanted to be a Journalist. During the Olympic Games held in Barcelona I tried to write a newspaper with my sister. When I played with my videogames I use to narrate the matches as if I was in the stadium. Obviously, Journalism is not only about narrating or writing, but things like these probably helped me to decide my future. After 15 years I am disappointed and I have lost faith in this profession.

When you tell people that you work as a Journalist, normally, they think it is a great job. They respect it despite in the last years the point of view of some people has changed due to some programs or professionals that give a very bad image.

I continue thinking that Journalism it’s a very respectful career or job but it is true that in the last years we have some examples that don’t help us.

I studied a lot and worked hard during all my life to become a Journalist. It cost me a lot to have an opportunity and I have worked thousands of hours (and I continue doing it) to achieve part of my dreams. I think I have a good academic training and I like to keep updated. I do really think that I deserve what I have been able to get.

However, this is not the reality. In the last years it looks like everyone can work as a Journalist. I receive a lot of calls saying that “I have a blog and...”. I am sorry but I don’t think that writing in a blog or chatting in a radio program gives you the same authority as a Journalist. Do you imagine a lawyer or a doctor working without studies? When it has happened, it has been newsworthy and the people involved have been thrown out.

Journalists have to fight for a job with politics, ex football players, celebrities or anyone who thinks that can work as a journalist. I don’t imagine a football player designing a house. 

I think our academic training  is important. Obviously, it is not a scientific career or you don’t have to read thousands of books, but all the things you do during the four years of University is important.

I think Journalist is in trouble and somebody should act. Maybe the Journalist School should force the newspapers, radio and press departments to contract people that have the career and that are collegiate members. I don’t know, but we have to try to be a respectful job. I know many times are the shame journalists who spoiled our profession but things can’t continue like these.

As I wrote a few months ago, we have to stand up for ourselves because we have to change things. I know that there have been meetings in the past and good wishes but nothing has been done. Do you have any idea?

My best question

During my life I have done a lot of questions. Maybe because I work as a journalist o maybe because I am curios and I like to know things, but the true is that I like asking. I don’t know how many questions I have done during my life, but I do remember a lot of them.

However, the best thing of a question is the answer you get. Normally you expect to get an answer that satisfies your curiosity.

What I know is that three years ago, a 16^th of September, I ask my best question. I went to collect my wife to work, took her to a very nice hotel and after we had our supper I asked her if she wanted to marry me. Fortunately, the answer was yes. Nine months after, we got married.

If I have to say the truth, I was sure that I was going to get that answer. One thing I have clear: I would ask the same question again every day because I am sure I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Certainly, I can’t say that after thousands of questions that one was the best I made ever.  

 

Welcome Barcelona!!!

This morning, as I usually do, I got my car to go to work. It is true that I can also catch the subway but it takes longer (about 40 minutes), there is a long walk from the subway station and, after making some numbers, it costs me the same the petrol than the metro fare. Maybe I would change my point of view if the authorities would build a metro station closer to the Power8 Stadium. I don’t mind catching the public transport, but, in this case, it is not very convenient.

 

By car it takes me about 25 minutes, but today I knew it was going to be different. And all of you will ask why? The answer is easy: the schools are back. After nearly three months of calm, no traffic jams, no horns, today everything has changed.

The last day it took me 20-25 minutes to get to my office. I hardly had to stop in any lights and I didn’t find any traffic jams despite all the works you find in the streets in summer. I was aware that it was a temporary situation, however, and as they say in Spanish, reality exceeds fiction.

I went out early, a few minutes after eight, and for a moment, it looked like nothing changed. But I was totally wrong. Once I got to Diagonal I hit the first problems. Cars stocked in the middle of the street that didn’t let us pass. What happens after summer? People forget how to drive?

After I overcame the first obstacle, I found a new problem. I got stuck for more than five minutes in a light. And all was due because there was this breakdown car causing trouble. Hopefully, this was my last incidence before getting to my office nearly 40 minutes after I got out of my house. The return trip had also a lot of incidences but I am not going to bore you anymore.

Driving is an exercise of patience. People get annoyed and aggressive and many times you have to ignore what happens. Driving takes the worst of people and, specially, in the morning when everybody is in a rush. I hope tomorrow things go better.