Madrid, Spain — The Cleared List

About a year and a half ago I picked up running as a hobby. I wanted to find a way to get fit and found running to be quite exhilarating. As weeks passed I found the distance and timing of my runs were consistently improving. I finally ran my 1st 5K and 10K in 2014. Towards the end of 2014 a friend of mine mentioned she would be running a half marathon in Madrid. My ears perked up at the thought. I love a challenge and running my 1st half marathon in Madrid sounded awesome! I began training in February 2015 and on April 24th I hopped on a flight to Spain to achieve my goal.

Upon arrival I caught a train from the airport to our hotel, the AC Hotel Recoletos, which was within walking distance of many breathtaking sites. The first notable site was the Puerta de Alcala, a gate with grand arches and beautiful surrounding landscaping. I then stumbled upon the gorgeous Plaza de Cibeles and paused for a few photos.

Determined to get as much site seeing done as possible before the race day festivities, I continued further into the city. I walked through a small park and saw the Plaza de Espana. Finally I happened upon a beautiful garden and fountains in front of the Royal Palace of Madrid. The gardens were immaculately kept and quite romantic. After a Paella dinner and a glass a of wine it was time to retire to the hotel and prepare for the next day.

The next morning I stopped for a cup of coffee and a Jamon sandwich (these sandwiches are amazing) before I took the train to the Health and Fitness Expo for Bib pick-up. The lines were soooooo long. Over 40,000 people would be running the race the next day and I could barely contain my excitement- it was happening! Hours at the expo left little time for site seeing in the city. However, I did manage to squeeze in some time to visit the Museo del Prado which had lovely historical paintings. I finished up the night before the race with the most amazing meal at Mercado de la Reina. For 30 euros I ate a feast of calamari, grilled squid, beef and caramelized onions on French bread, a bell pepper soup, steak, fries, chocolate mousse, and red wine. It was AMAZING. So amazing I returned the following night for the exact same meal- breaking my rule of never going to the same place twice when traveling abroad.

The day of the race, I walked to the starting line at Plaza de Cibeles. This was definitely one of the greatest physical and mental challenges of my life. It started pouring rain at about mile 9 and there were numerous hills and inclines along the race route. But after a couple of hours I made it! 13.1 miles done! Not only did I finish my first half marathon, but I did it in another country I had never been to before. I made my way through the cold and rain into the race finish at Buen Retiro Park. Luckily my hotel was only about a half mile away.

I still have to pinch myself when I think about that fact that I accomplished my goal of running a half-marathon. Whoohoo! Three days spent in Madrid was absolutely amazing. The city was easy to get around via the subway and it is completely possible to see an abundance of sites within 24 hours- my kind of trip!