10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Carrera De Bomberos 10k

1. Madrid

I think that Madrid was an odd choice for a race. I don’t really know why we chose Madrid, there were lots of other places to go especially as Cork airport has no flights and we had to go from Dublin. We could have gone to Malaga for the Marathon but that would have been like doing a race in Dublin with a few additional English people in the sun.

2. Inflation

I think that the price increases for races back home are not justified . Races in Spain seem to cost the same as before. This race was €10 to enter. For that you got chip timing, loud music, lots of inflatable gantries, a free t-shirt and a non-approximados 10k course on the smoothest tarmac in the world.

3. Minding Oneself

I think that John Meade and Viv must have been horrified by the thought of being beaten by me in the race. Normally on a holiday I am the healthiest person on the holiday. When compared to John Meade and Viv I am like a pig. The two croissants with peanut butter and jam as a pre-brunch must have horrified them. I knew that if I could stay near them that the thought of being beaten by a croissant eating fatopotamus like me could be enough to make them panic and give up. I was very right.

4. Retiro Garrote

I think that I did an excellent job in psyching out Viv on the morning of race. I took him for a 3 mile warm up before the race around the Retiro, I told him that the Spanish masters scene was very strong and that an M50 had recently run 2:24 for the marathon. He looked very scared. I couldn’t psych out John Meade as he regards my warm ups as too long so he did his own thing which probably involved hand stands.

5. Puerta del Sol

I think that the start of the race was excellently chaotic. The race started at one of the seven branches off the Puerta del Sol square. Unlike Irish races where no one goes near the front for fear that they might be accused of having notions every Spaniard young and old, with and without Vaporflys wants to be at the front so we had to start about three rows back. This makes the first few 100 metres interesting especially when there is lots of street furniture to be dodged.

6. Juan Meade

I think that you can never judge a Spaniards running ability by his looks. One of the Spaniards took off at a ferocious pace and got a big gap on the rest of us. He didn’t look like what you’d imagine a Spanish 10k runner would look like. He was strong and muscly, sort of like a shorter Spanish John Meade. Everyone behind seemed to be of the opinion that he would come back to us. He didn’t.

7. Zapatos Magico

I think that 2019 was the sweet spot for racing in Spain. The magic shoe disease hadn’t spread to Spain at that stage and only Irish people like me knew about it. There were many Next%s in use in the race, the most popular variety seemed to be the designer Gyakusou green and black pair that are so horrible that Nike had to sell them off at half price to get rid of them.

8. Elder Abuse

I think that what the real John Meade did to Viv on the climb up to the Bernabeu was nothing short of abuse. After the first 2k the race settled with a large group headed by the real John Meade chasing the Spanish Juan Meade up ahead. I was at the back of the large group, Viv was sat on John Meade’s shoulder matching him stride for stride with about 6 Spanish runners between Viv and me. On the 4K climb the Irish John Meade kept turning the screw until only Viv was left with him. The Spanish John Meade was still up ahead. I wasn’t able/was too sensible and let them have about a 25 second gap by the time we got to the cone at the top of the course.

9. The Glorious Catch

I think that I was very surprised to catch and pass Viv. Once we turned at the cone the last two miles of the race were back down the hill on the most beautiful smooth tarmac in the world. It was Michael Herlihy tarmac. As I had been sensible on the hill I was able use my magic shoes on the downhill to reel in the majorly struggling Viv. It was extremely pleasant to gradually get closer to him. When I got near him I made sure to absolutely bury him knowing that he would be thinking “that fatopotamus is beating me, this is terrible”. I ran the last mile extremely quickly as I was delighted with myself. I caught no Spaniards. Juan Meade won, beating John Meade into second.

10. Trophy for Everyone

I think that getting a trophy to bring home on the plane is an essential part of any holiday. We collected four trophies in total. Meade got two, an absoluto and a moderately old man trophy. Viv got an intermediate old man trophy and I got a masculino trophy. The podium was excellent in the sunshine and blue skies, I missed racing in Spain so much, it’s good to be back.