Anguillara and a play list

Running Update - This week I have run 3 times increasing speed and distance thanks to the good weather: sunny and not so cold. Moreover the little pains are disappearing because I am wearing larger running shoes and I am making stretching sessions for the piriformis.

Tuesday: km. 11,5 (7,1 m);

Thursday: km. 12,4 (7,7 m);

Saturday: km. 15,1 (9,4 m).

No races in the near future because around here all the events are cancelled for covid.

 

Critters - Turtles and ducks enjoy the sunny morning in the park.

Anguillara – Some photos of another beautiful place near my hometown. This is Anguillara by the Bracciano lake.

Cavaliere Nero = Black Knight

Running top ten playlist - This is my personal top ten:

1.     When tomorrow comes – Eurythmics (1986);

2.     Go your own way – Fleetwood Mac (1977);

3.     Confusion – Electric Light Orchestra (1979);

4.     Proud Mary – Status Quo (Creedence Clearwater Revival’s cover);

5.     Moonlight shadow -  Mike Oldfield (1983);

6.     Atomic – Blondie (1980);

7.     Juliet – Robin Gibb (1983);

8.     Born to run – Bruce Springsteen (1975);

9.     And we run – Within Temptation (2014);

10. I want my tears back – Nightwish (2011).

Of course this is just a fun because there are hundreds of other great songs.

                                 Which is your favorite all time song?

Listening to my body, Birds and the Dying Town

Running update – Listening to my body: I'm taking my runs easy because lately I felt some slight pain in both the big toe and the piriformis muscle. For this reason I couldn't increase neither the distance nor the speed. Indeed, listening to my body, after the workout on Thursday, I took 2 days off instead of one.

   Maybe I have understood what the problem at the big toe is: I wore a new pair of running shoes: same brand, same model and same size but tighter. I didn’t notice this difference when I bought them.

   Contrary to the recent past, I am no longer running alone but with a retired friend like me.

   No races in person in the near future because Covid is everywhere here and I am waiting for the call for the booster. As 30 years ago (yes 30!!!) I had an anaphylactic shock due to an antibiotic, now I have also to wait for the call from the local hospital to get the 3rd shot in presence of an anesthetist!!!

   This week I have run 3 times:

Tuesday: 10 km;

Thursday: 11,3 km;

Today: 11,3 km.

 

Birds: Here is a picture I took 2 days ago:

Civita di Bagnoregio: Now I show you another beautiful place not far from my hometown.  Civita di Bagnoregio is a hamlet inhabited by only 16 people that is possible to reach only by a pedestrian bridge. The reason for its isolation is the progressive erosion of the hill and the near valley. For this situation the hamlet is now called “The Dying Town”.

 HAVE A GOOD WEEK AHEAD

Good bye Pirata

Good bye Pirate - On Friday the local rugby community received sad news. Our friend Milvio, 85 y.o., also known as The Pirate,  passed the ball, as we say when a rugby player passes away. He was the best hooker who has ever played in our team (The Saracens - 3rd series). I had the pleasure and the honor to play with him when I was young. I will never forget him and his teachings in sport and in life. We will miss you. R.I.P.

Below the photo of a reunion of old rugby players some years ago. The Pirate is the 3rd from left, I'm the 1st on the right:

Running update - This week I have run 4 times but on Monday and Wednesday it was not easy for the cold and the strong winds from north. I made my first 3 workouts with another runner:

Monday: km. 12,2;

Wednesday: km. 11,4;

Friday: km. 10,6;

Today: km. 10.

Week End at the lake of Bolsena: I just got home after almost 2 days spent by the lake of Bolsena. The weather was perfect: sunny and not cold. In this movie my wife feeds the ducks:

Here are other pictures:

Capodimonte: see the moon in the afternoon

Fish nets

Promenade by the lake

 How did you spend the week end? Do you like to feed the birds?

Winter has come

Running - I would like to make plans but it is impossible because, due to the covid, day after day the most interesting races are canceled or postponed.

At this point the only goal for 2022 is to keep on running every other day trying to increase the monthly mileage without going below 160 km (100 m).

In the meantime, winter has come bringing cold and winds from north that make the workouts more difficult:

Lately I have also been running less alone and more in group.

This week I have run 3 times:

Tuesday: 10,8 km;

Thursday: 10 km (between a rainstorm and another);

Saturday: 11,5 km.

Here is a memory from a January of many years ago (1997):

from a local newspaper

Rome – On Wednesday I went with my wife to Rome to take the cat to the veterinary hospital because he is very sick. As the clinical examinations took a long time, we went for a walk in the central shopping streets. Unfortunately the cat will not recover, however we have brought him home again.

Spanish Steps

Square of Spain

Condotti Street

This morning I went for a walk through the city and I met this “firing squad”:

Have a good week ahead

2021 and 2022

2021 Running Stats: 1468 km (912 m) – 149 workouts  - 3 races (2 virtual):

I made the decision to run the 2 virtual races “abroad”: the Colorado Peaks Challenge to participate in team with other 3 friends from USA (team leader Jill) and the Edinburgh Parkrun because I ran this race for the first time in Scotland many years ago.

Days off for illness or injury: 65.

2021 was not a good running year for me. Too many stop due to health problems: the troubles began in March when I was not able to run for 45 days for an inguinal hernia removed by a surgical operation; in september I had problems with the piriformis; in october I felt during a workout and in november/december I was off 13 days for a bad catharral otitis and a severe sinusitis.

 

Running update.

This week I have run 4 times through challenging routes:

Monday: 10,5 km;

Wednesday: 13,4 km;

Friday: 10,6 km;

Today: 9,7 km.

 

Upcoming races:  no races in the near future because most of the events are cancelled or postponed for the Covid pandemic. This is the situation around here:

www.maratoneta.it

Around the city and at home:

How I carry supplements and key when I wear running outfits without pockets

These latest days have been sunny: here a sunset from the waterfront

Mural in the downtown

Nativity scene with cat

My grandson Gabriele receives his white/yellow belt

HAPPY NEW YEAR