Spaniard runner in the world

How difficult are those lonely long runs!

2010-10-11T02:13:00.002+01:00

Yes, I miss my fellow runners in Indiana. Those crazy runners were an amazing support and continous challenge!! They made me go further and further!

For them 18 miles in a long run were an easy training!!

This week end, I have run 10 miles on Saturday and 15 miles today, all of them by myself, and I can say that it has been a tough training! I do not think that I could have gone longer even if I wanted to complete a full marathon between Saturday and Sunday.

I need to keep up my mileage if I want to be ready for the Dallas White Rock Marathon. We are less than two months ahead! Let's see how things go...

Such a long time...

2010-10-09T03:16:00.002+01:00

Yep, it has been more than two years without visiting this little space for introspection. Since that moment, several things have happened in my life, and I can not complain, most of them have been very good!

First of all, we had our third baby, Javier, almost seven months old now. Javier was born in the US, he is doing fine!!

Also, we do not live any more in the Midwest, now we moved a few months ago to the Lone Star State, Texas!!

So, we changed the cold winters in the single digits to the high temperatures during the texan summer!!

And during all this time, one way or the other, I have been able to keep running!! Juggling with every day's schedule, I have been able to sustain a good 40 mile's average per week during all this time. I am really thankfull because my health has allowed me to follow my running dreams during those times.

So, I am ready to come back to and post my little diary....

2008-02-21T23:52:00.002Z

It has been a while that I don't get by and write some words, but here I am again, let's try to practice a little bit writing about running, living in the US, surviving to this crazy winter or anything else that comes to my mind!

I am still running, it makes me feel alive and awake, even with the snow and those temperatures! I follow this rule: if we are above 10ºF, it is OK for me to run outside, so most of the days I am able to run outdoors!

See you on the trails!

Wonderful day in the Dunes

2007-08-03T01:53:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday we spent the day in the Dunes. We went all the family and we went on the trails. We walked for around 3 hours with the kids.

We had a blast all together, it was really fun to have lunch in the trails.

After that we went to the beach. It was a wonderful day and a good complement to my training.

Last saturday we did 29 km, around 18 miles. I am running pretty fast for me, the average was around 8 minutes/mile. So, more or less the marathon pace I am targeting.

My longest run...

2007-07-05T03:13:00.000+01:00

Yes, I did it: 30K on Sunday with the crazy runners. It wasn't too hot and we could make it!! Let's see how I feel during this week after such a long train for me.

It is the longest train I have ever done. I know I shouldn't have done it now if I am preparing Chicago, which is not soon, but it is done!!

My new Chicago's Marathon T-Shirt

2007-06-27T00:05:00.000+01:00

Yes, I ordered this new T-Shirt to run wearing it the Chicago Marathon. I ordered it through Running Banana and they did a really great job. It is a technical t-shirt and the drawings in it look great. So now, I only have to continue training for the big event!!

Today it has been the first day with a lot of humidity and I was really tired after the training. I didn't run very fast but the humidity made running difficult!!

Starting longer runs...

2007-06-25T17:28:00.000+01:00

Yes, this week-end I started again with the longer runs, arround 15 and half miles on Sunday. I ran with the crazy runners in the Dunes, we met at 07:30 am as usual and we ran on the trails, on the beach and we did some small portion on the road too.

On Saturday I ran with my wife, one hour easy run, in this beautiful National Park. It is great to run together even if I go slower. She is doing great and we had fun running together!!

A new week starting, today some rest and tomorrow more running.

Let's start with Chicago!!

2007-06-22T18:08:00.000+01:00

Well, Chicago is coming!! It is necessary to start training. I will try to post my daily runs, using the new gadget of Nike+. Today, 12.4 km this morning. I tried my new custom orthotics, they are different than the old ones that I have been using the last two years.

Let's see if I am able to get used to them.

Today I ran fast, faster than I am used to train, maybe it was the orthotics, just feeling pain on my feet made run faster!! :)

In any case, good training, let's get prepared for the week end running with the "crazy runners" at the Dunes!!

2007-05-11T17:07:00.000+01:00

Well, it is done, my third marathon, second trail one. I ran the called “Trailmarathon” in Michigan on April the 29th. It was a nice experience, I went with my family and we spent one night in Michigan, in Howell, close to the starting of the race.

It was a 3 hours trip with the kids, but thanks to the portable DVD players, we had a calm and nice trip! We had dinner in Howell and we went to bed early, just anticipating that the next day I had to wake up really early, at my 4:45 (5:45 local time).
I met with some other runner friends that were going to run the race and we went to the starting point.

The day looked good, maybe too hot for running a marathon. We started, we had to two laps of a circuit really beautiful in the woods. The first lap I did it with my friends, but the second one, I decided to go a little faster. I did this second lap, alone, running in trails, just with my mind flying wild. At the end, I finished OK, in 4:33, with good sensations.

And now, I am running again, just thinking what is going to be my next race, maybe one half in South Bend. And in October the Chicago Marathon, the real target of the year!!

Oh, it hurts!!

2007-04-24T18:43:00.000+01:00

Oh, I am only a few days far from the Michigan Trail Marathon and it is not possible that I have problems in my legs after running too fast this Sunday in the Dunes, the National Park, on a beautiful but sandy trail, called the Rig!!

I followed a group of fast runners, I did wrong. I should have left them go but I wanted to challenge myself following them, which I was able to do!! But now, after two days I still feel the pain on my legs!!

Today I ran slowlier trying to recover, I feel better but not 100%. And I know that any small pain will be worse during the marathon this week end!!

Let's see how I feel those next days before Sunday...

Valparaiso mini

2007-04-20T02:23:00.000+01:00

Well, after several months running in the cold, it is spring!! And the Valpo mini has arrived!! It was a good race, but I couldn't run with someone during the race, I ran all the race almost alone, which was challenging to obtain a PR!!

Even that, at the end, 1:34:47, my new PR!! And now, some rest and the next week, the Michigan Trail Marathon in Ann Harbor!! Wow!!!

Winter...not so terrible till now

2007-02-20T00:20:00.000Z

Well, yes, the winter arrived and the snow and the cold appeared in front of us. It has been, well, it continues being, a period of discovery and new sensations for all of us.

My family and I we had never been below 32ºF for so long, only once in a while every winter and when that happened, it was most of the time during the night.

So this was absolut new for us. First of all, I decided that I would try to change the minimum my way of life: specially concerning my runs.
This was easy to say and difficult to undertake!!

Day after day I have been doing new PR's concerning running in the cold!! From running in the therties, continuing in the twenties finishing running around 5ºF!! Even now I am scared about those temperatures!! I am proud of that.

I have run with snow, ice, wind and always thinking: "...just keep going!!"

But I have to say that during the week ends, I didn't run alone: always with those awesome crazy runners that I met in the Dunes National Park!! I really apreciate what this wonderful group of runners have done to me.

Look one of the amazing trails in the Dunes!!

Oh, oh, Tecumseh is coming!!!

2006-11-20T17:07:00.000Z

Yes, I am in!! Tecumseh is coming and I don't know how I have done that!! I haven't prepared this marathon as strongly as I did in my one and only previous marathon!!

And now I know what has said Dean Karnaces, the ultrarunner, about this marathon:

Hardcore. ... Along with the 3,500 feet of climbing, most of the course was on technical single-track trail, with numerous stream crossings, hordes of logs and branches to climb over and navigate around, deep pocket of mud, slippery rocks, and gnarled tree roots hiding silently under thick canopies of fallen leaves.The switchbacks were difficult to follow, and if you looked up for a trail marker, it was easy to stumble and fall, which many people did, including yours truly (multiple times, in fact). A lot of the runners were cut and scratched from falling or getting snagged on the thorny bushes that we passed through. I’ve spent some time on the trails over the years, and this trail run was as challenging as any.

So, is this any type of contagious flu? How could I be convinced by my new Sundays runner friends, those crazy runners who run marathons as easily as people eat a Donut!!

Well, in any case, I have tried to be as consistent as possible with my running homework!! So the last 3-4 Sundays training I have been running for 2:10 to 2:20 and with a lot of hills going up and down. Also I have increased my running distance on Saturdays: 1:15 now.

There is only two more weeks and it is done. So this is the last week to train, next week it is over, just rest to be as strong as possible!!

Isn't it beautiful!! What an amazing view from the John Hancock Tower some weeks ago!!

Views from my house

2006-10-26T00:26:00.000+01:00

Isn't it beautiful? We are used to live in small appartments on the other side of the planet. In Europe, and specially in Spain, people use to live in appartments not bigger than 800/900 square feet. Eh, and more expensives than where we live now!!

In Spain, the gouvernment was thinking in supporting what they called "habitational solutions", solutions for housing which were appartments 250 square feet!!

But the US is the open space country, everything is big!! You go to a restaurant and you get one litre of coke for drink!!

Today I am ill, I have gone several times to the "toilette" and it doesn't look to go better since two days ago. Even that, yesterday I was able to run, and today I would like to run at nigth, on the treadmill, I will see how I feel...

Getting installed...

2006-10-24T01:24:00.000+01:00

Well, it is amazing how fast the time goes. It has been almost three months since we arrived at the US. If we look back, we have done a lot of things!!

Our kids are settled down at school, we have a new house and car and step by step our life gets normal.

And, every day we learn something new about this country and his way of life. It has been an exhausting effort but here we are. We hope we will enjoy our stay here, and our kids would learn english in a better way than their parents did!!

On the picture, a restaurant on the Navy Pier in Chicago. I don't know exactly why this message is there, but it was funny to find it there!!

Deer and running...

2006-10-16T23:51:00.000+01:00

What an amazing discovery the other day!! While I was running in this beautiful national park called the Dunes, I saw those wonderful animals, peaceful and elegant. It is really nice to be able to run in such a beautiful place!!It is worthy to take the car and drive around half an hour to get there. I think running in areas like that is really a privilege.

Today I feel bad, maybe I am going to have a cold, I hope I will feel better tomorrow.

Chicago, amazing city!!

2006-10-13T01:47:00.000+01:00

Yeah, Chicago is spectacular!! We have been there a couple of times and when you walk by Michigan Avenue or you see the skyskrappers you can't avoid to say "Wow".

It was a pitty I couldn't run the half marathon of October 1st in Chicago, but it was difficult for me to get there on time. We have approximately 1h15 of communiting to Chicago.

For sur, my next year's target is to run the Chicago's marathon!!

I am back...

2006-10-12T01:57:00.000+01:00

Well, several months later, I am back again!!
During this summer we have had lots of changes!! Yes, I am in the US now living, near Chicago!!

We arrived with my family at the end of July and those last months haven't being easy!!

But here we are, trying to learn the "american way of live" and trying to get installed as soon as possible.

We are happy here, a little bit scared because of the weather but happy!!

And about running...I haven't stopped running, it has been very important for me during this time.

On the pictures you can see where I usually run during the week-ends now...

Step by step...

2006-05-25T07:23:00.000+01:00

I'm writing from the Maidenhead's hotel, near London, some hours before taking the plane to Lisbonne. Those weeks aren't easy: too many changes, two days in London, Viana (Portugal), Lisbonne, Madrid...

It's difficult not to get lost with so many trips!!

More of that, I have now more information about our future. There's no more Texas in the near future but Chicago. And now it looks almost definitive.

As I thoutght it was Texas, I have looked for schools, places to live, good neigboourhoods, etc...

But now with Chicago, a so big City, I am completely lost!! I'm trying to get the maximum of information about the city, but it is not easy: it's the third bigger city of the US!!

Well, I hope I can count on my running blogger friends over there to give me information. Every help will be appreciate!!

I took this picture last week in Viana do Castelo: some children with their teacher walking given hands by the town. I like it.

Changes...

2006-05-16T07:52:00.000+01:00

Well, here I am writing again in my blog. But right now I'm not in Portugal, and I'm not in Madrid...I'm in London!!

One week ago people from my company asked me to go and collaborate during four weeks in some project in London. So, this is my second week here, of course flying home the week-ends.

Last week I ran in Regent's Park and this week I'm staying in a hotel in Maidenhead and just this morning I've been running in the Thames trail, one hour, arriving near Windsor, but it was too far to arrive.

And maybe next friday we will know our next destination... So, changes are arriving!!

I feel quite well after the marathon, I've been running for more than a week and everything is OK.

Madrid's Marathon...

2006-05-02T17:49:00.000+01:00

Yes, it's over, the 29th edition of the Madrid's Marathon is now history...and now my name is in it!!

I have finished my first marathon!! and I have finished under 4h00, in 3h49'33'' (chip time). I'm really satisfied of the work done preparing the race and also the results of it. I think maybe I could have been able to reduce the final time, but this is not important now!! I'm sure I will have more chances to do it in the future, but in the first marathon I think it's really good I have finished in good conditions after the race, running all the time and "happy" the whole race!!

But, even I'm really conscient of the meaning of finishing a marathon and the hard effort necessary to do it!! My congratulations to every finisher of a marathon!!

And why not my second marathon in the United States...

Thanks for all the bloggers who have encouraged me during the preparation, it means a lot for me.

On the picture, the Garabitas Group and me...

Only three days!!!

2006-04-27T19:21:00.000+01:00

Well, it's here. The marathon has arrived!! I can't do anything more, just wait!! Today I have done my last run: 9,3 km (5,7 miles) at 5:15 pace (8:25 in miles).

After thinking about it, I have already decided the strategy of my first marathon: I will try to do 3:45 time. I will begin slowly (I know the first half is a bit harder than the second one, even if the differences aren’t very important): I will try to do the half marathon in 1:52-1:54 and look until km 35 to see how I feel. After that, do as I can!!

I will run at the beginning with some friends of the Garabitas Group, people that I usually run on Sundays. They have told me they want to have my same pace, let’s see.

I feel OK, a bit nervous, but OK.

Less than five days!!

2006-04-25T21:08:00.000+01:00

After several months preparing it, the D day is coming!! My first marathon is here!! Madrid's Marathon is waiting for me!!

I think now I'm living those previous moments of passion and good feelings before the race that I've heard about in so many times: I know I have done all my homework for the last four months, lots of hard trainings , most of them alone, some of them in the cold, always between Spain and Portugal: It wasn't easy for me, but I'm here, and I'm proud of it!!

And now, I have to think about how I'm going to run the race: which strategy will I make in place? Should I try to finish in a special time? Or will I have to run without looking the time, being my first marathon race??

I have some days to think about it.

Flying home...

2006-04-21T18:14:00.000+01:00

It's Friday and as usual I 'm flying home in a few hours. I'm not very happy because I was supposed to be today in Madrid talking with people from my company about our future. So I should have traveled yesterday night, sleeping one night more at home. At the end they cancelled my meeting so I didn't fly yesterday as planned.

So we have to continue waiting to know what happens to us. I'm a bit fed up with this situation: now we still can't reserve the school for next year for our children, because we even don't know in which city we are going to live!!

I hope it will be possible to reserve the school places even later. If someone has any information about that for Chicago or Austin, it will be very helpful to us.

Well, it's better not to think about that, because we can't do anything, so it's not useful to worry about it.

Talking about running, my training is ending, next week is my last week before the race. I presume that this week I will get nervous before my first marathon. I have some experience running half marathons, but not the whole one. I think I have done my homework, but you never know how your body is going to function during the race. Let's see...

On the picture, Fuengirola at night from the varanda of my grandfathers appartment.

Memories from those days...

2006-04-20T11:27:00.000+01:00

Well, normally this happens to me: after some intense days, enjoying life with my family it's hard to me to recover the rhythm of normal life.

Still today I'm thinking about all memories of those days spent in Fuengirola with my family. We had a beautiful time all together on the beach, specially our kids. As every father, I feel really great seeing my kids having fun, and those days they had fun almost every time.

So, after those days, it's even harder to separate from my family and coming back to Portugal, keeping my family in Madrid. Even more those days because my wife had a surgery last day (everything was OK) and I wasn't there.

We knew (and we continue thinking the same way) that these was the best decision for the family, because, without knowing our future destination, It didn't make any sense to move for another different town in Portugal (due to the children school), and some months later, have to leave Portugal. So we decided to send the family to our original town, Madrid, just waiting and see what would happen.

Now, we are close to know where we will go, but even it seems we will go to the United States, it's still not decided the project, and the city. So, everything can still happen.

In my near future I have some conversations with my company to discuss about that. Let's see.

And the marathon is coming!!!

Good Easter holidays...

2006-04-19T09:48:00.000+01:00

After some days off, I'm back again. We have been in Fuengirola, in the south of Spain: a beautiful summer place, with great beachs and lovely ambience. It's a tipical touristic place with all you need to spend a great time.

And, of course, you can eat some fish "cooked" on the boat!!

It's really nice to go together all the family, the children enjoyed a lot those days, going late to bed and having fun all the time.

And I could manage to train as I had planned, even more!! This week I have run 82 km (51 miles), more than ever!! And the last Sunday, was 25,7 km (+/- 16 miles). And the marathon day is coming...

Madrid's monument: Real Madrid's Stadium

2006-04-11T17:50:00.000+01:00

The other day, while I was running the Madrid's half marathon race, I noticed we had to run crossing in front of the Real Madrid's Stadium: The Santiago Bernabéu, It's a bit impressive to see it, but I think it should be absolutely shocking to play inside with 100.000 people shouting!!

The Real Madrid soccer team is one of the best soccer teams in the world even if this year they're not doing a very good work.

As I can know, soccer is a non very popular sport in the United States, even if its importance is increasing year after year. In Europe and in South America is the king of the broadcasted sports without any doubt. And this summer, soccer will be the king of sports with the world cup in Germany. As usual, Spain will lose their possibilities in the begining of the champ...Even that, we will support the team!!

Madrid's half marathon: DONE

2006-04-05T18:12:00.000+01:00

That's it. On Sunday I ran the Madrid's half marathon race. It was a quit hot day and I did a good race even that.

I ran the race in 1:36:20, 1:10 faster than the last half marathon race, in Getafe, so this is my new PR of the distance. I'm quit happy about the result even if I think that I could have done better, because I tried to run with the 1:35:00 group of the organization of the race, but I wasn't able to run so fast from PK 14 till the end. But considering the hills up and down and the sunny day, I am happy with my finishing time.

And now, just thinking in Madrid's Marathon in April 30th...

Training summary

2006-03-28T15:45:00.000+01:00

I'm now one month long to the Madrid's Marathon, and one week long to the Madrid's half marathon race. So I think it's a good moment to do a summary of my whole training in the last 5 months:

Since mid november I have run 725 miles, during this year 488miles, and in March 174 miles.

The week of more mileage, I ran 47 miles, and the longest run was last Sunday running 17,7 miles. I think the most important part of the training for the marathon is already done, and now I have to continue reducing slowly the weekly mileage, and doing two more long distance run on sundays after the half marathon the next one.

I feel OK, maybe a bit tired but with good sensations. Let's see how everything is going on...

Churchs in Portugal...

2006-03-24T10:50:00.000Z

I think churchs in Portugal are a good exponent of the architecture of the country. Most of them are really beautiful and, as other architectural elements (as the "cruceiros", which I will talk another day), are very tipical from this country.

Every small town and village has it own church, in the middle of the town, as the center of the social life. All are illuminated at night and they are visible far away from the town.

This is one thing that impressed me after some weeks living in these country.

This chuch is from Vila Franca, near Viana do Castelo.

Don Quixote's land...

2006-03-21T19:23:00.000Z

This week-end we went all the family to a "Cortijo" (as it's called a rural house in the south of Spain) from my family's friend Ramón. We spent a beautiful week end in the middle of the field, between mountains. During the trip, we had to cross all the towns and villages were Don Quixote , the famous hero of Cervante's novel, lived his adventures.

It has been a week-end plenty of nature, family, a bit of sports and of course, lots of good gastronomy!! Thanks to running, my weight is still on the same numbers!!

Half marathon of Madrid

2006-03-16T23:58:00.000Z

It's curious, but while I was thinking about my next race, I realized that I've never run this half-marathon: the half-marathon of my city!! Untill now, I have run more than ten or maybe twelve half marathons, but not in my city!!

And I'm sure it will bring me some memories about my time as teenager: the race crosses near my old home in Madrid. And for more details, as I was told, it's the half marathon race with more runners in Spain!! I really want to run this race.

...and four weeks after: the marathon...but that's another story.

Running with Chema...

2006-03-15T10:19:00.000Z

This Sunday,I couldn't go running with the Garabitas Group, my friends. So, I decided to run alone, near my house, my long training. I wanted to do more than half marathon run, preparing the Madrid's marathon.

I did a 2 hours run, and when I was coming back home, I saw in front of me, on the other side of the street, a runner coming straight ahead to me. As I knew that Chema Martínez, one of the best long distance spaniard runners was my neighbor, I thought Maybe it's him!!...and It was him!!
Then, I didn't think it twice, I crossed the street and I told him if I could run a few minutes with him!! He was very kind and I enjoyed those minutes really a lot. It was wonderful!!

At the end I ran 2 hours 6', between 23,5 and 24 km (14,6-14,9 miles) and I was really happy!!

After that, we went all the family to spend the day in Aranjuez. A wonderful day!!

Airports...

2006-03-08T17:31:00.000Z

Yesterday, when I was running, I thought about the time I spend every week at the airport waiting for the plane. It's really amazing all the lost time that travelers spend at the airports. I think airports are as small towns with their own rules, differents and specials!!

One of the worst problems at airports is the absence of information of what's going on when there's a delay. Normally you are lied and you can't do anything. They try to avoid your complaint doing everything they can, even lying!!
Well, at least, thinking about that made me run faster!!

Here you can see the Madrid Barajas Airport.

Mapuche's Culture Course...

2006-03-06T20:06:00.000Z

This week end, when I was organizing all the papers at home, trying to eliminate as much as possible, I found my knowledge's Certificate of Mapuche's Culture.

This Certificate made me remember five years ago, when we were in Chile, and we had to do a course about the local Indian culture: Mapuche's Culture. This was an obligation of the project that we were executing.

It was an interesting experience, and now it's a beautiful memory of our stay in the south of Chile.

This week end, I have continued with my trainings: on Saturday I ran 1:10 (+/- 13,5 Km), increasing my pace, and on Sunday 1:46 (+/- 21,3 Km) with my Garabitas friends. So, this week I have done 70 Km on the whole week, which is one of my biggest amounts. The next weeks are very important on my marathon preparation. I have to continue increasing slowly the mileage, well, the "kilometerage", well, the distance!! This week I thing I have to be around 75 km. Let's see.

Ah, if you want to know how the Mapuche Indians were, here you have a wood description...memory from Chile.

My home in Portugal

2006-03-03T15:58:00.000Z

Well, today it's Friday again, in half an hour I have to drive to the airport for flying home. I really appreciate the comment of Leah about Chicago. I think it's normal to be afraid about we don't know. Even if we have lived in several places before, every change is different and with kids it scares more.

I hope that if at the end we go to Chicago we will be able to enjoy our time there. I am sure we will.

At the moment, even if there's nothing official, I think the most probable places to go are Chicago and Texas (maybe Austin), quite different weather and places. But at the moment, I continue in Portugal, leaving in a small house alone, with my family in Madrid. The picture is from my home in Portugal. It wasn't easy for me to get used to live alone in that home without my family.

Today I have rested of running. I have done one 55' mixture between cycling and elliptical in the gymnasium and at lunch time 1,5 km swimming. I think this training helps me a lot avoiding injuries while running.

Could it be Chicago??

2006-03-02T16:39:00.000Z

The other day, speaking with people from my company, I knew that maybe our next destination could be Chicago. We don't have any knowledge about cities in the United States, but this possible destination made us feeling a bit down. Why?? One special matter: because of the weather.

After living in the south of Chile and the north of Portugal, we are expecting some sun and not so much rain: those two places were specially rainy. So, when we realized the average of temperatures in Chicago, and the general weather conditions of the city, we didn't feel very happy thinking on the possibility of going there. Maybe we are wrong, and it's a good place to live, but for a Spaniard couple, those aren't the ideal weather conditions to live: half a meter of snow the whole winter is not wonderful.

Let's wait for news.

Even that, I enjoyed my last training on the snow, but I liked it because it won't repeat in years!!

Amazing week-end!!

2006-03-01T11:38:00.000Z

Wow!! This week-end has been wonderful!! First of all because it's been longer than standards because of the holiday until Wednesday. And also because of the time spent with my wife and kids during those days. I have been able to be part of the normal routine of my family during these days, and enjoy this time with them.

Also, even the weather was specially cold the whole week-end, I could have time to continue my trainings, specially last Sunday, running with that funny group called the "Garabitas". I ran with them on the "Casa de Campo", one of the best places to run in Madrid. We had a wonderful time running all together in a snowed "Casa de Campo". The landscape was incredible.It's really exceptional to have this park so snowed!!I ran 20-21 km in 1:55 time and we really enjoyed our training.

Madrid's Marathon: I'm in...

2006-02-23T11:11:00.000Z

Yes, it's done. Yesterday I sent my inscription to the Madrid's Marathon. The race will be the 30th of april. I think it's too late because in Madrid in that time it's probable to have high temperatures for running a marathon. Let's see.

From the beginning of year till now I have ran 449 km, 194 during this month.

From now on, I have to increase the km per week, beginning increasing the long distance run on Sundays.

On the runner's ambience in Madrid, everybody is complaining because now it's still a secret the race course. And that happens because Madrid is full of construction works and the organization can't maintain the old course.

I think running a marathon would be a beautiful way to know a city. The afternoon of the 30th of April I will know...

All Star Game

2006-02-21T18:21:00.000Z

This week end was the All Star Game in Houston. For the first time, a spaniard player was there: Pau Gasol, the forward/center of the Memphis Grizzlies.

I think this is something to be proud of. It's not easy at all to be selected to play this game, only the best players in the world are.

I hope he will play more all star games and why not, I hope I'll be there watching the game!! Let's dream!!

As every week, I'm back in Portugal. Yesterday I went to the massagist. My legs are in a better condition today. I have already run my one hour training, and also I've swam 1,5 km as usual.

Tonight I'll go earlier at home to see a Champion's league soccer game: Real Madrid vs Arsenal. In Europe, soccer is a very popular sport, and Champion's league is the most important club's Championship. I hope Real Madrid will win, let's see.

Yeah, it's Friday!!

2006-02-17T11:40:00.000Z

Today I'm flying home again. I'm happy to see my family. Every week is the same story, I have to be positive and think that this won't go longer than a few months more.

Let's be patient and see what happens. The problem is patience is not one of my principal virtues.

Yesterday I ran one hour again, with some pain in my leg, I hope it's nothing, I will see.

Today I will try to do some swimming and biking before taking the plane.

The sunset is from Esposende.

Memories from other places...

2006-02-16T10:08:00.000Z

Just reading expat travel's blog, looking at the photos shown in her blog, I remembered the time spent in my destinations before, the different cultures and places visited.

This funny picture is from one trip to the desert in Tunisia, with my wife (at that time only girlfriend). I had been living on this country for a bit more than one year and a half, not in the desert but in the capital town, in Tunis. It was a really great experience, I made lots of tunisian friends, and now that all the radical violence from certain Islam sectors is increasing, I can say that there's also other type of Islam people, much more important in number, who want to live in peace, who respect different cultures, specially occidental culture. The radical ones are a minority, and at least in Tunisia, I didn't see radical people during all my stay there.

I have some more pictures of this trip, specially a very good one with my wife and I mounted in camels...I'll have to ask the permission to blog it...

12 K on the treadmill

2006-02-15T19:09:00.000Z

Today I didn't have the body prepared to combat with dogs or run with sheep, so I decided to run on the treadmill.

It isn't so funny but at least you're sure that you won't have any problem during the training. I have run 12,2 K in 1:02:00 time. I ran most of the training at 4:50 min/km pace (7:50 min/mile).

The only problem running on the treadmill is the temperature of the room. It's quite hot and after running one hour I finish very dehydrated.

I ran at 1:30 pm, and after, some stretching, a good shower and a good lunch before coming back to work.

Tonight, I'll try to do some swimming. I try to swim twice a week, 1.500 m per day. I'm quite slow, but the important for me is to complement the running training with some swimming, which helps me avoiding injuries.

On the picture, my Assics Gel Cumulus.

Another Monday...

2006-02-13T17:53:00.000Z

Well, another monday, another long week is beginning. This week-end was exciting. On Saturday we met with my family's brother and we got introduced to a cousin from my wife's brother. She has being living for two years in Texas in a town near Dallas, not far away from one of our next possible destinations: Austin

So we asked her everything we imagined, we tried to learn as much as possible about the Texan's way of life. She was very nice telling us her "expat" experience. During that, our kids played with their cousins and they had a wonderful time all together.On Sunday morning, I went to the "Casa de Campo" to run with the Garabitas Group. It's a very nice runner’s group, always happy to receive new runners or “circumstantial runners” like me. We ran for 1:30 long, more or less 17 km. Running in the “Casa de Campo”, one of the best green parks for runners in the whole Europe, is wonderful. I really recommend it.

After that, I went back home ( I was at home at 10:30 am), and we went all to the country-side, an hour far from home, in a beautiful place with lots of trails to walk. We spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon with our kids walking on the trails. It was very funny; we spent a very great time all together!!

And now, I’m back again, with other trails, different, but alone…Well, not alone, with the sheep…

Viana do Castelo

2006-02-08T11:19:00.000Z

The other day when I was running, I realized that the same day I was running the Getafe's half marathon in Madrid, the Viana's half marathon was taking place also.

This made me remember my two participations on Viana's race in 2004 and 2005. The first one took place one week after having a scaring car accident in a winding small road between two small towns near Viana. It was a terrible experience, similar to one I had a few years ago on our previous destination, in Chile, south america. It's a hard situation to go to a hospital in an emergency situation being abroad: another language, all different. The caotic situation gets worse in a foreign country. Those are bad memories for me. Even the accident, I could ran one week later the race, it was very important for me, and when I finished two hour's later,I had strong feelings: I had been able to surpass all this situation.

The next year it was different, I ran with some portuguese runners that I met some months before, I felt as one more runner of the portuguese group. I finished in 1h44' or something.

The 2004 edition was my debut on half marathon races after more than 8 years without running regularly.

On the picture, there's the Santa Lucia Basilic, in Viana, a beautiful church who looks like the Sacré Coeur in Paris.

Dogs and owners...

2006-02-07T17:09:00.000Z

Today I would have had a perfect run if I hadn't found a "beautiful" dog in the middle of the way looking at me as if I were a big tasty bone!!

While I was running on the trail near the Lima river, in a very isolated zone, I heart some people talking, I looked in front of me and I saw a group of four or five persons, walking with their dog. The dog was some meters advanced, looking at me, quiet. As I use to do on those situations, I slowed down and crossed next to the dog walking, while the owners continued talking to each other without doing anything. On the same time, I was thinking on using the ultrasonic dog deterrent that I had with me.

But after some endless seconds, nothing happened, and I continued with my running thinking: "Look, dogs aren't so bad with runners, you're always thinking the worse!!"

Therty minutes later, on my way back, in a narrow part of the trail, I heart again the same group...and I saw again my friend!! But this time, the dog wasn't quiet, he ran towards me and tried to bite me!! I began jumping trying to avoid been bited on the feet. On the same time the owners tried to caugth the dog without success. After some seconds of "dancing running", the dog went away and the owners continued walking peacefully laughing about the situation...

After that I thought a lot what I should have done to handle in a better way the situation. Should I have used the ultrasonic dog deterrent?? Should I have kicked the dog? Should I have shouted against the owners??

I feel always bad after those situations, it's really frustrating to be bothered by dogs and the owners just looking at it like idiots without doing anything useful!! Why don't they control in a better way their dogs??

It's always the same, it's only a question of education and respect for other people, so simple!!

Ekiden Marathon Relays

2006-02-06T17:50:00.000Z

This saturday I ran a relays marathon race. It was fun and it served to me as a "quality training". I ran a 10k segment in 45'23''. I was a bit tired after the entire week's training and only one week after the Getafe's half marathon race.

I ran with some friends from a runner's internet forum, some of them only internet friends untill the race.

It was a good experience.

The week end finished with an excellent meal on Sunday in my fathers-in-law home, all accompanied with an excepcional red wine: Vega Sicilia from Ribera del Duero, spanish wine.

Destination: Madrid's marathon!!

2006-02-02T16:21:00.000Z

Let's do it!! Yes, it's decided!! I will prepare this marathon, my first marathon!! . I think I must begin running my home town's marathon!!Madrid's Marathon!!After near ten years abroad, this year I have the possiblity of running it, and maybe next year it wouldn't be possible. Who knows where we will be!!

I won't change too much things on my training, just I will increase slowly the long distance run on sundays, from 1h30 to 2h30 the longger run.

I'm a bit scared about it, but I have to think that's a natural step after running so many half marathon races.

Today I ran one hour again, comfortable, with good sensations.

Spiritual training

2006-02-01T20:01:00.000Z

Today I ran almost one hour. I wanted to run a bit less, but at the end, thanks to Steve Runner's podcast
and the beatiful day I enjoyed so much running that I couldn't stop before.

I discovered this podcast on Dra. Lara's blog, so thank's a lot because it's a really motivational podcast.

Today while I was running on the beach, I found this beautiful shell, and I took it for my wife.

This week-end I have a Marathone Relay Race: Ekiden Race, with four more runners. After that I will be quiet for a long time, just training and been with my family!! I hope my understandable wife would forgive me running two races in two consecutive weeks!!

...Next race??

2006-01-31T11:02:00.000Z

Now I have to think which would be my next race. It has to be another Half-Marathon, it's the distance that I like much to run. I think in the last 3 years I ran more or less between 10-15 half marathon races: some in Portugal:Viana do Castelo, Lisbonne, Povoa do Barzim, Esposende (where we lived for more than three years) and some in Spain: Betanzos, Porriño, Valdepeñas, now Getafe.

I have already decided to run the Madrid's Half Marathon race, in April, the 2nd. But maybe this one I will run just for fun like a long training, with my friend Ramón. It will be his first half marathon after training since last november. So maybe I will run with him in his fist half marathon race.

If I do that, I have to find another race before, in March. I will see.

Getafe's Half marathon

2006-01-30T20:18:00.000Z

That's it!! Last Sunday in a very freezy day I ran the Getafe's Half Marathon. It's a very good race, good organization and a very fast half marathon.

The only negative point was the weather, all the runners had to support temperatures around 0ºC all along the race.

Even that, I reduced my PR on the distance in more than 2 minutes since last December, so I'm quite happy about my perfomance in the race.

Today, after being the week-end at home I'm in Portugal again. And today was one step more difficult to come back. Today my soons didn't have school, so it made me feel worse not being with them at home. In addition of that, a stupid discussion with my wife about nothing made me feel bad also: Sunday evenings it's difficult for me not to get upset thinking that I have to come back to Portugal. My mind acts in a similary way as when I was doing my military service, on Sundays before going back...it's difficult to manage for me.

Today free running day, maybe tomorrow some slow running with some swimming, let's see.

One trip to Lisbonne

2006-01-25T10:57:00.000Z

Yesterday I had to travel again. But even that I could manage to run in the morning before taking the plane. I ran one hour, I was listening a radio program that I took for the podcasting emission (what a good invention!!). It was a good running day. After that, I took the plane to Lisbonne, meeting and coming back not as late as in other occasions.

Today I pretend to run at lunch time, on a treadmill. I don't want to run on the beach because it could harm my aquileas tendon, which must be watched to avoid major problems.

This week is a special training week because next Sunday I have a half marathon, so I will run less km than normally.

As I have eart, it's a good race to try to do a PR, so I will try to be under 1h39', let's see.

On the picture you can see my number in my last race, in December, Half marathon of Valdepeñas, just where Don Quijote had is adventures...

Mondays...

2006-01-23T16:46:00.000Z

Well, I'm back. Mondays are complicated. After getting up at home with my family, I have to drive, take the tube, take the plane and drive again just to arrive at the office.

It takes more or less 5 hours time all these operations. And it's quite hard every monday since September on the same situation.

At the beginning, this wouldn't take any longer than a couple of months but the fourth month is finishing now and we have no news about the next destination. Well, we just know that it should be on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and this time the destination will be situated on the North hemisphere. (We were on the South hemisphere some years ago, during more or less four years, it was a very good experience, we had there our first son.) And also we know that we have to practice our english for the next destination...

The next week I have a half marathon, I will try to do my PR, which is right now in 1h39' 46''. I did this time in a race last 11th of December. I have trained every week from the last race:
28 Km (the week after the race), 62 Km, 58 Km, 64 Km, 65 Km, and the last week 64 Km. I haven't done series but on the other side I have done some progressive trainings, begining at 5:30-5:40 pace and finishing at 4:30 pace.

I don't know if I will be able to beat my PR. Let's see.

As you can see, there are beatiful beaches for running near where I work...

I'm flying home...

2006-01-20T11:41:00.000Z

It's friday, yeahh!! I'm going home tonight!! A week-end time is suffisant to break with the work and to become a family again all together.

Yesterday I ran at luch time, on a treadmill, it was 11.9 km in 60'.

Today swimming and some cycling. On saturday and Sunday more running.

You can see on the picture the street where I ran a few days ago, at nigth. See you on Monday

A bad day...

2006-01-19T19:03:00.000Z

I'm tired, yesterday I had to fly to a city 400 km far away from home and it was a long journey, begining at 6:00 am in the morning until 00:20 at night, just after finishing my daily run.

It wasn't a good day, my wife told me that her grandmother was dead. She was 98 years old, it was something expectable but even that, it has allways hard emotional consequences for the family.

And I felt very bad been away from my family, my wife going across this situation alone. I'm 700 km away from my family, waiting here to know our next destination, and my family is ifar because of the kid's school. (We wanted that they could learn english, just thinking in our next country).
Today I spoke with my wife and she told me how have reacted our kids ( three years old gir andr five years old boy) with this news, their first news like that. They didn't realize well what have happened. My daughter asked how my wife's grandmother have gone to earth, "With wings?" she asked!!

And, just after all those things, 1 hour run at 10:45 pm, finishing before mdnight.

The photo is from my last running the day before, on the beach in a rainy day.

Questions and more questions...

2006-01-17T12:28:00.000Z

Today it's raining...

It's midi and I decided this morning to run at luch time.
I think I will go to the beach. It's a very large beach, very quiet, only one or two fishermans and it's the best way to organize my mind and don't think again in my near future. I don't want to think again and again where would be our next destination: where are we going to live next year? In which school will go to study our kids? Would it be easy for them to change another time?

I don't have to think, just run!!

Normally I use to run before work, but now it's too dark and I prefer to run at lunch time or at night after work. I think in a couple of weeks at 07:30 am I could run again without problems.

Today I expect to run one hour, between 5:15 and 5:30 pace (per km), (8:27 and 8:51 per mile), more or less 11 km.

And I'll try to do swimming tonight, my 1,5 km as every swimming day...

P.D. The photo is from one of our destinations abroad...where is it??

You are all welcome

2006-01-16T17:43:00.000Z

Well, let´s go. How do I begin? Maybe I must present myself a bit more.
I'm a spanish guy, thirty five years old, usual runner for more or less three years and for questions of work, I have been living abroad for more than nine years. I have changed three times of destination, in three different countries in three different continents. And I think that proximately it can be the fourth...let's see.

When I went abroad for the first time I was single, and now, nine years later, I'm married and I have two lovely kids, boy and girl who were born in my two last destinations.

And about running, I like very much running half marathons, which is the biggest distance I have ever ran. Well, I think it's enough for the first day...see you later