Part of the Circuito de Granada the Asparagus Run has been going for 22 years and as continues to be as popular as ever and once again proved to be a well organised and a fun event. I really enjoying taking part in this event for the second time and this year Julio also took part for the first time.

Summer has arrived and the temperatures are rising in Southern Spain but there is still a coolness in the air and luckily, we did have some cloud cover so although still very hot at 7.30pm it was not as hot as the previous year. I set off at a reasonable pace (for me) and I think I managed to maintain this pretty much throughout the run, finishing with a time of 1.02.17. Julio also had a good run (passing me at around 1km mark) and finishing with a time of 00.55.30. The route was the same as last year which is relatively flat as we passed through centre of town, where we had lots of support from onlookers. It then went around the periphery of the town and out into the country/campo. There were a few ups and downs as we went over a couple of bridges out of and into town before coming back into town to nearby the sports/swimming pool centre where the finish line was placed. Sadly, no goats this year, I think Mr Goat Herder had learned his lesson from last year and kept them safely out of the way!

Janice’s Stats:
Category: VETERANS E – F.
Position in General Category: 9.
Distance: 10.0m.
Pace: 6:13 min / km.

Julio’s Stats:
Category: VETERANS H – M.
Position in Age Group category: 1.
Distance: 10.0m.
Pace: 5:33 min / km.

As is usual we received a finishing ticket which we handed in for our t-shirt and bundle of asparagus. We then availed ourselves of the free beer and watched the presentation in the park. One of our friends, Jess, got second overall female, and was presented with a large box of asparagus. This even is unique in that the winners receive their body weight in asparagus. Jess had too much asparagus and so we came away from the event with quite a few bundles so this week it is asparagus quiche, asparagus omelette, asparagus reuletata.

Finished the evening with a beer at the local bar with Jess, Claire, who completed her first ever 10 km and running race, her husband, John plus other family and friends. Lovely way to end an enjoyable race and day in Southern Spain.

Formerly know as Triatlon Vitoria, it is now an official Ironman full distance race. The location could not be more perfect. Janice and I have competed in Triatlon Vitoria twice in the past and are happy to see this race become an Ironman event.

We plan to be there next year competing and enjoying the great hospitality of the people of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

We now offer very special prices to a group of 4 to 8 athletes to join us here in Andalusia ahead of this race to tune up your preparation. We would travel together with our guest triathletes to Vitoria-Gasteiz 4 days before the race. We’ll be travelling with our own Sports Massage Therapist. Contact us at train@losolivoscttc.info

Click on title above for Race Information

The perfect time to race in beautiful Andalusia, Spain. Ironman 70.3 Marbella 2020 will take part on 26 April and here is an opportunity to enjoy this beautiful event in a great location.

Also a perfect time to arrive at Los Olivos Cycling and Triathlon Training Camp a few days ahead of this race and tune up your preparation.

We have B&B room for 8 athletes for this race. Contact us at train@losolivoscttc.info for special prices. We’ll be traveling with our own Sports Massage Therapist.

Spent a fabulous 6 days with my friend Anel Stricker-Bessenger when she visited us at Cortijo Los Olivos CTTC to explore the possibility of holding Visual Journaling workshops here in the future. 

We spent a lovely day at the Al Hambra Palace in Granada, followed by 2 days where Anel took me through the visual journaling workshop course and taught me some new techniques to grow my visual language as well as create my personal journal book.   I found this really fun, relaxing and very empowering as it allowed me to express myself and make my own marks to translate what I saw and experienced at the Al Hambra and during a walk around the countryside near our cortijo into my personal journal. 

Watch this space……we hope to provide dates for the ‘official’ Visual Journaling Retreat as soon as possible.  

Distance: Sprint 1000m swim / 24.88 km mountain bike / 6 km trail run

This is the third in the Granada Tri-Cross Series – I participated in the first one held in Baza and then missed the second one on 14 July in Castril.  The last will be in Almuñecar on 2 September which Julio and I plan to do.

Julio and I went down the night before and stayed in a nice apartment on the edge of town but with good access to the venue site.    We got our race pack and located the exact spot for the race the next morning and possible parking spots nearby.

The race was due to start at 10am and the men went off first.  However, as we (the women) watched the men started to drift off towards the right away from the first buoy.  At first, we thought there must be a strong current but then the canoes and boats started pulling the guys out of the water.  Apparently, they swam into a sea of jelly fish, called medusas in Spanish, and were all trying to get away and out of the water.  Poor guy in front did not have on a wetsuit and was badly stung all over.   The ambulance crew were then kept busy treating jelly fist stings as the organisers discussed what to do next.   Lucky for us girls we never entered the water.

It was decided to make it into a duathlon with the original 6 km run course first and then an additional 2.5 km run to conclude after the mountain bike section.

As the swim in not my favourite part I was not too disappointed.  A rather reduced field of men started as some were too badly stung to participate.

By the time we started for the second time it was already 11 am and getting very hot.  I managed the 6km run okay but found it quite difficult in the heat and the last part was along the beach which was quite tough on the legs.   Transition with the bike was quite hard and as the first 300-400 metres was across the beach I basically ran with the bike until I got onto some slightly terra-firma.   The first part of the mountain bike route was track and not too difficult and then there was an uphill section but some of this was hard track or concrete and so although tough due to heat it was not too bad.  Then came the shocker, about 4 km of dry river bed that consisted of concrete steep downward slopes at intervals and in between was loose and quite deep gravel.    Really hard work to cycle through and required a lot of concentration and power.  All the time I was cycling (and falling off) on the gravel I was also thinking ‘OMG I have to do this again’, as it was a two-loop course.  I finally got off the gravel and started on the second circuit, trying not to think too much about having to do it again and second time around was not as bad, I think it was the anticipation as I did it the first time that made it worse.  However, it was still hard work and by the time I got off the bike my legs were a bit ‘jelly’!   The last 2.5km run was a bit on road and a bit on track and suffice to say I walked/run it as I was tired and by now very hot.  Luckily there was a drinks station for me to get some water and I finished the run with a total time of around 2.55 mins.

I was on the podium with a first (only one) in my age group and again for the team presentation where IT Horticula Ilturgitanna (Training Tri) got first place female team.

Again, as a team we did extremely well with me number one in my age group and Tonie number three in the general classification and the team itself getting first.   Brilliant outcome for IT Horticula Ilturgitanna (Training Tri).