We managed to add a short YouTube video clip from the Coliseum in the blog 'Journey to Rome' posted on 14th July. We have more little clips and will add them her when internet access and energy permit... Some of the city sights and scenery have been amazing!
I had high hopes that the leg would be a little better today after managing to run 95 percent of yesterday’s marathon (the uphill parts!). I felt good until the 15 mile mark with cool mountain air and great views. Then the dreaded shooting pain in the quadriceps began in earnest again, reducing me to a hobble. It seems that the downhill sections are the problem for the injury and we came from a mountain pass at 968 meters today to the city of Bologna which is a little above sea-level. I felt better in the flat sections but these were few and far between today – most of the route was winding downhill quite steeply. On a positive note, we have completed 10 days and 262 miles since we set out from Rome. The terrain ahead appears on the map to be flatter and we will see how things go now the Apennines are behind us. Thanks for all the messages and sponsorship donations, they really are keeping us going! A preliminary glance at our map was enough to see that today’s 26.2 miles was going to be a challenge for the route took us into the heart of the Apennine mountains… Climbing steadily from 6.30 am we left the foothills north of Florence and it’s impressive ‘Duomo’ (Dome!) behind us and headed north towards Bologne (‘Bologna’). The serious climbing began within an hour after crossing the impressive ‘Lago di Bilancino’ and although my strained quadriceps muscle is still too sore to run downhill, it seemed to cope well enough with the uphills. There was certainly plenty of climbing today! We climbed the ‘Passo de Futa’, reaching the 903 meter summit after 2 and a half hours of lung-busting running and endless hair-pin bends. A brisk breeze and plenty of cloud cover kept me cool and Hannah made sure I drank 6 litres of water during the morning. My troublesome leg did not take well to the steep, 30-minute downhill at the end of the day’s marathon and I had very little left to give when we finished. I will continue the ice and ibuprofen routine and hope that the injury continues to make progress. We are treating ourselves to a night in farmstead accommodation and a meal out this evening. We plan to sleep-in (until 6 am!) tomorrow as despite occasional siestas the 5 am alarm call is tough (or ‘deathly’ according to Hannah!!). Today the marathon once again came with trials and tribulations. After a night of thunder, lightening and rain in Florence, we set off from our campsite keen to test out the quadriceps muscle. If it felt stronger after all the rest, ice and ibuprofen, I could run steadily from 6.30 am and complete the run by lunchtime when the temperatures climb into the 90s. If it felt like it was tearing and becoming more damaged I would have to hobble and limp along long into the afternoon heat or concede defeat and stop the challenge today. Initial signs were promising, I applied some heat rub and walked the first mile. Walking all steep downhill sections on the road into Florence (Firenze), I managed to gingerly run 16 miles. Once in the city itself, however, I felt I was doing more harm than good to my injury and reluctantly began to walk. Only 10 miles to go! We became snarled up in the late-morning city traffic and using the temperamental Sat Nav to guide us, struggled to get out of the city centre. Following Hannah in the car I ran (okay, hobbled) 3 laps of the city’s inner ring road (a blend of 4-lane congested underpasses and rather nice statues and fountains!). Eventually (!) we left the swerving busses and mad scooters of the city and ascended to the village of Montersoli which had lovely views back over the city. This evening if my blisters permit (I picked up my third one today on the inside of my heel, possibly caused by all this walking business and very painful!) we hope to have dinner in Florence. We began the marathon today north of Siena and mercifully the quadriceps injury felt a little better. With heavy strapping I marched the first 10miles in two hours, hoping to run later in the day - injury permitting. We passed through picture-perfect Chianti vineyards until the leg became extremely painful again. With 16.2 miles remaining I hobbled along, picking up a sore blister on the inside of my heel and after 6 and a half hours on the road I was really relieved to finish! We drove to a wonderful little campsite with a view over the Florence (Firenze) skyline and I have been icing the injury regularly. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the inflammation and damage to the muscle eases soon but the ‘Run home from Rome’ remains very much in jeopardy at this stage. Please click on the "Donate" tab and have a look at the very latest Marie Curie TV advert I have just uploaded. The Marie Curie nurses do the most amazing job for people all over the UK when they need it most.
After an early alarm call we set off by car to the south of Siena to yesterday’s end point. After cereal, fruit and plenty to drink we began the 26.2 miles. Before the sun came up the temperature was mild and some early-morning cloud kept the sun at bay for a while. I was enjoying the running for the first 11 miles when I noticed a worrying pain in one of my left quadriceps muscles. Mild at first but intensifying rapidly, the pain soon left me wincing and I eased the pace right down. Just a mile later Hannah strapped the muscle to give me some extra support. We soon decided that I needed to walk the remainder of today’s marathon in order to minimise further muscle damage caused by the relentless pounding. Despite my best efforts to condition my legs to running this kind of distance I was reduced to walking pace half way through the day. It’s not yet 150 miles from Rome and we hope to cover ten times this distance in all. I felt really despondent and concerned for the run tomorrow and the whole challenge ahead. We dug in, paced out the remaining 13 miles and tried to keep impact to the left quadriceps to a minimum. Time dragged on, I had a tuna sandwich on-the-move and finally reached the end in 32 degree heat at 1 pm. A frustrating run! This afternoon I have iced the sore muscle and taken some ibuprofen. We’ll see whether some food and a good night’s sleep will mean it’s possible to continue. For all the preparation we’ve put in to get this far and all the people who have so kindly left messages of support and donations, I seriously hope we can keep going! We left our hostel at 5 am (rueing the missed opportunity for a siesta yesterday!) and made our way by car to Radicofani where marathon 4 finished. Although a horribly early hour to get up, running after 10 am is purgatory and running after midday is just unimaginably hot! The hour or so before the sun appears over the horizon is much more enjoyable but the sun hat and high-factor sun cream are soon needed and the temperature soars rapidly each day. I enjoyed descending the hill I dragged myself up yesterday and the route then became less steep. The road wound it's way through picturesque villages and the countryside was stunning - rolled bails of hay lay in parched fields overlooked by hilltop villages - quintessential Tuscan Italy! Super marathon today - I got up at 5 am (ouch!) and headed off alone around Lago Di Bolsena with the CamelBac (water backpack) and a banana for fuel. The road rose steeply upwards to the pretty village of Acquapendente and the view over the lake was fantastic. It's the largest volcanic lake in Europe I'm reliably informed! The marathon route for the next 17 miles passed through lovely countryside and fields of sunflowers stretched to the horizon. The last 5 miles of the run were quite brutal to say the least, climbing steeply through the hairpin bends to Radicofani. The monastery at the top of the hill here (896m) can be seen for miles and the view was breath-taking! We headed to Siena after the run and found a basic hostel. In the evening we biked a couple of miles to the historic centre of the city, enjoying a glass of fine red wine (it's medicinal, right?) in the impressive Piazza del Campo. We are starting to learn the ropes a little and the run, although effortful, was more straight-forward today. We got up at 5am once again (Hannah is wondering what she signed up for here!) and it felt more like UK temperatures, at least initially before the sun came up... Eating bananas, dried fruit and snacks frequently and drinking more during the brief 'pitstops' we completed the 26.2 miles in under 4 and a half hours. Today's route took us up to the dramatic hillside town of Monte Via Scone and down to the stunning Lago Di Vico, into which I plunged at the end! Very refreshing! During my training I completed 7 20-mile runs in 7 days (during school half-term). After this I ran as much and as often as I could depending on work commitments. Running 3 conceutive marathons in 3 days is new territory for me and, after a fairly awful first day, I'm greatly relieved and feeling in reasonable shape! Only one blister, some mild chaffing and a stiff calf muscle to report after nearly 80 miles. |