Castellón de la Plana Marathon 2026

“The Comeback” …and the highlights

Four years after having crossed the finish line in Sevilla 2022, this really would be the way to summarize my whole experience of again training for and participating in the legendary distance. The emotional hug with which brother Javier greeted me at the finish line just confirms the statement is not grandstanding.

In addition, this time there were additional highlights to the race. First and foremost, the celebration of the 50th birthday of friend and fellow runner Juan (one of the 3 J´s), for which he had proposed to participate in this one in Castellón because of the date coincidience. And second, and somehow as a result of such an original invitation to celebrate, we had also friend Nacho to participate running in the 10K distance sharing part of the race course. Moreover, Juan was fortunate to also engage his hungarian acquaintance Balint, with whom we had already run in Vienna 2018, to come to run and celebrate as well. Another friend of Juan, Fran, would join the birthday celebration but not running. He would cheer us later around km 30 near the apartment in which we were hosted.

Another highlight, also thanks to the ability of Juan to make friends and aquaintances in the races, we met, on the Saturday picking the bibs, the curious group of runners with more than 100 marathons run, especially the energetic and fun “Gocho Sombrilla” (translated freely as Gocho “Sunshade”, the reader will discover why at the end of the post).

Nacho on the left happy with his 10K bib, the “Three J´s” Jaime, Javier and Juan ready for the 42k.

Balint to the left, Fran, Nacho, me, “Gocho Sombrilla”, Juan and Javi

Preparation

The last four years had been sort of a rollercoaster in terms of life changes and new routines, from the shared moments with Alma, to the lectures in the university, to the reading habits, to the bike routes… so that in fact the time for typical long distance training units almost disappeared and I had lost the incentive to register for a marathon race.

That changed on the summer of 2025 when Juan proposed the plan of Castellón for his birthday. I think I was the first one to register of the final pack. With that goal I tried to recover part of my old habits of training for marathon, although just later to the end of 2025.

The novelty this time was a more strict nutritional discipline, helped by Alma, that led to a weight reduction to the levels of almos my first marathons when I was more in shape. With this achievement I increased the milage on the weekends during November to 10km, 15km…after many months, if not years, without having run that long often.

Then with the turn of the year, I rang alarm and started with the really long sessions in January. 15km, 20km…up to the king sessions of 22km, 26km and finally 30km in the second half of January.

For that one, the usual rehearsal or check for the readiness to sustain the 42km, I set a more modest pace of over 6’30″/km and some kms over 6’45″/km versus the 6’/km that I had done for Sevilla or Bucharest in 2022. Still, a valid test with better times than some of the ones that I clocked in my years in Sevilla with overweight and hotter conditions.

I followed end of January and February with the tapering, reducing the mileage, but adding faster segments to the training units. For instance, 20km with the second 10km below 6’/km, or 15km combining 5km at 6’30″/km, 5km at 5’30″/km and even less, and the last 5km at practically 5’/km.

I took a week of in February in which I recovered series traning units suchs as the typical “800m” series (typically run at 4’40″/km) or our classic “7’+3′” (7′ comfortable, 3′ everything you’ve got) run in Retiro:

Happy to have recovered this trainning unit

With this I was confident I would finish with the maybe “not too ambitious” objective of not finsish above 5h. I had the bad experience in mind of Porto 2019 with 5h18′, and I was aware that I weighed less and the trainning was a bit better even if I had fewer kilometers in my legs in the previous weeks.

The Race

This time, the strategy was similar to Sevilla, that is to set a pace similar or below the one I had in the 30km test, around 6’15″/km, at least up to km 30 and then it was just a matter of practically run around the city center, after coming back from the seaside segments of “El Grau”:

Race course with the first 16km in the city of Castellón, the next 14 to/from and in the “Grau” seaside village and the last 12km back in the city

I more or less managed to keep that pace, sort of, or go a bit slower than that up until km 30 and beyond, based on the good sensations of the 30km test back in Madrid that I had run confidently around 6’30″/km. Only beyond that mark I started to feel the fatigue and go around 7’/km or above in some segments.

Remarks to this race is the number of participants, compared at least to the other ones that I have run, with only 891 finishers. In fact, only 54 people crossed the finish line after I did 🙂

That means that practically after having left Castellón city center to go to the Grau, I was running almost alone, surrounded by one or two runners maximum.

I started a bit ahead of the pacers for 4h30″ and they surpassed me after a physiological pause beyond km 34.

Even if the race was in a sunny day, I did not suffer with the heat as in other races.

If the fact of running alone had the downside of feeling like in a training unit for many kilometers (for instance in the long straights to/from and in the Grau) the upside was that the people cheering were cheering “personally” to the individual runner, and the music bands, many, were interacting a lot with every running. Also the volunteers at the water and recovery stations, well supplied with water bottles, were very nice and it was fun, especially in the last 10km, to have up to 5 or 6 volunteers offering me bottles and cheering me by my name. It is trully an aspect to consider in marathons with low participation 🙂

As I mentioned before, Juan´s friend Fran spotted us around km 30, and also Nacho, who by that time had happily finished his 10K (having set a personal best at 48′!!), and took pictures of the three J´s:

Greeted and spotted by Nacho. A happy occasion

The last kilometers in the city downtown felt strangely quiet with fewer people cheering than in other races and I headed for the final “light” uphill inside the Parc Ribalta to the finish line, where Javi hugged me as I crossed it. We felt very emotional and happy and went to cheer with Juan as well. The organization had provided for beer and….pizza! which is also not so usual in other races but, again, very appreciated.With a final time of 4h 42′ I was quite satisfied with my performance.

We also met in the finish line with the new acquaintance, Gocho, with his trademark “sunshade” (I had crossed him a couple of times along the race as we were often going forth and back in the same avenues):

Gocho Sombrilla doing a selfie in the start corral.

The happy trio after the race posing for Nacho:

Final comments

After the race we headed for a terrace with Nacho were we also met Balint and celebrated our results and experiences with some rounds of refreshments and beers.

Everyone was happy with their results and the sun was smiling at us. Nacho had to go back to Madrid, and some hours later the three J´s went for dinner to celebrate the usual “francacheeling” we so much love, in one of the very, very, very few restaurants open on a sunday evening in Castellón. The dinner was very tasty and we laughed a lot.

To me, this rounded up a very nice comeback to the marathon distance and I reflected on the brilliant idea of Juan, even if rather strange to many outside the three J´s, of celebrating his birthday with a race.

For the occasion, we had prepared him a commemorative medal as a gift, celebrating his 50 years. He appreciated the gift trully:

Juan´s gift in the making. A life celebrating medal!

I return, I added my 18th medal, as this is the total of marathon races that I have finished in the last 18 years since I started in 2008. Not a bad feat 🙂

I hope to keep increasing this number, most probably not achieving the admission into Gocho´s “100+ marathon Club” but, hey, having a lot of fun in any case.

My year 2025 in books

Following the posts in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 this one gives account of my readings in 2025.

This year was a challenging one for reading books. In addition to a demanding phase of my project at work (see link here), two significant activities impacted not only my reading habits, but also my leisure time. As part of a job training I enroled in a one year master program on unmanned aircraft systems at my Alma Mater ETSIAE Madrid, which had me attending lectures every afternoon to evening three days a week (plus study time, tests and final master project), and I signed up as part time professor of Aircraft Design in the Graduate and Master programs in Aerospace Engineering at the University Rey Juan Carlos. A dream come true, but the amount of pages read for leisure dramatically reduced.

This year visit to Feria del Libro also resulted in a signed book, in this case from civil engineer, builder of bridges and social network evangelist about these constructions, Carlos Polimón “The General”. He signed my copy of his book “De Puentes por España” (Bridges throughout Spain, in a free translation from myself) and had very warm words signing Javier´s copy, as they had been interacting for years.

Tuiteros hoy en la Feria del Libro firmando @diego_gon.

Importante la labor hidratadora de @Silvi_ta. Pasó por ahí @JesusSemperfree (por fin nos conocimos) y @jaimeirastorza y @javierirastorza en espíritu. pic.twitter.com/sBGSfWv2BD

— The General (@johnygrey) June 8, 2025

With this, the total number of pages read amounted to some 2596, less than a half from the over 6000 pages last year, and the number of books read, 9, also just a fraction of last year´s 16 books. In any case I found moments to keep the habit of reading basically at home and during travels.

Now let´s just review this year´s reading list. (Titles given first in spanish or german indicate a release read in this language)

• España invertebrada y otros ensayos (Invertebrate Spain and other essays) (166 pgs).  By José Ortega y Gasset. A Christmas gift from Javier and Luca, this short essay from spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset is, from today´s perspective, a provoking diagnose of Spain politics. I liked his reflection on the political integration mechanisms of the country, from the middle ages, peaking in the spanish empire in the XV Century and down to today. How the peripheral nationalisms are a necessity to preserve a healthy tension of the integration of the country. On top, a reflection of the natural mechanisms of large groups to reject the excellence of the few. Very informing and well written. Looking forward to read more books of the author.
• Meditaciones(Meditations) (218 pgs). By Marcus Aurelius. Another Christmas gift, an absolute classic from the roman emperor of the II Century and a very hyped book in the last years. The truth be said, is amazing how modern his reflections are on the value of intelligence, the public service, serving others and the society at large, the divinity and the nature of being alive. However, as a modern reading, many of the sayings and teachings come across as repetitive, without structure or connection among themselves. A must read in any case.
• Brief einer Unbekannter (Letter from an unknown woman) (93pgs). By Stefan Zweig. After reading and enjoying transalated books from the author, I took my first read of a book in german since 20 years. And really for good. This short tale is ellegant and at the same time a very sad narration of the mad love of a young girl for his older neighbour in a time when communication was not as ubiquitous as it is today. Zweig is again delivering powerful emotions with a lot of care for his characters. A recommendation for the romantic readers and tormented hearts.
• The Kazakhs, Children of the steppes (140pgs). By Chokan and Murat Laumulin. A Christmas gift from Alma´s father. The authors being a good representation of the aspiring and modern Kazakhstan, partly educated in the west and participating of the latest developments of the country, this book is a very good entry point to the subjects of history, culture, geography and economy of the vast land of the steppes. The reader with an interest in modern developing countries and their geopolitics will find the reading interesting.
• Los Tres Mosqueteros (The Three Musqueteers) (780 pgs). By Alexandre Dumas. Some years after reading the monumental Count of Montecristo by Dumas, I followed advice from brother Javier and continued with this first release of the world known adventures of the young musketeer D´Artagnan. In best Dumas style, very entertaining plot in the times of Louis XIII and anglo-french wars under the influence of Cardinal Richelieu. Great characters of D´Ártagnan companions Athos, Porthos and Aramis, today household names in the adventures genre; and an archrival and villain for the ages in the figure of Milady. To me, however, it lacks the epic of the Count, although in fact I found the ending more round than the magna opus of Dumas. Another must read.
• El español que enamoró al mundo (The spaniard who won the world´s heart) (325 pgs). By Ignacio Peyró. Friend Joan, which I have mentioned already in these book reviews due to his book recommendations, appeared one day for drinks in summer with this release as a gift. Indeed a very fresh reading. An account of the life of the larger than life spanish singer Julio Iglesias, known in every corner of the world and with a fame of womanizer. From his start a student from an affluent family in Madrid, to his world fame, the book discovers a man with a strong work ethics in all related to the music and show business and with a great intelligence to navigate the political changes of his country of origin along the decades. A good summertime entertainment.
• Principles for dealing with The Changing World Order (556 pgs). By Ray Dalio. Another gift from Joan. The billionaire investor Ray Dalio provides a solidly argumented framework to understand the rise and fall of societies and nations, largely determined by hypercycles of factors such as education, technology, social tensions and the management of debt needed to undertake big enterprises, among others. Stating his analytical limitations upfront, but backing his reasoning better than many modern gurus, the book provides excellent stand point to observe and be better able to predict the evolution of the next decades of many groups of countries, including Spain. The main focus is on the stand of China and the United States as potentially colliding world powers, and the realization that China is probably the only empire in history in position to repeat its dominace twice. The underpinning arguments on the recent rise of China, basically the work of Deng Xiaoping rule, connect in a very coherent way with the other books that I read about Deng and Singapore´s Lee Kuan Yew. Very informing reading.
• Breakneck (238 pgs). By Dan Wang. Continuing with the chinese focus, this recent and praised book of canadian of chinese origin Dan Wang, reviews aspects of the rise of modern China with focus on engineering culture vs the more “lawyerly” approach of the american society, as he sees it. An analyst of the country of his parents, I found the book more as a depiction of his experiences and insights rather than an scholar study or research in the fashion of Dalio´s book or Deng´s biography. It sheds good light however on the deep shadows of the infamous one-child policy, the mismanagement of the covid pandemic, and the corruption and inefficienies at local level as a result of the incentives to build more and bigger. He stresses the point that chinese society lives today in a time of fascination about what the country can build and reach, in the fashion of what the 50´s and 60´s meant to the United States. And he makes a good case for the two societies, chinese and american, to learn from each other for good. A quick read.
• The Happy Prince (80 pgs) By Oscar Wilde. Some years after having read Wilde´s most famed novel and play (Portrait of Dorian Grey and The importance of being Earnest) I went back to my release of his complete Works that I bought in the visit to the Trinity College in Dublin back in 2018, when I participated in the city´s marathon. I browsed through the index of the book and landed in a series of six short stories under title “The Happy Prince”. It has been a wonderful discovery. The first three stories: The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose and The Selfish Giant, are fables of piercing beauty and emotion. Teaching values of love and generosity to children and moving the hearts of adults. The next two, The Devoted Friend and The Remarkable Rocket are entertaining and elegantly written. The last and longest of the series, The Portrait of Mr W.H. is a fable about two friends speculating about a hidden character in Shakespeare´s Sonnet´s. Departing from the tone of the previous five stories, it is rather an essay for scholars in english literature and arts. I felt completely lost and slowed the pace of reading for weeks. In any case, alone for the first five, The Happy Prince is an absolute recommendation for children and adults alike. Further proof of the mastery of Oscar Wilde. I will continue to read from the Complete Works.

For a 2026 with many happy readings!

Picture of Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash

My year 2024 in books

Following the posts in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 this one gives account of my readings in 2024.

Contrary to last year, in this one I found the routine and time to read so much that, similar to 2020, I could almost double the number of pages read in the previous year, in fact totaling the most ever, with some 6290 pages, and also in books, with 16 books. I also found moments to share reading time with Alma, as she resumed her habit from years, reading all time classics of her liking. Two of the highlights were to read almost together Mary Shelley´s “Frankenstein” and Bulgakov´s “Master and Margarita”.

Also similar to last year, I got a signed book in Feria del Libro de Madrid, not from a friend of mine, but from Alma, Roberto Corral, author of the historical fiction “Gala de Hispania”.

As always I kept finding pleasure in reading at home, at my parents, by the swimming pool at my place, in Retiro Park, but also during travels.

Now let´s just review this year´s reading list. (Titles given first in spanish indicate a release read in this language)

• Dracula (462 pgs).  By Bram Stoker. A gift from brother Javier some years ago, I started 2024 with it. The character of Dracula has come down in history as a horror one, but the novel is in fact a romantic story written in form of letters between the characters and diary entries. The plot is slowly developing with the struggles of young Jonathan Harker doing business with the Count, and beautiful Mina suffering for him, also while introducing the funny Doctor Van Helsing. Beautiful passages for an entertaining reading. Recommended with the caveat that the letter/diary structure may confuse some readers.
• Heart of Darkness and Other Tales (187 pgs). By Joseph Conrad. Heart… and the other tales provide Conrad´s somber view on colonialism and a critique to a stance towards other races that would not be tolerable today. “Heart…” follows commercial agent Marlow navigating up the river to find “rogue” Mr Kurz, a character that has left behind conventions and is therefore a risk to the system and society. Translating the characters from a trade company to the US military in Vietnam, director Francis Ford Coppola created the classic movie Apocalypse Now with the famous line “the horror, the horror...” by Marlon Brando. The book, which reminded me of existentialism, was for me a hard reading, with a complex prose.
• En Rusia todo es posible (In Russia everything is possible) (168 pgs). By Anselmo Santos. The book lent to me by a russian friend of Alma, is part essay about the russian traits and virtues, and part narration of the encounters with 6 russian women. The first part I found too generalising, even though the author, a former spanish military envoyé to Russia in the 80s, knew the country for years. The second part is surprising in the depiction of the mentalities as lovers of the women he (or his friends) encountered. A rare piece of reading.
• Frankenstein (236 pgs). By Mary Shelley. In the same horror book collection of Chiltern Publishing from which I had my release of Dracula, another all time classic with more inside than the fame of the main character would indicate. The story of young Doctor Frankenstein looking for the secret of reviving a body, is a tale of obsession, of rejection, the one that “The Wretch” finds around, of finding love, the one The Wretch is longing for, and of losing it all. Personally, it was surprising to know that part of the main places where the story unfolds were known to me, such as german city of Ingolstadt (where I once lived) or Geneve and surroundings, which I visited with Alma. Shelly´s prose is very elegant and makes for a quick and good reading. With a classic linear development, I would recommend this book before Dracula, as commented above.
• Los Miserables (1575 pgs). (The Miserables) By Victor Hugo. Probably the absolute highlight of the year. The universal story of Marius, Cosette, Javert and the larger than life character of Jean Valjean, depicted in so many movies and one of the longest running musicals. Alma strongly recommended me to read it and I will be forever thankful for that. A story of struggling for a good life spanning decades in the history of France, from Waterloo to the Revolution, following evil characters, love and pure hate, and goodness. I thought Count of Montecristo was the cornerstone novel of all time, but to me this surpasses it. As brother Javier rightfully put it: Dumas with his Count delivered a superb entertainment, Hugo on the other side, with the redemption of Valjean was seeking the social transformation of France with The Miserables. With an ending for the ages, we can give him the credit for the accomplishment. Every reader needs to devote the necessary time to read this novel.
• The Culture Map (257 pgs). By Erin Meyer. I bought this exemplar in Munich Airport before flying back to Madrid, as I had just finished The Miserables prior to embarking and I needed a book for the trip. In the bookshop I spotted the yellow cover which ringed the bell of an old recommendation from friend Joan (that so well worked with Stefan Zweig in the past). The author, Erin Meyer, a lecturer in fact of the MBA Joan had earned some years ago, goes through eight different aspects of the way in which we interact with each other: communication, feedback, persuasion, leadership, decision making, trust, disagreement and time scheduling. Then she puts different cultures in the scale of each aspect and recommends us how to overcome the resulting differences. Eye opening and very practical. I have successfully recommended to friends and work colleagues alike. Just take note.
• Kelly. More than My Share of It All (200 pgs). By Kelly Johnson. Autobiography of legendary aircraft designer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson. I got the book temporarily lent by friend Jorge. Kelly started as a young aerodynamicist and was hired by Lockheed where he started helping in the design of the first Electras and Vegas up to leading the creation of the iconic P-38, Constellation, F-104, U-2 and SR-71. He put biggest value in his religious beliefs, health, purpose, wife and respect to other people. Brilliant and intuitive, an allrounder mastering different disciplines, appeared to me as bit autocratic, maybe the reason why he ended creating and leading the famed “Skunk Works” at Lockheed instead of leading large commercial airliners projects. Had to endure the premature death of two spouses. Easy to read with his direct writing style, this is a must read for Avgeeks.
• El Maestro y Margarita (Master and Margarita) (475 pgs). By Mikhail Bulgakov. The other book I got temporarily lent by the russian acquaintance of Alma. This one a classic of modern russian literature and known among readers of russian books as a “difficult” one. Alma had tried in her young years and gave up, so I bought an exemplar for her and we read it almost in parallel. For both of us it was difficult indeed to finish it. The story is a too symbolistic one about an incarnation of Lucifer as a doctor and magician in the Moscow of the 50s. This Lucifer and his squad (including a giant talking cat with glasses…) drive mad the city, testing the rules and society conventions. The narration includes descriptions and substories with details mirroring the surrealism style that was characteristic of those years. The author had been banned for years by Stalin´s regime. Now a classic, I just recommend this book for those really, really interested in knowing the work of Bulgakov. I don´t think there will be many among the readers of this blog.
• Cuentos (Tales). (292 pgs). By Anton Chekhov. In order to counter the effect of the previous book, I reached to another classic of russian literature. Bought in Feria del Libro de Madrid, this release has a selection of 10 of the more than 600 tales of the author, one of the most prolific of all time. Stories about moments of change in normal life of individuals in the years of the tsars. All but one with bitter endings for the protagonists. Easy to read, recommended to get to know the author.
• Flying Blind. (399 pgs). By Peter Robison. A journalistic research that made it into a TV-documentary. Following the investigation of the two Boeing B737MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, the book dives deep into the culture change perceived at Boeing since the merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Even if the writing style suffers from somewhat simplistic good-bad depictions, so characteristic of modern story telling and narrative creation, it provides hints that the worst of the culture of McDonnell and General Electric top managers in the 90s ended up changing the culture of engineering excellence cultivated by Boeing through the decades. Apart from the dramatic consequences for the victims of the two crashed flights, a very sad view of today´s Boeing. Unconfortable but necessary reading for young engineers.
• 747. (265 pgs). By Joe Sutter with Jay Spenser. A book in total contrast to Flying Blind. The story of the design of the iconic Boeing 747 jumbo jet by the one engineer tasked to lead its development from the early stages previous to the order and contract by airliner Pan Am. Autobiographic, Sutter recalls his life as young aerodynamicist (like Kelly Johnson) and his first jobs at Boeing helping with aero problems of the early Stratoliners, or the inception of the Boeing B-707, the “father” of the commercial airliner in the shape that we all so recognize today. Then, his nomination in his fourties as Chief Engineer of the B747 project, and his leadership of an engineering team, called “The Incredibles” that designed, fly tested and delivered the plane to Pan Am in record breaking five years. More a team player than Kelly Johnson, maybe less brilliant or multifaceted, but to me the perfect Chief Engineer. The book gives insight to many technical challenges of the early Boeings and also of the B747 that will delight the avgeek. But the figure of Sutter itself stands out. Trully inspiring, a positive character that overcame the cold war tensions, built trust and got recognition even from russian aircraft chief engineers. Before Boeing surrendered to the GE-troupe in the 2000s, engineers like Sutter embodied the best of the best Boeing and the book reflects on this. A character in the footsteps of my other engineering reference, Gene Kranz, and a role model for the younger generation of aerospace engineers and people in general working in large corporations. Absolute recommendation.
• Gala de Hispania. Reina y esclava. (Gala of Hispania. Queen and slave). (423 pgs). By Roberto Corral. This book being awarded by its editorial house, the author runs also the language academy where Alma learnt spanish and is a good acquaintance of her. We bought the book for ourselves during Feria del Libro and got them autographed by Roberto. This is my first step into historical fiction and it was entertaining. The book follows the life of Elia Gala in the V century from heiress to the Roman empire, to be queen in Hispania. Entertaining depiction of historical characters such as kings Ataulfo or Alarico, and the character of Gala and Helpidia as kind of “role models” for women of that time. Readers of historical fiction may find this release interesting and I recommend a try at it.
• Wide Body. The Triumph of the 747. (371 pgs). By Clive Irving. A second hand release, this books chronologically precedes Sutter´s 747 reviewed above. In fact it expands the story of Sutter to review the whole Boeing history and team, from its foundation to the design of the B707 in the first part, and the design of the 747 in the second. Both Irving and Sutter recommend each other´s book, and it is right so. They complement quite nicely. As in “747” there is a good balance between insights in the technical challenges of historical Boeing airplanes, and a view on the people and organizations behind them. It reinforces the view that Sutter was heir to bread of great engineers that wrote decades of engineering excellence that made Boeing the household name for commercial aviation that was until quite recently. Recommended both for readers interested in modern history and of course avgeeks.
• Constitución Española. (Spanish constitution). (141 pgs). Elaborated from a project from spanish parliament, voted in referendum and sanctioned by King of Spain Juan Carlos I in 1978 (*). The first time that I did a complete review of the 169 articles spread in ten titles plus the preliminary title, plus additional dispositions. I had not done so in my student years and, to be honest, I found it entertaining and very informative. The supreme norm which establishes the rights, duties and obligations for spanish citizens and foreigners living in Spain, the functioning of the three powers of the State and its form, from the local administration to the engagement to the international law. A book of reference. I recommend every spaniard to read it at least once.
• Hábitos atómicos. (Atomic habits). (293 pgs). By James Clear. I though of giving a try to a book more into the “personal growth” field than The Culture Map, and I saw this one recommended in my network in LinkedIn. Very much in the american fashion of prescribing the obvious, it has the worth to…do it and give the reader the time to reflect on her own habits, which is not bad. This one focuses on a four step process of making a habit out of doing it: obvious, visible, easy and satisfactory. For readers really in need of a change of habits, this one may be of help. For me personally, I was not able to introduce or change any new one since I read the book, but could confirm more or less the process of previously changed habits.
• El Mundo de Ayer. (World of yesterday). (546 pgs). By Stefan Zweig. The fourth book of the austrian author I read (after Stelar Moments, Magellan, and 24 hours in the life of a woman…) and the best so far. Zweig´s prose translated into spanish by J.Fontcuberta and A.Orzeszek is marvellous and liking to the sipping of a good wine to me. Alone that experience makes the book worthy the time reading it. On top, the autobiographic account of his education in Vienna, participating of one of the richest cultural scenes of all time, and a dramatic narration as witness of the outbreak of World War I, the crazy period inter wars and the rise of fascism up until World War II. Sad at moments, enlightning all the time. For readers of history of art, Zweig provides probably unique insights in the creative process of titans such as sculptor Rodin or composer Richard Strauss out the moments that he shared with them. I really recommend this book for the many aspects that it touches of modern history and art. As for the prose, I now started to read Zweig in german, let´s see if my reading competence in that language is up to the job! 🙂

For a 2025 with many happy readings!

Photo by Glen Noble on Unsplash

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(*) Although it is widely said that the inception of the spanish Constitution of 1978 is the result of months of work by the so called “7 Fathers of the constitution”, the whole process included the review of amendments from the low and high parliamentary chambers in Spain and the work of dedicated and mixed commissions. The elaboration process is described here.

My year 2023 in books

Following the posts in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, this one gives account of my readings in 2023.

The reading of books this year fell from previous ones, to a single digit figure, 6 books. The amount of pages also fell to 2225 pages, as well far from the average of 2020 to 2022. However I don´t regret it, rather the contrary 🙂 . Reason is that early 2023 I found in Alma a partner to spend and share lots of significant moments. Our shared activities and travels reduced the amount of time for reading, although I am still trying to find routines together to recover reading time 😉

Still I found moments for books and in fact I had the highlight of buying a signed exemplar “Una Nueva Mirada al Mundo” in famed Feria de Libro de Madrid from friend and AEGEE mate Juan Hernández Alfaro:

Heroico no, pero muy emocionante es que un amigo te firme un libro suyo en la @FLMadrid 😎📖
Un absoluto y emocionante placer, Presidente. pic.twitter.com/Ckxk8IP1Jp

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) June 10, 2023

And also I kept finding pleasure in reading at home, at my parents, by the swimming pool at my place, in Retiro Park, but also during travels.

But now, let´s just review this year´s reading list. (Titles given first in spanish indicate a release read in this language)

• Heat 2 (466 pgs).  By Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner. I started to read this book at the end of 2022 and enjoyed a lot the expansion of the universe that movie director Mann crafted for his monumental “Heat” movie in 1995. That movie defined my teenage and it was great to go back to the background of the characters. The plot this time is much more violent and with an international flair that the original movie lacked. I missed the trepidant rythm of the 95 release, but welcomed the techie tones of its robery plots, and the darker tones all along. The background about Neil McCauley helps to like more the character of the movie, portrayed by Robert de Niro. On top of it, I bought this book in Los Angeles during my 2022 trip to California. I couldn´t help to visit the scenarios where Neil, Chris and the rest of the gang performed their most famous scores. For experienced readers, just a cops and thieves thriller, for me, kind of a pilgrimage 🙂

Book bought in my last year visit to Los Angeles, it is part a comeback to the scenarios of the 95's movie, which I visited during the trip to LA. pic.twitter.com/Hx6PWCtKnM

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) January 1, 2023

• La Peste (The Pest) (351 pgs). By Albert Camus. Along with “L´Etranger”, the paramount novel of Camus, a fictional story about a pest pandemic, offers the author the opportunity to reflect on aspects such as the fear against the unknown, but also the sacrifice to serve the greater good. The first two thirds of the book were a bit tedious to me at times, but they built the narrative tension resolved finally in unleashed and painful drama. Today we can draw parallelism to our struggles during the Covid 19 pandemic and we can find a larger than life character in monumental Dr. Rieux. I can just thank brother Javier for his gift of this book.
• American Prometheus (590 pgs). By Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. A journalistic research book, it covers the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, from childhood to his death. It gives hint to the formation of the complex personality of Oppenheimer, witness and part of the golden age of the quantum physics, that took him to lead the scientists that theorized and crafted the first atomic bomb. It follows with his strong political engagement and personal struggles. The book sheds light to the less known corners of his life, helping to understand one of the fundamental names that shaped the twentieth century, if not the present day. Fantastic reading.
• El amor en los tiempos del cólera (Love in thetimes of cholera) (495 pgs). By Gabriel García Márquez. After the disappointment of Hundred years of solitude, read last year, this one was a full reconciliation with García Márquez. An ode to love, in its many forms. The story following Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza from teenagers to the sunset of life. Tenderness, passion, generosity through the decades. Beautifully written, a reference book.
• The Sporty Game (231 pgs). By John Newhouse. This book provides a thrilling deep dive into three decades of evolution of the airline and airplane making industries. From the sixties to early eighties, it describes struggles of Boeing, McDonnell, Lockheed, Rolls Royce and the nascient Airbus to bring flying wonders such as the B-747 Jumbo Jet to the public. A must read for aviation geeks, remembering the big names of chief engineers and top executives of those mythical companies. My release, a second hand one, came with an additional bonus: a signed letter, as the book was originally a gift from a bank executive in California to a financial director in Lockheed back in the eighties.
• Venticuatro horas en la vida de una mujer (Twenty-four hours in the life of a woman) (92 pgs). By Stefan Zweig. Third book I read from the austrian author. So far all translations into spanish of his elegant prose. I consider to start reading them in german. This short tale with bittersweet tones, a woman feeling the passion triggered by a man in need of being saved from the curse of gambling.

For a 2024 with many happy readings!

My year 2022 in books

Following the posts in 2017, 2018,  2019, 2020 and 2021 this one gives account of my readings in 2022.

After the transition and stabilization year 2021 in which I read 11 books, with some 3900 pags, this 2022 saw a significant increase in the books read, up to 21, although the number of pages didn´t increase that much, just to 5.100, still some 1000 pages less than record year 2020. The reason is clear, thinner books 🙂 . The fact is that I found a series of “thematic reads” that contributed to this ratio, while having the positive “gamification” effect of finishing books regularly instead of stucking with one for months.

Again, I found pleasure in reading at home, at my parents, by the swimming pool at my place, in Retiro Park, but also during travels and stays in Germany, France or the United States and in many hours spent in the hospital.

La Cabaña, one of my reference spots for reading at Retiro Park

But now, let´s just review this year´s reading list. (Titles given first in spanish indicate a release read in this language)

• Study in Scarlet (141 pgs).  By Arthur Conan Doyle. After having read the first two compilations of cases last year, I took on the project to complete the “canon” of Sherlock (*). Starting with this first novel devoted to the fictional detective. In it, we are taken on a travel through time and across continents, with a touching love story in the founding mormon communities in the US, for a thrilling plot evidently more elaborated than in any of Holmes´ short cases.
• The sign of four (146 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. Next novel in the canon is this plot also of international and colonial flavor. It has trepidant, unusal, action passages and we are witness to Dr.Watson feelings.
• The Hound of the Baskervilles (168 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. The most famous and acclaimed case of Sherlock and with good reason. A thrilling plot that runs like a clockwork, with phenomenal characters and side stories. The trust relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson starts to be better depicted. If the reader would only have one case to read of Sherlock, it definitely needs to be this. Fantastic novel to entertain the reader whenever she desires it.
• Lord of the Flies (271 pgs). By William Golding. Another dystopia I read written also in the 50s. A group of boys and young children stranded in a deserted island, as they start to discuss how to survive and wait for a rescue. A reflection on how social structures are formed, the tension between reason and emotion, free will vs rules. And some passages loaded with extraordinary beauty and emotion. A classic of the western schools curriculum, but even a better read as an adult. Recommended and easy reading.
• Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde (111 pgs). By Robert Louis Stevenson. After the stranded boys, found another novel capturing a moral debate in an entertaining plot, though shorter this time. The experiments of Dr Jeckyll allow for a reflection on the prevalence of morals and societal conventions vs “ape-like” instincts. Elegantly written in victorian english gothic style. My release came with the entertaining story “The Bottle Imp”, also a reflection on human weakness, in this case the greed.
• Of Mice and Men (106 pgs). By John Steinbeck. I read Steinbeck´s Grapes of Wrath in 2017 and it was time to come back to the brutal chronicler of american Great Depression. In this shorter novel I got what I expected. We follow misfit Lennie and smart George in their quest for a job and dreams of a better life, enduring injustice and pain. A friendship story for the ages, ugly aspects of humans in need and the definition of sadness in its finale. Not as crude as the Grapes, but still Steinbeck by the book. A must read.
• On the Road (281 pgs). By Jack Kerouac. After the toughness of Steinbeck I chained two more american modern classics. The woman in the bookstore where I bought it told me this was her favorite book. I understood it quickly. The first 100 pages are possibly the most energy loaded ones I have ever read. Part coming of age novel, part depiction of the 50s american dream, this almost autobiographic novel takes us to follow writer-to-be Sal Paradise and the unleashed vital spirit of Dean Moriarty in their parties and travels across the US. Reflections of life and love that marked the so called Beat generation. Can just recommend, but I warn the reader that those first pages were…exhausting!
• In Cold Blood (316 pgs). By Truman Capote. Next american modern classic after “On the road”. The masterpiece of Capote. He was a journalist covering the investigation of the murder of the Clutter family of farmers in Kansas. But what he captured in this book is much more than that. A thrilling crime novel, an astonishing documentary of rural life, a psychiatry treaty when depicting the murderers and an engrossing portrait of the 50s (broken) american dream. A grand, brilliant, page turner. Deserved fame without doubt. Can just recommend.
• The Art of War  (175 pgs). By Sun Tzu. One can´t count the many times that this book has been mentioned and referenced in our daily life, in other books and movies. Well, it is fascinating to read the lines that have endured such a test of time, as they were written…some 2500 years ago! When taking notes, one can capture teachings and foundations for conflict management, strategy, tactics on the field, logistics, leadership, communication theory… My release came also with “The Sayings of Wutzu” also a chinese general of the time. Not bad if looking for personal growth readings.
• Deng Xiaoping and the transformation of China. (714 pgs). By Ezra Vogel. After my travel to China in 2018 I was looking for some readings about the country and I found the sound recommendation of economy professor Jesús Fernandez Villaverde (bio) here (in spanish) for this book. It is a solid research on one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, if not of all time. Controversial without doubt, as he was considered responsible for the Tiananmen masacre in the eyes of western world (which he was), but still a pragmatic mind like probably no other in his time, facing the historical challenge of modernizing China after Mao era (which almost took China to medieval times), reportedly taking more people out of poverty than any other leader in history. When I read Singapore´s Lee Kuan Yew´s biography in 2020 (review here), he depicted Deng as a brilliant mind and historical leader. This book confirms it. To the reader interested in modern China, practical politics and a view on the world, this book is more than worth the effort it takes to be read. Like Lee Kuan´s in 2020, finishing reading this was one of the highlights of the year, without doubt.
• El Regreso de Sherlock Holmes (The Return of Sherlock Holmes) (441 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. This was a collection of further 13 cases of our detective. Entertaining as always, what we get to see here is Holmes being more “picky” on Dr Watson´s skills and his narration of the cases. So, more character development, paving the way eventually for some key aspects in following cases. For me, in a spanish release, was a quick read in the first heat wave of the summer…
• Old Man and the sea. (99 pgs). By Ernest Hemingway. An easy classic to be introduced to this historical author. Easy to read, the plot with old fisherman Santiago in his battle to capture a great marlin. With it, reflections of life, grit, perseverance and references to baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. It may be a bit tedious in some passages, but it has very tender tones at times as well. A “quick win” for a reader avid of classics, to be honest 🙂
• Magallanes el hombre y su gesta (Conqueror of the seas: the story of Magellan). (352 pgs). By Stephan Zweig. A visit to the fantastic Naval Museum in Madrid prompted my buying of this exemplar there. Zweig´s exhuberant prose (at least its translation into spanish) meets the superlative mankind feat of the first circumnavitation of the globe by the fleet initially commanded by portuguese captain Ferdinand of Magellan and departing from Seville, which was taken to final accomplishment by the spaniard Juan Sebastian Elcano. The drama and depiction of the struggles and conspiracies of the first historic travel around the world are best narrated by this bombastic author. It was for me an escape for hours spent in hospital in moments of family suffering.
• El Fin de la Eternidad. (The End of Eternity) (279 pgs). By Isaac Asimov. After having read the Foundation series it is always a pleasure to come back to Isaac Asimov. This time on the occasion of being recommended by good friend Gonzalo. With the always easy to read style of Asimov, the reader finds here a thoughtful contrast between free will vs determinism. It linked to the previous “Lord of the flies” in this sense, but here with much more fantasy and, yes, a sexier subplot and undertones. As I always say, it is great to enjoy a book recommended by a friend. This was the case. Gonzalo did the same with “Neverending story” which made me quite happy, but this is a story to be told in another occasion… 🙂
• La defensa de Madrid (233 pgs). By Manuel Chaves Nogales. I read Chaves Nogales “By Fire and Sword”, a cronicle of the spanish civil war, in 2020, which I marveled at (review here). So I went back to the author. This book describes, with the author´s precious prose, the battle of Madrid between the two sides in the spanish civil war. A cruel and miserable one in the grounds of the famed park Casa de Campo and the marvelous Ciudad Universitaria (University Campus), which made for a contrast between the rage of the battle and the spirit of the University. The book also elevates the figure of the republican General Miaja as a man of unrivaled courage leading the resistance of Madrid. It was a privilege to discuss the chapters with my father, who is a man more than versed in the matter. This reading and the circumstances of it made for another of the highlights of the year.
• Justice. What is the right thing to do. (269 pgs). By Michael Sandel. Another “coming back”, in this case to the author of ” What the Money Can´t Buy”, which I read in 2019 (review here). Also by chance, as I found the book as a second hand release in my neighborhood lovely bookstore La Lumbre. Harvard ´s political philosopher Sandel reviews the basics of western law´s morals in this release with almost course book quality. From Bentham´s utilitarianism, to the libertarians and Locke, to Kant, John Rawls and Aristotle, with shocking cases to depict the moral debates: is it “moral” to enrol mercenaries in war to defend a nation, or “fair” to have a disabled girl in a top football cheerleader squad, or a disabled golfer in a professional tournament? As everything published by Sandel, a quick reference for informed debate. Can just recommend.
• The Valley of Fear. (156 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. To follow up with Sherlock Holmes´ canon project, the last of the novels of the detective of Baker Street. What starts with a difficult case to solve in the streets of London, takes the reader again in a travel through time and continents. This occasion again to America, with a plot with Western movie tones, harsh, savage, intense. I linked it to some extent to Clint Eastwood´s movie “The Pale Rider” (comment intended not to be a spoiler). For me, at par with “Study in Scarlet” among the novels of Holmes. More brutal plot, but less intense love story, still a step or two below the magnificent “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.
• Notes of a dirty old man. (204 pgs). By Charles Bukowski . Well, by the end of summer of this year I took a tour across California with stays in Los Angeles and San Francisco as highlight. After having read the american classics of the 50s reviewed above, it was clear that I had to get some more literature from writers of the area. In fact I mixed destinations, and while I bought books in LA (see picture below), it was not until San Francisco that I bought two books from the cursed author of LA. In fact I bought them in City Light Books store, the store devoted to the Beat generation, which has an alley nearby devoted to Jack Kerouac. Back to the book, the “Notes” were reportedly filed within FBI records for being too subversive of the morals of the 60s, when it was written. It is in fact an extreme book, where Bukowski takes note of amoral stories of decandence in Los Angeles, ruthless characters, sex by the sake of escape and animal alleviation, crime… the book seems to be written at times by the author being drunk. It probably was the case. As a collection of disconnected notes, a reader may find it hard to go on with the book, it was the case for me.

The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles, can just be described as a paradise for readers

• His last bow. (187 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. The Sherlock Canon project moving on, this was the next collection of cases from the famous detective, 9 in this occasion. The anecdote is that I had bought the book as in LA “The Last Store” as part of the “Complete Works” of Sherlock Holmes, as I had no way to find a release for “The Last Bow” and the next collection “The Case Book…”. So, the highlights in these cases were the reappearance of Sherlock´s brother Mycroft in an extraordinary case with implications to the fate of the United Kingdom, the further development of the trust relationship with Dr Watson and Holmes quintessential quote that he investigates not for the reward and recognition but rather in a sense of “art for the sake of art”. This less known quote of him is, in fact, the paramount one of all his books.
• The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes. (230 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. This collection of 12 cases of Sherlock is the final one written by Conan Doyle. It is the final showdown, and the author stresses this point right in the introduction to put the reader in the proper farewell mood:

So, we get to read more of Holmes discussing with Dr Watson on the latter´s skills of observation, challenging him. In one case he even cheats him for the sake of the investigation. On other occasion we see Holmes finally expressing his affection for Watson in the face of the doctor eventually being shot, we see cases narrated by the very Sherlock instead of Watson. This is, in sum, the most heterogeneous collection of cases of the detective. That is a value in itself. For the new reader, however, I still recommend to start with “The Adventures…” and focus in the novels with preference for the “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”

• Ham on Rye. (273 pgs). By Charles Bukowski. The second release of this author that I bought in San Francisco´s City Lights Bookstore. Here we follow Bukowski´s alter ego Henry Chinaski in a coming of age story. From Great Depression kid, suffering rejection from parents and teachers alike, to a cursed writer-to-be. In Henry´s character I perceived a turn inwards,as if to protect himself from his surroundings, while developing a sensitivity which is later the basis for the writer. The early discovering of sex and alcohol provides for many funny moments and helps to understand the extreme stories of the “Notes…”. An easy reading, I recommend this book to start with Bukowski rather than the mentioned “Notes…”.

For a 2023 with as many happy readings!

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(*) For the reader interested in the character of Sherlock Holmes, find here canonical order of the the works devoted to the detective:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_of_Sherlock_Holmes

Sevilla Marathon 2022

“It was motivating when I reached you […] I am so happy with the race” Javi was quite emotional when we rejoined under the sun at the finish line of Sevilla Marathon in magnificent Avenida de la Palmera. He had overcame me around km 28, and managed to beat his expected finish time as I did myself. Some 20 minutes later, we learned that Juan, the third of the 4 J´s, had also exceeded expectations considering his lack of training and a chronic tendinitis.

For the three of us, this race was sort of a “comeback” to the 42km after more than two years since Porto. In between, nothing less than the Covid pandemic, which turned upside down the lives of everyone, of course including training routines, motivation, mental and physical state…

But even under these circumstances, and focusing now on myself, I somehow managed to turn the odds from the tendency in previous races, with worsening times in the marathon races in 2018 and 2019… and get back on track and even beat the time of Lisbon in 2017, almost 5 years ago. With 4h 12` I was more than happy as well and I embraced Javier sharing the emotion.

Happy brothers after the race

How did this happen after the negative experiences which were reflected in the final comments of post devoted to the last races? (See links here for 2019, Vienna and Dublin)

Preparation

In those races, where I reached a low, I hinted at difficulties to keep pace with proper training, in most occasions related to lack of life-work balance. Thus, one key element is that last year I change position in my job and relocated moving back to Madrid. As described in my post about readings of 2021, this came with new routines and a better balance. This translated in increased and stable training practices, which in turn drove a weight reduction of more than 10kg in some 8 months. For long distance running, this makes definitely a difference. I have managed to recover a bit my shape of the times when I started running long distances back in 2008.

The newly recovered discipline brought in new incentives. Apart from coming back to the old training sessions in my beloved Retiro Park from April 2021, I started cycling as well a couple of months later, an activity that provided a good balance for the running sessions.

I however felt stagnated at the end of summer time with the heat in Madrid. I had difficulties to find energy to go to Retiro after coming home from work, but then I reached another turning point when I spotted the Parque del Manzanares directly in my drive back from work. The spot is part of the cycling ring around Madrid, which I had learned riding the bike, and provided a no-brainer stop for training. I sped up again from October on.

End of november I experienced a small injury from fatigue during a high intensity training, from which I recovered to be in time for the first long distance test in mid December, the Half Marathon Sevilla Los Palacios, a tradition since my times there, which I clocked below 2 hours. In Christmas I got infected with Covid and lost about a week and a half of traning (and the opportunity to share with Javier my newly discovered track in Parque del Manzanares). However I managed to perform the long distance training units over 21km, 30km, 20km. In that sessions I enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Madrid Río and its Casa de Campo and was able to sustain paces around and below 6’/km, a good basis with 30s/km faster than the tests previous to the marathons in the last years.

Reporting the result of long distance training units to Javier and friends

When the time arrived to head for Sevilla, I felt happy and confident.

The Race

With the fresh experience from the training and having arrived at Sevilla, the strategy was to set a pace similar to the one I had in the 30km test, which I finished strong, around 5’50” to 6’/km, up to km 30 and then it was just a matter of practically run around the city center, a track well known from my years living there.

I set the the pace at around 5’50″/km, slowly approaching the pacers for 4h30′ , which I ended up surpassing. I kept running at par with Javier and Juan, slightly behind them. At around km10 we run in front of the apartment of our cousin Marileo and family, who saw and cheered us, boosting with emotion our performance. I kept that pace until km13 where I sped up a little bit and kept ahead of them for some time.

I was running comfortably in the range of 5’30” to 5’0″/km, trying to reach the half marathon that way. Then I expected to lose some pace and rest a bit for some kilometers.

I did lose pace in the east part of the course for some kilometers and when I was recovering again, at km28 Javier surpassed me. We were running along the big San Francisco Javier Avenue, and both of us felt quite good. We cheered each other and Javier went ahead at a faster pace.

Maintaining the pace around 6’/km for most of the rest of the course, I felt very happy to spot my friend Jesús (the one that introduced me in the Los Palacios Half Marathon) and his wife Sara at the magnificent Plaza de España. They cheered me up and I headed for the loop around city center. Another high came some 2km later, when also my colleague and friend Rafa spotted me and took some seconds of video of myself running. We had met by chance the previous night when both of us went having dinner with our groups in the same city area. The encounter was another happy one.

The counter-clockwise loop around the city is slightly uphill and my pace went for some 3/4 km above 6’/km, until we entered the city center from the north through the sunny Alameda de Hércules. A place that brought me many memories of beautiful nights with friends there, and the struggles of running along it northwards in the race of 2017.

The last two kilometers, along the Catedral and Avenida de la Constitución, were just great, I danced a bit with the musicians in the last spots, laughed at the water station that provided food at that very last part of the race, and headed quite happy to the surroundings of Parque de Maria Luisa and the last turn into Avenida de la Palmera to cross the finish line at 4h 12′.

The block diagram above shows my times in the relevant milestones. Indicative of the solid performance is the good balance between the time at 21km, around 2h8′ and the second half of the race within practically the same time. Not a negative split like in Lisbon 2017, but very good result.

The happy trio after having all beat our expectations

Final comments

I had written in the final comments of the post for the Dublin marathon that the weather had made a significant difference to achieve a better than expected time, considering my training that year. Well, for this third participation in Sevilla, the weather did not exactly play on my side, as we had a sunny day and mild to warm temperature, which for me is rather detrimental.

However, the combination of notable weight loss plus a much more constant and continuous training provided for the necessary basis that I had been lacking in the previous years.

I recovered thus the satisfaction of investing effort, and enjoying it, in the training sessions with the expectation of achieving certain results.

If this will mean that I am able to go back to the times of the beginning of the 2010´s to clock below 4h, only time will tell. In the way to reach there I have found the incentives of new training tracks, sports and a better balance. If these elements hold, I hope to report accordingly in the next one.

Until then, the memory of a wonderful weekend, with family, friends and fantastic sightseeing, will provide for the motivation to kept improving and enjoying.

My year 2021 in books

 

Following the posts in 2017, 2018,  2019 and 2020 this one gives account of my readings in 2021.

After the reading rush of the second half of 2020, which contributed to a record of 13 books and some 6.250 pages read, 2021 was a year of transition and kind of “back to normal”.

In the first quarter of the year I changed my position at work and moved from Seville back to Madrid, which meant that I devoted some time to find new routines, also for reading. At the end, I managed to finish 11 books and started another one that I envisage to finish beginning of 2022.

With these 11 books, the number of pages read decreased to some 3900, some 2300 less compared to the record figure of last year.  Rather than feeling bad about that, the fact is that with the “new life” starting in spring time, I found the pleasure of not only reading at home, at my parents or in Toulouse when visiting brother Javier and family, but also by the swimming pool at my place, or in terraces at public parks such as my beloved Retiro Park or Parque Genovés in the beautiful city of Cádiz during holidays.

But now, let´s just review this year´s reading list. (Titles given first in spanish indicate a release read in this language)

• La Iliada (The Iliad) (430 pgs).  By Homer. The epic poem narrating the Trojan wars between Troy and the greeks. A myriad of descriptions of the fights between commanders and princes of both parties, with detailed depiction of the wounds and carnage inflicted. It builds tension to the duel of Hector and hero Achilles. A mythological book, the fate of humans is left to the passions and desires of the gods, especially Apollo. A fundamental book to understand western culture, the repetitiveness and detail of the lives and origin of every fighter was at the end tedious to me. I recommend it if the reader is willing to make some effort to overcome this aspect.
• El Diario de Anne Frank (Anne Frank´s Diary) (375 pgs). By Anne Frank. A modern classic, the fresh account from the eyes of a girl turning teenager in the two years hidding from nazis in the upsrising of their rule over The Netherlands. The day to day struggles of two families and part coming of age story before our eyes. Easy to read and tender in many passages. 
• Divina Comedia (Divine Comedy) (535 pgs). By Dante Alighieri. An all time classic, written in XIV century, takes Dante in a journey through history and the account of the human passions and flaws of the soul, guided in hell and purgatory by poet Virgil in order to rejoin with wife Beatrice. I appreciated the “engineering” structure of chapters grouped in rings. Until heaven, where the level of symbolism just got me lost.
• Cien Años de Soledad (Hundred Years of Solitude) (495 pgs). By Gabriel García Márquez. The paramount novel of García Márquez “magic realism” telling the story of generations of the Buendía family and the rise and fall of the fictional city of Macondo. Even if in many passages the reading is intense and visceral, the loop structure, and endless repetitions of similar stories of the Buendías also lost me. I really did not like the style and would definitely not recommend it.
• Treasure Island (303 pgs). By Robert Louis Stevenson. Another classic, in this case of youth literature. The canon of pirates novels just has it all, a treasure, a bold youngster Jim Hawkins, a crew of noble characters such as the doctor and Captain Smollet, and of course a wicked villain, Long John Silver and his line for the ages: “…yohoho, and a bottle of rum!”. Arr! I really recommend it, and see it as prerequisite for Moby Dick, as Ishmael could be Jim Hawkins with 10/15 years more, and for Count of Montecristo, in the same line of adventure but at smaller scale than Dumas´ classic, of course.
• Animal Farm (120 pgs). By George Orwell. A brilliant and easy to read satire about the rise of totalitarism out of the rebellion of the people against injustice. As bitter as the reality, everyone could draw modern examples of the clash between pig Napoleon in the elite and noble executor horse Boxer. With a more simple message and more entertaining than the later “1984” also by Orwell, my release included a preface by the author about his concerns on the rise of soviet totalitarism corrupting his socialist ideals, which he saw already hinted in the spanish communists in the civil war. Important reading.
• How to avoid a climatic disaster (230 pgs). By Bill Gates. In times where the conversation on climate change and its consequences has become extremely polarized, this book takes a step back and offers a reasoning framework focusing on five human activities which contribute to emitting greenhouse gases. Then, options and the outlook for a growing population are discussed. The problems are complex, so we all better start having meaningful debates rather than throwing arguments at each other. The book helps with the former. 

Five chapters of the book devoted to human activities contributing to emissions, which show how complex and intertwined the problem is. Good start to have meaningful debates instead of polarized headlines. pic.twitter.com/QuyXVyYhfO

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) November 7, 2021

• The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (506 pgs). By Arthur Conan Doyle. Another classic set of characters from the XIX century. The famous Sherlock with his unique deductive skills and Dr. Watson as supportive catalyst to put these skills to work. The “Adventures” and the “Memoirs” compile respectively 12 and 11 cases, with a similar structure in each one while evolving the characters and providing more details of the persona Mr. Holmes along them. Very rich and elegant writing style from Conan Doyle, these short stories were the “series” of that time, like our current Netflix, HBO or Amazon releases of today. I will start with the novels to deepen in this fantastic universe. Lots of fun.

To my HR and managers friends, Sherlock Holmes' skills spiderweb according to Dr Watson assessment. Would you hire him for your project? 🤓😂 "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" #my2021inbooks pic.twitter.com/aPvVDa41Vv

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) September 13, 2021

• Air Wars  (238 pgs). By Scott Hamilton. A reading for the aviation geek, one that probably knows the reporting of Scott in his blog Leeham News. A narration of decades of the formidable industrial rivalry between giants Boeing and Airbus. Insights about historic contracts, airplane programs that were successful and some that not. Some passages are repeated throughout the book, but can still be of value to those with interest in the industry, especially around airplanes sales negotiations.
• El Príncipe (The Prince) (252 pgs). By Nicholas Machiavelli. Much taboo about the term machiavellian, the fact is that The Prince is, to the modern reader, a rather pragmatic guide to leaders and heads of governments. Out of his bitter experiences in diplomacy, Machiavelli writes on the the basics of governing inherited or conquered lands, leadership of armies and policies with the governed people. The most famed passages are those related to the virtues expected from the leader, or how to govern with a lack thereof, which is at the end of the day the practice of reality, of the human condition. In my release the highlight was really the comments and notes by Napoleon Bonaparte, a “practical” view to the theoretical thesis of Machiavelli. Unleashed Napoleon, great fun, I recommend the book especially if containing such notes.
• The Martian (435 pgs). By Andy Weir. The incredible story of astronaut Mark Watney left stranded in Mars by his crew and his struggles to survive. I got the book recommended by friend Miguel years before the release of the motion picture blockbuster starred by Matt Damon and finally I bought it second hand when getting my release of The Prince in La Lumbre book store. Well, I watched the movie years ago before reading the book, enjoyed it immensely…and did even more reading the book. More of the wit, of the technical depictions, of the irony, of the characters development. An adventure story with an overwhelming positive and optimistic tone which makes me recommend it for times of crisis and uncertainty…for times such as these we are living in now 🙂

 

For a 2022 with the pandemic more under control and as many happy readings!

 

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Credits to Janko Ferlic and Norbert Toth for the opening and closing pictures from unsplash.com

My year 2020 in books

Following the posts in 2017, 2018 and 2019, this one gives account of my readings in 2020.

If 2019 had been already a challenging year both in the reading and writing frequency, 2020 started the same way. And then March came with the outbreak of Covid19 pandemic. This contributed to and compounded with a stressful year at work.

I will not speak of months of confinement and opportunity to read more or acquire new skills. That narrative did not apply to me at all. Even if my relatives and myself stayed healthy, it was a catastrophic period and in fact my readings came to a full stop between april and september.

However, after summer pause I somehow managed to recover some peace of mind and could use reading as a balancing activity.

In fact, with the reading rush in the second half of the year, the amount of books read rose, up to 13 books (from 7 in ’19 and 9 in ’18) and more than tripling the number of pages, with around 6.250 pages. Let´s review them.

• El Bosque Oscuro (The Dark Forest)(570 pgs).  By Cixin Liu. Second novel of the trilogy The Three Body Problem. A larger book than the first one of the series, I found it to be an easier reading and more entertaining, especially with the plot around the Wallfacers and the development of the Cosmic Sociology. Still, the narration jumps from story to story in a way that reminds of the somewhat chaotic film making style of Christopher Nolan.
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (233 pgs). By Oliver Sacks. The neurologist of Mount Carmel takes the reader on a ride along neurological pathologies and their effects in the functioning of cognitive and sensorial systems. Fascinating cases are presented, but the writing style was hard to me and maybe to other non native readers in english. It made difficult to engage with descriptions and technical explanations.
• From Third World to First (690 pgs). By Lee Kuan Yew. I bought the book to deepen in the foundation of Singapore after my visit to the state-city in 2016, and it has been one of my best buys ever. The book may serve as a guide to set up a country with the first part of it discussing the steps they took on education, national identity, language, economy, defence, creation of leadership, governance… The second part is a summary of his diplomatic insights and views after having dealt with leaders around the world for over four decades. It is difficult to judge Lee Kuan from a modern western perspective (is regarded by many as a far right autocrat) but his thoughtful and witty style made the almost 700pgs reading just delightful. One of the highlights of the year.
• Fundación y Tierra (Foundation and Earth) (524 pgs). By Isaac Asimov. I regained with this book part of the excitement that went lost in Foundation´s Edge, the previous one in the series. The quest across the galaxy to search for the origins of humankind is a worthy closing for this fantastic saga. Still, it has not the freshness of the original trilogy.
• Awakenings (360 pgs). By Oliver Sacks. This one was a bit easier to read than the previous from Dr. Sacks and focuses on his cases of patients of the outbreak of encephalitis lethargica in the 20th century that he treated in the 70s and 80s in Mount Carmel with the advent of the L-Dopa drug. A devastating account of mental suffering of patients along decades, but also emotional narration of the few passages of recovery. A roller coaster from the depths of mental hell to the overwhelming joy of getting out of it. Dr. Sacks final message is just as powerful as it gets:

Still, the most powerful message from Dr. Sacks is a note of hope: "One sees that beautiful and ultimate metaphysical truth:(…) that the work of healing is, first and last, the business of love." pic.twitter.com/yFdX8SK49V

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) September 9, 2020

• El Fin de la Muerte (Death’s End) (734 pgs). By Cixin Liu. After finally getting the appeal of the story with the previous “The Dark Forest”, the plot takes new heights in the multidecade, interstellar battle for survival and really deploys a big amount of fantasy. Good plot twists for the best book of the saga. A pitty that the first one may discourage the faint reader to get to the end.
• Moby Dick (536 pgs). By Herman Melville. I had the book in my shelf for years if not decades. Finally I discovered narrator Ishmael (the guy that tells the story and you feel he does it over a beer in a bar…) in his account of the hunt for the White Whale. Written in the 19th century, it was difficult to read in many chapters with lots of slang and specific sailing vocabulary. The book combines encyclopedic views of every aspect of the whales and whaling business, and I mean “every, to the bone”, with symbolic reflections on art, philosophy and religion. But also a trepidant story of Captain Ahab and his Pequod. The highlight to me was the first lowering of the whaling boats from the Pequod, pure adrenaline and a monumental plot twist. The book may require to be re-read in some passages, but it was great having completed it.
• 1984 (326 pgs). By George Orwell. On of the most celebrated dystopies along with Aldous Huxley´s “Brave New World”, which I read in 2018. This is more somber and brutal. I read the book after having watched Michael Radford´s movie adaptation as a teenager, and I appreciated the expanded development of characters and story. This is a basic reading about totalitarism and the manipulation for social and individual construction. I read it in parallel with Moby Dick and progressed quicker with this one.
• A Sangre y Fuego (By Fire and Sword) (305 pgs). By Manuel Chaves Nogales. The narration of the sevillian journalist of 11 episodes in the spanish Civil War, following individuals of each side and their struggles. The worst of the two bands with stories of cruelty, retaliation, envy and ignorance. Beautifully written and easy to read.
• Dune (740 pgs). By Frank Herbert. One of the science-fiction all time classics along with Asimov´s Foundation series. First book of the saga for a powerful set up of conflicting “houses” and characters. Interesting reflections of a young Paul Atreides on power, religion and nature. However, from half of the book on I found it a bit repetitive and increasingly pretentious. I got the recommendation by friends not to read further books of the saga and I guess I will stick to it.
• Manual de Resistencia (307 pgs). By Pedro Sánchez. The memoirs of four years in the political career of current spanish prime minister. From his nomination to Secretary General of PSOE in 2014 to his ascent to government after a successful motion to depose Mariano Rajoy in 2018. A controversial politician, his narration contains hints of early identity politics (we vs. they) so present these days across the world. I found his views on the catalonian independence conflict, and the way to express them, more of a statesman and surprisingly different from the tone of the rest of the book. The writing style is awful, as if it had not been edited at all, making for a pitiful read in many passages. The comparison to Lee Kuan´s book is just dramatic.
• The importance of being Earnest (60 pgs). By Oscar Wilde. A short play of the irish genius, narrating the pursuits of young Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing to marry two young ladies, it unfolds in social critic about classes in satire style. In Acts 3 and 4, the wit of Oscar Wilde is unleashed. I laughed out loud alone at home like never before. I can just recommend to read it.
• El Conde de Montecristo (The Count of Montecristo) (1440 pgs). By Alexandre Dumas. This was a long read (split in two volumes) but was worth every page. The story of the revenge of young sailor Edmond Dantes, after being imprisoned the day before his wedding, is one of the most celebrated novels of all time. A monumental plot for that revenge and the terrific character of the Count provide for many moments of reflection on philosophy and justice, but also a portrait of the best virtues and worst aspects of the human soul. A true roller coaster of emotions. Adventure, love, revenge, immense fortunes, crime…the novel just has it all. If one could always read it for first time! One of the highlights of the year.

For a 2021 with the pandemic under control and as many happy readings!

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Credits to Laura Kapfer and Mahendra Kumar for the opening and closing pictures from unsplash.com

My marathons run in 2019

This late post about the marathon races I run this year comes instead of the usual reports after the spring and fall marathons in which my brother Javier, myself and friends take part since many years.

As mentioned in another post, this has been again a challenging year that took a toll on both training for road running and posting about it.

The following lines provide a summary of the (bad) training, race results and feelings, since, at the end of the day, a marathon race, finishing it, is always quite an achievement and worth sharing and celebrating with a post!

Krakow Marathon – April 28th

After the good vibes of the previous fall race in Dublin, the preparation for this one started well in late January but I could not keep pace with the training sessions. More work travels than usual and stress and I ended up beginning of April with merely some tens of kilometers run per month. I tried to catch up and build some volume in the weeks ahead of the race, performing a test over 30km just to check that I would finish.

Already in Krakow I met with Javier and family, and also Juan, who would join us one year after Lisbon. On Saturday evening it started to rain and so it went until we left.

The race took place entirely under rain conditions and I started quite conservative over 6’/km. Even at that pace I started to feel difficulties past the km 15 so I lowered it a bit. At half marathon I caught Juan, who was feeling really bad and struggling to just continue. But in fact that turned the race into an exciting no-man-left-behind effort. For the next 16 km or so we kept cheering ourselves with motivational appeals under heavy rain.

At km 38 or 39, Juan took some meters ahead, and got a boost with a new energy gel which I had not, so I fought the last 3 km alone along the river up until the finish line. Still, remembering the many kilometers run together, we celebrated with a picture:

A marathon race never shows mercy, don't play with it. Worst time ever (4h48') under non-stop rain today in #Krakow . But also no-man-left-behind struggle alongside Juan. My 15th marathon and his 13th. pic.twitter.com/a0uhrFTpXU

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) April 28, 2019

The time, 4h 48′ marked a new personal worst in my 15th participation in the distance…but it would not be the last.

Porto – November 3rd

Even though the result in Krakow had been quite a warning, the situation with training sessions did not improve for the fall race. A couple of travels lasting a week in the month before Porto did not help and the mileage was the lowest ever. With the experience of Krakow I was able to perform another 30km test to check the feasibility of the feat.

With that test, running over 6’30″/km, I was positive to finish but I thought for first time to go over 5h…

Arriving at Porto, we also joined our old fellow runner and Airbus colleague Manuel (aka Manvidal), with whom we last run in the 100km of Millau in 2015, and previously in Rotterdam and Rome. The pack of four was ready.

Starting from the coastal neighborhood of Matosinhos, the first 12km took us to its cargo harbour and back, and, even sooner than in Krakow, I already noted that this would be a tough race. I had started even more conservative, with the pace of the 30km test, above 6’30″/km.

Already running along the coast and river Douro to the inner city, I had to lower the pace to reach km 18, and later cross the magnificent Ponte Luis I bridge to the Porto wineries. There I crossed with Juan running back already from the half marathon milestone. I did it some minutes later but never caught him as I did in Krakow.

In fact, back on the bridge, and running along the river to the next Pont do Infante before km30, I had to walk after refreshing in one water station. Apart from Millau, this was the first time I had walked in a long distance race. I recovered during one kilometer and slowly started to “speed up” to around 7’/km…

I had just some 10km ahead, and I was already crossing the 4h mark, so a new personal worst was looming. The mental compromise to still keep going was similar to certain moments in Millau. However, the beauty of the city and the sight of the river and the sea really cheered my up. I struggled the last 5km and even sprinted in the last hundreds of meters, clapping at the band and cheerleaders before the finish line. All things considered, I was quite happy to tick my 16th participation in the 42km! 

With a time of 5h 18′, I had set the expected new worst, but I happily joined Javier and Juan to drive back with a taxi to the city center.

Finished Maratona do Porto, 16th race in the distance. New worst record 5h18", expected with almost no training. Still, fantastic race, logistics and views along Atlantic Ocean. #kilometrito #running #marathon

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) November 3, 2019

Back in our apartment we rejoined with Manuel, and the celebration dinner was one of the best ever:

Francachela post Maratona do Porto en restaurante Rito. Con @javierirastorza #Manvidal y #elmarqués . Pulpo, ternera, gambas, lulas y…#arrozconbacalao #sarandongacuchibiricuchibiri pic.twitter.com/q05BLD4kew

— Jaime Irastorza (@jaimeirastorza) November 3, 2019

As final remarks I was about to write similar comments to those I made after the races in 2017 and 2018 on respecting the distance, not playing with the training, that this should change and so on… Maybe so will be case for the next one.  Maybe next year will be not as challenging and I will find the proper stability and incentives to keep a good training plan.

I fear a bit the fact that, even have given up on good training in the last years, I managed to finish some races over 42km. I don´t know how long this will last. I still enjoy the struggle, and of course the leisure program on the weekend of the race with Javier and friends. But I would like this to change for better.

Let´s see how the report will look like for the next one, most probably, in Madrid.

 

 

Molinos de viento de Consuegra

“Mire vuestra merced -respondió Sancho- que aquellos que allí se parecen no son gigantes, sino molinos de viento, y lo que en ellos parecen brazos son las aspas, que, volteadas del viento, hacen andar la piedra del molino”

La estancia en casa rural que desde hace más de quince años hacemos los compañeros de promoción de la universidad el fin de semana previo a Navidad, tuvo este año una visita destacada.

Alojados en el pueblo castellano manchego de Villanueva de Bogas, la mañana del sábado visitamos el Castillo de Consuegra y los molinos de viento Rucio y Bolero, del conjunto de trece que rodean el castillo.

Molinos desde el Castillo de Consuegra

La visita guiada al molino Rucio nos encantó a todos y estas líneas resumen la misma y lo aprendido con su molinero.

Procediendo el nombre de Castilla La Mancha en parte del topónimo árabe Al-Manshaf , o tierra sin agua, los molinos de viento permiten capturar la energía del mismo para moler el grano de trigo en la obtención de harinas, fundamentales en la elaboración de pan y multitud de recetas a lo largo de los siglos.

En el molino Rucio vimos los elementos mecánicos principales:

• Palo de gobierno, amarre y borriquillo (el molinero explicaba a los niños que no se trataba del animal…) para la orientación frente al viento del conjunto mecánico y aspas.
• Aspas, eje y rueda catalina, para la conversión de la energía del viento en movimiento rotatorio.
• Linterna, engranaje con la rueda catalina en relacion 1:8 (8 dientes la linterna por 64 de la catalina)
• Mando de alivio, que gobierna la elevación de la piedra volandera sobre la solera y con ello la calidad de la harina.
• Tolva, para introducir el grano entre las piedras de moler.
• Piedra volandera, solidaria con el eje de la linterna y ajustable en altura sobre la solera.
• Piedra solera, piedra fija a la estructura del molino.

Esquema con elementos mecánicos en el interior del molino

Elementos principales del molino

El temporal de viento y lluvia que ese fin de semana azotaba casi todo el país permitió, sin embargo, ver el molino en la magnificencia de su funcionamiento.

Con viento ábrego (viento sur oeste) y con las aspas “sin velas”, el molinero nos explicó que el conjunto puede soportar vientos de hasta casi 100km/h, velocidad que se debe evitar y antes de la cual se debe frenar el conjunto sobre la rueda catalina y bloquear el mecanismo.

Mapa de orientación de viento

Con la piedra volandera de unos 1.200kg, la fuerza de rozamiento a vencer por la misma está en relación con el grano de trigo suministrado por la tolva y la calidad de la harina que se desea obtener. Esa calidad procede de la fricción resultante de acercar mediante el mando de alivio la piedra volandera a la solera para obtener harina más fina para cocinar. De hecho, todo lo fina que permitan los hasta 20CV que permite desarrollar el molino en las condiciones de viento más ventajosas. Las harinas más gruesas, que necesitan menos energía para su producción, valen como alimento para animales.

Sobrecogidos por la fuerza del viento y la sensación de potencia sobre la piedra volandera, las explicaciones del molinero hicieron las delicias de los más pequeños de grupo.

La visita a los molinos tiene el complemento perfecto en el Castillo de Consuegra, con magníficas vistas sobre la región, y es muy recomendable para visitantes de la zona. A este respecto, nos llamó positivamente la atención la cartelería explicativa del molino en varios idiomas, incluidos japonés y chino!

Los datos básicos con horarios, precios y contactos en este link.