Giorgio's runners blog

Italy covered with snow

2012-02-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

Italy is covered with snow. Today I took these two photos while I was in Viterbo for job. In this town (60 km North from Rome) I saw the rooftops and the roads covered with snow. I have never run on the snow! I 've to try it!

I hope all you will have nice runs despite of the weather conditions.

22.55 km race

2012-01-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

This photo shows a bottle of olive oil (two liters) and it's the loot :) which I got today after I had run a 22.55 km race around three villages. I got a dish too (2nd photo) and other things such as croissants, orange juice and yoghurt. There were 2400 runners and the organization was good. I enjoyed the race although the weather was cold enough and distance of the running track was really strange: 22.55 km. Why not 21 km? Anyway, I crossed the finish line after 1.49.50.

There were a lot of volunteers who gave water and warm tea while runners were running next to hazelnut trees, along a beautiful countryside and through the historical centres of three villages. From the 15th to the 17th km the running track was tough because it was totally up-hill.

Stefano , who likely got knee pain after he had run that tough race, will show the chart of the hilly running path.

I hope all you blogger friend will have a nice week and pleasant runs!

Asics Cumulus 13

2012-01-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

Retail prices sometimes decrease after holiday season and running clothes and shoes may be less expensive. That's why I planned to buy new running shoes in January. So, last week, on Wednesday, 11st, I went to Rome for job and in the afternoon, I visited the running shop "LBM Sport" which is located in the centre of the town (its official website is http://www.lbmsport.it/ ). Running shoes' prices are really interesting there!

After I had tryed Brooks and New Balance I bought a pair of Asics Cumulus 13. Although I couldn't choose the colour I was delighted with those green shoes which you can see in the photo :)

This morning I ran the Ostia's 15 km race with my new green running shoes. Of course, I tryed them on Friday, 13rd, when I did 10 km relaxing run with the group. The weather was perfect for running and the organization was excellent. I ran along a beautiful running track and through Mediterranean woodlands of Castel Fusano and after 1 hour and 8 minutes I crossed the finish line.

From the 6th to the 9th km the running path was soft: wonderful! I got a blue running T-shirt and after the race I had a cup of tea and an apple, but there were a lot of things such as bread with jam or honey, cakes, muffins, sandwiches, ect.

In the photos you can see me, Stefano and other running friends.

On January, 14th, an Italian cruise ship hit a sandbar and now it lies partially submerged next to Giglio island (50 miles North-West from Civitavecchia). Its captain had made errors of judgement and the route followed by the ship was not the right one. Authorities have said that at least six people died.

Most of the passengers are Italian, with some German, Japanese and French nationals!

Chocolate shoes

2012-01-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

On January, 6th, I was delighted with the tempo run: I ran 10 km at 4.48 min./km, time taken 48:09 mins. I hope it might be the beginning of the improvement (I didn't run during the last week of 2011 and had a temperature). Today I did a pleasant 18 km long run at an average pace of 5:37 min./km. It might be useful for my next 15 km race which I'm running on January, 15th.

The photo above was taken during the last edition of the Montalto's 10 km race.

Chocolate shoes

Since January, 5th, companies who produce chocolate have gathered the pedestrian area of the town. Along the streets we've seen sellers of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and ... "chocolate shoes" (as you can see in the photo). Yesterday my wife and I had a good chocolate drink there. In the photo below you can see the chocolate manufacturers along the street. They will be there until January, 8th.

Chocolate sellers along the street

As request by Stefano with his post of December, 30th, I show here the T-shirt which I got last Summer, on August, 6th, after I had run the Pisterzo's race. Pisterzo is the name of a small village situated on a hill 80 km South from Rome.

You can read on the T-shirt "the seven soups Pisterzo 2011" (the Italian word "minestre" means soups) because after we had run the organization offered us seven different soups: lentils, chicory, onion soupe, pumkin, etc. I would have never thought that runners could eat soups after a race instead of bananas, tea, orange juyce, cakes and healthy drinks! The track of the Pisterzo's race was very very tough: 7.5 km entirely up-hill and I ran it at 6 min./km although I hadn't followed a specific training. After I had crossed the finish line I didn't have any tea or fruits ... I had seven soups :) That's why Stefano gave me the title of Duke of Pisterzo :)

View of the small village of Pisterzo

Have nice runs!

New Year's Day

2012-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

I didn't run since December 21st to December 27th because, firstly, I had had a temperature as I mentioned in my previous post, and, secondly, the weather was rainy and cold enough. On december, 26th, beautiful live nativity scenes started in the historical centre of the town of Tarquinia (20 km North from my town). It was really interesting and the event was well organized. You can see some scenes in the first two photos here posted.

On December 31st I did 15 km relaxing run and this afternoon I didn't follow my running group because I finished working late.

Anyway, I hope all you blogger friends had a pleasant New Year's Eve celebration.

We enjoyed the dinner to celebrate New Year's Eve which we had with friends and other families. The photo above shows my friends with their children who enjoyed New Year's Eve fireworks in the streets: I'm sure that similar scenes took place from New York to Hong Kong.

Lentils and pigs' trotters are traditionally eaten in Italy on New Year's Day as a symbol of good luck, because many cultures believe that round objects symbolise money.

May all my blogger friends have an Happy New Year!

Liberty Run Christmas

2011-12-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

After I had followed a running program (tempo run and repeats workouts twice a week for more than a month), this morning I didn't run the first edition of the Liberty Run Christmas 10 km race :( Two days before the race I had had a temperature so I didn't run this moning although I fell a bit better. On Wednesday, December, 14th, I went to a small village called Civitella for job. That's a small town of 2000 inhabitants, situated on the hills in the middle of the Italian peninsula. The weather was rainy and I stayed there with no umbrella and no waterproof boots because I left my house on a sunny morning. So I wore wet socks all the day. That's why I had had a temperature until yesterday.

Moreover, that small town wasn't pleasant and the buildings were very old and badly maintained as you can see in the third photo.

On the other hand, in that village there was a good thing only :) it was a Christmas cake made with walnuts, orange, chocolate and pumkin! The photo below shows that characteristic Christmas cake.

This morning I felt better, so I decided to see my friends on the starting line although I was a bit angry because I couldn't run that race. I'm addicted to running! I enjoyed seeing the race and taking photos. Stefano ran this Christmas race too and he will write a race report on his blog (I sent him two photos). The two photos here show the runners while they were running the 3rd km.

Meanwhile, in my house Santa Claus hits the bookshelf :) ... as you can see in the photo below.

Happy Christmas and a wonderful holiday season to all my blogger friends!

10 km race to help charities

2011-12-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, December, 18th the Liberty Christmas run starts in my town. It's its first edition and it will be organized to help many charities. I hope that hundreds of runners will run this 10 km race although in the same day another Christmas race starts in Orbetello (Tuscany).
Today I ran with the group along the race's track which is situated around the industrial area in the northern side of the town.
After the warm-up (25 mins) we did 8 x 5 mins repeats at a average pace of 5.10 min./km. It's a good pace considering that the track was hilly and it wasn't easy. At this point, I would need to lose weight, 3 kg at least. It's always the same problem before every race. So, I'm going to increase healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables ... and of course, less both red wine and beer ... in the Autumn I love having red wine with chocolate and chestnut :) Moreover, carbs (bread, pasta, pizza and potatoes) are really dangerous at dinner. Although I enjoy the kitchen table, I'll try to monitor calories ... until Sunday, December, 18th :)

On the political front, while economic newspapers in the world are writing that Europe stands on the brink of disaster, in Italy there are people who predict disaster, quite routinely, in order to justify the distruction of social security and other popular programs: I hope that conservatives in the world don't exist any more. And if they were to resurface today in the policy world they would be taken seriously by no one.

The second photo shows the Mignone river, situated 100 km North from Rome. Last week I was here for job.

I hope all you blogger friends will have a nice week and a happy running!

17 km long run on Sunday, November, 20th

2011-11-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hi to everyone,

On Friday, November, 18th, Stefano sent me this photo which was taken last summer while I was running a 6 km race. He found this photo through the web.

My training is going well and today I did 17 km with the group. I was delighted with the time taken which was 1 hour and 25 minutes because the track was hilly. I'm running a 10 km race next month so I'd like to increase my speed on that distance.

In the meanwhile, all the politic scenario is going to change around the Mediterranean area: from Italy to Greece and from Tunisia to Libya and Egypt. I hope politic and economic conditions will be better soon! The photo above shows Muammar Gaddafi, former Arab nationalist leader of Libya.

I hope you'll have a nice week!

Italy's economic turmoil

2011-11-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here are my thoughts about Italy's economic turmoil. Is the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, a simple cause of the Italian illness? He is a symptom of the a political system who does not offers alternatives to the right or the left. It happens in many other countries, but in Italy it is more blatant. He is obviously without conditions to lead a country in crisis, but Italian politics don't come up with other names.

The picture below is the cover of the economic British magazine "The Economist" and it was published three months ago.

Since January, 2011, French and German Banks, such as Deutsche Bank and BNP, haven't bought Italian bonds. Consequently, people's Bank of China has followed them. That's the domino effect! This week the Italian Prime Minister said: "Italy does not feel the crisis" and he described the Italian bond sell-off as "a passing fashion ... the restaurants are full, the planes are fully booked and the hotel resorts are fully booked as well". But, while he was speaking the Italian bonds were (and are now) near the danger zone and Europe's stock markets decreased. Anyway, getting rid of Berlusconi is an essential (and first) step in getting the Italian economy back on track.

I'm boring you with Italian economic issues :) On the running front, I haven't plan to running races this month, although my training is going well enough. The photo below was taken while I was running the Ostia's 30 km race, on October, 9th.

I hope my blogger friends will have beautiful running adventures!

Ostia

2011-10-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Since October, 10th, I have been working in Ostia, 80 km South from my town. That's a small town, situated next to Rome, where I ran a 30 km race four weeks ago. I enjoyed that long run race around Ostia because the running track was really beautiful and the weather was sunny. But visiting the same place for job is very different: in Autumn the town is humid and every morning the smell of the thyrrenian Sea is swallowed by a thick fog (as you can see in the first two photos).

The 3rd photo below shows the tired faces of the two black knights while they were crossing the finish line of the Ostia' 30 km race, on October, 9th.

On November, Sunday, 13rd, the Fiumicino's half marathon starts and I haven't sent the registration yet. I'll decide next week!

Nice running!

Ostia's 30 km race

2011-10-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

I would have never thought I could run a 30 km race without a specific training. This morning I did It! Two weeks ago I ran teh Grosseto's half-marathon and last Sunday I ran 21 km again as training. I'm very happy because it was the first time that I ran a 30 km race. This race is in the middle between a half marathon and a marathon.

This morning more than 1,200 people ran the Ostia's 30 km race was well organised: beautiful track and a lot of refreshment points. This time the loot wasn't heavy enough :) ... an orange running shirt only!
We ran the first 5 km along the river and next to green fieds and pinewood. From the 5th to the 8th km we ran next to the beautifully preserved roman ruins of Ostia. Wonderful! After we had run next to naval factories situated on the Tiber river we ran along the Tyrrhenian sea from the 11st to the 19th km. The wind was strong enough and we ran against it!

Finally we ran through the Castel Fusano Park, which is characterised by a typical mediterranea coastal environment. The landscape showed me the colours of Autumn and I enjoyed them while I was running.
During the race Stefano helped me to maintain the average pace and our goal was under 3 hours. I was delighted with my time taken: 2 hours, 52 minutes and 47 seconds.
I have never run a marathon but now I've just run a 30 km race :)
I hope all you blogger friends will have a nice weekend!

Grosseto's Bio Half-Marathon 2011

2011-09-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

This morning, on a sunny Sunday, I ran the Grosseto's "Bio Half-Marthon". It was really well organised: four refreshment points, running path flat enough, good loot and a lot of food after the race (cakes, bananas, pizza, bread with bacon and cheese, tea, orange juice and some healthy drinks).

I enjoyed the 21 km race although the weather was hot (considering that it's Autumn here in Central Italy! :) ). Moreover, from the 8th km until the finish line I had foot pain. Anyway, we ( Stefano and I ) thought the Grosseto's 21 km race as long run related to the Florence's Marathon training: in this perspective, this morning we ran it as training.

So I ran at an average pace of about 5 min./km.: my time taken was 01:46:07. After I had run the race I put ice on my injuried foot and now I feel a bit better

In the 1st photo I'm with the blue outfit. The 2nd photo shows the finish line.

The finish line

As requested by some blogger friends, I write the recipe of the Baklava, a sweet Turkish cake with walnuts and honey.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. phyllo pastry sheets
1/2 lb. walnuts, chopped fine (Be careful do not make them powder but small chunks)
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
150 gr. butter or as in my case margarine, melted (but we didn't use it, we used olive oil)
¼ cup corn oil
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
Peels of half a lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
Then we followed the instructions posted on Katerina's blog:

http://culinaryflavors.blogspot.com/2010/10/sourotos-baklavas-familys-baklava.html

The site mentioned shows a Greece's recipe. On the contrary, the ingredients which I've just written above are referred to orginal Turkish recipe of Baklava.
At the beginning, before we had mixed the walnuts with sugar and cinnamon until everything is incorporated, we added 2 tbsp honey too. We added honey when we made the syrup too.

You can be sure that Baklava is useful as pre-race breakfast :) This morning I had had it before I ran the race and yesterday, the night before the race, I had a small piece of strudel (you can see it in the photo). Obviously, we made it.

I hope all you blogger friends will have a nice week!

Marathon training, 23 km

2011-09-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

View of Valmontone's park

On this sunny Sunday I ran 23 km long run related to Stefano's marathon training and the average pace was about 05:50 min./km. The weather was hot enough and I had rehydration problems although we had drunk three times along the track. It isn't easy to drink enough water before the run at 07:00 a.m.!

I got energy for that long run from a Turkish cake with walnuts and honey which I had the night before :) We made this cake (It's name is Baklava) and you can see it in the photo below.

Baklava, Turkish recipe

The photo below was taken last Sunday, on September, 11st and it shows my daughters Laura and Simona with their friends on the Valmontone's roller coaster, which is situated 40 km South of Rome. Laura is the first from right with the black shirt and Simona is the first from right with the white shirt.

My daughters with their friends on the roller coaster

They're 14 and today, September, 18th is their birthday. I'm happy for that!

Rehydration

2011-09-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to do a long run once a week and this afternoon I ran 19 kilometres. The time taken was 1 hour and 42 mins.

The photo posted shows the starting line of the 6 km race which I ran last Sunday. You can see my hidden head only :) I'm the fourth from right.

The weather is hot here in Central Italy although the Summer is going to an end and I sometimes don't drink enough water before and after running. Of course, I try to hydrate before a workout but I think I should also drink before sitting down to eat.

At first, drinking before meals helps to hydrate my body. Then, It helps me to lose weight: I simply eat less because my stomach feels full :) It's true! I've tried it and it works. Moreover, we hydrate our running body :) How much water should we drink before meals? A glass or two of water, I think. Or a cup of tea. Do you drink before a meal?

Nice weekend to all my blogger friends!

Used running shoes

2011-08-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August, 29th, I wrote a post about throwing away old running shoes. Do runners argue that used running shoes are waste? Of course they don't! My small survey, which I made through my running blog, showed that environmental awareness is developed enough among runners.

Most runners use old running shoes for lots of stuff and don't throw away them as waste. For example, Amy from Leuven (Belgium) uses old pair of running shoes for hiking and Emmy Ann Horstkamp from Munich (Germany) usually donates her used running shoes to the recycle center.

Recycling old athletic shoes decreases the need for virgin rubber and other materials, decreasing the environmental impact of using new materials when building courts, tracks, fields and playgrounds.
Thanks to my blogger friends who gave their answers about this matter!

Summer is coming to an end

2011-08-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday, 26th, I did a relaxing 18 km long run with Stefano who is following a marathon schedule. He is running the Florence marathon on November and have planned a long run every week. We are running the next long run on September, 2nd.
Last Saturday and Sunday I went swimming and surfing although Summer is coming to an end. In the photo you can see my daughters and I on the beach. I swam one hour while my daughters were surfing and they enjoyed it although the waves weren't big enough. That beach is situated in the Southern side of the town, five km from my house.

As you can see in the first photo above, that's a particular beach with small stones on the ground. We couldn't walk barefoot on that beach, so I wore old running shoes and my feet were pain free. Used running shoes aren't waste! Some people wear used running shoes while they are working in their garden or countryside. Otherwise, we could find recycling and donation alternatives for our used running shoes: http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/
Do you consider your used running shoes as waste?

In the two photos above you can see my daughters, Laura and Simona.
Nice week to all my blogger friends!

Blackberries

2011-08-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after my daughters had picked some blackberries we made a delicious jam. Ultimately, we only made a jar of jam. Better than nothing :) But the most important thing is that they enjoyed walking through that wonderful countryside. They found the blackberries along a path which is a beautiful place to run too. I sometimes go running along that path because the environment is really great and ... it is flat :). You can see it in the photo below which I took while my daughters were picking the blackberries. If we had had enough time we would have picked figs too. We will do this next time!

The running path through the countryside where my daughters picked the blackberries

The jar of blackberry jam which my daughters made yesterday

I've come back in my town and next week I'll come back at work. We were on vacation in South Italy on relaxing beaches, green hills with olive trees and old villages. So we visited a small town where most houses were built with white stones. That small town is called Ausonia and it is very old. It's a characteristic place and I would never thought there were so narrow streets. In the photo below you can see one of these houses above mentioned.

One of the houses of Ausonia (South Italy) which were built with white stones

Now I'm trying to improve my training and I'll help my friend Stefano who is following a marathon schedule.
Nice running to all my blogger friends!

My mother's birthday

2011-08-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

On August, 2nd we celebrated my mother's birthday. She's 74. The cake which you can see in the photo was made with almond and chocolate.

I will be in vacation with my family here in South Italy until the next weekend.

The photo below was taken last month while I was running the first kilometer of the Santa Marinella's race. I'm in the centre of the photo with the white and red outfit.

Since the 1st of August I'm in Formia, South Italy. After I had run a race in the dark around a small Tuscanian town called Porto Santo Stefano, I left my town on July, 31st. The photos below were taken before that race.

The photo below shows the port of that Tuscanian town where we ran.

I hope all you blogger friends will have nice runs!

Hilly race around Capalbio (South Tuscany)

2011-07-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I ran a hilly race in South Tuscany through the Capalbio’s valley. The race started at 06:00 p.m. from the hystorical centre of that small town and I ran the first three kilometers down hill along a slippery road. I was afraid I could slide! From the 4th to the 7th kilometer I ran past old farms and along vineyards and olive trees until I came back by 4 kilometers up hill. That scenery was really beautiful but while I was running the last three kilometers up hill I didn’t enjoy that landscape around me. I felt tired enough and I needed concetration. I crossed the finish line after 53 mins and 44 seconds (the track was odd: 11.350 kilometers!!!) and my average pace was 4.44 min/km. I was happy with my pace considering the tough up hill and … the slippery down hill :)

There were two refreshment points along the track and after the race runners had tea, orange juice and red watermelon, which was really useful for rehydratation. You can see it in the photo below.

Before I ran the race I had walked across the old side of Capalbio where I took photos. There were a lot of English and Dutch tourists.

Yesterday morning I was delighted to receive an e-mail from Molly, a blogger friend, who is coming to Italy from September, 25th to October, 5th, 2011 and she would love to run a race during her visit. She looked for a race through the link on my blog ("Next races in Italy") but it is written in Italian. So she asked me some information. I advised her three races (two in Rome and one in South Tuscany) which will be held on October, 2nd.

Next Friday, July, 29th, I am running a race in the dark through another old Tuscanian town. That race starts at 08:30 pm. (the link of its website is here below).

http://www.ipresidi.it/correndosottolestelle.html

Beautiful runs to all my blogger friends!

Short post

2011-07-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I ran a hilly and tough race in the afternoon as training. The track was 9.5 kilometers and my time taken was 45:35 minutes.

The photo shows the warm up before the race.

I've planned to run another race in the afternoon next Sunday.

In the photo below you can see one of my favourite summer dishes. If I were able to eat that delicious meal without bread it would help me to lose weight :)

Ham and melon

I hope all you will have nice runs!

5 km race on the night

2011-07-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

This morning after I had read last Johann's post about Africa's big five (Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo) I met two couples from South Africa. They were visiting Mediterranean countries and travelling by a cruise ship with other South African people. They were looking for the beach and asked me some information. Moreover, they were trying to change their currencies and I helped them. So I discovered that the big five, which Johann showed in his post on July, 8th, are on South Africa's currency.

Today is independence day for the Republic of Southern Sudan. They celebrates Independence from North Sudan. This is a country that should have golden prospects related to its agricultural resources, large oil reserves, gold, and other minerals. There is a relatively small population too. Best whishes to the 54th State of Africa!

Yesterday I ran a nice 5 km race on the night through the old part of Orbetello (Tuscany). The atmosphere was really nice and during the race I felt good. I was delighted with my average pace which was 4.15 min/km. But the track was easy enough and completely flat. Stefano ( Black Knight ) enjoyed that race although he decided to run it as training. I'll post some photos as soon as possible.

Next Saturday I'm running a 10 km race in the night near my town.
Nice weekend to all my blogger friends!

Itri

2011-07-04T00:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Itri, 180 km South from Rome, where I met my mother and my two sisters with their families. My mother usually live in Naples but she has recently moved to Itri because there are a lot of protests in Naples related to the urban waste emergency.
http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2011/06/24/visualizza_new.html_813691788.html

Along the freeway I saw a landscape of sunflowers

My mother has a small house in Itri situated on a hill next to the see and she sometimes spends summer time there. The photo below shows the landscape which I saw from her house.

I really had a relaxing time there and walked along olive trees and through Mediterranean shrub. While I was walking through the valley which you can see in the picture, I saw a lot of British and French families who spent their holiday there. They like that part of Italy and sometimes British and French people buy houses with garden there. The two photos below show a view of my mother's small house, her barbecue and ... hartichoke's flowers :)

View of my mother's house

Hartichoke's flowers

Barbecue

The last two days I didn't run although I've planned to run a race on July, 8th. So next Friday I'm running a race with Stefano in Orbetello (Tuscany) and that race starts at 09:00 p.m. I have never run a race in the night!

Nice running to all my blogger friends!

Referendum

2011-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Almost 95% of Italian voters have rejected nuclear energy program which was issued by Italian Government. The same voters also rejected other laws:

Water privatisation;
A law allowing Mr. Berlusconi (Italian Prime Minister) to avoid court appearances.

As you know, Italy's image has recently been damaged by Berlusconi's sex parties and his sexual friendship with a minor. In my opinion, the Rubygate trial has been useful to hide other Berlusconi's crimes such as fraud, false accounting and bribery. That's why he always try to change the penal law!

The Italian Prime Minister ran a Media empire and became the richest man in Italy. Since 1994 he has dominated politics and now he don't leave the position of power. Last week a very interesting article about Italian Prime Minister was published by a British newspaper: Silvio Berlusconi's record, the man who screwed an entire country. You can read it on the website below:
http://www.economist.com/node/18805327 .
Thanks to my blogger friends who wrote comments on my blog about the Referendum and the nuclear power program .

Once Italian people reject the nuclear power program the Government will need to develop sustainability and improve renewable energy.

In this perspective, this year four photovoltaic stations will begin to produce renewable energy in the U.S. Mojave desert and a new big photovoltaic station will be built in Australia (Mildura). The Australian photovoltaic plant will be built on a 600 hectare site about 10 kilometres south of Mildura and it will generate enough green power to run 60,000 homes each year.
Moreover, there are important projects about the production of photovoltaic energy in South Africa (Upington) and Israel (Negev desert). Anyway, the development of renewable energy isn't related to a desert or a sunny country: I saw photovoltaic panels on the rooftops in the centre of Munich! You can see them in the photo above which I took three months ago while I was in Germany.

On the running front, this month I am not running any race and I've planned to run two races in July. I'm trying to lose weight although it isn't easy :)
I hope all you have nice runs!

Environment and Democracy

2011-06-12T01:13:00.000-07:00

Today Italy began to vote to decide about a new nuclear power program. The previous referendum had been held in 1987 and it brought Italy in the stoppage of nuclear production. Since July 2009 the Italian Government have worked to define a new nuclear power program. Italy is bounded in the north-east by Slovenija, which is a small country where there are 2 (two) nuclear power stations, the north by Swiss, where there are 5 (five) ones and the north-west by France, where there are 58 (fifty eight) nuclear power stations!!!
On the other hand, last month Germany has decided to suspend its activities nuclear.
In my opinion we need to improve energy efficiency because a more consistent effort to develop sustainability and an increased contribution of renewable energy production (green economy) would prevent the need of nuclear production. But, from a strategic point of view, nowadays Italy needs at least a small share ( 5% ) of nuclear production, although there are the high radioactive waste disposal costs. The world energy demand will grow in the period 2012-2020. Of consequence, the price of carbon and crude oil will rise too!

Today Italian people have to chose about the new nuclear power program!
What do you think about nuclear production? I'm curious of your opinion!

Nice Sunday to all my blogger friends!

Dusty running path

2011-06-06T05:09:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, June, 4th, I ran a 6 km race in Rome in support of a social cause. The earning which is related to the race will be useful to build a school in Amazon and help children in that special part of the world.

The race wasn't enjoyable because the first two kilometers of the running path were covered with a layer of dusty and we breathed dust.
It seemed a Sahara track and although the race started at 06:00 p.m. the climate was hot. That kind of track should be wet before the race.
Before we had done the warm up Stefano ( Black Knight ) and I met other three runners coming from our town. The photo below shows our small running group (I'm with the number 8).

Stefano and I ran the race as training and we choose a slow average pace (5 min./km). The photo below shows the running track.

Nice training to all my blogger friends!

Lists

2011-06-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to run three times a week, despite this Spring is rainy enough, because I've to find my motivation. Thanks to all the blogger friends who supported me. Their comments really help me while I'm trying to find my motivation and inspiration back.
I'm busy (family and work) and I'm making lists because it is relaxing. Somebody says that making lists, where you can write everything to do, calm you down, especially at the end of a stressful day.

How do you remember everything you have to do each day, week or month? A lot of people write lists but they sometimes forget where they put them : ) And few people write key words on the back of their hands !!!

I saw that young people relied on their personal organizer. Anyway, an old cell phone is good for this purpose.

On the running front, on Saturday, June, 4th, a 6 km race will be held in support of South America's Children who live in poverty and emargination. The race's total gain will be useful to help those children (school, sports and vaccinations) who live in that special part of the world.
That race starts at 06:00 p.m. and the running path will be around a beautiful park in the centre of Rome. The following website shows the race's track.

http://www.acorp.it/italiano/acorp_mappapercorso.php
I'm running it as training.
I hope all my blogger friends will have a nice weekend!

Protected donkey breeds

2011-05-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a relaxing run with the group across the mediterranean shrub near the town. The scenery was really beautiful and we ran up hill and down hill. There were wild donkeys and cows along the path.

I'm trying to find my motivation and tomorrow we are running around that natural reserve again. I think that running across a natural environment may help. Of course, I have to lose weight :) and try to eat healthy.

The photos below show the hills above mentioned.

We ran down hill, next to the red house which you can see in the photo above and then up hill. The weather was not too hot and not too cold. This particular breed of donkey (photo below) is in danger of extinction and we saw it along the path while we were running.

Fortunately, his mother is pregnant :) You can see her mother in the photo below.

The stamp below shows the Italian protected donkey breeds.

Nice running to all my blogger friends!

Quercus Village

2011-05-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

This morning we decided to go the Macchia Grande's wood situated near the Bracciano's lake ( 30 km North from Rome). We met our friends at 10:00 a.m. although the weather wasn't sunny enough. There were five families with their children and, as a consequence, there were five cars. We arrived at "Quercus Village" at 11:00 and children quickly went among those high threes after they had dressed trekking boots and long pants up. They followed a path around that forest and it wasn't dangerous because they didn't leave the path and didn't enter caves. They're more than capable of looking after themself. Moreover, they always get mobile phones while they were walking through the wood.

The landscape is characterized by deep valleys which are home to hazel trees and hornbeams. On higher ground the vegetation is typical Mediterranean shrub. Many species of animals, such as crested porcupines, squirrels and fox, live in this environment.

Also very important in this environment are the pastures, where the indigenous "Maremmana" cattle roam freely. Amongst the large variety of nocturnal birds of prey, which populate the wood surronding the "Quercus Village", are the long-eared owl, the tawny owl and the barn owl. In the humid ground green frogs can be found.

This place is perfect for running, trekking and biking. The "Quercus Village" is held by a farm, a family business, which give tables, barbecues and other things we need. We brought a lot of things to eat and cooked roasted chicken and sausages there. Very good! We had rosé wine too!

http://www.quercusvillage.com/
http://fsnc.it/

The two photos below show all our friends with their children ...

... and children's table.

And then we had coffee.

In the meanwhile I'm not running any race and I've lost motivation and got weight. This month the weather is never too hot and never too cold. Perfect for running! It's a real pity that I'm not running during that beautiful spring. But, unfortunately, I'm busy and I can't run four times a week.

I hope all my blogger friends will have a nice week!

Carbs, proteins and vitanin C

2011-05-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last week a Dutch Blogger friend of mine, Fran , wrote on her blog that she's going to follow a new training plan. She'll try to do some things, such as lose weight, add yoga, drink less wine and eat as healthy as possible. That last suggestion inspired me this post.

As you know, we, runners, always need carbs to restock energy, proteins to repair muscles and vitamin C to protect muscles. Of course, we have to put the highest quality fuel into our bodies.

Local farmer’s market offers fruit and vegetables that are often organic and have been harvested in the past 24 hours. Food products from farms near our towns can contain more vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus than fruit and vegetables that are shipped from far away.

Farmer’s markets sell food products which come from small farms and those vegetables are not only healthier, they often taste better, too.

In this perspective, if the produce we eat travels an average of 1800 kilometres to get from the farm to our table, important nutrients get lost along the way. I’ve read that we, runners, need: vitamin C, which is useful for cellular regeneration, iron, which helps make red blood cells and transport oxygen to the muscles, magnesium, which helps muscles contract and relax and phosphorus, which helps regulate heartbeat.

Now, I've planned to go to a local farmer's market, situated 25 km from my town, once a week. Eating food products from farmer’s markets makes improve my speed J I hope! J

Nice training to everyone!

Easter tradition

2011-04-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for the Easter wishes. I hope all you have had a relaxing Easter time with your family or your friends, running, hiking or biking. I'd like to show you these photos which I took on Friday, April, 22nd. It's a view of the Civitavecchia's procession which had been held for Easter tradition. It takes a whole month to organize it and everybody joins in the preparetion. Before the procession began the streets had been cleaned because people white hooded walked barefoot and dragged heavy chains. You can see them in these three photos.

The tradition of the Easter procession, which began in the seventeenth century, gives a mystic atmosphere to the town. From a sociological point of view it's important that people try to keep a tradition alive.

A nice week to everyone.

Easter weekend

2011-04-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

A beautiful Easter weekend to all my blogger (and running) friends!

Sore throat

2011-04-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

In April the weather is really unpredictable in Italy and it isn't easy to understand what to dress up. I didn't run a race last Sunday (April, 17th) because I've had a sore throat and it will take me three days to get over it.

Of consequence, I'm not running the Rome's "Run for organ donation" which will be held on April, 25th :( My next race will be the Rome's 10 km "Campus Race" on May, 8th.

The photo which you can see below had been taken on Sunday, April, 10th, before I crossed the finish line on the Montalto's race.

I'd like to show you that photo below which I took two weeks ago while I was visiting the Munich's Deutsches Museun. I post it because I know that our blogging friend Johann likes model railroads.

With regards to Munich, Char asked me what my birthday cake was. It was a Kaesekuchen, a German cheesecake which is not too sweet.

A special good luck to all the blogger friends, such as Christina, who are participating in the 115th Boston Marathon along with 27,000 other runners!

Montalto's race

2011-04-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

This morning, as soon as we arrived to Montalto (about 130 km North from Rome), we quickly understood that the organization was really good. Near the finish line there were five tables with bananas, cakes, orange juice, water and other food and drinks.

We saw more than 400 runners who were doing the warm-up around the Montalto's castle. After we had gotten our number we met Paola, from Italian Running Mom, and other running friends from our town. While we were running we didn't see cars or pedestrians along the track and there were pictures which indicated kilometres. I ran 41.29 minutes through a beautiful countryside and along an undulate route. The average pace was 4.20 min./km and I was 9th in my age group. Consequently, I got a good loot (wine, coffee and pasta). The first 10 of each age group got a loot.

Congrats to Stefano ( Black Knight ) and Paola ( Italian Running Mom ) who were both fourth in their age groups! Of course, their loot was more beautiful than mine :)

In the photo you can see the three Black Knights. That photo had been taken before we ran the Civitavecchia's 12 km "Vivicittà" race on April, 3rd.
Nice week to all my blogger friends!

München

2011-03-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hello blogger friends! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! Yesterday my family and I came back from Germany where we spent three days including my 50th birthday. Munich is really a lovely town and while we were visiting it the weather was sunny enough. We travelled confortably through that beautiful town by S-bahn, U-bahn, bus and tram. Perfect! We visited the Deutsches Museum and the Munchener Stadtmuseum which were both interesting. Inside the Frauenkirche there was a beautiful atmosphere and we saw the whole town from the top of Sankt Peter Kirche's tower. It was marvellous!

We had the birthday dinner at the "Spockmeier" which is situated in the old heart of Munich, next to Marienplatz. It's a typical Bavarian restaurant where we had good traditional food. The atmosphere was friendly enough and the weissbier that they served was delighful. Butchery's products were great. I'm sure that as soon as I go again to Munich I'll have a dinner there. On Friday, 25th, when we arrived to Munich, after we had walked through Marienplatz and surrondings near the centre of the old town, we went to the Hofbräuhaus which is considered the most famous pub in Germany.

On Sunday I had a beautiful run around the Theresienwiese where the famous Oktoberfest annually takes place. Next Sunday I'm running a 12 km race. I'll run it as training, considering the weissbier that I drank in Germany : )
Thanks again to all my blogger friends!

Half-century

2011-03-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

I turn 50 years old on Saturday, March, 26th! I can't believe it although I feel that I'm ready for it.

We have a lot of plans for my birthday weekend celebrations including a trip to Munchen (Germany). The flight starts tomorrow at 09:00. Of course, I'm taking my running shoes :)

I'm feeling so good although I'm about to be a half-century old. I look back and smile at what I've achieved. I think 50 is a nice milestone if we feel we can do a lot of things.

10 km race through the rain

2011-03-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran the Ladispoli's 10 km race through the rain as forecasted. I woke up early at 6 a.m. and had dry dates as pre-race breakfast.They give a lot of energy! On this rainy and windy Sunday there were 1500 runners near the starting line.

After 43.22 minutes of battling wind and rain during my run, I crossed the finish line. I was really delighted with my average pace of 4.20 min./km, although the running path was flat. The scenery along the track was really beautiful and we ran around the Ladispoli's natural reserve which is situated 35 km from Rome and next to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The Black Knight ran a great race too, but he was angry because he lost about 1 minute along the 1st km after he had started. I think that as soon as he find the photos of the race through the web he will write his race report.

The photos which you can see here had been taken before the race. I ran that beautiful race with the number 892 which you can see in the photo above.

The starting line before tha race

I hope all you blogger friends will have a nice week!

Ravioli chicory and cheese

2011-03-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

It's great to run for no reason and just because you love it. Tomorrow I'm running a 10 km race and I'm wearing a shirt with the number 892. I had a pasta dish at dinner, considering that runners needs carbs to restock energy :) The name of that pasta dish, which you can see in the photo, is "ravioli chicory and cheese" (in Italian "ravioli radicchio e gorgonzola").

This afternoon the weather was cloudy, so I and Black Knight will probably run the race through the rain tomorrow.

In the meanwhile I'm afraid Japan can't avoid a nuclear disaster after an explosion at a power plant during the country’s biggest earthquake and devastating tsunami.

Have a nice weekend!

16 km long run

2011-02-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last week I didn't run from Thursday to Saturday because I went to Frosinone, where I followed the conference about liability for environmental damages. So, today on a cold and sunny Sunday, I did 16 km long run.

This morning thousands of runners (over 8,000 participants) ran the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon which is the historic race from modern Rome to the shores of the Roman Empire’s ancient port. The Black Knight ran that half marathon and enjoyed it. After he had run the race he sent me a text message, so I know that he did a great race. I look forward to reading his race report.

As request by Ewa, I write something about the environmental conference above mentioned. The aim of the European Directives has been to create a code able to contain a complete discipline for the protection of the environment. The code contains specific provisions regarding activities for the environment and special provisions about the environmental liability in case of soil and water contamination.

In a global perspective, there's a great uncertainty regarding the international legal framework for the period following the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol, that could discourage investment in emission reduction projects.

The photo shows a polluted river situated 50 km North of Rome, next to an industrial area. It's an environmental crime. I took that photo two years ago and after the legal protection and the punishment the river became clean.

I hope all you will enjoy the rest of this Sunday.

Two days away from running this week

2011-02-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hello blogger friends! I didn't post last week because I was busy. But I've followed your blogs and all the bad news about the earthquake in New Zealand. I hope that Char who lives in that area will feel better soon (I've just red her post). Moreover, The crisis in Libya seems to be getting further out of control.

This afternoon I was delighted with my run: 10 km at an average pace of 5.10 min./km. I'm happy, it's a good tempo run considering that we ran the main part of the track against the cold wind. At 6:35 p.m. while we were running on the way back we met the Black Knight . He didn't mind running against the cold wind :)

Yesterday rest and on Monday, 21th, I did a 45 min. relaxing run. Moreover, last Sunday, on a sunny morning, I ran with the group: 20 min. warm-up and 6 x 10 min. repeats with 2 min. recovery. I was really pleased with this workout!

Unfortunately I'll be two days away from running this week (on Friday and Saturday) because I'm going to follow a convention which will be held in Frosinone (100 km South of Rome). It's a convention about the obligations to eliminate environmental damages and water pollution hazards. The speakers will show the legal framework of environmental protection in Europe in a global perspective.
As a consequence, I've plan to run tomorrow and next Sunday.
The photo above was taken on January, 16th, while I was running the Ostia's 14 km race.
I hope all you blogger friends will have a nice training..

The importance of hydratation

2011-02-15T05:04:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to run four times a week, although I am not running a race this month. Moreover, once a week I'll go swimming or have a thermal bath (spa). The aim is to improve my speed slightly. Yesterday I ran 1 hour with the group (relaxing run). The town where I live is bounded in the west by the hills and last Sunday I went to run through those surrondings. The weather was sunny and beautiful here in Italy and ran 1 hour and 25 minutes through the typical vegetation of Mediterranean shrub hazel trees. while I was running fast on the way back I met Paola ( http://www.runnerp.blogspot.com/ ) who is the new Proud member of the Black Knight Army :) She was running with her girlfriends.

You can see the running path in the image below. The weather wasn't cold and I thought the importance of hydratation when I'm running. I always make an effort to maintain hydratation while running.

I hope all you blogger friends will have a nice training!

Different reasons for having a blog

2011-02-06T02:52:00.000-08:00

On January, 28th, an interesting survey was held by Christina , from Phoenix, Arizona. "Why do you have a runnning blog?". That was her question. Most bloggers answered that they love sharing their thoughts and staying motivated. Blogging helps them and runners have different reasons for having a blog. Although I'm not a facebooker, I think that our blogger community is a great way to communicate and the social aspect of it is really cool.

The photo above shows the Ostia's 14 km race which I ran on January, 16th, on a sunny and beautiful Sunday. That photo was taken while I was running the 2nd km. and the Black Knight found the image through the web. Thanks for that Stefano!
After I had run the race I took the photo which you can see below. It shows the refreshments which was held after the race. Good organization: we had a lot of food and drinks such as fruits, pastry, cakes, sandwiches, orange juice and tea.

In the meanwhile, near my country, the Tunisian contagion catches on and violent protests sweep through Egypt and Yemen. Authoritarian regimes in the Mediterranean area are facing unexpected challenges that could rearrange the political landscape in the Arab world.

This month I'm busy for job and I can't run four times a week. it's a real pity that I'm not running a race this month although I'm trying to maintain the training.

I hope all you will have a nice Sunday!

45 min. tempo run in the rain

2011-01-26T02:13:00.000-08:00

I've just done a good tempo run in the rain and while I'm trying to improve my training, Italian Prime Minister is being investigated over his dealings with a 17 year old nightclub dancer. Mr Berlusconi is suspected of abusing his power by trying to have the Moroccan girl. Italy would need General Election next March. In the meanwhile I bought a new pair of running shoes (Asics, Gel - Cumulus 12) and gave my small contribution to economic development :)

Yesterday I received a package from Phoenix. My blogging friend Christina sent me a nice postcard with an amazing long sleeve T-shirt. Thank you so much! It's the T-shirt of the 21th Annual Midnight Madness 3 mile run/walk. I love it! I always enjoy reading about Christina 's running adventures and, as you know, I love reading running blogs from other countries. What a beautiful blogger community!

Nice running to everyone!

Ostia's 14 km race

2011-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

On a January morning in Ostia, near Rome, hundreds of fit runners did that 14 km race. Although I ran with a shoulder pain I enjoyed that race and after 1 hour and 8 minutes I crossed the finish line. We ran one fourth of the track on soft path and through a beautiful mediterranean wood. My loot was two bottles of red wine. Good organization! There was a big table with cakes, bananas, sandwiches, orange juice and tea.

Three hours before I ran the race I had had dry dates and that breakfast was okay! Some blogger friends suggested to eat them as pre-race breakfast and I've learnt that dry dates have a higher concentration of calcium, potassium and iron, compared with dry fruits such as raisins and cranberbies. A one quarter cup serving of dried dates is fat and cholesterol-free.

The night before the race I saw my daughters and their friends while they were skating on ice. I was so glad that they enjoyed skating in ice.

Nice training to everyone!.

Aerobic training zone

2011-01-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January, 2, I had the first run of this new year. It was a relaxing run. Then I ran on Monday a tempo (45 minutes, average pace 4.50 minutes per km) and on Wednesday, 1 hour and 7 minutes. Moreover, I did a gym session on Tuesday, the 4th of January. I was really delighted with my tempo run but while I was running fast on the way back a man asked me something. He said: "Could you tell me an information about the Tennis Club. Is it situated near here?". I quickly answered him: "The next street on the left!" Maybe he didn't understand because I answered while I was running. So, I decided to continue the tempo run.

Have you ever stopped during a run? Some runners sometimes stop during a run to chat with a friend or to take a photo. In this case, does the quickstop affect the training value?

I think that a midrun stop can drop we out of our aerobic training zone. This zone begins at 65 per cent of our maximum health rate. So, running at this level of intensity challenges our cardiovascular and muscular system enough to maintain or improve our fitness. As a consequence, midruns stop reduce the total amounts of time we're in the aerobic zone.

That's why I quickly answered and didn't stopped while I was doing the tempo run last Monday :)
I'd like to know your opinions about a stop during a run.
The photo above was taken while I was running the Orbetello's Christmas race on December, 19.
I hope that all my blogger friends will have a nice training!

Naples' San Martino Museum

2010-12-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

At first, thanks to everyone for the kind Christmas wishes. When I wrote my last race report, on December 19, I couldn't show the photos of the Orbetello's 10 km Christmas race.

Fortunately, I've just found a photo through the web. I'm with the number 29 near the Black Knight .

Yesterday my family and I came back from Naples where we spent our Christmas holiday. Although the weather was rainy, we visited the Naples' San Martino museum, which contains a number of particularly special exhibits of inlaid marble and many splendid paintings, interesting collections, costumes, ship models and other Italian curiosities.

After Christmas time the training is always harder than before and this afternoon I ran 10 km. Of course. I tryed to burn off a few calories :) The photo on the right shows a Christmas present. My wife gave me those winter running clothes :)

Happy new year to all my blogger friends!

Orbetello's 10 km Christmas race

2010-12-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

This morning I ran the Orbetello's 10 km Christmas race along a tongue of land projecting westward into the Orbetello's lagoon. The organization was good and while we were running we saw a beautiful scenery.
It was a sunny and cold morning: perfect for winter running. I finished in 45:26, 3 minutes later compared with the previous 10 km race that I ran in October. But I think it was a good time taken considering that since October I haven't followed a specific running programme and I haven't done a tempo run every week. Next year I will try to do a tempo run every week because we are running the Ostia's 15 km race in January.
Stefano ( Black Knight ), who is writing his race report, ran a great race this morning. As request by Julie, from Maple Grove (Minnesota), I show below a photo which has been taken before the race, while I was doing the warm up.

Congrats again to Christina from Phoenix (Arizona) who ran the 5 Km Jingle Bell Run and was first in her age group!

Tomorrow we are going to Naples (South Italy) where we'll spend our Christmas holiday.

I think that I belong to a wonderful running community :)

Happy Christmas to all the blogger friends!

Rome and surrondings covered with snow

2010-12-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

This morning the snow come back on Civitavecchia's rooftops. Of course, this afternoon I did a small relaxing run along a beautiful path covered with snow, although it wasn't the same snow as some blogger friends can see in Minnesota or Quebec :)

One of the things I love most about running is its simplicity: we don't mind running when the weather is snowy, windy or rainy.

We simply need our motivation.

Next Sunday I'm going to run the Orbetello's 10 km Christmas race.

I hope that all you blogger friends will have a nice weekend!

Mental imagery

2010-12-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I wrote something about those shoes which are designed to strengthen the back and improve posture.
Char from Brisbane (Australia) wrote that she has been curious about them. She'd like to know if those shoes do what they're supposed to do. So I decided to write Cindy's comment: "These shoes really do what they say. I worked for a shoe store that sold them so have several pairs. They help tone up the legs and relieve pressure from the knees and back. I know some people that have run in them but don't think I would do that."

Anyway, since the 18th of November we've worn those shoes for walking, shopping and working. It's OK ... until now :)

The 30th of November Ewa wrote a post about motivation and it ispired me this small post. I am thinking mental imagery. Can it help our race result? When I'm hurting or tired I often run thinking I can't do it or I'll never finish. I'd need to make an internal perspective. It can be positive, for example, to be a little excited before a race rather than feeling dread. In the photo you can see the happiness of a runner who was running the Grosseto's 12 km in October. Somebody suggests to inhale strenght and confidence through our nose and exhale nervousness and tension through our month.

Today we've made our Christmas tree and next Sunday we are making the nativity scene.

Nice running to all my blogger friends.

Running socks

2010-11-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

We (my wife and I) are trying to wear this kind of shoes. I'm sure that my blogger friends who live overseas know this kind of shoes which are designed for many purposes, such as walking, working, shopping. Moreover, they might help our muscles. They are designed to strengthen the back, improve posture and reduce stress on knee and ankle joints. The frst time we could wear them 1 hour, the day after two hours and so on.

I'd like to show you these running socks which wick sweat away from our body and keep you cool, dry and confortable. That kind of running clothes aren't imported from China, Thailand and Indonesia :) They are entirely made in Italy! You can see these "Italian" running socks in the second photo (on the right).

Of course, running socks such as Nike and Asics are good too.

A lot of running socks which are made in China hit the shelves in U.S. and Western Europe. You can be sure that there is a big difference in quality and they are as expensive as American and European running socks.

Nice week to all blogger friends!

Short running post

2010-11-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

I'd like to show you that image below although I know that Eastern Canada and Northern region of the United States are famous around the world for the brilliance of their "fall foliage". Last week I took it while I was travelling by helicopter. From right to left, you can see different fall colours of Central Italy (I'd suggest you to click to enlarge the photo below).

After I had run a nice tempo run (last Wednesday), time taken 45 min. and average pace of 4,35 min./km. I ran this afternoon with the group. We met at 06:00 p.m. and the weather was good. We did 1 hour and 5 minutes relaxed run.

Thanks to the blogger friends who sent me wishes for sunny weather :) I needed that kind of wishes after two rainy weeks :)

A beautiful running weekend to all blogger friends!

Rainbow

2010-11-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

This week the weather will be rainy here in Italy and I'm afraid I can't run.
Normally, runners don't begin the training while it is raining :)
This afternoon I ran 55 minutes. At the beginning I ran against the wind and then I ran the last 20 minutes in the rain. After I had done the training it rained again and I saw a rainbow through the clouds.
I was at home when I took the photo above posted.

Congrats to Meg who ran a the NYC Marathon. She said that a lot of Italian runners did that experience. Four people from my town ran the NYC Marathon yesterday and they are coming back in Italy tomorrow.

I hope that all you blogger friends will have a nice training ... and a sunny weather :)

Märklin model railways

2010-11-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I was busy again between family and job, so I couldn't increase my training. Morever, I'm sure I got weight while I was working in Southern Italy, at least 1.5 kg. Although the weather wasn't perferct this afternoon I did 50 minutes relaxed run in the rain.

Now the weather is rainy again and I stay at home. So I've decided to clean our model railways. Five years ago my son and I played with this German technical toys and in the photos posted you can see our Märklin model railways. In some parts of Germany, Märklin is almost synonymous with model railroads. In 2009 the famous German company celebrated its 150th anniversary.

http://www.maerklin.de/de/produkte.html .

The Märklin system is the technique of using a third rail concealed in the roadbed with only small studs protruding through the ties of the track. The 2nd photo shows these studs (click to enlarge). I'd like to make a small village along the railways, with tipical German buildings. If I'll make it I show the photos on this blog.
This week the weather will be rainy again and I'm afraid I can't run. But we aren't running races this month.

I hope that all you blogger friends will have a nice and happy running!

Southern Italy, Itri

2010-10-24T01:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I came back from South Italy where I spent one week for job. Unfortunately I ran once only because during last week life has been crazy busy. On Wednesday, the 20th of October I tryed to run 45 minutes through olive trees. The landscape was beautiful although the weather was cloudy.
I arrived back home Saturday evening and I was tired. Of course, this morning I didn't run the Grosseto's 12 km race and I look forward to reading Stefano's report. I'm sure that the Black Knight's flag is waving on the rooftops of the conquered town..

As request by Ewa, I show some photos of Southern Italy where I went for job last week. The photo on the right shows the last raisin of this season that I saw while I was running next to wonderful wineyards. In the third photo below you can see the hills surronding a small town in Southern Italy. Its name is Itri. That old small town is situated at 170 m. above sea level and its population is a little more than 10,000.
In the same photo above mentioned you can see the limestone composition of the hills, which is cause of the absence of trees and watercourses. It's a territory of a great naturalistic interest which has recently been incorporated into a National Park.

Cheers to you all blogger friends!

Fall Sunday

2010-10-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't run a race this weekend. On this cloudy Sunday I ran 16 km (long run) with the group along the North side of the town and through a fall countryside. That long run went well although we ran the last 5 km against a strong wind.

Next week I won't write a post because I'm going to South Italy for work. But I'll try to follow the running challenges of our blogger community.

Nice running and biking to all blogger fiends!

Tough race

2010-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

On a cloudy Sunday we ran the Montalto's race along an odd and tough track of 9.6 km. My time taken was 41:17 minutes and I was really delighted with my average pace of 4:18 min./Km, considering the hilly route. The town of Montalto and its old castle are situated on the hill, of consequence the running path is always tough. Stefano ran a good race and his average pace was 4.46 min./Km. You can read the Black Knight's report. He didn't destroy the biggest tower of the Montalto's castle which you can see in the photo below :)

As request by Char from Brisbane, Australia, I show the loot here below.

Nice week to everyone!

Bacon spaghetti

2010-10-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Four months ago some blogger friends suggested writing Italian recipes related to the prerace dinner and I'm sure that they like making recipes healthier, not making complicated dishes. As you know, the night before the race we need energy. Of course, we have to find a recipe that provides plenty of carbs without too much fat or protein. Next Sunday I'm running a 10 km race and the night before the race I'll have a simple pasta dish. It's "Bacon Spaghetti". At first, you need "garlic oil". To make it, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic (finely sliced). Remove from stove and let infuse for one hour, then discard the garlic. Cook pasta (8 ounces spaghetti) according to package directions. In a separate pan, fry the bacon (4 ounces finely diced bacon) in two tablespoons "garlic oil" until cooked (about 3 to 4 minutes). Drain pasta and add to the bacon. Garnish with parsley. There are 2 portions.

This is an interesting week considering our running and blogging community. Johann from Johannesburg, South Africa, will be back to 100% normal by the end of the week. The 3rd of October he wrote kind words on his blog about our blogger community. Last Sunday Julie from Minnesota, United States, ran a great Twins Cities marathon. It was her fist marathon: final time 4:09:45. Congrats again Julie! And then there's martin briars from Mont Saint Aignan, France, who is running the Barcelona Triathlon. Good luck Martin!

A special good luck to Char from Brisbane, Australia, who is running a marathon this weekend!

I'm running a 10 km race next Sunday.

Nice running to everyone!

Relaxing thermal bath

2010-09-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Autumn hasn't come early to many parts of Italy. What I'm trying to say is that the weather is sunny again and we can simply wear a shirt while we are running.

I post here below a photo of last race in Tuscany where I ran with the number 37. I'm sorry Char , unfortunately after I had run last race I didn't take a photo of the loot :) The Black Knight showed his loot on his blog. I show the loot next time ... if I'll get it :)

Yesterday we did 16 km long run with a workout 7 x 5 minutes fast with 1 minute recovery. Of course, this Sunday I didn't run a race and I decided to relax with a thermal bath, which is believed to aid in relaxing the muscles. It is especially suitable for athletes after sport activity.

This small center with thermal baths is situated near the town and its name is Ficoncella http://www.civitavecchia.net/index.php?cmd=ficoncella

We have planned to run some interesting 12 km races in Tuscany next months. Of consequence, I'd like to lose weight. At least 2 kg!

Happy training!

Thank you Julie!

2010-09-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

I've just received the beautiful present which you can see in the photos. Thank you Julie for the nice gift and for your kind words. The present is a wonderful Minnesota Twins t-shirt and it is a Cooperstown Collection product. It has the n° 7 on the back, which is the Joe Mauer’s number. I will wear it in your honor Julie, with proud.

Thanks again Julie ( http://minnesotamilage.blogspot.com/ ).

The n° 7 on the back of the t-shirt, which you can see in photo below, is Joe Mauer’s number. Julie explained that this player, originally from St. Paul, is the catcher for the Minnesota Twins.

This morning Stefano ( /http://cavnero.blogspot.com/ ) gave me the official race report of the Grosseto's 12 km race which we ran last Sunday: I was 453 out of 845 runners. But the most important thing of that race was the good organization and the beautiful track. Moreover, after the race we got a "heavy" loot :)
Have a nice training!

Tuscany, Grosseto's 12 kilometers race

2010-09-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you so very much to everyone who commented on my last blog post about salt preventing cramping.
This morning I ran a nice 12 kilometers race in Grosseto (Tuscany), less than 200 km from Rome (2 hour drive, direction north). It was a sunny Sunday, perfect for running through nature and landscape of Tuscany countryside. The track was flat and the organization was very good. I was delighted with my time taken: 53 minutes and 1 second (average pace 4.25 min./km) and after the race we got a nice loot (wine, pasta, cheese and milk) :) I and Stefano are planning to run other running races in Tuscany next months.

I hope all you'll enjoy the rest of this Sunday!

How much salt should runners ingest?

2010-09-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

While we are cooking something we sometimes think how much salt we have to add. If we read a recipe we'd see 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or more simply "salt". We could read on runners magazines that the loss of salt is connected to other running problems, including cramping. On the other hand, too much salt is linked to high blood pressure.

I've recently read that sodium isn't a big concern for runners unless they know they are hypertensive or have a family history of high blood pressure. Therefore, eating something salty after run can help the body rehydrate better.

That's why several manufacturers have recently developed sports drinks with higher sodium levels. But I'm sure that a salty snack such as black olives or salted almonds has more micronutrients, including zinc and iron, than regular sports drinks.

This week I ran three times. I did tempo run on Monday, 16 kilometers long run on Wednesday and 50 minutes relaxing run yesterday. The 19th of September I'm running the Grosseto's 12 km race.

As I wrote last week, the Summer is almost over and with the cold weather I could slightly increase my speed. It really is much harder to run fast when it's hot!

Although the end of the Summer is near I can eat fresh figs again. Delicious Breakfast! In the photo you can see the last figs of this Summer. They're black and white fresh figs. Unfortunately, since next week I'll have only them dried.

Nice weekend to everyone!

Can a Muslim woman find a place for running?

2010-09-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

There are some countries in the world where a tradition says that girls can't run. For example, in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, girls can't play outside and go for a run. And in the spring of 2005, in Pakistan, girls' participation in public sports was declared un-Islamic.

I think we would have to dedicate races to the girls who live in some countries such as Iran and Pakistan. They're girls who can't know their own strenght.
I took the photo which you can see above in 1990 while I was travelling through a small town called Jayce, which is situated in the middle of Bosnia (former Yugoslavia).
Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is an European country, are a little under two million in number and constitute 40 percent of the country's population (2002 estimate). The modern Bosniaks, often referred to as Bosnian Muslims, descend from Slavic speakers who converted to Islam in the 15th and 16th centuries.

I'm not running a race this weekend and I'll do tomorrow 8 km tempo run around the Oliveto park. You can see above an image of this park where there are a lot of olive trees. The 19th of Semptember the Grosseto's 12 kilometers race will be held. I've planned to run it.

Have a nice weekend!

Cherry on top Award

2010-08-31T14:15:00.001-07:00

The end of this beautiful and sunny Summer is near and talian boys will go back to school next week. In the image here below you can see a cloudy sky. It shows that the Summer is going to finish.

Thanks to Anne who tagged me with the "I'll take that with a Cherry on Top" award. She's a "nice writer" of our blogger community and I remember her interesting post, which she wrote five months ago, about lifestyle changes. She wrote "every chose is a new beginning! Your lifestyle is the sum result of all the choises you make, both consciously and inconsciously". Thanks again for that Anne .

The deal with this award above mentioned is you gotta do these 3 things:
1) Answer this question: if you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?
2) Pick 6 people and give them this award. You then have to inform the persons that they have got this award.
3) The third and the final thing is, thank the person who gave you the award.
I got my political science degree when I was 40. If I could change something I would get my degree about 16 years before.
The tagged bloggers of our running community are: Char , Ewa , Christina and Sherri who are running women, martin briars who always posts reports of his triathlon races and Alexandra who sometimes shows us wonderful images of that special part of the world where she lives.

Nice running to all my blogger friends.

Short and odd track

2010-08-30T05:02:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday I ran the Ladispoli's 6 km race along an odd track while the weather was sunny and pretty hot. The race started at 09:30, so we didn't run during the heat of the day. Although I enjoyed the race and my average pace was 4:35/Km, I've understood that I have to increase my speed. We ran about 1 kilometer through a soft "green" path and the garmin highlighted that the track was less than 6 kilometers. It was 5.8 kilometers! I'm sure that my friend Stefano will post soon an accurate report about that race on the Black Knight 's blog.
We are running the next race in September, 12 km in Grosseto (Tuscany). A nice week to everyone!

The night before the race

2010-08-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today it was a wonderful afternoon and I relaxed with my family on the beach where there was a soft wind. Now I’m ready for the Ladispoli’s 6 km race which starts tomorrow at 09:30 a.m.
As you know, the night before the race we have to have carbohydrates. Some months ago we wrote about this matter on our blogs and we said that a lot of runners like pizza or potatoes the night before the race. This time I had pasta at dinner: penne arrabbiata, that’s its name. I write here below the recipe of this classic spicy pasta dish.
Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bacon (4 ounces finely diced), ½ small onion minced and 1 large garlic clove, minced. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon begins to turn pink and the onion is translucent (about five minutes). Add crushed red pepper and cook until the bacon starts to brown. Add tomatoes and a pinch of sugar. Season with salt and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and bring to a boll. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook partially covered about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the “penne” (12 ounces) in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain well and return to the pot. Add half of the sauce and cook, stirring, for one minute, Spoon into bowls, serving the remaining sauce and the freshly grated parmesan.
The recipe above written is something you can make in 30 minutes or less and you can get ingredients in a supermarket.
I hope all you’ll have a running and relaxing weekend.

The lost luggage

2010-08-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

21 days after we had come back from Paris, Air France Baggage Claim Center found my daughters’ suitcase. The lost luggage went from Paris to Skopje (Republic of Macedonia). Then it came back and Air France sent it us from Paris to Rome. I don’t understand why 21 days! But it’s important that my daughters are happy.
Thank you to everyone for all of your support about the lost luggage. In that suitcase there are all the presents and souvenirs which my daughters had bought when we were in Paris. After vacation time they’ll give those presents to their friends who come back from other parts of the world. Then, in the lost luggage there are some trousers and T-shirts which they bought at Champs Elisèes, where there were interesting sales. As a consequence, this afternoon my daughters were very happy when the lost luggage was delivered. All’s well that ends well!

The photo above shows the lost luggage and I can't describe my daughters' happiness while they were opening the suitcase which had travelled through Europe: Rome - Paris - Skopje - Paris - Rome. While they were opening their luggage they saw that everything was perfectly in the suitcase.

When I came back from Paris I forgot to show you some particular masks which we saw while we were walking through St-Germain-des-Pres. In this intellectual quartier of bistros, bookshops, coffee-houses, galleries and nightclubs, there are nice masks on the walls of some houses. The intellectual center of gravity of St-Germain des Pres is at the intersection of rue Bonaparte and boulevard St-Germain and I took some photos there. You can see above and below two of those particular masks which I saw in that interesting districs of Paris. I found other masks in the district of Marais .

The photo below shows Notre Dame on the river Seine.

Yesterday I ran 16 km with the running team and next week I’ll do a training with fast laps. I need it because I’m running the Ladispoli's 6 km race the 29th of August with Stefano and his son Paolo.

I hope all you will have a nice running weekend.

It's vacation time again

2010-08-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hi blogger friends! I am happy to report that I have been on holiday until now and the vacation in South Italy has been AWESOME. In the first photo above you can see my daughters' rabbit.
After we had gone to Paris my family and I left for another summer vacation and I had not computer and internet use. The last week of July which we spent in France was beautiful but it's a real pity that my daughters' suitcase went lost. Air France haven't found it yet and I'll ask them to pay damages estimated at € 15 per kilo, considering that our lost luggage weighed 14 kilos.

South Italy's beaches were nice, the sea wasn't polluted and the weather was sunny and beautiful. Perfect! When we arrived we saw a burnt hill and it was a big damage. Unfortunately, a lot of olive trees had been destroyed! The photo above shows the burnt hill.
During the vacations I ate different meals. French cakes were very good: in Paris we had "pain au raisin" and "tartre aux pommes" at breakfast and in South Italy we had almond cake (you can see it in the photo below). Moreover, in August there're a lot of figs in South Italy and they gave a big contribution to my weight :)... as a consequence I have to lose weight now. At least 2 kilos! But this isn't a problem. Next week I'll begin a running plan and the 29th of August I and Stefano are running a short 6 km race. We'll run it as training.
I have just read that a lot of running friends of our blogger community are on vacation again. I hope all you enjoy the rest of this beautiful summer!

Paris

2010-07-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

As suggested by Martin, I ran on the quays along the Seine. It's a nice place to run and last thursday at 07:00 a.m. I saw a lot of people who were running next to that beautiful river.
We stayed five days in Paris and while we were walking on the night through the square of Notre-Dame we met a nice pair from San Francisco (California). They were very kind and took a photo which you can see here below.
The weather was beautiful and sunny. Visiting the Louvre Museum takes on overage 1 day! I suggest you should buy tickets the day before. After we had visited Notre-Dame, which is the symbol of medieval Paris, we walked up 400 steps to the top of the South tower of the Cathedral. 46 metres above the ground and from there we saw the whole of Paris and a lovely view over the river Seine and its bridges.

During the last two days we went to the left bank of the river Seine where we visited the oldest houses in the latin distict and Saint Germain de pres. There is a very useful river boat shuttle service along the Seine.
Unfortunately, after we had come back from Paris I and my wife didn't find a part of the luggage. The biggest of our three suitcases wasn't in the Rome airport. We were really disappointed with this and "Air France customers assistance" here in Rome said that they will send us the luggage as soon as it arrives from Paris.

Tomorrow we are going to Gaeta, in South Italy.
Have a nice summer!

On holiday

2010-07-25T03:41:00.000-07:00

I'm on holiday now. So I'm going to France with my family and tomorrow the flight to Paris starts at 08:55 a.m. My daughters are so excited because they would like to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and Notre-Dame. But first of all they would want to go to the Galerie La Fayette. Of course, I'm taking my running shoes :)
Nice Sunday to all blogger friends!

Motivation

2010-07-18T08:34:00.001-07:00

In this half of the world that is North of equator it's summer time now. This means biking, riding, beach and swimming. Of course , swimming on the sea. Although I'm not running a race in July and August I wouldn't want to lose my speed. So I'll do only one quality workout per week and in the same week two days of easy work. Moreover I'll sometimes run a long run.
Now I feel that I have to maintain my desire to run. In this perspective I go swimming once or twice a week. I think that if our running isn't fun, we have to make same changes. For example, run fewer days (during this summer I'll do it), try trail running or join a running group. We always need to find motivation which is a powerful force that can help us enjoy our running more. Motivation is more than a feeling. It's important that we'll feel better after a run than before it.

I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this weekend.

Hilly training

2010-07-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last week we planned a long run along the coast (path flat). So yesterday I met the running group at Oliveto's Park at 06:30 p.m. and began the training. But after we had done the warm up we suddenly decided to run our long run through the hills behind the town. Although it was hot there were a lot of trees along the wonderful hilly paths. We ran 1 hour and 25 minutes and I didn't run fast down hill. I decided to be careful.

An old fountain, which we found on the top of the higher hill, helped us. It was built in the natural reserve about 40 years ago because wild cows and donkeys live there. You can see the fountain in the photo below posted. The landscape was beautiful and the paths of that natural reserve weren't dangerous. Once again, running gave me a nice picture of the environment.

This week began with the hilly and hard training above mentioned and, as a consequence, today I didn't swim and didn't go to the beach. I was tired. During this week If I have time I'll go to the ancient roman thermal baths where there's the hot sulphur water. Stefano showed on his blog a photo of this interesting place http://cavnero.blogspot.com/

I hope everyone will have a nice training.

Swimming on the sea

2010-07-09T13:20:00.001-07:00

This week I ran three times and I swam once. Yesterday I swam on the sea 20 minutes at 06:00 p.m. after working. The water wasn't polluted and the beach was wonderful. Perfect! Next Sunday I'll swim again on the sea and next week I'll do a long run training. Of course, I always choose a different route on long run. If our training is stimulating we'll enjoy it. What I'm trying to say is that we don't need to run the same 16 km on the same course at the same time of day as always. In other words, we could refresh our enthusiasm and we would have to change the distance, the speed, the route, the landscape and the hills. Moreover, new hilly paths make us stronger :)
In the pictures I show the beach which is situated in the Southern part of the town. In the photo below I'm on the right and the skin of my friend is more tanned because he is on holiday :)

I hope that all you blogger friends will have a nice running and swimming weekend!

Change of scenery

2010-07-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

I'd need to give my body and mind a break! Last week I ran less than other weeks. I went swimming twice, 25 minutes on Wednesday and 30 minutes on Saturday. But I swam in the sea and as a consequence I didn't try to work harder than in a regular pool. During this summer I'm going to run three times a week and swimming (or biking) twice a week.
I'm not running a race in July and August, so I'm doing something other than running to give my body and mind a break. Since the 25th of June I've started cycling and swimming once or twice a week. Of course I'm not training for triathlons. If these activities gave me a stronger aerobic engine my running would improve. I should usually see some gains.
I've read a debate focused on the relation between running and routine: the psychological effects of following the same routine can be just as limiting. After about only three or four weeks of the same low or high intensity training program, the benefit of running tend to decrease. Most experts say that "runners are creatures of habit, but this can be often lead to stagnating performance".

I hope that all you blogger friends of that running community will have a nice training!

7 km up hill and 7 km down hill

2010-06-27T04:32:00.001-07:00

This is a hot and beautiful Sunday and this morning we did a hard long run on the hill behind the town. I met two friends of the running group at 07:30 a.m. near the Oliveto's Park and after the warm up we ran 14 km. Of course, we ran 7 km up hill and 7 km down hill and we didn't run fast along the second 7 km down hill. Although the average pace was about 6 mins/km the training was interesting. The time taken was 1 hour and 24 minutes and we ran slow up hill because it was hard. But we ran slow the down hill too because we always think that down hills might be dangerous. For example, running fast down hills might be dangerous for knees. But it was a good training session. Moreover, the night before that hard long run I had had pizza with some friends of the running group. Carbohydrates guaranteed!

As you know, the Italian soccer team didn't go through the second round of the FIFA World Cup. Italy lost 3-2 against Slovakia the last match of Pool F of South Africa 2010 World Cup and is thus dramatically, eliminated :( A blogger friend from France, Martin Briars, wrote that footballers are paid too much to do too little. I absolutely agree with this!

Now I hope that the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be between Argentina and Netherlands. Today an interesting match between Germany and England starts at 04:00 p.m.

I think Germany is stronger than England and has a young team. So German national football team will be the winner in this match ... but I also support England team with an Italian coach and it will be dilemma for me. Good luck to both teams :)

Italian soccer team needs to win

2010-06-24T04:24:00.000-07:00

I began this week with 50 minutes relaxed run on Monday and yesterday I ran 1 hour and 10 minutes and the average pace was 4.50 min./km. I think it was a nice training session. I ran both training session around the Southern side of the town. On Friday I'm doing a workout which would improve speed and I've planned a long run during next weekend. This week I'm not running a race. The 3rd of July I'll run the Bolsena's 10 km race where I could run along a nice track next to the Bolsena's lake. I ran it three years ago.
In the picture below you can see my daughters with their friends. The Italian flag had been painted on their faces. Today the soccer macth Italy - Slovakia starts at 04:00 p.m. and Italian team needs to win.

We’re not thinking about elimination and we have to think positively. The only result that interests us is victory. Of course, if our soccer team didn't win Italy wouldn't go through to the second round in the World Cup.
My daughters' friends

I hope all you have nice training sessions.

Workout against the wind

2010-06-20T03:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I did the workout with the running group. It was hard because we ran against a strong wind. After we had run 20 minutes warm up we ran 3 x 20 minutes fast with 4 minutes recovery. In the meanwhile Stefano ran a great race around the Montalto's power station where he got a nice loot and improved his time taken.
You can see his race report: http://cavnero.blogspot.com/
On the soccer world cup front, this afternoon the meeting between world champions Italy and Oceanian outsiders New Zealand starts at 04:00 p.m. in Nelspruit, South Africa. http://www.fifa.com/ Never underestimate opponents: look at Spain vs Switzerland!

Have a nice Sunday!

Workout on Sunday

2010-06-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not running a race next weekend and on Sunday I'll do a workout with the running group through the Southern part of the town and arouund the natural reserve. We'll probably run 20 minutes warm up and 3 x 20 minutes fast with 4 minute recovery.
We're planning our next race and maybe we'll run the Bolsena lake 10 km race which starts the 3rd of July at 06:30 p.m.
A nice running weekend to everyone!

Formula Run Cup

2010-06-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday we're going to Rome where the Formula Run Cup starts at 09:30. The 10 km race will be held in support of Save the Children. I'll have a breakfast of 300 to 500 calories two hours before the starting and I won't forget to eat carbs the night before the race. Maybe I'll have pizza with my family and other friends.
Now I post a photo of a nice old and small village which I saw this week while I was working. It is situated in the middle of Italy, 60 km North of Rome, and is connected by a narrow walkway to reality and to the surrounding countryside.

Entering the ancient city gate we feel that we're leaving the real world. It isn't a place to running and ... there are 15 inhabitants only! From 2002 some English people have bougth old houses in this small supernatural world.
http://www.civitadibagnoregio.it/english/civita/history.htm
I hope that all my blogger friends will have a nice weekend.

through the industrial area

2010-06-06T03:27:00.000-07:00

There wasn't race for me this weekend but I ran 14 km with the running group. After we had done the first 5 km warm up and slow run, we began the workout, 8 x 4.30 minutes fast with 1 minute recovery. During the workout the average pace was 4.30 min/km. But we ran a strange route this morning. At the beginning we ran through the old part of the town and along the pedestrian area of the town. Then we ran through the industrial area because on Sunday there aren't trucks. Consequently, there isn't polluted air. It was a sunny Sunday and a great training session! If we ran the same route we wouldn't see the same average pace.
It's been said that runners don't like runninng the same route twice. We sometimes run the same route two minutes faster or two minutes slower than last time. I think that the comparison made between running the same distance hasn't validity. We can't recreate the exact circumstances of the previous training or on race day. We can't have the same weather and the same amount of sleep or food. We can't have the same people around us.
I show you a photo ot the pedestrian area which is situated in the middle of the town. I took this photo two months ago from the helicopter and but isn't a sharp image.

stretching

2010-06-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

With regard to my post about stretching, which I wrote the 23th of May, I describe Martin's comment. He's a 75 km trail runner from Mont Sait Aignon, France, http://martinbriars.blogspot.com/ and he saw a sports doctor who was with the French Olympic athletics team in Sydney.
Martin wrote most stretching should be before we actually run, and certainly not right after. He added that we would have to spend at least 20 mins light stretching before we run. Of course we would have to begin the run and the warm up very slowly.
The French doctor told him that after the run and after a shower he would have to begin very light stretching again. The idea he explained was that stretching a muscle which "may have trauma" will not be good!
On the contrary, most blogger friends who like running always say: "don't stretch before you've warmed up!". Maybe there are different approaches to many stretches.
On the running front, I ran 20 kn on Sunday and 10 km slow run on Monday. Tomorrow I'll do 12 km tempo run in the afternoon. Today I didn't run. It was a rest day and I followed my daughters who were playing tennis. I took some photos while they were playing tennis and I felt they were happy because I was there. I show you three photos here below.

Good training sessions to all you!

Running in the dark

2010-05-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions about "running in the dark". I've stumbled three times on stones and roots while I've been running through the countryside :( Moreover, three years ago while I was running along trail paths I fell during a "dogs attack"!! But I think that running on the road is more dangerous than running through the countryside. Most runners have stumbled on those circle wires which I mentioned in my last post. While we are running on the route we sometimes see those parts of the car which I show in the first photo below. We can also find dangerous wires along the route (second photo).

Running in the dark through the town is amazing! But we would have to follow some suggestions. For example, Julie from Minnesota said if she run in the dark she will make sure to have a running lamp and Christine from Arizona will sometimes run along a street with lights.
My friend Stefano wrote in his comment that Bruce Springsteen dances in the dark and the Black Knight Army will always run in the dark :)
Have a nice running weekend!

Wire rim iron

2010-05-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

The question of this post was inspired by Char, from Brisbane http://char-mylifesamarathon.blogspot.com/ , with her post of the 23th of May. She wrote about her relaxed 12 kilometers run in almost total darkness.

During our training sessions we sometimes run along the route. As you know, car wheels sometimes lose auto spare parts, such as wire rim iron. This is a danger! If a runner didn't see this wire rim iron he'd stumble. In this way some runners fell while they were running along the route. Moreover, the problem with running in darkness is that you can't see a pothole. That's why I don't like to run in almost total darkness.

Maybe I haven't bored you with this short post :) Thanks to everyone for last comments and advices about stretching. I hope you all blogger friends enjoy your runs next weekend!

Hamstring stretch

2010-05-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

I've planned to go to Tuscania on Sunday, where a 10 kilometers race started at 10:00 a.m. Although this morning was sunny and beautiful I didn't run that race because I didn't feel very good. This morning while I was waking up I felt weak, so I decided to do a relaxing long run. After I had run 18 kilometers at an average pace of 05:50 I did stretching near my house. I did one of these stretching drills with one leg up on a fence trying to reach for my toes. I think that this is a classic hamstring stretch but someone says it may do more harm than good. I don't understand why.

Other runners advise to stand on one leg with knee slightly bent and hold our other leg under or knee. Our hamstring is parallel with the floor. Of consequence, we would have to hold for two second and then we would bring our heel back under our knee. I'm curious to know what do you Think about this. I hope that all you are getting an effective stretching :)

A special good luck to Anne and Amy for their first half marathon :) Have a good running everyone!

Running team dinner

2010-05-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend I haven't run races. Although the weather wasn't nice, this morning I ran 16 km long run. I'm trying to maintain the long distance running. It's very strange that the weather has been so cold and rainy since last Monday. We ran the first two kilometres in the light rain, then the weather became sunny and from the 4th to the 8th kilometer we ran through the countryside. After the rain the smell of vegetation was more intense. From the 9th to the 11th kilometer we ran near the sea. The sea air smelt good while we were running along the coast.

On Saturday evening we had a dinner with the running team (somebody is sending me the photo of the dinner and I'll post that image as soon as I receive it). We went to a small village situated on the hills near the town, where we could eat boar meat. Stefano wasn't there because he had gone to a wedding. For the reason he's angry because he would like to be there with us.

Next Sunday I'll try to run the Tuscania's 10 km race. In the photo below you can see the Tuscania's mediaeval castle and the old church. Near that old town there's a gren valley, which I showed in my post of the 5th of May. It is a nice protected area. That mediaeval city dominates the area, with its perfectly preserved old centre. Behind turreted walls and towers there are ancient churches, palaces, alleys, arches, portals and fountains which you can see in the image below. I took this photo one month ago.

I hope that all you'll enjoy the rest of this weekend!

Rome's Campus race

2010-05-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday 1115 people ran that 10 km race through the southern part of Rome, near the Campus. It was a beautiful and sunny Sunday, perfect. The track was actually nice and pleasant although the last 2 km were up-hill and this was a very challeging part of the route. I enjoyed the race and the time taken was 44:06 minutes. Stefano is posting a more detailed report on his blog.
Today I ran again. I did 45:57 minutes slowly ... but I ran in the rain. Thank you to everyone for all of your support and comments.

Campus

2010-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm going to Rome with my friend Stefano and his son. The 10km Campus race starts at 10:00 a.m. and the weather might be sunny.
In the meanwhile, I've posted the link of Julie's blog because she posted her first giveaway to celebrate getting over 100 awesome followers. You can see that link in this page (down the clock).
I hope all my blogger friends will have a nice running weekend!

The Marta river valley

2010-05-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I ran 15 km (long run) and Monday I ran 1 hour and 10 minutes (relaxing run).
This afternoon I had run 50 minutes (tempo run) before it rained and next Friday I'm running 1 hour slowly. I'm going with Stefano to Rome next Sunday where the Campus 10km Race starts at 10 a.m.
Maybe I'd need to go swimming once a week. I'll try to go swimming next month, so I'll run four times a week and I'll swim once a week. As a consequence, twice a week rest.
In the photo below posted you can see that today clouds are covering Central Italy. The image shows the Marta river valley which is situated between Tuscany and my town. This morning I went there for job and that valley does look ideal for a run.
I hope all my blogger friends will have a nice training!

Simple potatoe dish

2010-05-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

As requested by Julie I write here below the recipe of the potatoe dish which I mentioned on this blog last Friday.

Ingredients:
2 pounds small potatoes, white or red
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon (scant) dried leaf thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Preparation:
Heat oven to 450°. potatoes cut into slices.
In a large bowl, toss potatoes with the oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Transfer potatoes to a baking pan and arrange in layers. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are browned.

As you know, runners need to eat carbohydrates, so I'm glad to write on my blog this recipe of a very simple potatoe dish :)

Yesterday was a beautiful and sunny Saturday and I didn't run. We went on the beach where we spent a lazy Saturday. On the contrary, today the weather is rainy and this morning I ran 14 km in the soft rain. I didn't race this Sunday.
Now I'm going to read your training sessions and races' reports on your blogs :)

Water and bananas

2010-04-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

We've sometimes received water and bananas after a half marathon or a marathon. While we're running the last two kilometers of a long run race we could feel weak and our legs might start to cramp. Thanks in part to that water and bananas the body's imbalance returns to normal in about an hour. Of course water hydrates and bananas supply potassium which is of particular importance to runners. Potassium is a mineral which maintains fluids and electrolyte levels within the body. It helps in recovery and may also protect against hearth disease.
As I'm sure you're aware, we could find potassium in so many common foods such as spinach, carrot, orange and yogurt. Moreover, I've recently read that dry figs and other dried fruits have a high concentration of potassium. But how could we keep our potassium optimal levels every day? I don't know, but I'm sure that lots of fast foods are low in potassium. Of consequence, it's best to concentrate on eating a wide variety of whole foods every day.

After I had wrote this post I tried to find potassium in the meal :) So, we cooked potatoes with garlic, low-fat cheese and olive oil. And we didn't lose much time to cook it.

Running and advanced thinking

2010-04-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

I've always read on your runner's blogs that running makes you feel good. As you know, most runners wrote that they feel extremely relaxed after they run. Other blog's friends said that running helps their psychic equilibrium. What I'm trying to say is that running makes you happier.
It's scientific fact that the use of exercise improves cognitive functioning in both young and old people. I've read on a runner's magazine the relationship between phisical activity and mental penformance. In other words, active people are better problem solvers and think fast.
Some professionals say that their craft depends on running. While they are running they get into a "zone that allows them to solve problems". I sometimes feel that the spatial imagination is activated by running.
A scientific analysis of the University of Ulm, in Germany, shows that brain's neurotrasmitters increase during phisical activity. That's why running would enhance our ability to solve problems.
In this perspective, if I have a learning or memory problem I will run more :)
I hope that I haven't bored you.
Have a nice running weekend.

Tarquinia's 11.2 km race

2010-04-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

A very hard race was held this morning in Tarquinia, an old small town near the Tuscan border. In this sunny morning about 400 people ran 11.2 km with three hard up-hills. The runners met dangerous steep slopes along the track and I didn't run fast those down-hills. On the contrary, the landscape was beautiful during that race because we ran through the old town and around the medieval wall. After the race I visited the old side of the town where we had run. The time taken was 51:19 minutes.
Ultimately I enjoyed that race and improved slightly the averaqe pace. While I was crossing the finish line I felt good. I hope that all you will have a nice week and a good training.

12 kilometers "green" race

2010-04-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

I think that I have to run the races which are held in my town. Although since the 1st of April I've got weight, this morning I decided to run the "Vivicittà" 12 kilometers race. Before we began to run the warm up I and Stefano had met some friends who wore green T-shirts. They were "green" runners because the race had been held in support of environmental protection. The atmosphere was very friendly and the weather was cloudy. I show you some photos of those "green" runners and I am near the two dogs with green T-shirts.

In the next photo you can see the two black knights before the race.

The track of the 12 kilometers race was hard and we ran four steep up hills. The time taken was 55:20 minutes.

Training through the protected area

2010-04-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

This time I didn't improve my running time and I didn't enjoy the training. I ran 10 km and the time taken was 54:39 minutes. Maybe I gained weight during last Easter weekend because I had eaten plenty of Easter's pastries, chocolate eggs and other Easter food. The main part of the track which we ran this afternoon was inside the protected area.

After we had crossed the Southern Suburbs we ran a hard up hill. Then we followed the path through a green valley of the natural reserve and we ran along the mediterranean forest. Today the landascape was better than the training. In the first photo above posted you can see a view of the small protected area with some typical Italian cattles. Then I showed you the spring colours of the mediterranean forest

and the hard up hill above mentioned. I hope that I'll improve the next training.

Easter time

2010-04-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Park early enough to do a short warm-up on my own before meeting up with the small running group. The time taken during that training session was 1 hour, 14 minutes and 26 seconds. This time I didn't improve the speed but I maintained my pace. We run 14,12 km along the Southern side of the town and through the countryside. My average pace was 5:16 min/km.

As you know we need a well balanced meal after running. If you see the photo below posted you can see the Italian Easter’s pastry which contains both proteins and carbohydrates. It is made from a very special and old recipe which has two particular ingredients which make it unique: moisture taken from the orange tree blossom and cooked wheat. Also used in the recipe are "ricotta" cheese, candid fruit and classic short pastry. Making the Easter’s pastry does not require any great ability.
Happy Easter to you all.

Wild asparagus

2010-04-01T06:04:00.001-07:00

Thanks all blog's friends for the happy birthday wishes! Yesterday I wore the new running clothes which my family gave me for my birthday. After I had run 2 km warm up I ran 14 km throught the countryside in the Southern surrondings of the town. In that sunny afternoon the average pace was 05:14 min/km. Our running team wasn't there and I ran with a friend of mine this relaxing training.
There were some wild donkeys along the track. They live in this special patche of Mediterranean forest and this environment may become a small protected area near the town. While we were running we saw a lot of wild asparagus near the path. Today I've sought them and maybe we'll prepare the Asparagus salad with potatoes this evening.

Now I have to help my family to prepare the pastry of Easter. Its name is "Pastiera" and it has to be cooked with some days advance. This pastry takes time to prepare and requires presoaked grain. I'm going to buy its exotic ingredients such as cinnamon and vanilla extract. This is my contribution.

In the first photo above posted you can see the new running clothes. The other two photos show you the wild asparagus and the protected wild donkeys.

New running clothes

2010-03-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

It's a particular day because I was born 49 years ago today. It's my birthday.
In spring we will see a temperate climate without extremes of temperature, so my family has given me new running clothes as a present. The shorts are black and I'm sure that my friend Stefano will be happy because it's the colour of the Black Knight running team which we founded in 1996. I'm having birthday dinner with my family and some friends this evening.
You can see the birthday's gift in the photo below posted.

10 km tempo run

2010-03-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in the afternoon we ran actually 10.01 km after we had run the warm up. Them we ran 10 km around the Southern part of the town, through the tourist port and next to the see. I've improved slightly again considering the last three trainings: the time taken during yesterday's 10 km tempo run was 50:08 minutes. The average pace was 05:01 min/km.
Tomorrow in the afternoon I'm running a long distance run and of consequence about 800 calories will be burned. In this perspective, we have made a cake that you can see in the photo below posted. So, I'll have some carbohydrates at breakfast before tha training. :)

Slight improvement

2010-03-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

This week I've run two times until now: on Monday 8 km and on Wednesday 10 km and the time taken during these training is improving slightly. Thanks to all blog's friends for their encouragement. Today I'm beginning the training at 05:30 p.m. with my friends. After the training I'll go to home quickly this evening because today is the "Festa del Papa", the Italian name for Father's Day. It's is celebrated on March 19, St. Joseph's Feast Day in Italy. This is the day when families show their gratitude to their fathers with favors and gifts.
This day starts with a delicious breakfast. Then we prepare "Zeppole", the most common pastry treat for Father's Day in Italy. I show the pastry above mentioned. I think that I'll have a lot of carbohydrates during next dinner. :)
Today for Father's Day my children and my wife have given me a nice running gift which I show in the second photo below posted.

The beginning

2010-03-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at 05:30 p.m. I began to running again with other two members of our running team. In that sunny afternoon after 2 km warm up we ran slowly 10 km and the time taken was 58 minutes and 25 seconds. It's a good training considering that I didn't run from the 1st to the 11th of March because of a sore throat.
Last Wednesday while I was travelling by helicopter for job from Rome to Tuscany I saw an uncontaminated beach. I took a photo that I show below and thought that it would be a beautiful running track next to the see and through dunes and mediterranean forest.

In support of a social cause

2010-03-07T13:27:00.003-08:00

Since last Monday, 2 March, I haven't run because of a sore throat. I think I have to change my running time. Last Monday I ran from 02:00 to 03:00 p.m. and before I got out to take my daughters to the tennis club I had had a shower. Maybe I got out while the body's defences were decreasing. Every day In the afternoon there is something to do such as shopping, working, socializing and so on. Of consequence, I'll try to run in the early evening so I haven't got out after the training while the weather is rainy and cold.

Next Sunday, the 14th of March 2010, the first edition of the Race for Haiti starts in Rome at 10:00 a.m.. The overall earning of the race will be given to the people of Haiti. It'a a race in support of that territory which was recently destroyed by the earthquake.
My photo above posted shows the hills near the town where I live.

Running slowly

2010-03-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

In this sunny afternoon I did a short training. Today I ran slowly about 59 minutes because I didn't feel good (I've a sore throat).

We've just begun to plan the next holiday and we have to decide the time and the place. Although we live in a town situated near the see we'll probably chose an Island.
Meanwhile I post the photos of our trip to Berlin last year.