Personal best!

Last Sunday I ran my first race of 2015. As I have done for the past years, I started the year running the Cursa of Sant Antoni. I will say it was my first race since I took running as a serious activity. I remember that the first time I didn’t know where to put the chip and I didn’t get the official time. It was a mistake I have never repeated again.

I was very confident to perform well, because I felt fit. On previous races I had improved my marks and during my training I felt very comfortable. The only thing that worried me was that the night before I went late to bed because of work and I didn’t get enough rest as I should have. However, everything turned out quite well.

Even though every year there are more participants in the race, I was lucky enough to start in the third box. It was very good for me because I didn’t have many people in front and I didn’t have to spend the first minutes avoiding other runners. I think this one was one of the clues for my performance.

My last race with this running shoes

  

I started very well and during the first kilometers I went at a good pace. So good that, for first the time, I past the five kilometer point in less than 22 minutes. I felt so strong then, that I even thought it would be possible to go under 44 minutes. However, the second part of the race didn’t go so well and I started to realize my margin was decreasing, and then tried to reach the finish under 45'.

Despite it didn’t go so well, I was able to keep a good pace and complete the second part in 22.36; that is very good for me. I have to admit that I was really happy when I finished the race because everything turned out very well and I was able to improve my mark. Now in my mind I have the aim to finish under 1h 40 min in the half marathon of Barcelona. Nearly a month to finish my training and arrive in the best conditions.

Sants was great

As I wrote a few days ago, last Sunday I ran the Cros of Sants, one of my favourite races that I try not to miss since 2009. The day didn’t start very well because last weekend we had a lot of rain in Barcelona. Therefore, during the race it didn’t rain much and it wasn’t really cold so the environment wasn’t as bad as you could think before it started.

For me it was an important race because I have been training hard during this months and I hoped to do as good as I did in the Cursa de la Tardor of Sant Andreu de la Barca. Sants  is a difficult race, with continuous up and downs and narrow streets. In the other hand, it is good because you go pass a lot of places that are familiar.

I started quite behind because I met Patricia before the race and I decided it to be with her until the start. Once we passed the start line, I began to run and try to go pass all the people I had in front. I think this was one of the worst moments, because it is very difficult to keep the same rhythm and you are sprinting and slowing down constantly.

Until we didn’t get to the second kilometre, more or less, I didn’t feel really comfortable. There was Jéssica to cheer me and give me some help. I finished the first lap a bit over 23 minutes and I was a bit worried because I knew that the second half of the race was more difficult. However, for the first time in a many years, I improved my mark.

This year they changed a bit the circuit and I think that it was faster even though the last kilometre is hard because you go along carretera de Sants. In the end, I took me 45.52’ personal best of this race and much better than last year (nearly two minutes). I went under 23 minutes in the second lap and I finished with the feeling I could have gone a bit faster. I am also very happy with Patricia’s performance because she was able to finish.

This was my last race in 2014. It hasn’t been a bad year but I have to keep trying. In January I will ran Sant Antoni and later the half marathon of Barcelona, where I will try, once more, to finish below 1h 40 mins. Now it is time to train and to rest.

Getting ready for Sants

It has been a long time since I last wrote about running. As you may remember my last race was the Cursa de la Tardor in Sant Andreu de la Barca and I finished quite satisfied about it. In the next few weeks there are a lot of popular races; some of them very important like the Jean Bouin but I don’t like it because there are too many people.

Before the end of the year I have decided to take part in the Cros de Sants . For me it is one of the main ones in the year because I run near home and the circuit goes through different streets which I am familiar with. I think it is one of the best races and one of the most important things is that there aren’t too many people.

The Cros of Sants is on the 30^th of November and I am training hard to be in my best. This week,since I am not working I am taking advantage to train a bit harder than usual. However, next week I will have to reduce a bit the number of kilometres to arrive to the race totally fit.

Another thing I like about this race is that Jéssica is there to cheer me and she waits for me at the finish lane. This year it will be more special because my friend Patricia is also training to run it so I think I will enjoy it more. I am thinking to run on my own –I am faster than her- or to follow her pace.

The Cross of Sants, if nothing changes, will be my last race this year. In 2015 I will start running Cursa Sant Antoni that is also very special for me because it was the first one I ran. Every year there are more people but I think it is worth it. I will also run the Half-marathon of Barcelona and depending on the training I will try to finish under 1h 40 min, something I haven’t been able yet. Last year I nearly made it, but I exceeded by just a few seconds.

As it happened last year, I still have to think whether or not to take part in the marathon. This past edition was very hard because it was very warm and I was glad not to run it. In a way I feel like trying again despite it means a lot of effort and big sacrifices. However, I think I am doing a good job and that I am in the right direction if I finally decide to take part. We will have to wait and see.

My first race

As I wrote a few posts before, this Sunday I ran my first race of the season. I woke up early in the morning –before 7 am- to have my breakfast and start getting ready for the race. My wife Jéssica decided  to come with me and she got up to come with me. Her decision made me very happy because it was the first time in years that she came with me to a race.

 

We went to the car, that made its last service, and we got to San Andrés de la Barca. We parked in the shopping centre and we went walking to the gym, where they gave me my number. As usually, I met somebody: Pablo Solís. He used to train one of RCD Espanyol academy teams and he was one of the best coaches and more responsible persons that I have ever known.

 

One of the best things of this race is that there are not many people and these helps to run more comfortably. The race started at 9.30 and even though I wasn’t in my best condition I started to get my pace. It is very frustrating when you are struggling in the path and you see the leaders of the race flying.

 

As I remembered, it is a hard race. The circuit had a lot of ups and downs. It is true that you have some parts to rest, but there are also are some parts that are very hard and sometimes you are not capable to measure your strength.

 

I finished the first lap over 22.30 minutes and I thought I would be able to be around 45 minutes but in the second lap I didn’t do so well. The sun start to come out and it was really warm outside there. However, I was able to finish in 46min 3 seconds with the feeling that I could have done a bit better in the last kilometres.

 

The best thing was yet to come: the butifarra (a typical Catalan sausage) sandwich. It was great! I wouldn’t have minded to have another one. My race was a great experience. I improved my mark nearly 1min and 30 seconds compared to 2012 and I am sure that if I can run it next year, I will be there again. The Cursa de la Tardor is great!

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!