"Deep ruby" running shoes

Just a short post to share a picture of  the  new running shoes which I bought two days ago in Rome. As usual, I got a pair of Asics "Gel-kayano", and  it's the first time  that I get purple (or deep ruby) running shoes. I bought them from a specialized running shoe store, where I noticed that if I had bought the same running shoes through the internet I would have payed almost the same price. Obviously, the difference is that in a specialized store you can try the running shoes. In addition, you can get advices.
 

Do you usually buy your running shoes through the internet or at a specialized running shoe store?

Nice week to everyone!

Destructive burning in the hills

The weather is still too hot, that's why since the first week of August I haven't increased my runs. Moreover, I had a relaxing weekend from August 21st to 24nd and, consequently, I didn't run adequately. On the other hand, I went back to Gaeta once again, where I swan a lot. My cousin's boat gave me the opportunity to enjoy clean water. We also sailed and reached an island situated 18 miles West from Gaeta by boat. I really enjoyed snorkeling there.

 

The picture below shows the destructive burning which I saw while I was spending last weekend in Gaeta and its surroundings.

The beautiful and wild landscape has changed from this ...
 

 

to this.

 

Nice weekend to all my blogger friends! 

Appian way

Tomorrow it will be back to work, as I have been on Holiday since July 29. I had a great time in Ponza and Gaeta: sunny weather and good environment (first of all clean beaches, and secondly, two interesting archaeological sites). 

The picture below shows a part of the old Appian way next to Gaeta (130 km South from Roma). It's the earliest and strategically most important Roman road, which  connected Rome to South Italy. We visited that interesting archaeological site on August 1st in the late afternoon, when the weather wasn't too hot. 

 

The Appian way, with its large stones, was built  in 312 B.C. by the Romans, and it spanned 350 miles (563km).   It allowed trade and access to the east, specifically Greece.  Nowadays, it is a beautiful place to visit and walk, but it is not a safe path to run or cycle,  because those big cobblestones may be dangerous.

In the meanwhile, I've planned to run a 8 km  race on August 27th,  although I am not running as I should at the moment. I think I'll run that  race as training. The race starts at 8:30 pm and we'll run in the dark.  

Nice week to everyone!

Santa Marinella by night race

I haven't got any picture of the 7k race which I ran on July 18th in Santa Marinella. The race started at 09:30 pm and the organization wasn't good enough: after the race runners couldn't have any fruit or drinks containing minerals. That's unthinkable in Summer time after a race.  

I maintained the same pace of 04:20 min./km which I did two weeks ago in my previous 7 km race. Not too bad, considering that the track was hilly, and the weather was hot and humid. I think I will not run that race once again.

I'd like to show a picture which I took this morning  while I was running past the port. It shows a sailing ship. I didn't see its flag, so I don't know where that ship comes from. If that white bus hadn't been there, the picture would have seemed very old.  It would seem a picture taken in the 1920s.

Nice weekend to everyone!

A running blogger from Chicago

This week has been a very busy week. I will be on Holiday since July 28th, that's why I have had no choice than working too hard. What I need most is a period of digital disconnection, and I love the idea of going on holiday without mobile phone (I mean the cellphone which I use for job). Consequently, after a crazy busy month at work, I soon realise how satisfying any vacation is when it is not interrupted by cellphone, whatApp or snapchat.  

On the running front, last Tuesday I had a great time in Rome, where I met Marcia, a blogger friend from Chigago. She visited Rome with her husband and her two adorable girls. Black Knight was there too. We walked a lot through old squares and past Rome's main landmarks. It seemed that they enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. Marcia and her husband were really interested in Rome's history. They were very kind as they asked me to visit Chigago.

This afternoon I am going to run a 7k race in Santa Marinella (50 k North from Rome). The race starts at 8:30 pm, and  I really hope the weather will not be warm and humid in the evening.

I took the picture below in Santa Marinella last Wednesday, while I was in a nice place close to the sea. Unfortunately, I was there for job. 

 

The next picture shows how I'm getting carbohydrates before the race. It's spaghetti with clams, a typical Italian Summer dish.

Nice weekend to everyone!

 

Orbetello, 7 km race at night

I haven't been running the Orbetello Night Run since 2012. On Friday, July 3rd I ran that fun race  throught  the old side of that special town of Tuscany. The race started at 9 PM, and we had no choice but running in the dark. It was less than 7 kilometres, and the cobblestones along the track, which you can see in the picture below,  weren't dangerous (I ran with blue running clothes and the number 210 on my shirt).

Stefano also ran that race and enjoyed it althought the weather was humid and warm. Fortunately, a temperate wind from the sea helped us while we were running the race. After I had crossed the finish line, some volunteers gave me prunes and apricots. It was better than useless cakes made with palm oil and bad flour, as I sometimes saw after I had run other races. The average pace was 4:20 min./K, as I crossed the finish line after 29 mins and 58 seconds.   Moreover, I got  a good loot (jam, pasta, and cookies), visited a special place of Tuscany, and had a delicious dinner there

Nice week to all my blogger friends!
 

A picture before the race

As mentioned in my previous post, I ran my last race on June 2nd. I would like to post a picture which was taken that day before race.

I also show a picture of an olive tree which is as large as a car. I saw it while I was doing a training sessions last week. And last but not least, two cakes made at home ... although  I shouldn't get a lot of carbohydrates in Summer :) The black one with blueberries is my favourite.

Nice runs to everyone!

Snapshot on the finish line

On June 2nd I wrote down a post about the 9k race which I ran on the same day in my town. Unfortunately, I didn't show any picture of the running event, because  two days ago I hadn't it. Now, I've just got an image of the race,  as a friend of mine has just sent it. The picture, which he probably found through the web, was taken while I was crossing the finish line (I'm on the left with Yellow shirt). 
Happy running, swimming, and biking to everyone!

Weather is warmer: more fruits and veggies

I've just run a 9 km race here in my town. Today  the weather has been sunny and  perfect for running. The race started at 7 pm, and there were about  220 runners. Today four races have been held in Rome and its surroundings.
I crossed the finish line after 41 minutes, and my average pace was 4:40 min/k.
Unfortunately,  I am not adequately trained at the moment, and I am aware that  I would get injuried if I had run faster than 4:40 min./k. Moreover,  I haven't been running a race since January 4th.   
Meanwhile, I have already changed  the food because weather is going to be warmer. The main part of the meal consists of fruits and veggies, such as lettuce, asparagus and white cabbage finely sliced. They will be on the table in the next weeks.
Nice week to all my blogger friends!

 

Sunset along the running path

Just a note to show you the scenery that I enjoyed last week. I saw that sunset while I was running on the way back after I had done 1 hour and 10 minutes. I didn't run as fast as I should, considering that my average pace was 5:30 min./k ... In additon, I was running with my camera :)

Happy running!

We have just spent our 25th Wedding Anniversary in Ravello

On April 26th we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. So we spent three days in Ravello, South Italy, and before we left the kids had given us white roses and orchids.

Ravello is located at more than 300 Kilometres South from Rome, and it's a very relaxing place. We stayed in a nice hotel located next to the car parking and the main town's square and landmarks. The room was comfortable enough, and its window offered us a wonderful scenery. You can see it here below: absolutely stunning! We also enjoyed the same landscape while we were having breakfast.

Have you never eaten such a big lemon as you can see in the two pictures above? We found those big lemons there. We also saw narrow staircases through the old town (picture on the right), That's why I didn't try to wear my running shoes while I was enjoying Ravello's environs :) ... All the running paths were up-hill and down-hill.
Here on the left you can see two of the Ravello's ceramic street plates. They give the possibility to reach other villages simply following the steps.
Tomorrow I will be back running. Nice runs to everyone!

Cold wind on Easter Monday

Today is Easter Monday. And this morning the weather was colder than normal, so I had no choice but running with scarf and hat. I ran 50 minutes through a strong and cold wind ... although this is the second week of April, and we saw the beginning of Spring on March 21st.

The chart below shows the running path where I ran last week. I was delighted with my training as I did 12 km at 05.30 min./km pace.

I would like to post four pictures that I took today after I had run. We spent this cold and windy Easter Monday in the hills, here in Central Italy. The first one shows a very small stone house in the countryside.

An old farm house has been transformed into a restaurant. We had lunch there with other friends.

 The  picture below shows its old wooden ceiling.

After we had had lunch, we went walking through a village called Tuscania, about 100k North from Rome, where we visited the old church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Its rose window, also called wheel window in Gothic architecture, gives to the church a somewhat English character. Absolutely stunning! If you were to visit me I would be honoured to take you there. 

 Nice week to all my blogger friends!

Easter cakes are ready

As usual, the South Italy's Easter cake is still ready: we'll have it tomorrow at lunch. We've planned to go in the hill with other friends on Easter Monday.

My running shape is slightly increasing: this week I ran three times, and I did 32 km (10k on Monday, 12k on Wednesday, and 10k yesterday). I hope to run a 10k race in Tuscany on April 18th. 

Happy Easter to everyone! 

Can you go running with your boss? It depends on a number of factors

No one could think otherwise about advantages to being friends with our boss. But how do we know when it's a good idea to be friend with our boss? I am writing down this post about the relationship between boss and subordinate after I had spoken with my boss about running, races, and average pace. I noticed that my boss is a runner (sort of). So last week while I was speaking with him about running he said he would like to join my running group once a week. He  doesn't live in the same town where he works, that's why he would like to discover new running paths as he doesn't know Civitavecchia and its outskirts. Maybe, he is looking for new places to run or he doesn't like to run on his own. Anyway, my answer was: "Yes, of course. I would be honored. You can join my running group whenever you want ". 

In my opinion the main question is: are we going together because we genuinely get along?  I have to think how to make sure that the friendship-boss line doesn't get blurred. In addition, some colleagues might perceive  the relationship with the boss as  favoritism.
I'd like to put on this post two pictures which I took on this rainy Wednesday. I took the first picture from my office (pink houses). The second one shows pink colors of both the trees along the sidewalk and the buildings in the middle of the town.  I took it this morning  while I was going to work.

Can you go running with your boss? I'd like to know your point of view about this topic.

Last cold of the Winter ... Maybe.

It seems that last week we saw the last cold of the Winter here in taly. And I'd like to post a few pictures which I took while I was running. There are some sweet hills close to the town, and I went running there last Friday. I tryed to maintain the same pace along those soft paths up-hill and down-hill.   

The weather was windy and cold while I ran past the red house which you can see here below. This time the running path was quite flat. 

And it was cold too in the middle of the town where I ran last Wednesday. As you can see here below, there weren't any people along the pedestrian area of the town in the early afternoon .

Last week I really enjoyed running with my camera. I have seen that runners sometimes do the same. Have you ever run with your camera?
Nice week to all my blogger fiends!

Black chickpeas

In my last post I mentioned the place where I've been working  since Monday. I will be there until Friday 27th. I'd like to show two dishes which I have had there. The first may be perfect as pre-race food (carbohydrates). It's spaghetti with artichoke.

The second one may be good after a training session (proteins). It's black chickpeas supper. Really tasty! I would have never thought about black chickpeas. I have heard about black beans (from South America) or black lentils (from India) but not of  black chickpeas.

Have nice runs!

Changing my routes

In terms of running, I have lost my sense of purpose. I mean that I haven't plan to run any race in March, although I'm still running almost three times a week. And changing my routes is a thing that I've beared in mind: a fast run (or 45 min. tempo run), a long run (1 hour and 15 mins.) and a repeats session (including the warm up) every week. Maybe, I'll run a race in Summer.

Running helps us finding inner peace and good mental health, but we should run only when we really want. So I did'n run this afternoon as the weather was cold and I was mentally tired enough after I had finished working. On the other hand, the place, where I went this morning for job, was really interesting, as you can see in the picture. All the old small houses, which you see in the picture above, are located in a pedestrian area without cars and motorcycles. Wonderful! There isn't any noise there. And pollution level is very low. people don't go biking through the village because streets are up-hill ... and I didn't see any donkey or horse. Tomorrow, I will be there once again. 

Happy running to all the members of our blogging community!

Physical exercise

I've just finished reading posts of our blogging community, and I've noticed that most blogger friends are still running, in spite of cold wind and snow.That's really a good thing! Since February 1st I have run twice along my favourite track close to the seacoast, where I can enjoy the smell of sea salt in the air. Wind and waves kick up spray, and bits of sodium chloride can permeate the air while I am running.

 



The palm trees in the sidewalk area close to the seacoast 

 

I noticed that since January motivation is increasing slightly, that's why I'd like to say just a note to focus on one of the most important fenefit of running. We always see a relationship between running and phisical benefits, such as lower blood pressure,  healthier heart or a more attractive physique. But running magazines have recently suggested that there is another benefit of regular walking/running: exercise enables us to soak in more information. Our lifestyle is related to the way we think.  

Some friends of mine say they don't have time for an activity. But I think they don't consider it a priority. In my opinion, there are two ways to relate the time we have available and physical exercise:

• first, becoming part of a group (running, walking, dancing, etc.); 
• second, reframing physical activity as part of our job.

Happy running/walking to everyone!    

Pink houses

I have just planned my next race: it's a 5k race which will be held in Rome on February 8th. I don't do the registration through the race's internet website as I'll try to do it two hours before the race.  

And now two pictures which show pink houses in the middle of the town. I took the pictures last week while I was running through the pedestrian area, where there isn't any noise pollution or car's emissions.  

In addition, the two pictures show that it was a cloudy morning, although since the beginning of the new year we have had Autumn temperatures without cold, snow and rain ... until now.

Happy running/walking/biking to everyone!

Assault on Democracy

I'm still astonished to see the assault on Democracy in Paris this week. And while French Policemen are still dealing with one of the worst terrorist attack in Europe for half a century, today Vatican Square seems quite deserted: Italians and tourists are feared terrorist attack on Vatican. 

The Christmas tree and the Nativity scene are still there, in the middle of Vatican Square. 

This post has nothing to do with running. Sorry for that!
Freedom will always be stronger than barbarism!

I already did a race in 2015

Hi  everyone! Have you had a good beginning of the New Year? I hope so! I have been glad to see that most blogger friends began the New Year along running paths in a wood, through the countryside, or simply walking/hiking. With regards to walking and hiking I have just seen the useful post written by Amy Crawshaw, from Leuven. In her interesting post she underlines the difference between the two verbs walking and hiking. Thanks again for sharing those information, Amy! As it is known, English isn't my first language, that's why I am always interested in this kind of posts. The meaning of words and expanding my vocabulary will always be the most important of learning English. The British  language is constantly changing, so I need to keep up to date with new words and new ways of speaking.

Maybe, the picture has something to do with the two verbs above mentioned, as it shows the post-race atmosphere which I saw this morning :) 

I already did a race in 2015: this morning I ran a 5k race in a place close to Rome.

On this sunny Sunday, the runners gave something to eat such as cakes, wine, and olive oil, while they were making the registration. The food was collected to benefit social cause programs in Rome and surroundings. 

I'll try to find other pictures through the web later.

Enjoy your walking/running/hiking!