With thanks to Ana Quigley for this race report with the usual Spanish flair. Arriba Ana
As ‘some’ of you know, there was a race at home (San Sebastian) that I always wanted to do. Well… it is its 51st year running and I always knew of it… but in the last couple of years I thought that it would be nice to do it. Last year, telling my brother that I wanted to do it, as brothers do, he said: ‘You? There is no way you can run it?’ and as sisters answer I said ‘Why not? I already ran half marathon distance!’ I didn’t tell him that it was only once and it didn’t go that well, but he didn’t need to know that. And he kindly started to remind me of the peaks of the road…. I think he had a point. As I am quite absent minded I never really paid attention to that road that I passed by hundreds of times when I was young. I remember the up and downs but…. so bravely I enrolled for this year.
You need to enrol in May as the places disappear in a week. The closer the time was getting the more worried I was. I looked at the profile of the race and I realised that probably it was a bit too brave but hey… after 2.45 min there is a bus that will collect you and bring you to the finish line.
This race is called Behobia-San Sebastian, which means from the village of Behobia in the border between France and Spain (Basque Country) to San Sebastian, 20kms away. 20 kms, in 2h45min… I thought I could finish it… one way or another… so that was it…. But the hills… It is November so weather wise it would be cold… but the hills… I asked the ‘lads’ and they suggested going to Howth to practise… and I did .. on a Sunday afternoon with Caroline.. and I ‘hated’ Mick Foy all the way…but in the end I thanked him for the torture. The Saturday mornings in the park were a blessing… convincing the group to go by the hills (maybe only once but…)
The week of the race arrived… and of course…. I had a sore throat, knee pain, heel pain (in both)… weather prediction 24 degrees, seriously??? In November?? This is the North, it is supposed to be cold, ok, ok… drink water…. Now it was the heat and the hills… Start packing on Thursday… and my watch breaks… well, what else can happen! Louise gave a loan of hers that I brought with me in case mine could not be fixed. I didn’t mind the time that much but I had to have this race in my Garmin! Friday morning I took the plane.. via Madrid as there is no direct flight in the winter but it was good, relaxing… Saturday morning I went to the Expo to collect the number and the t-shirt, had a relaxing Saturday (big fat lie! I was really nervous)… My father glued the Garmin and I could use it… (imagine losing or breaking Louise’s, the guilt!) and Sunday arrived, ‘only’ 28000 out of the 34000 people subscribed started the race.
The organisation warned constantly, on radio, on TV about the weather, to hydrate properly, to enjoy, forget about times, it will not work, it is too hot, etc… The race started at 9.30 with all the ‘wheelies’ and at 10 the runners…. all the 28000 split in 19 waves. I was the 18th. I was meeting a friend, Virginia, who I met at the Running Club I go to when I go San Sebastian, RUNSS. We met close to the start line. Arriving there and meeting people was an odyssey too. My sister gave me a lift to the starting line. I met Virginia, and of course we queued to the portaloos.. and we went to our corral. You are not allowed to start at a previous corral as you would be disqualified, but you can start later. Lucky me Virginia started with me. Our starting time was 11.30 and the weather was getting hotter and hotter… 28 degrees…
Probably because it was one of the last corrals people were in fantastic humour, everyone chatting, dancing to the music, etc… and 11.31 arrived and BOOM!!! Off we went. From the starting line we already had supporters, cheering and shouting. Apparently it was flat until 2km… with a false incline. I truly think people should read the actual definition of a false incline…. that was a hill for the first 500m… so we went up and up and up… the amount of people was phenomenal. There was a water station already at 2km.. at which we took water and started pouring it over us.. it was very warm.. no shade… but we kept going up and up… apparently there were some downhills, but by the time I was thinking to myself, oh downhill, arms down… it was already up again… we took it slow… some people, in my humble opinion, were going too fast in that heat and those hills… but probably they started in the wrong wave. Suddenly 5k. Well, that wasn’t that bad. We can do this… but the next k and a half.. were very tough… by a ring road, no shade, and up… and that was I think the 2nd or 3rd water station… same routine, drink a bit, shower a bit… some of the farms had their hoses out… that was good. But I felt that was it… after 7k? The problem was the heat… and then a bit of a downhill… felt better…. we had a ‘bio’ like americans say… and we kept going down, and we arrived to the next village, Renteria.
I kept thinking my support team at home are tracking me down on the app, and cheering… Thank you DAC!! I have to keep going ;o) The support was unreal, people with water, oranges, posters, music bands, more water stations.. I would say there were around 10 water stations or so all along the way. Maybe 8… but lots.. they were needed and they were there. I was way too tired and there were still 2 hills to come… Virginia was flying.. felt a bit bad keeping her but Renteria was her village, and we had to look good as she knew a lot of people there… so there we went, trying to look good. Well she already did, she was strong! Just as well she stopped and hugged people she knew, that was a rest for me ;o))), but after Renteria, it was my rest time, a hill coming and I walked up… she slowed down and I started to run again… then down, more water, lucozade, hoses… music bands… it was great… passed Pasajes (I have to say I don’t really remember passing by it, but I guess I did ;o))) and another hill towards San Sebastian, it was the 16th k or 17th.. OK I can do it ;o))) We met part of the RUNSS girls that came to support and we kept going.
At that time, I told her I was really going to slow down, and she kept going, she felt really good. I was running in the sun and walking on the shade… Now a bit more than 1k to the finish line… one straight street with a false incline (this really was a false incline) which I walked a bit to get energy for the finish line, I met my friend Nuria there (who kept me out the previous night until 1am – some friend ;O))) … and once I turned towards the Finish line, I had 1 k to go. Something clicked… I felt good, I think I was delighted to arrive, and I started going and passing everyone, almost missed my family, they were all there, my nephew shouting: Izeba txapelduna!! (Aunty the champion!!!) and I arrived with arms on the air! So happy, met Virginia there massive hug, so happy to finish it. 2h23 mins (in my Garmin 2h21 but anyway ;o)))
I really liked it but.. that heat is not for me.. .and those hills, well… maybe I should have prepared a bit better but doable.. But there is nothing I can do about the sun…
To our surprise we got a medal. I was joking at the starting line saying this is only the road to get the medal and everyone was asking if we were getting a medal… then I corrected myself and I said, well maybe a banana… That was some race! Very tough… but fantastic! All that feedback from runners that the B/SS has the best supporters it so true! Such a fantastic feeling! So tired for the rest of the day though!!!
Went to my sister’s for lunch where I was greeted with balloons and champagne!
Monday 7.30 am on the plane back home, not sure if I will be able to walk tomorrow ;o)))
