7 km up hill and 7 km down hill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!