On Sunday 13th September I took part at Laujar 10 km race. Laujar de Andarax is a small town in the Almerian Sierra Nevada. It is a typical Alpujarran white town seventy km away from Almería. I was eager to take part in a competition after several months and after a period with very little training due to the heat and need to rest from running.
So I arrived at Laujar de Andarax twenty minutes before the race. It was a beautiful sunny day but not hot. There I met Pepe, Encarna, Javier, Santi and other runners I know. Encarna introduced me to another runner to do the race together, Agustín, who actually I had already met at Tabernas race this year because we went together some metres along that course.
The race started at 10 am. Agustín and I started together but soon I couldn´t keep his pace, so I decided to go on my own. The course is quite nice since it is along a road and afterwards a dirt track by the vineyards and olive trees and a few fig trees. After two or three kilometres, I was overtaken by the last runner. I tried to keep his pace but I couldn´t. I just kept my pace and enjoyed the views and took some photos while jogging. I had behind me the ambulance and people cheered me. When I got to the town, I saw some runners going back to their cars who cheered me and toldm me that the finish was very near. I managed to do the 10 km in 64 minutes, which is fine for me since I´ve trained very little lately. At the finish I was given a bottle of water and an apple. As there were no T-shirts left, I was given a receipt to pick up one at Corre Corre sports shop in Almería.
After the race we remained there to attend the prize-giving and a draw of sports equipment such as T-shirts, shorts, trainers, etc.
Afterwards, we went to Pepe´s cortijo ( farmhouse ) near Ohanes, twenty kilometre away in the mountains. It is a beautiful house surrounded by high vineyards, olive trees, pome granate trees, etc. It started to rain heavily but it lasted a few minutes. There I met Pepe, Encarna, Pepe´s son, Javi, Santi, Alejandro and his wife, who are Javi´s friends, Felipe and Mario who hadn´t been able to take part at the race with their wives. Pepe showed us the farm who is really beautiful and when we were coming back, a bolt of lightining struck and nearly touched Felipe and Santi. Fortunately, nothing happened. We enjoyed a lot the meat barbecue and Pepe´s own wine as well as beer, cava ( Catalan champagne ), cakes, coffee, etc.
After the meal, Pepe showed us the place where he makes his own wine. Before leaving, Pepe and Encarna cut some bunches of ecological grapes, really good, and insisted on taking some loaves of bread that were left.
It was a beautiful day in the countryside far from the madding crowd.
III 10 km de Laujar 13th September 2009
