our choices show what we truly are

This race is a hard one with a big hill (about 150m high) to climb during the first 5k and then mostly downhill in the second half. The hardest past is represented by the constant terrain change, except for the first 2k and the last 2k, the surface is similar to a XC race, unpaved roads, dirt, rough concrete with holes and grass, mud and rocks, and both the climb and the downhill is broken in about 10 short walls followed by shorter downhill sections with a resulting constant uneven pace. The race starts at 5:30pm and for me this was a bonus, it rained all morning but it stopped early in the afternoon, so except for some mud, temperatures and overall conditions were great. This town is just 15 minutes drive from my house, after picking up the bib number I went for a short warm up and then I waited for the start of the race. I didn't have any goal time, just to go out and trying to stay with some fast people until the end. The race started on time, after 1k loop in town to thin the crowd we headed out of town to enter an unpaved road going up and up for the next 4k. Km 2 to 3 is the only constant steep climb, then the next 2k were a constant up and then down, for about 10 times. The downhill part was similar until km 7 when we reached the asphalt road and the terrain was more even. The last 1.3k started with a crazy downhill followed by a similar hill to climb and then the final down section to the finish line. I was with the fourth woman most of the time (a young 18 years old girl) that at km 7 on the asphalt took off, as she was just warming up up to that point, she passed the third woman that was about 100m from us  and finished 1 minute ahead of me. I was very happy with my time and position, I finished just 8 seconds from my unofficial fast pacer (I have never finished so close to this guy), my k splits show perfectly where the hills and the downhills were located: 3:48, 4:16, 4:36, 4:46, 4:41, 3:36, 3:39, 4:07, 3:53, 3:43 + about 1 minute to cover the last 350m.

 This race is considered about 2-3 minutes slower than a flat 10k, the top three african guys finished within few seconds from each other in 30:19, it was unbelievable how fast they were going on those hills.

Easy recovery run. The weather was great sunny and clear skies, I wasn't sore just general fatigue. I started feeling good only during the last 3 miles.

Tonight I was lucky the thunderstorm that yesterday hit at 7pm, exactly when I was leaving for my run, this evening waited two more hours and until 8:30 the skies were mostly clear with a warm sun. It is a crazy weather, we really didn't have spring so far.

The run was good, my legs are still heavy and tired from saturday's race but after a 5k warm up I started a nice progression finishing at MP pace. Overall a great feeling and at the end I felt much better than at the start.

Tonight I didn't have enough time for a run, so I decided to bring my running clothes and shoes with me in the car. Once I got back from Rome, in the parking lot of the train station I changed into my running outfit inside the car and went for a run on the farm roads around the train station. It was fun to change the scenery, this road also is a gentle roller not too hard and fast enough to keep some rhythm going. I finished 7.5 miles in 1 hour. As added bonus once at home I discovered that a thunderstorm just stopped. I am really tired of this constant spring, cold weather.

Fast workout night, the plan was to do 10X1000 with 2:30 recovery jogging. I knew that it would be impossible to finish it, if I was doing it under 3:50/k but I just wanted to see how the crash was coming and how I would deal with it. Last time I did this with 1:30 recovery it was ugly and my time was around 3:51 for six repeats. Tonight the first 5 repeats were ok then during 6th and 7th I felt nauseous and decided to stop there. My splits were 3:50, 3:47, 3:47, 3:46, 3:48, 3:47, 3:47. I felt good, but this pace is still ambitious for my current level of fitness. The consistency was a good thing and my crash was mental before it showed in my times.

Easy miles around mount Venere, I started really slow and relaxed, half way I was bored and started pushing, I finished really fast but the beauty of running without a Garmin means I will never know my final speed.

This morning my energy level was really low and I had just one hour for a quick run, I couldn't force myself to go beyond 4 very easy miles. I am just tired.

This morning I was feeling really tired I had no will power to go for a run, even a short easy one, I know from previous experiences that when I go running and I don't feel good (and this would be the second day in a row) I always end up injured or even worse going through weeks and weeks of being constantly fatigued. Mental rest is needed during days like this.

I didn't feel too good at the beginning but I decided to go without forcing the pace and just trying to do an easy 10k. After 6k I warmed up and my pace was easier and much faster I finished adding a couple of more miles because I was really feeling good.

Tempo run night, 3k warm up then I started with the goal of maintaining 4:00/k. The first 5k were easy and relaxed even easier than a real tempo, no problem to maintain the pace, km 6 was somehow harder, the last one I felt I was going to die. I wanted to do another one taking advantage of the slight downhill terrain and finish with an 8k, but at 7k my body completely stopped. Finished the 7k in 27:55. 3k cool down.

Overall right now this is my greatest weakness I have no stamina over the distance, I have no problems to maintain some decent speed, in races and in training, but after 7-8k it becomes no longer sustainable. I have to work on that, doing more miles and longer intervals.

Different route tonight, I changed in my running clothes in the car at the train station parking and went for a run along the railways for a few kms and then in the open countryside. 13k total. I went progressively faster but I was still feeling the effect of the fast tempo done yesterday. It was really refreshing changing route and scenery. Surprisingly there were lots of people running, walking and biking on that isolated road.

Easy run, tomorrow morning I will attempt a fast workout.

I had one hour this morning before leaving for a trip for the whole week end, I decided to pack as much pain as possible in the available time. I decided to do an 8X400 uphill with 500m recovery going back down. I went to a different hill from last time because this stretch of road is completely in the shade. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't want to die right from the beginning for this reason I started really slow and then I finished progressively faster, the last one was "half cheating" because I did it on a flat section going back to the car. These were my splits: 94, 97 (it was easy), 93 (this is better but still on the easy side), 91, 89, 87, 85 (next time I will definitively target 85-87) and 80 for the flat one. Good run I don't think I will be able to run in the next two days.

No time to run.

Travelling back home, no time to run. Summer is officially here to stay.

Another failed run, I thought after two days of (stressfull) rest I would be able to push 4:00/k for 7-8k, but it didn't work as expected. It was warm tonight, I warmed up for a couple of kms and then I started: 4:03, 3:57, 3:58, 4:01 were my splits, but after 4 kms I gave up. I did another couple of kms just to mentally cool down and then I was OK again and I went progressively faster and finished the last km in 3:46/k. This shows how I have to work on my mental part or maybe I am just a little bit tired from the rest of my life. I still did a 5k at a LT pace.

Easy run with some fast kms at the end. It was fun and hot, summer it is definitively here.

Tonightat 7pm it was really hot, in spite of the weather my run was pretty good and I finished with a nice progression. Run near the train station.

10X400 w/ 200m recovery jog, tonight it was still hot at 7:30pm, I did a short warm up to wake up my legs and then I started. These were my splits: 85, 81, 80, 77, 79, 80, 81, 79, 81, 80. The first one was a little bit too conservative and then I was on fire until #5 when I thought I could maintain sub-80 easily. During #6 and #7 I couldn't go sub-80 in spite of going all out. #8 was a surprise that I paid during #9 and finished with a good 80. Overall I was pleased by my splits, I wanted to maintain my AP around 80 seconds and I did it. If it was a little bit cooler I could have done a little bit better especially in the last five.

This week it will be my last relaxing week, running-wise, from july I will try to increase my mileage and I will start introducing more marathon pace runs. After two days of  "forced rest" due to a wedding and lots of relatives around, tonight it was a nice progressive run with the last 3k at HMP (4:00/k) and the last one at 5k pace (3:37/k).

Same as yesterday started slow and finished the last 4k faster into the 10k territory, I am feeling good and the weather, cooler and windy is just great.

Not enough time to run these days, I am too busy at work. I hope this forced rest will pay off for the race next saturday.

Easy run, this week is finally over.

This was the first bad race of the year. The race started at 7pm in a town, Bolsena, in front of the Bolsena lake. The weather was great, cool breeze and 20°C, and overall I was feeling relaxed and ready to go. I wanted to run well in terms of competion, the race has one big climb and short nasty rollers, my overall goal was trying to stay with a couple of guys that were slightly faster than me during the last two races and finish around 35:50-36:10. We started on time, the first 3k were flat and I was doing fine following my unofficial pacers at 3:47/k. We did a couple of kms of climb with lots of switchbacks, I was still on their heels but usually going uphill I feel stronger, today it was not the case. When we entered the rollers, 2k of ups and downs, I was done I started loosing ground and on the downhill I was passed by at least 10 people as I was a roadkill. The last k was just painful and I wanted to be done already. Even at the end I tried my best to finish with 36:xx but didn't happen. I am not sure what was my problem today, for sure I haven't done many kms during the last 3 weeks, and this week at work was really stressfull. I have no clear answer, I was not giving up and I was determined until the end, but somehow by legs and my breathing were working much harder than they should. I will start from here my summer training and see what happens.

Easy recovery run. My legs are somehow ok, just general fatigue.

To summarize this half year of running, the only disappointing part is my mileage that is below my overall goal of 2400 miles for the year. I had some really good races and I hit many great workouts, I have just to be more consistent and keep my mileage higher. My greatest goal for the rest of the year is to PR again in the half in september or in october, finish a flat 10k race under 40 minutes, and trying to PR in the marathon in Florence at the end of november.