Fit4Life’s Ana Quigley at Music Marathon Festival Run in Lanzarote, Saturday 19th March 2016
We planned a sunny holiday to Lanzarote as I really needed a bit of sun. Last summer wasn’t good and this winter I found it particularly ‘terrible’.
Knowing that my husband and kids were going to abandon me every morning I decided to see if there were any running groups in Puerto del Carmen. I found one: Lanza Road Runners and we agreed I would join them on Sat 9am and Wed 6pm. This group is formed by ‘mostly’ foreign people that live in the island and tourists like me. They are a great group… we meet and depending on the people we decide the distance and we split in groups, walkers, joggers, runners….. afterwards we have a little coffee and a good chat.
Coincidently, there was a race on the Saturday before we were due to come back, Music Marathon Festival, with different distances; 5k, 10k and 20k…. Before leaving Ireland I was quite eager to do the 20k, until Geoff Hamilton in 2 sentences told me… 20k is 4 laps… you hate laps, and the heat at 4pm…… so straight away I decided that 5k was the safest option, so of course I enrolled.
Indeed it was hot but bearable, there was no shade but windy however, there was a part where the sun was on your face for a long stretch and that was tough. There was music all the way… At the water station I think there were oranges and bananas as well, water and other drinks… I was trying to clean the water off my face that I poured over it, so I could not see for a bit . The course was flat mostly by the promenade except the last km or so where it was like a camel… 2 bumps on the way up and 2 on the way down… and then arrive to the Finish line… I kept hearing ‘567, 567 Ana to the right please, to the right’…. look where I am in the photo… still don’t get the right and left ;o)))) Got a really cool wooden medal. 29.30min Very pleased with that! Very well organised.
I met my new friends there (whom I will miss) that were either running or volunteering. I enjoyed the run a lot… … and afterwards water, COKE!!! (Yes Coke!), juices, fruit, sandwiches…. at some point I decided to move away for fear I was going to get charged more ;o)))) I stayed until the end of the race enjoying the music and watching the rest of the race and then I went back to the hotel to finish packing. Loved my holidays and the race was the Grand Finale!
