A business trip had me in Italy and offered up some great running and riding opportunities. The first leg was 4 days in Pisa.On the am of Day 1, I set off in the early morning as the city was waking up on a running tour of Pisa and the surrounging countryside. I had planned on a light run but the scenery and draw of the distant hills beckoned me. Like the nut-job that I am, I ran towards the country and in 3 miles had exited Pisa and found a country road that pointed in the general direction of the mountain range 5 or 6 miles away. I kept a pretty steady but moderate pace knowing that I wanted to see as much of the countryside as possible without depleting my energy or compromising my hydration (I ran without water). Near my turn back point at the 30 minute mark I picked up a beautiful little trail that ran along an ancient aquaduct. An occasional bike or pedestrian met me with a cheery "Bonjourno!" as I ran. 80 minutes later I was back at my hotel and ready for all the aqua non gas that I could drink!
On Day 2, I kept it light given the time changes and sleep deprivation of international travel. The narrow streets and alley's of Pisa were quiet and there were few afoot as I ran along taking in the sights. I saw no other runners and the few Italians I encountered gave me no second
glances so I had to assume I wasn't too foreign a site--but given how much they smoke I'm pretty certain I wasn't the norm either. My run took me down the main river and eventually onto a foot path that meandered down it's banks as it fell slowly away to the Mediterranean Sea some miles down trail. I doubled back at the 25 minute point with the intent of only putting in about 50 minutes on this run. The temperature was ideal--mid 60's--as I ran, the rising sun made the soft mediterranean tones of the buildings, homes, and red tile roofs even more warm and glowing. Along the river, a few hungry fish surfaced for a breakfast of mayflies that seemed to hover along the bank edges.Day 3 was a rest day to prepare for my weekend of running and biking up in Cervinia--a village at the foot of the Italian side of the famed Matterhorn.....more to follow...
1 comment:
Heh! Indeed it had no waiting time to get on the ride and very few people in front of me. I guess the fast pass was a waste of money.
Thanks for the comments.
With the exception you noted, I did run the race route for the Ohlone 50K including the doubling of Rose Peak (that was the no fun part). At the junction for Meadow to Horse Heaven I continued up. I made up for lost mileage by some creative doubling after Rose peak.
My admiration for you goes up by 3-4x given your frequency of running Mission Peak. You must be a heckuva hill climber!
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