Happy Christmas!!

(Joe McAllister)

Today I got up to go to the 24th annual Greencastle 5mile race in Co. Tyrone (Northern Ireland), to discover my car had other plans! After an hour of trying everything it decided to start!! I arrived in Greencastle just as Joe McAllister (St. Malachy's) crossed the line in first place in a time of 26:30.

However not being one to miss an opportunity I placed about 300 Active Canaria leaflets in the runners' 'goodie bags'.

On my way home I stopped in Gortin Glen to train in my new Bridgedale socks and t-shirt! Yes, it was as cold as it looks!!

PHOTOS: Alison Hill (Running Photography)

Øystein Kvaal Østerbø is coming...

(Photo: World of O)

From the 13th to the 31st January 2010 Active Canaria is offering orienteers the chance to train on the same courses as used by Øystein Kvaal Østerbø. Øystein, who is currently ranked 23rd in the World, is coming to Gran Canaria in January and will be training on the island’s best orienteering areas. Why not join him?

Active Canaria will be providing 6 different training courses on 3 different maps (two of which are over 1500m above sea level). To help you get the most out of your time on Gran Canaria, Active Canaria will give all orienteers a ‘training pack’ will all the courses and maps and information on other (running) training routes.

If you are interested contact Allan on allan@activecanaria.com or register on our site (http://www.activecanaria.com/  and send us a booking request.

SUBIDA PICO BANDAMA

Today I came second in Subida Pico Bandama, which was an 18km mountain race. I was pleased with my race as I did not really feel the effects of yesterday´s races in my legs.
The whole way I was together with Pablo Vega a road running specialists from Madrid (with fresh legs) until the decent from Bandama, where his road racing speed was too much for me, and he ended up winning by 50sec.

I finish the weekend 3rd over-all, badly let down by my lack of experience on a bike!

Mountain Bike Race

This evening I rode in my first ever mounatin bike race...needless to say I was not as successful as I wass this morning! I had real difficulties working out how to use my gears...and my chain came off at one stage! but I apart from that I think I did OK...However I have a lot of catching up to do in tomorrow's race! I have to win by about 15mins to win the weekend's races over all. I think it is possible as tomorrow is an 18km mountain race (my speciality).

1st in Vertical Kilometre

I have a short break now before my next race (my first ever Mountain Bike race). This morning a won a vertical kilometre in a time of 34.35 over two minutes ahead of Buff Thermo-cool runner ARNAU JULIÁ.
I am eating some pasta and trying to get my RunGoSay clothes dry...

Up-date later....

1ª Edición Marathon Vertical/ MTB/ Carrera

On Saturday and Sunday I will be competing for RunGoSay in the first edition of Burbujita´s Marathon Vertical Km/ MTB/ Run.

This is a 3 stage race that consists of:
Saturday 12th December 2009
1. vertical km running race (the race is 4km long, however you raise from seal-level to 1000m above sea-level).
2. 34km mountain bike race, 4 laps of an 8km circuit (this will be my first ever bike race).
Sunday 13th December 2009
3. 18km mountain race around Gran Canaria´s most famous volcanic crater (Bandama).

Active Canaria hope to promote this race 2010 (watch this space)

III VUELTA ATLETICA A ARUCAS

Today I ran the 3rd leg in a 5 leg road relay with my athletics club CAI. We got off to a good start with Efren winning his leg by about 20sec. Things didn't go so smoothly on the 2nd leg when Miguel's shoe fell off at the start of his run, leaving him about 1minutes down on the fastest times. I ran a solid leg finish 2nd behind ex-CAI member Saul. My leg started with approximately 4km down-hill (very steep in parts), the middle 1km was up and down and then finished with 3km of climb back into the town of Arucas. My time was 33.14 for 9600m. Sergio ran a good 4th leg finish 3rd in a very competitive field. Our final leg runner Rodrigo had host club Carucat's up-hill specialist Veray to contend with, and had little chance when Veray broke the course record (my course record). As always this was a very well organised race with some impressive money prizes (3500Euros in total), and it is a race I hope will be apart of Active Canaria's 2010 program.

III VUELTA ATLÉTICA CIUDAD DE ARUCAS

Tomorrow I am running for my Athletics Club CAI Gran Canaria in a road relay in Arucas. I am running the the 3rd leg of 5. For the last 2 years I have ran (and won) the final leg, however I fancied a change this year and asked to be given another one. It is a 10km leg which begins with 5km down-hill followed by 5km up-hill.

1ª Edición Maratón Vertical/Mtb/Carrera

I have just entered the 1st Marathon Vertical/ Mtb/ Run, which is a 3 stage race.

The first stage involves running up a very steep hill from sea level to 1000m above sea-level in the space of 4km.

The second stage is a 34km Mountain Bike race (my first ever).

And the final stage the next day is a 18km mountain (run) race!

I am looking forward to the two running stages, and I was looking forward to the mountain bike stage! Until I heard that the organisers are paying for ARNAU JULIÁ from the Buff Thermacool Team to come to the race. He is one of the best adventure racers in the world and he came 2nd last year in the 123km Trans Gran Canaria. It will be good to have some competition in the running stages...just hope I don't make a fool of myself on the mountain bike!