Naples' San Martino Museum

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

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

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

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.