Lovely Blog Award - Tagged!

Caroline from the blog Canadian Runner in Exile tagged me for the Lovely Blog Award.

Simple rules:

a)    Thank the person who awarded the award: Thank you Caroline;

b)    Tell 7 random things about yourself that no one knows;

c)    Pass on the award to 7 blogger pals.

1) December 1977: while I was in the Navy Academy I was taken seriously ill with broncho-pneumonia. The doctors thought it was only a stupid flu and I risked my life. The B.K. is the second from left:

2) I love all kind of animals and I am member of many associations for their protection. When I served in the La Maddalena Naval Base I had a special friend, a well refined gentleman: Blackie that you can see here with my wife in 1983:

3) I love the rock music and I go to many concerts with the same friend since we were teen-agers. Here we are with our wives (1999): the scottish tie is a present that I received after a rugby match:

4) I don’t use facebook and twitter. Is this a fault?

5) I have always worked in my city except short periods in the Naval Bases of La Maddalena (18 months), Taranto (6 months), Messina (2 months) and Leghorn (3 months).

6) I want to retire but in Italy it is difficult because the Parliament changes continuously the “rules of the game”. When I am sure that the time has arrived they say: “Sorry we were joking, wait again”. I am very angry with the politicians.

7) In these days my grandson Leonardo is in the hospital for a little surgery. I hope that my little super-hero comes back home soon. Here he is in his room in that hospital:

If you haven’t been tagged go ahead and do it. I like reading these about other people.

Summer

Time to go to the beach and to take the runs easy because of the heat. When possible my 5 days routine remains the same: run, swim, run, swim, rest but in summer the days at work are hectic so it is difficult to follow this program. The runs are between 10 and 12 km with a weekly longer workout of 14 km (8,7 m). The sessions in the swimming pool are not less than 2000 meters (80 lap lanes). All the mentioned workouts are slower than the usual, in summer I prefer not to overstress my old body. Here is a photo of the beach where I go since 1977:

Next Races. Contrary to the past there are a lot of races in this period. The Black Knight Army made the decision to sign up for the night runs to avoid the hot weather of the summer mornings. On the 1^st of July we will run a 10 km in our city: for me it will only be a tempo run because the route is difficult and there are not prizes. On July 6^th the main event in Tuscany, 6.3 km (3.9 mg) through the city of Orbetello, with a very good loot to conquer: there, I will try to run a little faster. On July 14^th a 10 km in S.Marinella and another tempo run for me. As I have already said I cannot risk more injures, I must learn to manage myself.

Surfing the Web. I have found these 3 photos of the 3 Comuni race (last meters) that I have run last January and, as usual, I am “hiking” a uphill. The n° 1456 is the Sir Giorgio’s humble servant (he is in black uniform too) who left his master, and the running activity, to spend all his time with the new girl-friend. I don’t know if Sir Giorgio will decide to claim the jus primae noctis

Have a good running week

Rome - Formula Run Cup 10 K

The Race in Rome. On Sunday the Black Knight (#159) and Sir Giorgio (#158 - see his report too) went to Rome to run the Formula Run Cup 10 K through the business district named  Eur famous to be planned and built under the fascist period.

The boxeur pays homage to the Black Knight:

While going to take the bib:

The organization was perfect, the volunteers friendly and the loot very good (cakes, yogurth, tea, fruit juice, milk and a tech New Balance t-shirt) but the route very difficult: only uphill and downhill (again!!!!) in narrow streets as you can see in the elevation chart below. Also the finish line was at the top of a uphill. As usual I had to forget my competitive spirit not to injure more my left leg.

Stats. 10 km in 49:46 at the pace of 4'59"/km (8'01"/m); 630 of 1127 overall; 590 of 940 men and 60 of 118 age group.

Question: do you prefer a flat  or a hilly race?

HI (CIAO) FROM SUNNY AND WARM ITALY

May

May 2012. Stats. Running 130.8 km (81.2 m) in 10 workouts and 1 race. Swimming 22400 meters in 11 workouts.

May 1988. In that month I ran my first half marathon and the finishing time was 1:33:51 (92 of 148 overall). The Black Knight is the first on the left:

Training. I am running painfree but I take care, avoiding long distances and speed works (also tempo-runs). The normal pace of my workouts is 6:00/km (9:40/m) and the distance no more than 16 km (10 m). Swimming is going well even if I am allergic at the chlorine and there is no solution. However I noticed that in one of the two pools the problem is low but it is not allowed to swim for more than 40 minutes while, in the other one, I wouldn't have time limits. I cannot wait for swimming in the sea!!!

Tolfa. Yesterday I had dinner with my family in Tolfa, a nice little town on the hills near my city. We spent very good time together and we ate a wonderful pizza.

Change role in the Black Knight Army: Lady Raina, former "strategist", now is the official "dessert taste-tester".

Have a good running, swimming, riding and hiking week

June 2nd - Celebration of the Republic

My June 2nd: I will never forget my 20 years in the Navy and we cannot leave our brothers there (Ridateci i nostri Leoni means Give us Back Our Lions):

And what are our politicians doing?