2013 is gone

2013 is about to be over. So, it's time to make self-assesstment.

Training workouts:

Total time: 78h 02min.
Distance: 874 km
Average pace: 5'22 mkm

This is only 3 hours more than last year but 49Km more. March was the month with lower traning workouts, mainly because is had 2 demanding races. The months before the two 1/2 marathon is when the cumulative hours have been larger.


Races:

1/2 Marathon Cambrils (3/3/13) : 1h 45' 49''
10K Cursa Solidària Port Aventura (16/6/13) : 51'47''
1/2 Marathon Salou (16/12/13): 1h 45' 07'' (PB)

The firsts 1/2 Marathon finished with success. No improvements in 10Km distance where still the 47'20'' is my personal best.


Trail races:

63,6Km Marxa La Selva del Camp (23/3/13) : 12h 24' (PB)
47Km Marxa Riudoms- La Mola (28/4/13): 7h 23'
60Km Marxa Alt Camp-La Conca (21/9/13): 10h 40'

It's been hard trail races this year ! Not only for the distance but for the weather. Cold, rain and hail in La Selva; storms and snow in La Mola (the organization decided to remove the highest 6km because of the snow); and, burning sun in La Conca race. In any case, times have been decreasing from last year.

Targets for next year: 5 trail races, beat the 1h45' barrier in 1/2 Marathon and faster training workouts.

X Mitja Marató de Salou

Data: 15/Desembre/2013
Distància: 21,1 km
Desnivell: +/- 185m
Temps: 1h 45' 07''

No ha calgut que soni el despertador per llevar-me, el petit ja s'ha encarregat de despertar-me a quarts de 7 i ja no he pogut dormir més. Esmorzar (te amb torrades de melmelada) i fent temps fins les 8:30 quan arriba la cunyada i la neboda. La cunyada també fa la cursa , així que marxem plegats cap a Salou. Una mica més de mitja hora per començar la cursa i ja tenim el cotxe aparcat prop del Pavelló. Fa fred (4ºC). La cua del guarda-roba és ple a vessar de gent així que optem per deixar les bosses al cotxe. Pipi de rigor i a escalfar. En no res veig que la sortida ja està plena i ens acomiadem fins després desitjant-nos sort. Jo intento posicionar-me per la meitat però només aconsegueixo posar-me dues files darrera de la llebre de 1h50'. GPS a punt per la sortida.

A les 9:32 ens donen la sortida. Com ja m'imaginava el primer quilòmetre ha sigut més aviat una cursa d'slalom: braç per aquí, colze per allà, compte amb el que es creua, avança per la vorera els/les coleguis que van en grup i taponen, ... El meu primer objectiu era avançar la llebre de 1h50', però com que no he pogut agafar el ritme desitjat de 5mKm fins al Km1,5 no ho he aconseguit fins passat el Km3. Passo de llarg el primer avituallament. Els primers 6Km em passen ràpid i porto un ritme constant; només sento que les cames pateixen una mica amb els lleugers desnivells dels carrers. KM9 i passem just pel costat de la línia d'arribada. Moment de prendre el primer gel pensant en l'avituallament d'aigua del Km10. Bones sensacions, ritme de 4:55mKm aprofitant la baixadeta cap a la costa. I de sobte, oh sorpresa ! Pujada mantinguda al Km11,5. No sé perquè m'havia mentalitzat que hi havia només una pujada forta i que era més endavant. Aquí cadascú ja fa la seva guerra: alguns dels runners que m'havien acompanyat al mateix ritme des de bon inici defalleixen, així que em fixo altres referències més endavant. Avanço més gent que no pas m'avança, bona senyal. Culminem la pujada al Km12,3. Baixada fins al Km14. Em prenc segon gel i iniciem una lleugera pujada fins a l'avituallament del km15. I arriba el moment més esperat: el Dragon Khan. Baixada forta fins nivell de platja, per rematar-ho amb una pujada igual de forta en cargol. Alguns pugen sobrats, altres s'han d'aturar per recuperar l'alè i jo em limito a no pujar dels 6mkm.  Un cop a dalt, baixant pel carrer que enfila cap al passeig marítim noto ja alguna punxada als isquios, però no minoro i recupero el ritme. Km18, entrem al casc urbà i continuo en el meu ritme objectiu. Em veig temptat a accelerar per assegurar-me un bon temps però les molèsties a les cames em fan dubtar i opto per reservar-me pel km final. Malauradament, com que aquest fa una pujada suau, l'acceleració es confinà finalment als últims 400m. 

Saludo a la família a línia de meta i esperem que arribi la cunyada tot prenent una xocolata. Finalment, una bona dutxa freda (no quedava aigua calenta als vestidors) i dinar a un restaurant del poble.

En resum, un bon resultat millorant la meva anterior marca de 1h45'49''. No m'esperava millorar la marca donat el desnivell, però finalment encara he sigut prou constant. Pròxim repte a casa: Mitja de Cambrils, a baixar la barrera de 1h45'.

My GPS devices (II). Garmin Fenix

After 10 years using my Garmin Foretrex 201, I decided to get a new one. Mainly the motivation was to have a new one with similar features as my old one but smaller, combining both exploring and running features. Despite I've had my eyes on Garmin Forerunner 310XT since time ago, the appearance of Garmin Fenix changed my mind. I was also tempted by the Suunto Ambit 2 at the last moment, but finally I opted for the Fenix.
Garmin Fenix offers the functions for mountaineering but also for running, with the possibility to upload tracks to navigate; feature which is not available in most of the forerunner series devices, more focused for running and training. It also has the possibility to connect a wireless heart rate monitor and to choose the information (pace, altitude, average speed, coordinates, etc.) you want to see while surfing in the screens. In fact, you can create an activity profile (run, bike, mountaineering, indoor, ...) configuring the screens you want to see while performing the activity just by pressing one button.... this is cool.

The marketing feature of the Fenix is the ABC (altimeter, barometer and compass) and temperature sensors. Honestly, I'm using them seldom. They are battery consumers, so for long trails I recommend not to check them so often.
Another nice feature is that when you connect it to your PC through USB plug has the same behaviour of a hard drive unit, having direct access to your gpx tracks and other configuration files. There are also the activity files, containing all information of your tracks (not only coordinates but also temperature, barometric altitude, heart rate) which you can upload automatically to your user Garmin Connect website.

And now the drawbacks:
- Buttons seems not so robust. I sent back my device the first day I got because one button was not moving back after pressing. Garmin service replaced it to me by a refurbished one... not so fair, isn't? I expected mine repaired or a new one, but not an older one (I know it because it was registered months ago). After 7 months of operation, I'm feeling one button going in the same way of the other one.
- Despite Garmin Connect allows to organize training plans to further download to your device, Fenix is not compatible with.
- It takes time to connect to the satellites (around 1 minute). The trick is to keep still until Fenix finish the location start up.
- Barometric altitude is not accurate. You need to calibrate the sensor before starting, but if weather is changing along the trip, it affects to barometric altitude accuracy.
- There're quite a lot of screens of options and configurations. Sometimes I'm lost in the menus.
- SW instability. A hard reset is needed sometimes. Periodical (every 2-3 months) firmware upgrades.

As a conclusion of the first year with my Fenix is that old users of Foretrex keeps orphans. Fenix seems to be the natural successor, but robustness vs. price is far from my expectations. I'd rather a Fenix small brother without ABC sensors, simpler menu, lighter, more robust and lower price.

My GPS devices (I). Garmin Foretrex 201

Since I've started trekking I've been always motivated to keep my tracks recorded. I like to analyse after the runs the statistics, times, distances, .. here I was faster... here I was slower...The most amazing is when you go out for longer trails and check the cumulative grade of your trails or your progress around. My first GPS device was the GARMIN Foretrex 201.

Despite it's bulky for the wrist, when I bought 10 years ago, it was the only one that fit my needs. There weren't so much wrist-worn models to choose really. I'm happy with its performance anyway. It has never left me hanged. Battery duration is still nice (around 14 hours). Robust, I can remember only one or two times where I had to reset. I'm still using it for my bike workouts. I fix it in my bike handlebar and despite the screen resolution is low, the size is large enough to follow previous uploaded tracks or routes while riding. With only one button you can surf along the different screens.

The main issue I've had after these 10 years of use was not for the device itself but for one of its main accessories: the plastic cradle used as interface for charging the battery and the PC serial link. Garmin removed from their portfolio, so no way to buy a new one. It's annoying everytime I need to charge it, trying to align the pins into the remains of the cradle and put one book over to assure some pressure.
Today different brands have launched different wrist-worn models more slim and easier to connect to your PC (through USB, wifi). But robustness is a different story.