Run10 Mediterranean Series- Roses

Here's a photo of us before the race... don't know how to post it further down, so... I guess I must leave it here! BTW, I'm the one on the far left with the red t-shirt and bib #22 , then there's Olga, Albert (speaker), Mercè, Jesús (organizer), Xavi and Zésar. They're all champs!

Can't believe I haven't updated sooner... naughty girl!

I run another 10K on Sunday, the Run10 Mediterranean Series... 1st race of the "circuit" that took place in Roses, a beautiful town on the coast. It was a lovely day... we were very lucky to have NO wind at all which is more than unusual up there! The course was completely flat and paved. 242 finishers, only 30 women but hey... 30 of us were there. It was nice and a little cloudy at the beginning. Race begun at 10am. The sun came out at around 10:45 I think... it was hot... thank goodness I run in a short sleeve :)

So, onto it... I started at the back of the pack, right where I belong (and I say it very proudly) and kept going steady, my own race at my own pace, as usual... I knew there was just 1 runner behind me. I had this man in front that I managed to pass around K4. I clapped as I passed and encouraged him. I then had another man ahead with a blue t-shirt. He walked through the water stop at K5 and then started running again only to stop to walk shortly after and I passed him too. As with the other runner, I clapped and encouraged. I was running on my own... couldn't see the runner ahead of me but kept thinking others were following :p

I have to say that I met some of my fellow "correcats" before the race. It was really nice putting faces to names. Such lovely people! As I approached the finish lines, one of these correcats, Mercè, joined me for about 150 meters... boy, was she running fast! But she got me going too! It was soooooooooooo nice to have someone there with me. She's a sweetie! Got to the finish in... 1:06:20, 1 minute and 11 seconds faster than the 10K in Figueres last week, and of course, a new PR! I was thrilled! Plus I run the full thing!

I did "hurt" my knee on Friday last week and was worried sick as it was painful all Saturday but... felt NOTHING at all during the race and it's only bothering a little now. I do have a groin pull again, same as usual but hoping it'll pass as usual too!

I'm on a new challenge to lose the weight I have to lose... enough is enough... I can't cope with it anymore, so I'm working at it and will until it's gone and it will be FOREVER! Seing my video of the finish line was a reality quick for me... enough is enough! I can do it and I'm going for it!

Off I go... I need new leggings... running with a sweat pants is not helping me... my legs are fat but hey... if you don't like them, just don't look ;)

9th place!

So... that's Paula's overall position... 9th out of 64 little gymnasts! And... 2nd place on floor and 4th on the vault... a proud mom?? You bet! My little gymnast... and that was with only 2 hours sleep at night! Next competition is May 15th at her own gym. She's soooooooooo excited. She really needs to work on the uneven bars... if she had that... oh well... she's only just started... better give her time and have her enjoy it as much as she is!

So proud of my princess :)

And... another 10K!

Well... another race under the belt for me! And a PB again, then again... only normal at this stage, isn't it? I'm so hooked... I'm looking for races all over to see where I can go. Hubby's not too happy about it cause it means staying with all 3 kids on his own but...

So today it was the I CURSA URBANA DE SANT JOSEP in Figueres, where the Dalí Museum is. It wasn't easy... it was a 2 5k lap and there were 3 steep hills twice, that means 6 "important" hills althogether... the race started with one... what a killer but I run it full the first time around in 32:38 which is a PB for me at 5k distance! On the second lap I walked 2 of the 3 hills and it worked wonders. I walked a total of 6 minutes on the race finishing in 1:07:31... I'm thrilled! My first 10k race on 11/29 took me 1:17:11, the second one on 1/24, 1:12:07, that means in 4 months I've improved 10 minutes... not bad, to say the least... I'm happy!!! It was a small race, first edition too... only 299 runners which was great. A lovely atmosphere, perfect organization and very lively. Simply loved it! It's a race to do again despite the hills!

So from now... lots ahead... first one next Sunday 3/28 in Roses, then Girona (at home!) on 4/11, Barcelona (cursa dels Bombers) on 4/18, we're, BTW, sleeping over in Barcelona on the 17th! After that, 5/2 in Empúries, 5/9 in Girona again (start and finish only 800 meters from home!), 5/30, a 12K in Barcelona (with over 40,000 runners!) and 6/6, 10K in Pineda de Mar... those are a lot of Ks or miles but I'm so ready... I am thinking, just thinking of doing a long run on Sunday April 25th that I have o races and go 2 hours to see how far I can go. Why? Well... on 5/9 at home aside from the 10K it's the half. As all halves in Spain you get 2.5 hours to finish *only* and if I saw I did a minimum of 17-18k in 2 hours I might sign up for the half instead of the 10K... we'll see how I feel after having run 4 10ks in only 5 weeks! Maybe it's a silly thing to do... we'll see, it's just a thought ;)

Paula competed yesterday in gymastics for the second time. It was in Terrassa in a, according to me, not suitable sports stadium. Anyway, no medals but we still don't know what place she finished in either. She started on the floor, not as good as on her first competition but very good all in all (I do have to say she slept at school the night before, or should I say she didn't... she was awake all night chatting with her friends...), then the vault... AMAZING is all I can say... she flew... excellent job! Then onto the uneven bars where she went round on her own but needed help to get up, but way better than she did on her first competition! Also, first time she could go round on her own without help... I'm thrilled! And then balance beam... she fell as she walked on it, but she continued and did perfect! Hopefully we'll know her overall position tomorrow... if she does good, having been 6th overall on the other competition and if she does well on the next one on May 15th she gets to go to the final on June 6th! Yes... I have a race that day but I'm sure it won't be at the time of the competition (fingers crossed). In any case, the race is in Pineda and the competition in Barcelona and they're close by! I'm a proud mom!

Little Pol, to be 17 months next week, stayed with a baby sitter, first time one of our kids had to have a baby sitter but it went great. He really had a hard time on the other competition and this way he had someone all to himself and had a great time. Also, it's this girl I know and really trust!

Jan stayed with his grandparents as he got really bored at the competition too. He doesn't like gymnastics. So it all worked out great! Plus Paula had us all to herself which hadn't happened since Jan was born, when she was 2! she was a happy soul too!

So, that's it... spring is in the air and it feels great. I'm enjoying pain free running and I'm on the go... bring the races on!

Getting things done...

What a week... there was a huge snow storm forecasted and for once... they got it. We're NOT used to snow... this is the mediterranean! But my oh my... what a storm... with lightning and thunder and all...



Got to work Monday am and it was snowing a little. All buses were sent back, so we only had local kids at school and the ones that are left first thing in the morning. We started calling their families as the national weather service kept sending messages things would only get worse. In 2 hours, there were 7cm of snow on my car... that was quick! At noon I was able to get out. I picked the kids up... all schools were closing by 3 and school was cancelled for Tuesday. The problems on the roads were amazing... hundreds of people having to leave the car in the middle of the road... 7 hours to complete a 10-15 minute commute... unreal... we're not used, not ready... after all we get one of these every 24 years... 1948, 1962, 1986 and 2010... lots of people were left without electricity. Some only got it back last night, like my parents... it's been a nice experience for the kids. We've had no problems but for those who've suffered and are suffering...



I took the kids out on Tuesday. They had a blast... well, Pol didn't, he didn't like his feet sinking in the snow... bless his soul! But Paula and Jan loved it. It was sooooooooo nice! I will have to figure how to post pictures in the middle of messages so I can post some!

On Sunday March 7th I had a 6.5K race, la volta a l'estany de Banyoles. I hadn't trained in a week due to this, that and the other. Still I got up and went and it was awesome, simply great! I covered the distance in 41:32 which is pretty fast for me! It is such a beautiful place, so inspiring and I just enjoyed myself! We went all around the lake. Lots of people, families, dogs... great... two good things about it... at about km 3, a little 5 year old passed me and he stayed within 20 meters until the end. His mom was there too, about 1-2 meters from me. When getting to the finish like I tried passing her but she sped up, I tried again, she did it again, but third time was a charm, I sped and passed her... yay me! A big motivator (the other good thing) was that when approaching the final stretch, I could hear sirens and noises... the runners of the half marathon, who had set out 30 minutes before us, were arriving too! I actually got to cross the finish line with the winner of the half! How cool is that? It was great!


I tried running in the storm... too slippery and too windy. Tried the day after, the sidewalks were full of ice... I kept sliding... so on Wednesday I went back to Banyoles (previous call to the office of tourism) and run around the lake again. It was sort of a fartlek run... having to jump over fallen trees (due to the snow storm), slipping on mud, skating on ice... it was great and enjoyable. My time was much slower, then again, the conditions were different too! I then did 10x100m intervals. The first 4 with wide stride, the others at 90%.

I went out for a run again yesterday. Plan called for 15 easy minutes plus 4-5 x 1000 m (yes, that's 1 k!). I set out thinking I'd do 5 repeats for sure. I was sore from Wednesday's workout. First repeat was good, fast for me, but each repeat got slower and slower and I felt more and more tired so I decided to do 4 and call it quits. I am proud I did it and gave it my best, but I do have to admit I was a tad disappointed at getting worse/slower with every repeat. In a way I see it "normal" but I'm not quite sure it's the way it had to be... Anyway... I did it. I could have quit after 2 repeats but didn't so... yay me! It's a rest day today so, at almost 11pm I should really be getting to bed!

Kids are doing great. Paula's next competition is in Terrassa on Saturday March 20th. Both Paula and Jan are sleeping over at school next Friday night... it's their welcome to spring! And the day after Paula's competing... not a good combination if you ask me... oh well! Pol's a sweetie, getting cuter and cuter each day. I just love my kids... they're my life!

It was the Barcelona marathon on Sunday too... I had friends running it. I watched their finishing videos... it's sooooooooo exciting... I've cried. I can see myself doing it some day... I'm thinking of registering for next year. The date is set... March 6th 2011... I have until Dec. 8 to sign for the lowest fee... I'll see how thing go up to then and it would be a great bday present... I am running a 10k (next edition of my very first race after taking running up again) on my birthday, on my 40th on Nov. 28th... I might then sign up for the marathon if training and things are going well... I don't know when but... I will be a marathoner!

Geez... it's been a while!

It's March already... wasn't it Christmas just yesterday??? This is sooooooooo crazy! Less than 2 months to Anna's wedding... how exciting!!!!

I trained great last week but I'm on a spurt (sp?) of anxiety again... stuffed my face today big time... ugh... I can't stand NOT having control over my eating... I hate it! Why is this happening? I now have a PT with a great training program... I know exactly what to do, yet it feels like a burden at times... maybe that's what causes my anxiety???

Other than that, we're doing good! Kids are doing great... growing like weeks... realized yesterday that Pol isn't a baby anymore... he's got a little boy's "body"... bittersweet...

Paula can't wait for her next competition but she's expecting too much... trying to keep her feet on the ground! Jan's a sweetie, so nice to talk to him and have him express how he feels and Pol's becoming truly adorable... so much more calm... still touching everything but a lot better! He even slept the night through last night... he did NOT take a nap yesterday... I wonder if it had anything to do... will try again next weekend to see what happens :p

I need control, I want control... now, how do I do it? How do I get into control? How can I control my eating instead of my eating controling me? I want to, I need to, I have to!!!!

Next "race" is Sunday... can't wait... love getting out there and leaving all my worries behind... run a full hour on Friday... it felt awesome!