Summer Training

Monday, July 4 Trip day to Valencia on the train, which took us 4 hours and twenty minutes to get there. This week of holiday will serve to unwind, read, sunbathe at the beach and swimming pool and to train.
Basically, the objective of this holiday training is to improve the speed and to prepare the Valencia Marathon coming up in November. They're two completely different types of training, but flexible at the same time as one complements the other and at the end of the day it makes a difference in the results. But first let's take care of the Ascent to the Magdalena Chapel in Novelda; a 16k race taking place on the thirtieth this month. According to my friend Trapa, it is a tough race, but a party for the participants and their families and it is very well organised. It starts out with a lap around the track and continues around the town for about two ks. The way up is 6 k long and when going down, hold "your horses" well not to get injured because it's quite steep. The rest of this funrace - because that's what it's supposed to be, fun - is a walk in the park and at which point your legs ask for some sprinting towards the finish line.

Angel's feet

Tuesday, July 5. 7:50am. The first session of training consisted on exploring the area, so after some warm up I start my run along the seafront promenade and off to the fields and the way back along Patacona beach and some swimming in the sea. Total time: 45 minutes. While warming down I watched a police patrol car get stuck in the sand. One of the officers stayed by the car and the other one decided to go get a tractor, with driver, to help them out by pulling with a chain.

Carmelo Jr., Paloky and Boomer by the Dolphins on metre 1000

I wanted either my brother or sister, or both to join me in the running this week. My sister did, she joined me on her roller skates. However I did meet some people who told me about the summer races in the Community, places to train, such as the Passeig de la Malvarosa where metres 0-1000 are marked on the road along the bus track, which makes a perfect spot to do series for short races. We all learned some words in Valencian, like "la charrita"; charrar means chat.

On the second day, in the evening, the idea was to do speeding series, Paloky would mark the pace and I would try to keep up with her. The distance was a kilometer, progressively increasing the rhythm by ending the series sprinting to the end of the promenade and back. Target reached: went under five per k. 5.35- 5.23- 4.56 - 4.45...

...and more exercise that night...dancing at AQUARELA DISCO!
All these training sessions always came with some pushups situps and swimming...oh,and paddle ball with kids and my brother Txon.



from left to right: Boomer, Angelito, Txon and Carmelo Jr.

During the last half of our holidays, I concentrated on preparing the Valencia Marathon next November; one half first which took me two hours to complete and the second half, on the second to last day, on course. Like they say, it is the flattest marathon in Europe.

The city is definitely worth visiting: el Palau de la Mùsica, the very center of town, or old side if you will, Cabecera Park,...

Kids and mom at Parc de Cabecera, Valencia

 
 Ciutat dels Arts i les Ciencies (top pic), Veles i Vents (meaning sails and winds) Building by the Port, and Marina Real.



Kiddies with mom at Marina Real



Valencia is an open city where most people substitute the car for a bike to move around, dine on the promenade in the evening, etc. This is what one could call the culture of the street. There are people around at all times, exercising, walking, dining out, partying and swimming in the sea at night...

Although we stayed an extra week, time flew; there were more things left to do, places to visit and of course to go with the family to the beach, the pool, doing ceramics, meeting people so, it is a question of planning the holidays better for the kids next year, if possible.

HAVE A GOOD SUMMER, EVERYONE