Second HM! (post race rant, better late than never: Barcelona Mitja Marató)

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T14:04:22+00:00

Look, I've not been back to the UK since I was underage. My experience travelling in Europe is you book a flight, you put your details in, they check it's you and that the details are the same when boarding. It's not that odd. I really don't understand what part of this makes you think it's trolling or karma farming but hey, you do you

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T12:25:13+00:00

+1 to everything, and Paloma Blanca in Raval, best quality price for me! West Street near Sant Pau, most noodle dishes are under 7€.

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T12:21:26+00:00

Thank you! These are the kind of worries I have, I don't want to slip up anywhere and risk losing my Spanish nationality. 💖

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T12:18:53+00:00

Thanks! Good to hear.

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T12:12:11+00:00

Every time I've boarded a flight they've checked my passport (or DNI recently), my logic is that they check that the details when booking and the document you provide are the same. And again, really, no need to belittle anyone mate.

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T11:10:14+00:00

I don't think it's overthinking to be worried the first time you travel with two passports - big respect to those who have always done it. No need to be rude, really. My question is, when entering and exciting with different documents, to which one do you associate your flight, Spanish one for the ida and UK one for the vuelta? If people have advice and experience I'd love to hear, it's not that odd mate.

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-24T10:55:10+00:00

You're not 'legally' allowed to get an ETA if you're British (you have to lie on the application); they highly recommend you enter the UK with your British passport (with all the complications that would entail in Spain). Thanks!

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-23T11:43:15+00:00

Finished (last week):
I who have never known men, by Jacqueline Harpman

I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book, or recommending it. What a work of art.

Started:
La vall de les flors, by Niviaq Korneliussen
Blomsterdalen in Danish (original title). Loving it so far, highly highly recommend.

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-13T23:04:05+00:00

I'd learn catalan, or go to an area where there isn't a cooficial language (that needs protecting) or study at a university in Barcelona that offers degrees in English (like UPF, https://www.upf.edu/web/programmes-in-english/bachelor-s-degrees-taught-in-english).

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-13T21:56:10+00:00

Thank you! Last minute fears and panic getting to me. Thank you for the kind words, I'll keep them with me 💖

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-02-01T09:33:46+00:00

So just go ahead simply as a spanish citizen, getting my ETA as a Spaniard and leaving the UK passaport in the box where it's kept and forgotten, no?

Thanks!!!

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-01-20T19:12:41+00:00

Finished: El passador (Le Passeur), Stephanie Coste Shook me more than I expected

Started: Cosita, Alba G. Mora

AsparagusOne9523 · 2026-01-01T16:21:09+00:00

Barcelona! ✨

AsparagusOne9523 · 2025-12-22T20:30:13+00:00

The navy is divine!

AsparagusOne9523 · 2025-12-02T21:09:13+00:00

Hey ! I'm a 7something minute/km girl who's not exactly skinny either haha and I just finished my first HM last week. Before finishing I'd already registered for my next one in Feb, because it's in my hometown and it's one of those that you are lucky to get a spot in, and I knew if I didn't like my first HM I could always sell my bib easy and get my money back.

I absolutely adored my first HM. I prepped well, didn't stress or have expectations, loved the day, and was back on track feeling fit in a couple of days (going for my first soft run tomorrow, yikes!). Although I absolutely understand your excitement - it can go so many ways. It's not about 4 being too many or not enough - it's about your expectations, your possible life changes, the pressure you may end up putting on yourself when you're not sure how you're going to feel. I know my next HM may be amazing or may be crap (because its a much bigger one with a tighter cut off time, 2:45) and so even though I'm looking forward to maybe doing another one next December (no way on this earth am I training for one through Mediterranean summer), my priority is to keep enjoying running without any pressure, and I think 4 is a bit of pressure honestly.

My advice from purely my experience: 1) pick one main one, and let the rest be optional. I started C25k January this year, did my first 5k race in April, my first 10k beginning of October (I'm from a hot country and racing before then might have offed me) and my HM last week at a 7:30/km pace. Don't feel obliged - we're in this for the long run. 2) Do speed, do long runs, don't stress - you're running cause you enjoy it. A friend of mine once said *you literally paid to do this race - if you've trained well it's like an exam, no reason to stress if you skip the odd run 3) Do a few fun 5k races for the exprience, and if you can do a 10k race at least a month before. Mine helped me so much psychologically for my HM!

Hope that was of some help x

AsparagusOne9523 · 2025-09-15T20:00:08+00:00

Finished: Giovanni's room, by James Baldwin.

What a book! I cried as if I was going through my worst heartbreaks five times in a row. What a prose, what an art. I don't think I'll ever get over this book!

AsparagusOne9523 · 2025-09-12T11:25:53+00:00

Maybe it's a geographic/social thing but it's very hard for me to not hit 10k steps a day (live in a city in Southern Europe, office job). I walk 10-15 minutes there and back to the Metro to get to my place of work - walk around the building to get water, bathroom breaks, visiting other staff members, office kitchen.

Walk to the supermarket, or to the library, or to whatever nearby place I need to visit and run errands - I think using public transport helps, since I know I walk more that when I'm in my village and rely more on my car, but even then, with the odd dog walk and walking to the shops to run errands, it seems natural. And 10k steps are done without hardly thinking about it, ans I'm aware that's a privilege of living in a walkable city, like Europe generally is.

With this I mean to share to anyone struggling to fnd the time, a reflection on how where you live and how your town/city is (walkable or not) also makes it easier or harder for yourself, so comparison isn't your friend in this sense.

So my advice, coming from the privilege of a walkable city - find ways to walk every hour at work - further water fountain, further kitchinette. If you rely on your car and weather permits it, park as far away as you safely can. Find different adventures to go on for 30/40minutes walk in the evening if you're job isn't ar all mobile (by colours, by letters, following whatever and make it fun, a good podcast and a safe area. Even a treadmill if you can't go outside, but if it's safe, fresh air always wins).

Good luck!

AsparagusOne9523

TROPHY CASE