Cramps and pain in the finish line of 2011 Barcelona marathon.

 Here you are a secuence of the 200 meters before the finish line , to be honest , people cheering on both sides of the  limit fence  gave me the sufficient strenght  to finish those endless 200 m. I was running the marathon with great pace to achieve the target of finish the Barcelona Marathon below 3:40´but I got cramps in the 39 km an went  with me till the finish line . Barcelona Marathon is in my understanding one of the most beautiful and panoramic  marathons  of Europe but you must be pay attention on the last 4 km , you feel  very tired , route goes up and if the day is sunny be careful with heat  anyway those 200 meters before the finish line are unbelievable , I have run the Barcelona marathom 5 times and always think same , I love this marathon !! 

Català


Aquí teniu un seqüencia dels 200 metres abans de la línia de meta, per ser honest, la gent animant a banda i banda de la tanca límit em va donar la força suficient per acabar amb els interminables 200 m. Jo estava corrent la marató a un molt bon ritme per aconseguir l'objectiu d'acabar la Marató de Barcelona per sota de 3:40 ', però vaig petir  rampes al km 39 i no vaig deixar aquest malait dolor fins a la línia de meta. La Marató de Barcelona és per mi una de les maratons més maques  i panoràmiques d'Europa però s'ha de prestar atenció en els últims 4 km, et sents molt cansat, la ruta puja i si el dia és assolellat s´ha d´anar amb compte amb la calor,  de tota manera aquests 200 últims  metres abans de la meta són increïbles, magics ,  he corregut la marathom Barcelona 5 vegades i sempre penso igual, m'encanta aquesta marató!

Oasis´s song "stand by me " great song to run the last two k´s of your training day

Today I have  boosted  the pace in my last two km  hearing this great song , Oasis, one of the greatest English bands away from music scene from long have  left amazing songs like "Stand by me " from today taking part of my play list , very recomendable .

Català 

Avui he incrementat el meu ritme de carrera a la part final del entrenament escoltant aquesta increible canço, Oasis, una de las grans bandes Anglesses , desde fa temps lluny de la escena musical com a tal en varen deixar aquesta increible canço " Stand By me" desde avui forma part de la meva play list , molt recomenable . 

BDN Runing 2012

Long has passed since the last  BDN  Running  10 k urban race and  I was wondering   whether  the second edition is ready , It was good run at home surrounded by  fellow runners which can help boost your motivation . Badalona is well known by basketball team   Juventut  de Badalona (La penya ) among others and recently also by great swimmers  Mireia Belmonte , two silver medals in London 2012 Olimpic Games  to mention some of the most renamed  ,but  as a runner  I miss  a big race  , recently the team of "BDN Running" is quite lively and seems to be that they are trying to cheer up the community with this race and training  days , great !!! as well as the "Centre Excursionista de Badalona" which organized the fantastic nigh trail race called "Endimoniada " ,  great  for both of  them , good initiatives !!! but we would like to know with some time in advance when  both races will take place again to be able get ready and tick in my 2013 season calendar those important races.

Race is nice because offer you a long flat path with good sea views big part of the route , city center where you will meet many people cheering you up and good weather to run,   I would like to run again the BDN Running which apart of that it was in memeory of a good fellow runner .


Badalona is just 8 k north from Barcelona and really easy to arrive with train or tub ,  there are several way to reach it but the most confortable and fast would be the train  (Rodalies towards to Mataro ,  Blanes ) or  underground  L2  (Pep Ventura or Pompeu Fabra ) last one is the end line no doubts .

Well now just waiting for the organisation decision  , I will encourage them  to organize again , release the date if finally they decided to organize . It would be great !! Let´s go guys there are so many people excited to race it .

Me at finish line after 44´ run

Català

Ja ha passat molt temps  desde que es va organitzar la primera cursa de 10 k  BDN Running ,  carrera urbana i molt ràpida  i em preguntava si la segona edició està ja llesta, va estar molt bé corre a casa envoltat de companys i  corredors que t´ajudan   i et   motivan  . Badalona és ben conegut per l´equip de bàsquet del  Joventut de Badalona (La penya), entre d'altres, i recentment també per grans nedadors com la  Mireia Belmonte, dues medalles de plata en els Jocs Olímpics de Londres 2012 per esmentar alguns dels més anomenats , però  com  corredor trobo a falta una gran cursa a la ciutat  , recentment l'equip de "BDN Running" és  bastant pro- actiu  i sembla que estan tractant d'animar a la comunitat de corredors  amb aquesta carrera i dies d'entrenament, genial! També el  "Centre Excursionista de Badalona", que va organitzar la cursa fantàstica de montanys i de nit  anomenada "Endimoniada", molt bé  per  amdues entitats , bones iniciatives! però ens agradaria saber amb certa anticipació quan ambdues carreres es duràn a terme de nou   per poder-nos preparar i marcar  en el  calendari de la  temporada 2013 aquestes carreres importants i a casa .

La cursa és molt agradable te un recorregut , pla i rapit  amb  bones vistes al mar gran part de la ruta, unaltra bona part pel centre de la ciutat on pots es trobar molta gent que animan i sobretot  el bon temps per córrer. M'agradaria tornar a córrer la cursa  BDN Running que a més es  va fer en memoria  d'un corredorde Badalona i molt bona persona.

Badalona està a 8 k al nord de Barcelona i és molt fàcil d'arribar amb el tren o el metro , hi ha diverses manera d'arribar-hi, però el més còmode i ràpid seria el tren (Rodalies cap a Mataró i/o  Blanes) o el metro L2 (Pep Ventura o Pompeu Fabra) l´última és final de línia no hi ha perdua.

Bé, ara a l'espera de la decisió de l'organització, a qui desde aqui  animo a organitzar-la  de nou , seria genial !!

Heavy weather doesn't interrupt outdoors activities

This is one of those fall weekends  that weather try to spoil scheduled outdoor  activities , but fortunately there are some people , normally young guys who are not willing to accept remain home waiting for weather improvement , here you are some pictures taken just two hours ago on  the shore of the beach of my home town.

Windsurfers and surfers enjoying the brave  weaves of the mediterranean sea with the skyline of Barcelona on the picture background . 

Català

Aquest és un d'aquests caps de setmana de tardor que el temps tracten de fer malbé les  activitats a l'aire lliure programades , però per sort hi ha gent, nois joves que normalment no estan disposats a acceptar quedar-se a casa esperant que millora el clima, aquí estan algunes fotos fetes a només dues hores en la vora de la platja de la meva ciutat natal.

Els windsurfistes i surfistes que gaudeixen de les bones onades del mar Mediterrani amb l´ "skyline"  de Barcelona al fons de la imatge.

Behovia - San Sebastian half Marathon 2012

Here I am again , recovered of my last challenge "Garmin Triathlon de Barcelona " where my team mates and I enjoyed very much  I have back to the road  to prepare my next target  "Behovia -San Sebastian " half marathon . I am so exited with that race for many reasons,  among others I am back to San Sebastian 16 year later an that´s always a good choice , then because I will run again a half marathon after 8 months and finally because  this race seems to be the biggest in Europe . I will drive to San Sebastian friday afternoon after  work my wife Sara will pick me up and we will drive down head to Basc Country , I have booked a room in the city center , I was very lucky and we will spend the whole weekend there enjoying , visiting places , eating good food and running  , Sunday afternoon return to Barcelona .

I have heard that  this is not the easiest  half marathon ever   , apparently and always according to the information I got isn´t flat and  is full of  hills anyway , that´s my first time there and I so exited to be able take part of this famous half marathon .

Here is the race profile , as can be seen not easy but as a challenge is a good choice , apart of meet many of my fellow runners , neighbors and friends , I have heard  that so many of my running mates are going to be there it will be a party of runners .

See you guys there next November the 11 th  in Behovia San Sebastian 2012 !!!


Català 



Aquí estic de nou, recuperanme  del meu últim repte "Garmin Triathlon de Barcelona", on els meus companys i jo vam gaudir moltíssim però ja estic de nou a la carretera preparant  el pròxim objectiu "Behovia-Sant Sebastià" mitja marató. Estic molt content amb la carrera per moltes raons, entre altres coses estic de tornada a Sant Sebastià 16 anys després,  això sempre és una bona opció, a continuació, perquè vaig a córrer de nou una mitja marató després de 8 mesos i finalment perquè aquesta carrera sembla ser de les mes importants    d'Europa. Anirem cap a  Sant Sebastià divendres a la tarda després de treballar la meva dona Sara em  recollirà i marxarem de cap,  cap al País Basc, he reservat una habitació al centre de la ciutat, vaig tenir molta sort, passarem allà  el cap de setmana gaudirem de la ciutat  , visitarem  llocs,  menjarem  bon menjar i com no la cursa , diumenge a la tarda retorn a Barcelona.

He sentit dir que aquesta mitja no es fàcil , pel que sembla, i sempre segons la informació que jo tinc no és plana i està plena de turons de tota manera, aquesta és la meva primera vegada allà i estic molt content de  poder participar d'aquesta mitja marató tant especial .

Aquest és el perfil de la cursa, com es pot veure no és fàcil, bé com a repte és una bona opció, he sentit que molts dels meus companys de curses , alguns veÏns i amics  seràn allà, pot ser una festa de corredors.

Ens veiem el 11 de Novembre a la BEHOVIA - SANT SEBASTIAN 2012 !!!!!

Asics Kayano 18 , my new acquisition

Enough cushion to protect my injured knee, good weight, smooth and ideal to run fast , I am not heavy man but I need sufficient cushion to absorb the impact if I don´t want to get into breakage and those pair of shoes are  guarantee , that´s personal but is my experience , Kayano 18 works good for me  anyway are still so expensive .

BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 is over ,seeing your guys next year

Now,  once back home and recovered of the effort done during the race , I ´d like to share with all of your the greatest experience that  means run one of the majors marathons . Berlin , exciting city , inhabitted of  friendly people ready to help you in any circunstancies , is a wonderful city which in addition organize one of the majors.

I left home last friday in the morning ,  48 hours before the marathon I wanted to have time to enjoy the atmosphere , feel the city , the marathon , I got direct fly to Berlin and 20 minutes past 14:00 pm I was in Tegel  airport where my sister-in-law ´s mother called Barbara  who live in Berlin was waiting for me to take me  to the guest house where I will stay those three days,  thanks again  Barbara for your kindness !! . Bus number 128 took no longer  20 minutes to reach Franz Newmann Platz  , guest house was just around the corner , Pankower Alle 7-9 "Restaurant und Pension kutschertube " very recomendable if what you are looking for is a calm place , to rest and eat good meal . People there was so frienly with me , many thanks guys !!.




Friday afternoon ,   short walk around a nice lake called Schafersee ,  2 minutes away from the guest house  to strech the legs., after shower  I head to Berlin city center to enjoy the Oktober fest party in Alexarder Platz , from guest house just  15 minutes U8 line (8 stops ) .

Alexander Platz was full of people getting fun ,  stalls , live  music , people and draft beer made you feel party was served . After have  a look  into I moved to the Brandenburger  tor to see how the preparation of saturday roller skating race were going on .

Saturday morning , after confortable restful night I woke up 9:00 am , had breakfast and move to the Berlin Vital marathon exhibition,  located at the former Airport of Berlin Tempelhof to pick up my bib number and enjoy this good exhibition where the exhibitors show the latest  of  almost everything linked with running and skating. Lunch in the guest house so exotic sanwich called "Hawaian toast " salad , fresh fruits and cofee, after that a move to city center ,quite passing through emblematics neighborhoods of Berlin,  Mitte , Friedrichshain, Schöneberg,  Zehlendorf , dinner in Maredo ,  unter den linden street and back to guest house for resting .

Sunday,  early in the morning  I got  up and get all my stuff ready for the race , have breakfast  and left  the hotel direction to the  marathon restricted area with enough time to stretching , warm up  , feel the atmosphere and be ready for the race . I took the U8 head to Alexander platz  then change to  S band direction to  Friedrichtrabe where thousands of runners provided of  the big BMW  Marathon  ran to the restricted area to start , I feeling  thousand of different  feelings , excited , tired , nervous , cool, I remember my relatives , my sons Víctor & Marc my wife Sara his son Jordi my father ..... restricted area was already full of runners and off course , volunteers those fantastic people who help you worldwide , many thanks to all of them for they kidness and goodness , what would be a marathon without volunteer, almost nothing , they were all around , speaking  different leguages , helping lost people like me , direct others to the right  place to leave the big bag with our belongings , Berlin Marathon have a great team of volunteers , thank again to all of them !!!!!.

Once identified the box where I should drop out  my big bag,  I finished  the  bottle of energy drink  ate  banana and  I  went to the starting line box ,  G  was allocated  box base on the time scored in recent race  that´s meant I had more than 15.000 runners ahead and more than 25.000 behind , atmosphere was incredible you could heard people speking different lenguages , to be honest amazing , unbelievable. Music , medical advices , recomendation and off course the countdown makes you keep the tension before the race .

Marathon  was  wonderful , same route as former editions , weather was ideal to run a marathon and people , people on the streets of Berlin cheering and shouting the name of your  country , in that ocasion my t-shirt  there wasn´t  so much  signs in it exept a little reference of Barcelona in the back and a Bandana with the colours of  Independent catalonia flag which I waved  in the wind 200 meters before the end Line after cross under the Brandenburger tor.

First 15 k was normal , nothing more than enjoy the race , people and marathon at least the target , anyhow when I cross the arc BMW at k 25  I become feeling some pain in my left knee what obliged me reducing the path it wasn´t so powerful pain but remind me not the most confortable  way to run a marathon but I am quite used to live and run with that . from 27k to 32k I tried to maintain steady pace apart of pain but when you run a marathon you know that mind is sometimes can play you a trick but I tried to have my mind with a lot of things an keep  myself in good spirit, after three km and with the sign of k 35 I started to thing that I could reach my target apart of the pain in my left knee  , people on the main streets of Berlin filling  the routes encouraging the people now a little bit more tired than in the begining the race , off course .

I was in the  41 k I could feel the sensation of crossing the Brandenburger tor again apart of the pain , target wasn´t achieved I was 1o minutes over my target but I felt good I was close to cross the finish line again second year consecutive , people cheering , shouting and encouraging runners to finish , to be honest the people is driving you  to the finish line in races like Berlin Marathon , I took my little flag in my righ hand and I  waved it   during the last  195 mts. before finish line  and  cross the end line with a time of 4:07  long away from my best and target but Marathon are marathon and you must enjoyed and be concious about possibilities an never force more than you can , the main thing is finish.

Berlin Marathon is over and I am so exiting to apply for next 2013 bib nunmber .


Congratulation to the Berlin Marathon 2012 organization !!!! see you guys next year .

Garnin Triathlon Barcelona 2012

Garmin Barcelona Triathlon is over now but  we keep the good sensations , Estupendus Team BDN , my team this morning have  done   good,  Francesc Latorre swimer , Jordi Solà , biker and myself runner , we have completed the Olimpic Triathlon . Good experience , great organization and better feeling . Francesc swam fast and get the target arriving at the box where Jordi,  the cyclist and I where waiting for him with a good time , Jordi , went fast and completed the 4 rounds to the circuit in less than one hour , great for both , finally I went out and finish the 10 k in a humble 46´ really far away from my best time in 10 k I presume that this week downtime activity is the reason , I came from Berlin with injuries in my left knee and obliged me to downtime the whole week long . Anyway It have been great , amazing and my two teammates really good people , I hope next year we can meet together again and revalidate the 2012 good performance .

 Go Estupendus !!!!!

From right to left Jordi Sola "Cyclist " Francesc Latorre "Swimmer " mayself "Runner"

Català 


Garmin Barcelona Triathlon ha acabat però mantenim les bones sensacions, "Estupendus Team  BDN" , el meu equip aquest matí hem  fet un bon paper , Francesc Latorre Nedador , Jordi Solà, ciclista i jo mateix corredor, hem completat el Triatló Olímpic em molt bones sesacions . Una bona experiència, gran organització i una millor sensació. Francesc ha nedat ràpid i aconseguir l'objectiu d'arribar a la caixa on Jordi, el ciclista i jo l'esperava amb un bon temps,Molt bé Francesc !!! el Jordi, ha estat  ràpid i ha completat les 4 voltes al circuit en menys d'una hora,bona feina Jordi !!! , finalment he sortit per at molt caluros i finalment he  acabat el  10 k en un humil 46 'molt lluny del meu millor temps en 10 k , suposo  que        l ´inactivitat durant tota aquesta setmana és la raó,  vaig venir de Berlín amb lesions en el meu genoll esquerre i em va obligar  a descansar el genoll tota la setmana . De totes maneras ha estat genial, increïble i els meus dos companys d'equip gent molt bona, espero que el proper any puguem reunir de nou i revalidar l´experiencia viscuda aqus  2012 bo.

  Força  Estupendus!