Wake up and smell the...rice

Running has been a major feature of this summer for us. We returned from our trip to South America after seven weeks on the road feeling a little flabby as a result of an awful lot of buffet hotel breakfasts, three course meals and local beverages. To give myself a target to aim for whilst getting into shape I've entered the Valencia Half Marathon, which is to take place on 23rd October.

But it's hot here, very hot, which makes running during the day hard work. Our plan has been to get up early and hope for some cloud. We occasionally get lucky but most of the time our 8am runs are in bright sunshine. Monte Pego is very hilly and our house is around 200m above sea level so in order to make the run more pleasant we drive down to the entrance of the urbanisation and start from there on the flat.

While Su heads up and down the cycle path that leads towards Pego, my routes venture into La Marjal, the beautiful local wetlands. At this time of year the short-grain bomba rice that is the staple of this region's most famous culinary creation, paella, is almost ready to harvest and the smell is amazing. It's like being in a kitchen when rice is being boiled (and as hot because of the humidity down there). The Moors started growing rice here hundreds of years ago, creating a system of channels to use the water provided naturally in the area to irrigate the rice fields in the centre of La Marjal. The farmers use pumps and sluice gates to drain and flood the fields at different times of year and the water level is also affected by the spring and autumn rains and the rivers that come from the mountains.

The area is naturally marshy having originally been a horseshoe shaped bay surrounded on three sides by mountains until a sandbar formed, creating a lagoon and later the marsh. These days the area nearest to Pego is cultivated for fruit and vegetables, especially oranges, while the wilder area nearer the sea is in a more natural state. The rice fields are between the two and various paths criss-cross the whole area. In winter my runs are lonely affairs but at this time of year, while still very quiet, I do come across other beings. There are two herds of animals that graze on La Marjal in summer, one of which is the motley crew of sheep and goats that pass our house on the other side of the valley during the rest of the year. The second flock is a less friendly bunch of brown woolly sheep. Both groups create significant obstacles if I run into them on the road - a problem I've not had in London. However, I can generally avoid them as I know where they live and roughly what time they go out for breakfast.  Experience has taught me that, if I do come across them, they pretty much scatter if you run at them.

The flock having a good munch on the Marjal

From time to time I also have for company the rice farmers, occasional fishermen, herons, egrets and other birds that like the wetlands. All in all running can be quite eventful and I've so far survived being attacked by an Alsatian and being sprayed with insecticide by a low flying helicopter. Fitness is improving and we will soon be running in the cooler climate of north London, probably without sheep and goats. And if there are helicopters it will just be the police chasing rioters.