Bolsena Lake and another virtual 5K

The workouts are useful and nice because we stay healthy and fit and we enjoy the scenic routes. However I miss the competitions and the beautiful days spent in the towns where the running races are organized.

For this reason I made the decision to participate in a virtual 5k Parkrun every Saturday. 

After 2 virtual races run near my hometown, yesterday I have run 5k by the Bolsena lake in Capodimonte.

I think that in the near future I will have to skip some virtual 5K to recover (Stefano is getting older).

This was my 3rd one in a row (I mean on saturday) and every time I am slower.

I ran the 1st in 26:36, the 2nd in 26:53 and the 3rd (yesterday) in 26:59.

Are you participating in any virtual run? Which is your favorite distance in this kind of race?

Running update

Running update. As I wrote on my last post, in Italy all the races have been cancelled or postponed. Of course I am sorry for this situation about the races but the pain for the victims of the covid, for the sick and for those who have lost their job is more and more. 

Now the only way to compete are the virtual races. This kind of event is nice because is a valid opportunity to keep in touch with other runners and where I can improve my speed. Moreover, most of them are organized for social causes and in this period it's very important.

The speed of the past is .... in the past... but I would like to try to finish the 5k in 25:00 and the 10k in 51:00. I know it's difficult.

Now I am working on the 5k, running a virtual race every Saturday. I have found a route through a residential area close to my city. The location is perfect: no crowded and with a beautiful landscape (green country and sea).

After long time running around the garden now it's not easy, for me, to push again on an ondulate paths but .... I am on the road again.

In 2 weeks I have run 2 virtual 5k that I finished in 26:36 (last Saturday) and 26:53 (this morning). Slow again but I hope to improve.

A nice surprise. Reading the facebook pages of the local communities I have found the photo of my first race in September 1985 (I am in the second row wearing a black shirt). At that time running was not a popular sport: as you can see we were only 29 of us.

In my garden. defending the borders:

HAVE A GOOD SUNDAY - STAY SAFE!

Virtual Parkrun

Because of covid19 in Italy all the running races were canceled and until last week we could only train at home or in the garden. Now things have changed a little and we can also run on the streets so I decided to participate in a 5 km virtual race organized in the USA. This morning at 08.00 a.m. I went 8 km far from home to a place where I could fully respect the social distancing and I did the test. I was no longer used to it and I struggled, but I am happy.

April 2020

    At last, after 2 months of quarantine, we see a light: since last week it's allowed to run “near” our home. Our Premier’s Decree is not clear so, the main interpretation of “near”, is 200 meters around home: too much close but better than nothing.

Instead, by the 4th of may, we will be able to run everywhere through the city but with the respect of the social distance.

During the total lockdown before I ran on the treadmill, later around my garden and on these days “near” house waiting for the 4th of may. The weather now is perfect for good runs: warm and sunny.

The record of a single workout on the treadmill was 9,1 km (I get crazy on the “dreadmill”) and around the garden was km. 14,1 (8,76 m).

At the moment, and maybe for all the 2020, in Italy all the races are suspended or cancelled: we wait for further government regulations. It’s only possible to enter virtual races.

What about a blogger-friends virtual race (5k or 10 k)? I also think of an official virtual race where we can participate as “name to decide bloggers running group” (or similar).

April 2020 stats: 151,5 km (11 workouts in the garden and 3 workouts “near” home).

May 2020 goals:

1.   To use also the treadmill to prevent it from breaking how it happened to my first one. During the total lockdown I could use the old one 6 times only and after it “passed away”;

2.     To keep on doing my workouts every other day;

3.    To improve the mileage of my workouts (now every single workout is 10/12 km long);

4.     To enter some virtual race.

Here is a gift of my running mate Giorgio. The event is the Race of the Cure 2019 in Rome:

Now I introduce you some critters of my garden:

STAY SAFE

Lockdown stories

Here in Italy the lockdown continues. After the 4th of may we will know if the things can change a little: however it is said that, maybe, the runners will be allowed to run 400 meters around home (only rumors at the moment),

All the running events were canceled since the first days of march and there are not races in the near future (not even in may).

When going out to run was prohibited I began to run on my old "dreadmill" (I have always hated that "thing") but at the end of march it "passed away". I have been trying to buy a new treadmill but the times of delivery are long (and no sure) and the items I like are sold out. So I began to run around my garden: boring workouts 10/11 km long, the lap is short and with many turns but, at the moment, I don't have other possibilities. In the pics you can see how the grass is after my runs.

 

But in the garden I'm not alone: these 2 gentlemen check my workouts step by step, day after day,  and offer their appreciated advices how to improve my pace. Please let me know if you need their help.

STAY SAFE!

Fregene 10 km and Race of Remembrance

Fregene 10 km. On February 2nd I participated in the Fregene 10 km. Fregene is a nice touristic city by the  sea 30 km far from Rome, full of seaside resorts. It was a very crowded event because there were 3 races together: 21km, 10km and a not competitive walk. The start was very difficult because of the narrow street and many cars parked on both the sides. The route was totally flat and scenic. I don't like the flat routes, I prefer the ondulate ones where, on the uphill, I succeed in passing the slower runners.

Official stats: 10 km in 54:09; 343 of 588 overall and 23 of 44 in my a.g.

The swag was a technical t-shirt that I gave my son (I have too many t-shirts)!

Here is a pic taken at the start of the race:

Race of Remembrance - Rome February 9th. This is an event organized to not forget the Italians killed and thrown into "foibes". The "foibe massacres" refers to mass killings by which the corps were thrown into deep natural skin holes (foibles), perpetrated mainly by Yugoslav partisans in Venezia Giulia, Istria and Dalmazia, against the Italian population, during and after the WWII. 

The route runs inside the district where the survived Dalmatian and Istrian live since 1946.

The race, a 10 km, was a nightmare because of a lack of information about the way to follow. For this reason many runners got lost, some ran 5,5 km, others 10 km and others again 13 km. Of course the event was canceled with many apologies from the organization. I also got lost after a couple of crossroads and I followed a group of local (also lost) runners. To come back at the start/arrival we ran through dangerous roads open to traffic for 5,5 km (in 29:53).

The swag was another technical t-shirt (a present for my son again) and a medal.

Happy New Year - After the long silence.

I am back after a long period of silence because of personal problems that keep me very busy.

After the race in Tarquinia (see my last post) I entered other 4 races improving always my pace even if it is slower than 2016 before the incident on my shoulder.

I keep on training every other day and, as I wrote, I prefer to race through the hilly towns in Viterbo province (Lazio region): beautiful places, friendly people who support the runners during the race, good food, not many participants, nice post-race party and rich swag. Better this kind of events that the very crowded races in Rome.

Race reports:

Oct. 27th - Latera km. 9,3.

2 laps around a little country town with a population of 805. The path was half trail and half road with a scary uphill 2 km long where most of the runners had to walk.

Stats: km. 9,7 in 55:17 (5:57/km), 120 of 140 and 8 of 13 in my a.g. (for the 8th place I got 5 kg. of local potatoes).

Nov. 3rd: Montalto di Castro km. 11.

This is another beautiful town built around a medieval castle with a population of 8800.

The usual ondulate path but not so difficult.

Stats: km. 11 in 1:03:23 (5:46/km), 258 of 311 and 21 of 26 in my a.g.

Dec. 1 st: Canino km. 10.

A beautiful ancient etruscan town in the middle of olive trees woods with a population of 5200. One lap, half downhill and half uphill.

Stats: km. 10 in 56:25 (5:38), 464 of 573 and 27 of 37 in my a.g.

Dec. 8th: Orbetello km. 10

A nice tuscan city near the lagoon with a population of 14.800. One lap mainly flat.

Stats: km. 10 in 54:32 (5:27/km), 139 of 177 and 12 of 20 in my a.g.

And now I am ready for another running year!!!

I hope that everyone has a safe, happy New Year.