'Fun Run'. There's an oxymoron for you. Had this race started at Oh Nine Hundred I'd have missed it completely. The 10:30 kick-off gave me time to collect my thoughts, struggle out of bed, splash some cold water on my fur-covered face and study the bloodshot, more-droopy-than-usual eyes squinting back at me out of the bathroom mirror. The horror, the horror . . .
A poignant week for people of a certain age, for football fans and in particular followers of Manchester United. Wednesday sees the fiftieth anniversary of the Munich air crash that shook a nation and a sporting world. The 'Flowers of Manchester' lay decimated, broken bodies strewn across a frozen runway. News spread like a vile illness; players dead, United finished, the end of the Busby Babes.
Since lot of days before, nights I could not sleep. Time runs faster than us, if you have a rendez-vous which requires some training. Day ‘D’ comes suddenly, too soon.
On Friday, the afternoon before the trip, J and I were helping at my sister’s moving home. From an optimistic point of view, we have sufficient worked for sleeping deep and non stop…
Saturday, at we woke up. We drove to the railway station, where we have taken a train to
Madrid
. Meeting-Point with JJJJJorGGGGGJJJJe: Atocha RailwayStation.
Jorge was already there, big suitcase, five minutes for a ‘fast’ breakfast and we were sitting at the train to Almería.8 hours in front of us for sleeping, seeing bad films, laughing and talking, almost always about the race. Nobody of the three was sure of finishing the race. It was our first race for all the three.
As announced, Antonio was at the train platform. Gentle and polite, as he is we have introduced ourselves and have taken the car into the Hotel. Antonio loves Almería, so that in the short way he explained us the way to go to his school, the name of squares, streets and buildings that we sow in the way.
Immediately I have recognized Sweder, who was sitting at the Hall, with Ms S and his friend Stevie, Andy and Ms A, came later. Everybody is exactly as I have supposed and imagined. No surprises at all. The feeling was great.
After checking in this modern hotel, we met at reception. A small round near the hotel streets looking for ‘tapas’ and some beer. Sweder had the opportunity of discover that Spanish waiters doesn’t know how to put a Guinness in a glass, anyway the second try let him enjoying the last beer before his HM. This is a Sweder’s secret for feeling home in order to run a HM. Strategy is important.
After a light siesta, we met for going to the Stadium taking our race-numbers… We have seen Moyle and T for the first time. Once there, a lot of athletes around us. Everybody met there, we joined the charming Antonio’s wife who loves his husband hobby and shares his hospitality, also the very enthusiastic Antonio’s friends.
We have met a lot of interesting people, everybody dreaming on the 'tomorrow’s race', where everybody had his aim for doing it well (some of us, just finishing it) in a very special ambiance. Together with our race-numbers we have received lots of gifts: Tomates, t-shirt, chip and a lot of small things. We also get the most important paper of the evening: a pasta-dinner ticket…, girls included, as RC team is bigger than everybody can imagine…
I thought that pasta dinner should be just a saucepan of macaroni in a plastic dish, but out of any prevision, this dinner take place at the elegant stadium restaurant and there were even waiters serving a quite energiser dinner: pasta as starter and….
Are you hungry?
…. Well, the rest of the pastadinner & running-race-commentaries are coming later ;-)
On Saturday morning, I went to the airport to meet Andy, M. , Sweder, S. , Moleyman and T. Encarna, another runner who was going to take part at the half marathon, also went to meet them. At the airport, I happened to meet an ex pupil of mine, Juan, who is now a taxi driver. He told me that he wants to study English now because he really needs it for his job. After meeting them, we decided to go to El Alquián to have breakfast before meeting Steve who was coming via Stansted airport. We ordered some “churros” at a kiosk and took them into a café where we had chocolate or coffee. Afterwards, Encarna drove Andy and M. to the Tryp Indalo hotel and I took Sweder, S. , Moleyman and T. to the airport where Sweder would meet Steve. We went to the hotel along a seaside coast which is more interesting than the motorway. We even saw the blue line in part of the half marathon course. When we got to the hotel, Sweder and Steve were just arriving by taxi.
On Saturday afternoon, I met Ana, Jorge and Javier at the railway station. Ana recognised me at once. We went to the hotel where we met Sweder and Stevie.
In the evening, I went with my wife Carmen, my colleague Carmen and her son Paquito to the stadium where we met all the club members, Encarna, Pepe and Guillermo. After talking for a while, we went to the stadium VIP room where we would have pasta dinner in the first sitting. This year we were in two tables. As usual, we had pasta, chicken and chips, dessert such as crème caramel and water or Fanta. I enjoyed the meal and the company. We also had a look at the stadium from the stands and I thought that the following day we´d have to reach the finish line in the athletics track.
On Sunday I went to the hotel in case any of them needed a lift. I met Ana, Jorge and Javier on the way. So I offered them a lift and we went to the hotel to see if we could take one more mate. We met Sweder, Moleyman and Steve jogging towards the stadium. We greeted them from the car and went to the hotel where Ana looked for Andy who accepted the lift. As Ana, Jorge and Javier hadn´t had breakfast they told me to leave them in a café near the stadium. Andy and I went to the stadium where we met some runners such as Juan Jesús, who took part at Santa Pola half marathon last week. He did it in 1 hour 29 minutes. So, today he was going to do the 10 km run, which would turn into 13 km. In the stadium, we met Sweder, Moleyman and Steve. When we were going out of the stadium, I met my Italian friend Riccardo, who spends some time in a house at Aguamarga, 65 km away from Almería. There was one minute of silence in memory of Antonio Galdeano, a very good Almerian runner, who died of cancer last November. I met him a few years ago because he was a friend of Juan Pedro´s and we went training orto competitions together several times.
It was a beautiful sunny day. I started a bit fast doing the first kilometres in 5´30´´ feeling well. At la rambla, I met a young man from
England
and a young woman from
Northern Ireland
who lived in
Granada
. There, Ana, Jorge and Javier reached me. A little bit later, Encarna, Pepe and Felipe reached us. We talked a little and on the way down, Felipe ran away and later Ana, Jorge, Javier, Encarna and Pepe but I couldn´t go that quick.At Cabo de Gata avenue, I was surprised to see my wife cheering me and taking photos. There was also a little old man with a loudspeaker cheering everybody in an amusing way. He said things like: “ Come on, take advantage now that next year I may not be here and then who´s going to cheer you?” Guillermo reached me and we went together a few kilometres but I couldn´t keep his pace and had to let him go. When I was going towards the last roundabout at Nueva Almería, I saw some 10 km runners coming from there which made me think that they had taken the wrong course. In km 11 just in front of my home, I noticed that I had done 63 minutes, which was quite good for me but not good enough to do the half marathon under two hours. On the second lap up la rambla, I saw M., S. and T. who were cheering me.After km 13, I started to notice some discomfort in my upper leg muscles. So I had to slow down a little and I was reached by Juan Pedro. We talked a little and went together as far as km 17.5 where the mat was but as I felt better, I decided to go on a little bit faster and managed to pass a few runners although others passed me as well. When I got to the stadium, I tried to go a little faster especially when I saw that another runner was accelerating and caught up with me. I finished in 2 hours 9 minutes, 6 minutes more than last year but I can´t complain since I´m fatter and I´ve trained less. Besides, this is my first half since
1st April 2007
.
After picking up a bag with a raincoat, medal, cap and a Nestea, bottles of water, I met Encarna, Pepe, Guillermo, Moyleman. We congratulated each other. I waited for Riccardo and inside I met Ana, Jorge and Javier who were very happy although tired after doing more kilometres than expected. I went with Riccardo to his car where his wife was waiting for him. They gave me a bottle ofItalian “crema di limone”.
At , we went to the Tryp Indalo hotel where we met all of them and took the official photo with the half marathon T-shirt, which this year is a bit dreary since it is black in colour. Later, Guillermo and his wife María arrived. Then, we went to the restaurant “Mesón Sierra Morena” but It was difficult to find room to park the car. There, we all met Encarna, Pepe and his son Javier, who had arrived from
London
that morning. We had a good time there and enjoyed the meal although Ana, Jorge and Javier had to leave before 4 since their train left at 4:15 pm. After taking them to the station, I went on with the meal and I even had to make a speech and a toast to this wonderful gathering, thanking all of them for coming here and to the absent forumites who couldn´t come, hoping that we all could be together again.
After lunch, we took M. and S. on a sightseeing tour along the old part of Almería. We had a look at the fortress cathedral, we went up the Alcazaba, the Arabic castle,from where we had a look in the background and the port in the background. We also saw
San Juan
church, which used to be the main mosque. Then, we went up to Cerro de
San Cristóbal
. From there, we had a look at the town, Alcazaba, Saharan animal reserve, the
bay
of
Almería
, from Cabo de Gata to Roquetas. We had a very good time with them.
On Monday, when I went to the hotel, I was surprised to see that all of them wanted to go to the Baños de Sierra Alhamilla. It was wonderful but as I only had one car, they had to call a taxi to go the whole party. We went up that little oasis in the desert with palm trees, a few houses, a source of hot water, a spa with a little hotel and a two bars. Andy, Sweder, Moleyman and Steve wanted to do the run downhill to Pechina. So, I remained with M., S. and T. We had a look at the spa court. We couldn´t see the baths because there were some clients in. Afterwards, we went down the winding road to meet them on their way to Pechina where we had a drink at a café.
In the evening, we all met at Molly Malone. I took my wife, Carmen. Encarna and Carmen also went. We had a good time there and before going to other bars, we phoned Ana to sing her “Happy birthday”. It was really moving. After a quick visit to “El Quinto Toro” , we decided to go to another bar, which was “Las Botas”, where we had a drink and ham or cheese for tapa. As Carmen, Encarna, Carmen and I had to get up early the next day, we decided to leave so that our English friends could eat properly.
It´s been a really interesting experience both for me and my wife. Our memories are great. As usual, the race is just the excuse to meet all of us and have a good time all together.
A poignant week for people of a certain age, for football fans and in particular followers of Manchester United. Wednesday sees the fiftieth anniversary of the Munich air crash that shook a nation and a sporting world. The 'Flowers of Manchester' lay decimated, broken bodies strewn across a frozen runway. News spread like a vile illness; players dead, United finished, the end of the Busby Babes. 
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