The Versatile Blogger

Big thanks to Terzah for tagging me with the Versatile Blogger award. These "tag" posts are fun because you can learn a lot about your fellow bloggers. There are a few basic rules with this award:

a) You have to thank the giver and provide a link to that person's post. Thanks Terzah, I like your blog and your posts. I hope one day you can also run in Italy;

b) Share 7 random facts about yourself;

c) Award 15 other newly discovered blogs the same award.

Here are the 7 random facts about me:

1) The Black Knight is a Gigi Proietti's joke that finishes with a very rude but nice sentence in roman slang ("don't piss off the Black Knight" has the same meaning of this sentence but is kinder). We founded the Black Knight Army during a summer workout because we were angry against a stupid driver. Please listen to the final, even if it is in italian I am sure you will have fun:

2) In 1977 I joined the Coast Guard where I served for 20 years. Now I work in a Port Authority. I will never forget those 20 years in uniform spent with wonderful collegues: we were and are friends; we were and are again a family;

3) In 1979 I got married with Daniela, now we have one son (32 y.o.), one daughter (26 y.o.) and one grandson (3 y.o.) Both the children work in the port and live by their own. I am happy that they work near my office and live near my house;

4) I am a cancer survivor. I had a melanoma in 1991;

5) The story began with one cat, a devon rex. Later a lady cat without husband arrived and gave us 2 kittens. So we left the mom in the garden and offered hospitality at home to the 2 "babies". The mom didn't like to have lunch alone so, day after day, other 5 welcome guests (4 gentlemen and 1 lady) joined the group. Now we have 8 "owners" who claim the usucapion of the flat and the garden;

6) I love the rock concerts. In the last period I saw: Deep Purple, Marc Knopfler, Bryan Adams, Within Temptation, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Ferry, Queen, Le Orme, Chicago, Elton John, Joe Cocker, Leonard Cohen, Depeche Mode, The Pretenders ... to be continued;

7) So far I have run 197 races (since 1986). Not many because only this year I have learned that I can enter a race only to enjoy the event, taking it easy and without pushing over my limits. In the past I didn't enter if I was not sure to be in perfect shape and well trained. The best memories: my PB on the marathon (1991 - 3h34'09"), the qualification in the National Navy Team (1996 - 8th overall and the Team had to be composed by 8 runners) and my first real half marathon after the surgeries (2011 - 1.46.12 far from my PB of 1h31'58" but I cried for the happiness).

Now I would have to tag 15 bloggers but I prefer not to choose. You are free to get the Versatile Blogger Award, to write 7 facts about yourselves and to award other blogs.

If you have followed the news, you know that in Italy we have had rainy storms. Here is a picture few hours before the local one.

Half-Way

More than 3 years ago, 6 months after the surgery to rebuild my broken leg, I entered in Rome the "Race for the Cure" finishing very tired the 5 km. The effort was terrible and at that time I didn't want to buy this photo where it is evident. Here is that pic (the Black Knight is the 36804):

Now that is only a memory, many things are changed and I am more confident with running also thanks to Sir Giorgio and his humble squire Massimo who help me during the weekly long distance run. This is the 6th week of my marathon training. I am at half-way.

On wednesday I went to Naples for an international conference about the maritime connections between Italy and North Africa. I took the occasion to enjoy the local delicious mozzarelle (cheese) and the sfogliatelle (cake - see the photo).

Have a good week end

30 Km Ostia

Prologue. On sunday oct. 9th the Black Knight Army - the Black Knight, Sir Giorgio and his humble squire Massimo - went to Ostia (near Rome) to enter the so called "30 km of the Sea". We took it easy because we considered the race only another training run for the marathon. The path was very beautiful, we also passed near the archaeological site (see the photo below), through the natural reserve and along the promenade. I was worried because I spent the 2 days before with a terrible headache but fortunately it disappeared the day of the race. Near the start we met our blogger friend TheYogi but we didn't have the time to have a coffee because we were late (Sir Giorgio still had to pick up his bib).

Finishing time. A slow 2h 52'45". Average 5'43"/km (9'12"/ml) but the real distance was 30.240 km. Final stats. 835/1077 overall but many runners were not classified because there were 2 cut-off times at the 17° km and before the arrival; 756/940 men, 62/88 age group. Pictures: the Black Knight is the 331 and Sir Giorgio the 438.

Happy Running

October

October is the 2nd month of the marathon training. The workouts become always longer. Last Sunday I left home at 06.00 a.m. for a run 28 km (17.4 ml) long. The first 8 km were totally in the dark and the other 20 under a warm sun. I got home in time to watch in TV the rugby match Ireland-Italy: it was a shame, a "bloody sunday" with the final score 36-6. Everything was wrong and Ireland too strong. At last we are going to change the head coach!!!!

Here is the monthly mileage (in km), as you can see I began to increase the miles since June. (corsa facile - easy run; corsa in salita - hilly run; corsa lunga - long distance run; gara - race).

On Sunday the Black Knight Army will enter the Ostia 30 km race, for me it will only be a little bit faster training for the marathon, no more; for Sir Giorgio the longest distance ever and for his humble insolent squire Massimo .... we don't know because he was sick until yesterday.

Now I have another boring problem. This is my eye now, I don't know what happened but the doctor said that I am ok. Do I have to trust him?

Happy running, biking, swimming, racing .....