I was still mildly paralysed from attending Carla’s ETC circuit class on Thursday AM. I would highly recommend that you try the class if you fancy a hard work out due to the small class size of 4 it is like a personal training session and you have no room for skiving (read this as TORTURE) and Iain was recovering from a 15 miler on the Saturday so PB’s where not expected.
Iain had a humorous evening on Saturday trying to track down the office where we had to collect our bibs. – I will let him fill you in on this part………..
Having ditched my bags, I instantly left the hotel, I got to where I wanted to be via the Metro with one change, so far so good. On the Metro I realised I forgot my print which showed me where I was actually going. A quick swatch of the map of the local area had me off towards something that seemed familiar from the race website. As the registration closed in under an hour, I trotted along the boulevards of Madrid to arrive at the building I was aiming for, it was closed. After a quick recce to confirm the building was definitely closed, I had what was essentially a one way conversation with a Spanish security guard who assured me I was looking for the hotel next door. Entering the hotel which was really more a hostel I see the Cafeteria, which rang a bell, Success! However, it was closed. With no phone, I didn’t know the time, but was sure it was still before 9pm. I managed to find another Spanish security guard who had pretty good English & he eventually checked the website for me & told me I only had to go round the corner. In Madrid, round the corner can be quite the distance. I ran back down to the Metro I’d arrived at & up in the direction towards where I was supposed to be going. I caught up with & overtook a jogger who was making use of the cooler evening temperature to get his miles in, this after my 15 miles earlier in the day was def going to catch up with me! Having eventually got to where I understood the address to be, again nothing looked like a race registration area. Eventually I followed a couple of confused looking Spaniards down an alley into the car park of a block of flats. They stopped & started speaking to one another in Spanish, I just went over to yet another security guard in the hope that she spoke English. She did & pointed me round the corner where I eventually looked up our numbers & acquired our chips & t-shirts!
Sunday morning seen us rather jaded from the previous evenings celebrations (cue lots of fine wine and food and a 3am night cap). Iain had meticulously planned our journey on the metro however whilst on the metro I seen a pack of around 25 runners and decided to follow them, deviating from our planned route to the park. Whilst asking one runner if he had a safety pin in my crap Spanish, I think I was asking him for a knife ! He gibbered on a about a maratone… I then grew suspicious at the sight of the many gels on the runners. Then I clicked…. I was following runners to a half marathon at a different location.
Lucky escape and we ventured back on the metro to our actual race.
The race started at 11am and I assured Iain that there would be a water station, if we have one at the JI in November surely there would be one in 22 heat, however it was not to be. The route took us through the park and a few loops and stairs later we completed the race. It was all very welcoming and the crowd was friendly and encouraging.
In comparison to the Spanish in their fleecy buffs and jackets me and Iain looked half naked in our vests.
I finished in 50.04 so was rather annoyed that I missed out on sub 50 and Iain was 44.04 so we reckon the official clock was out by 4 seconds. The race was won by Roberto Bueno Losada in a time of 33:17, winning by more than one minute and 1311 participants took part in the 10K.
I have attached a picture of us in our semi naked state for your enjoyment.
The goody bag included a sports towel, technical shirt, cap with light, sun visor for the car and a fleecy buff, not bad for 7 Euro. However the organisers need a BO’D to get the pack collection and water station sorted out.
The evening was a follow on of sporting activity seeing Real Madrid beat Levate 3-0. We did not scrimp on tickets as they where a treat for Iain’s mum and where seated on the first tier above the “Ultra’s”. I was able to gain further running cheerspiration from what I can only describe as the conductor of the Ultras. A gentleman who faces the fans and not the pitch and directs the cheers via a microphone. I plan to adopt this strategy at future races when cheering you guys on.
I have also attached a picture of this ledged as he was as equally entertaining as the football.
There will always be other races, if I survive Carla’s class on Thursday I hope to see some of you at Alloa…. Mega congrats to all who took part in the Balloch to Clydebank race- I was over the moon to hear about your results via Iain who is getting the club champs data underway.
PS If you fancy a city break head to Madrid, it was amazing and on Tuesday Iain was being really good and did a 10 miler around the city ending in the famous Reterio park where we bumped into the AC Milan team strolling around.. So defo a city of sport.
