La Paramada, a trail in the plain
La Paramada 2017. / IÑAKI SOLA
“Valladolid is flat”. That was the first statement a foreign person knows and expects from Valladolid. If New York is known as the city that never sleeps or Paris as the city of light, Valladolid is regarded as a plain, a flat valley. But weird though it may seem, we have low hills, known as “cerros” where people who love trail running or just walking in the mountain have to manage to find unevenness where, in fact, there isn’t.
With this attitude, races such as La Paramada are born, having in mind the idea of creating a trail with continuous slopes up and down, which make the runner gasp for breath. I have even heard of a runner who lost his trainer in one of these short but steep slopes.
The organisers forecasted a race full of mud, that was why many runners had prepared their flippers and goggles for the worst areas, even the triathletes took their wetsuits in case of needing them and only if the temperature of the water in the mud was low. Notwithstanding, the long-awaited but at he same time hated mud was almost nonexistent.
All these factors together with the unbeatable organisation make La Paramada a race which appeals to all kinds of people, ranging from those who love trail running or the ones who just want to give it a go and wish to have a change of scenes. These last ones almost ever fall in love with these sport and before long, they are likely to be seen in races of bigger magnitude in terms of unevenness.
All things considered, if you want to stand from the crowd and have a go with something different without driving along winding roads, La Paramada and the people from Geria are awaiting you in the flattest valley of the area.
Ahora, aprendamos algo de vocabulario:
– Plain: Llanura, llano
– A flat valley: Un valle llano
– Weird though it may seem: Por muy raro que parezca
– Unevenness: Desnivel, desigualdad en el terreno
– Having in mind: Teniendo en cuenta
– Gasp for breath: Respirar con dificultad
– Mud: Barro
– Flippers: Aletas
– Goggles: Gafas para nadir
– Wetsuit: Neopreno
– Notwithstanding: Sin embargo
– Long-awaited: Anhelado
– Unbeatable: Inmejorable
– Appeals to: Atraer
– Range from: Oscilar entre
– Have / Give (something) a go: Intentar (algo)
– Have a change of scenes: Cambiar de aires
– Almost ever: Casi siempre
– Before long: En poco tiempo
– Be likely to: Ser probable que
– All things considered: Teniendo todo en cuenta
– Stand from the crowd: Destacar entre la multitude
– Winding roads: Carreteras serpenteantes
