our choices show what we truly are

This was my 2nd marathon in 3 weeks, 2nd trail marathon of my "running career", 12th marathon since 2004.

I don't consider myself a trail runner even though I spent a considerable amount of miles on trails.

Trail running around here is not big and this race was at its first edition with 140 runners. It represents a decent number considering also that 30 miles away there was also an half marathon with 390 people. In Italy races are usually this size because to race you need a medical certificate and being part of a sport group, so this keeps away most of the occasional runners.

This race was just 10 minutes drive from my house in the beautiful monastery-town of San Martino al Cimino. I woke up at 6:30 and by 7:30 I was on my way to the start. At 8:00 I was already around the starting line chatting with people, no pressure to gain the first positions, just enjoying the friendly atmosphere in preparation for the race.

The race starting line was at the north gate of the town (very narrow approx. one car-wide) and then we immediately started going straight uphill on asphalt road for 2km to reach the crater ridge line. This is a volcanic territory with hills no higher than 1200 meters and the whole race consisted on climbing and descending the walls of this volcanic lake (Vico lake) and some of the highest peaks around. After 2km, the rest of the race until km 40 was on trails, then again 2 km on asphalt to go back to San Martino.

I started enjoying the hill and then I tried hard to restrain myself until km 17. During this section where we lost altitude, I restrained myself probably a little bit too much, but it was already hot and I was sweating too much. At km 17 started the most important climb of the day with 2km to reach the top of Monte Cimino no views from the top because the forest is too thick, but the whole ground in any direction in the top 50 meters was completely covered with white and blue flowers. It was really beautiful, I stopped with other runners around to take a group picture, even though we didn't know each other, we felt we were sharing the same feelings.

We dropped down to reach an aid station and then we climbed back up through a different route and we headed back to the crater lake.

At km 20 there was an aid station "manned" by five silent girls (they didn't look italian) offering water and the usual staff, I thought I heard one whispering something in english, so I said loud with my worst american-english accent "Ey has it going girls!!!!!!!" and they exploded in laughing and comments and wanted to chat and talk, they were from all over US but none of them from Utah, I didn't ask them what they were doing in the middle of nowhere at an aid station of a trail marathon and it will remain a mistery. From km20 to km 29 we regained all the altitude lost during the first part, one hill after the other partly walking partly running, this was also the hardest point, all negative thoughts kicked in, at a fountain I submerged my head in the water, I ate some candies and kept moving to the aid station at km 29 at the top of the crater.

That aid station had loud music and two very nice cheering women-angels, I drank some more water and gatorade, ate some more food and probably the combination of all those things together brough new life to my legs. Next 3 km were straight down to the lake and I was flying on a technical trail like I was crazy, I couldn't believe how fast I was going down compared to the misery of 10 minutes earlier, I reached the bottom and then moved along on a rolling section at slower pace until I reached the swampy area of the lake. This was at km35 only 7 km to go with 2 of them on a dry mud/sandy mosquito infested terrain until I reached the base of the crater again. Then another 2 km straight uphill and this was painful, I was running the last 2 km with another guy and we were walking uphill, when at certain point I realized I was alone because he stopped and he was trying to recover, I kept moving up until there was a runner in distress seating on a rock with some volunteers around, he was feeling sick and nauseous and he couldn't keep moving, we were on a single track trail and no vehicle could come down, the doctor was on his way down but I wasn't sure how they could move the runner without his collaboration.

I started moving again I reached after another km the top and the end of the trail and the ambulance with the doc just arrived. The doctor with his tools was nicely dressed and there was no way he could go down for 1 km with his leather shoes, I told him more or less what was going on and then I kept moving while they called a guy on motorcycle to try to bring the runner to the ambulance. At that point 2 km of pure downhill hell separeted me from the finish line and I think I was moving really at 5k speed ignoring my screaming quads. The last twist of the race was that they made us go to the bottom of the town and the arrival was at the top with a final stretch of 200 meters of pure uphill agony.

After crossing the finish line and receiving the finisher medal  I walked a few steps and for the first time in my running career I left on the cobblestone the last 1/2 liter of gatorade and water I drank that was obviously seating in my stomach deciding where to go.

I predicted a finish time between 4:15 and 4:45 and I was right on, if I had pressed the first part a little bit more I would have finished 10-15 minutes earlier, but time didn't really matter. It was an incredible experience on a very beautiful, well organized course. For pictures of the course and maps you can check their website and start practicing your italian.

http://www.ecomaratonadeimonticimini.it/ecomaratona_dei_monti_cimini.html