New Year's resolutions: Jamie Cullum's "Next Year Baby"

Come the last few days of the aging year, we all start making resolutions for the new one: gonna do more exercise, start a diet, take up a new hobby, even quit smoking, blah, blah, blah. Then, one way or another, most of our good-will intentions gradually fall on stony ground, don't they? But it's always nice to kind of try and "mend our ways", isn't it?

That's why I thought I could sort of say a musical goodbye to 2010 on our blog and, at the same time, wish you all the best for 2011. And there's a delightful song by a fantastic artist who you know I was privileged enough to see live recently, Jamie Cullum. It's called "Next year baby" and I think it suits today perfectly. My favourite part is when Jamie sings: "But if there's one thing I must do / Despite my greatest fears / I'm gonna say to you / how I've felt all of these years!

I've chosen the longer live version because at the beginning of the rendition, before the actual song, you can watch Jamie deliver one of his renowned, physically-charged impromptus on stage. A great entertainer, he really is!

Anyway, my dear students, I do hope you all have well-meant resolutions for the new year, many of which, despite your greatest doubts, will be fulfilled to make you feel better, nicer, healthier people.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE EVERYONE AND A BLISSFUL 2011!

San Silvestre: The end-of-year long distance race

Antonio (C1):

Hi everyone!
Well, even though I’m not physically with you, at least I am virtually (I hope I won't catch any of those viruses which screwed me up during my flu bout).

Thanks for remembering me, José Luis! Well, I did get over my flu, and what’s more, what I’m writing about today is an indication of how well I recovered. On today’s entry I would like to speak about sports, concretely athletics. You all know we have a renowned annual event, the “San Silvestre race”. How can I start talking about it?

The San Silvestre race in Salamanca was born 27 years ago when a bunch of pals made up their mind to have a stroll across the town’s streets. In time it engaged more and more people and became increasingly popular. The race is held on the last Sunday of the year, the date this year being 26th December, and runs over a distance of 8.4 kilometres at the longest version (there are another three smaller circuits for other ages). Nowadays, thousands of people have a sort of festive day apart from an exhibition of healthy habits.

Personally, I first ran it back in 2004. For whatever reason, I hadn’t cheered up enough to cover it for a second time, but this year I got up the nerve to try and accomplish it again.

How did I do it? Well, I enrolled in a gym (Multiusos) in August and I got healthier and healthier and with more stamina while running. I would do my push-ups and sit-ups, which were kind of helpful. Apart from all the exercising at the work-out room (though it wasn’t one of my priorities as I wanted to be trained in endurance) I ended my series in the swimming-pool within the “Multiusos” sports centre.

Well, apart from this, I’ve been several years working out on my bike as an amateur. For the day of the race, I got my best friend riding next to me on his bicycle, which had a mileometre to help us find out when the 8.4 kms were over. My race strategy? Always jogging gently, at a quiet pace, since my aim was “just get to the finishing line, Antonio”.

Well, I had several preparation races (running the real distance) throughout several days and I fulfilled them all (the work-out was really helpful). I confess athletics is one of my least favourite sports, but being encouraged by the spectators, competing with other runners and trying to achieve my goal made me go ahead.

After having a nasty last week “thanks” to my friend the flu and despite not having trained since then, I got ready for B-Day (Big Day). Though I wasn’t completely on my top form, I got out into the street, lined up within thousands of other sportsmen and ready to set off. As you can see in the photos (in the one above I'm the guy at the back of the second group) I was wearing a reflecting waistcoat so as to be spotted by my acquaintances and family. I turned on my 80’s music on my Mp3 player to keep my mind distracted of the inevitable “physical pain” and eventually ... I did it! In 45 minutes, 56 secs.

After the race we were given away some gifts (e.g. a T-shirt, a key ring, etc.) but that is not so important. The important thing is that I DID IT. Like learning English, the San Silvestre is a hard long distance race.

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone!