Today I felt achy and sore after yesterday’s efforts and running down the steep mountain road towards Lake Luzern in the chilly air at 7 in the morning was tough. The road switched back again and again as we went from 2100 m to 500m. I found my stride after 13 miles and settled into a good rhythm. The road became less steep and the miles passed steadily. With 3 or 4 miles to go I went through the usual ‘purgatory’ of feeling pretty depleted of energy and just willing myself onwards (and downwards…). Hannah continues to get up really early and joins me on the road. She is amazing with the navigation, preparing food to keep me going and keeping my spirits up. I could not do any of this without the support she is giving and I am full of admiration for her! Thanks for all the messages and donations for Marie Curie. The proceeds of the ‘run home from Rome’ will help to pay a Marie Curie nurse to provide valuable support to people who are suffering from cancer (and their families). This is a massive motivation for me and whenever the legs ache and I’m not sure how I’ll carry on, this thought spurs me on. Keep the donations coming; whether large or small they are very much appreciated!
A long, tough but rewarding marathon… For 5-hours I climbed up a cobbled mountain road. The views were spectacular to say the least. The air was cool and the road seemed to wind endlessly upwards. I had ‘the munchies’ on a few occasions and goodness knows how many calories I burned on the way up! My heart-rate was certainly much higher than usual. In the afternoon, with the extra help of Hannah’s Mum and Dad, we pitched our tent by a mountain lake. With aching legs, I went to bed early feeling pleased to have scaled the first Alpine mountain pass without injury after over 500-miles of running in the last few weeks. It’s a day none of us will forget! Just after dawn we dragged ourselves up and hit the road under a cloudy sky to start marathon 20. We followed a steep-sided valley for the first three hours and Hannah was a star, passing croissants with nutella out of the car window and cheering me on... Pain-free for nearly 13 miles, the rest-day had certainly paid dividends. The last part of the marathon was tougher, however, as the road steepened dramatically and I navigated the tight hair-pin bends with a nagging pain in my right hip joint! I now feel old and decrepid!! I was thrilled to see Hannah, video in-hand, signaling the 42 km-mark (26.2 mile-mark) and we avoided a downpour by minutes. This afternoon the heavens opened and we all sheltered in the tent as a huge thunder and lightening storm played out around us. We now have a damp matress but the rain has seemingly cleared for now. I’m not sure this is quite what Hannah’s folks signed up for but we are all in high spirits! Tomorrow the map shows numerous hair-pin bends and a lengthy ascent; I will need to be in good form to make it to the marathon finish-line. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my second rest day after 19 marathons! We slept in until 7.30 am, had a fabulous breakfast of croissants and Weetabix as Hannah’s mum, Lesley, opened her birthday cards. My legs ached so deeply all I could really do today was potter on the campsite; very nice too! I had a dip in the chilly camp swimming pool, washed the car and uploaded the blog. At midday I refueled with a traditional fry-up, courtesy of Hannah`s folks. We continued the birthday celebrations in the evening with a bottle of Chianti wine that we picked up whilst in the Chianti wine region of Italy two weeks ago and we tucked into a terrific barbeque. We’ll see tomorrow whether not running a marathon for the first time in a while will help my legs to recover a little!
After a much-needed cuppa and a bowl of cereal, we quietly downed the tent and set off on marathon 19. The sunrise revealed views right across Lago di Lugano and the cloud cleared gradually from the mountains which surround the lake. The first hour was cool (20 degrees Celsius) and the road actually crossed the lake and wound up and down to the city of Lugano. The views of the mountains were unforgettable but I do wonder how exactly I will find the strength to traverse the Alps; my legs are now extremely stiff and I have grown used to running with various deep aches and pains! One day it’s my lower calf and upper quadriceps, the next my hip joint and the inside of my knee – each different part of my legs seems to be complaining by turn… We finished the run in Belizona, an historic city which has three splendid castles. After a steep climb and a lengthy descent (90 minutes) we entered a huge valley and pitched up on a riverside campsite. At 6 pm Hannah’s Mum and Dad, Lesley and Keith, arrived from the UK. They have spent two days on the road to get here and have brought us plenty of goodies including bacon (with a white sliced loaf…), Boddingtons and a new supply of ibuprofen tablets! We headed out to the town for the evening and enjoyed catching up with news from home over a great meal. The first of August is a national holiday in Switzerland and we joined the locals in the main square for a concert and firework display. The castle which overlooks the Belizona was lit up dramatically and with ice-creams and tired smiles we eventually slept under canvas after a night that will live long in the memory! We were absolutely blown away by the hospitality that Marta and her family showed us in their home in Galbiate near Lecco. We slept comfortably in their camper van which saved us having to pitch our tent and inflate the airbed. The run today passed lovely lakes and we glimpsed spectacular views of Como, a city on the hillside overlooking Lago di Como. We climbed steeply and traversed to Lago di Lugano as we think that a route over the Swiss Alps which avoids motorways and tunnels may be possible from here. Eventually we crossed the border from Italy to Switzerland and, looking back over the journey so far – the heat-waves, hills and blisters and the places, people and amazing experiences we have had – it’s hard to believe how far we have travelled and how many miles my legs have covered! It has been a true team effort; I could have achieved nothing without the unbelievable support Hannah has given and she continues to be amazing! Approximately 10-miles after crossing into Switzerland we completed the 26.2 miles and with agonisingly sore legs (the miles are taking their toll gradually!) we found a little campsite on the shore of Lago di Lugano. A swim in the cool water of the lake and a hearty meal were much appreciated and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon here in sunny Switzerland. Last night we found a lovely restaurant in 'Bergamo Alta' (the old part of the city which has amazing views over the North Italian Plain). I hobbled stiffly to the table and asked the waitress for a bag of ice cubes for my calf muscle (it's becoming a customary question!). We dragged ourselves up at 5 am today as it was so hot towards the end of the marathon yesterday, I suffered somewhat in the 30-degree heat! We crept out of our dorm room (leaving four other back-packers snoozing), loaded the car and began running at 6.15 am. The first 8 miles whizzed by with relative ease and I enjoyed running in 19 degrees Celsius! Despite some aches and pains after yesterday's run and not a huge amount of sleep, I felt strong today and the miles ticked by. I didn't feel like I was running through (much!) pain and this was an absolute blessing. I decided to walk down a couple of the steeper descents today as the impact on my legs of running downhill has been a bit detrimental of late. We passed south of Lecco and completed the 42 km (26.2 miles) south-east of Como. Today was mostly an uphill marathon and the mountain views are getting more spectacular by the mile. In Florence last week we bumped into a very cool Italian language student by the name of Marta. After having our photograph taken in a statue of a bath (!), we had a natter with Marta who is a language student at the University of Sussex. Marta happens to be here in Italy spending the summer in her home town of Galbiate (8 miles from our marathon finish-point today). I texted Marta and she invited us to her home and gave us a lovely pasta lunch. We have enjoyed simply wonderful hospitality so far in Italy! The views of the surrounding lakes (Laghi Briantei) have to be seen to be believed and we are touched once again by the kindness people are showing to us as we head towards Switzerland. We packed away the tent and left our riverside spot in Orzinuovi after tea and cereal by the river. Our new friend 'Mario' rolled by at 6.10 in the morning (on his way to work!) and blasted out some Italian music from his car, it brought a smile to our face despite the early hour! Cumulative fatigue (perhaps exacerbated by a drop of Prosecco last night!) left me feeling somewhat groggy this morning and I found it hard to get into my stride. Within the first hour we saw our first glimpse of the Alps, rising ominously on the horizon! I gasped initially, it came as a bit a shock after nearly a week of flat running across the North Italian Plain. My mind soon drifted to the prospect of running over the mountains, an intimidating prospect... The mountains gradually loomed larger throughout the day as we neared the ancient city of Bergamo. I enjoyed the run today; it was very painful for 6 - 8 miles at the end (my legs had a real 'burning' feeling) but it was rewarding nevertheless! We found a stunning new hostel overlooking the city and crashed out for a quick siesta. Shortly we hope to find some dinner and soak up the views. We left the campsite in Cremona after a good sleep-in (6.45 am) and completed the run in 4 hours and 45 minutes. My calf was pain-free for 45 minutes before tightening up and I had to run through gritted teeth for 4 hours. My shadow became very short towards the end of the run as the sun grew ever-stronger. I dug deep to get through he last few miles with Hannah passing me food and keeping my spirits up. We made it to the town of Orzinuovi in a slight pickle over where to rest our heads for the night. The town has no hostels, hotels or campsites. We got chatting to a local guy, Khaleb, in a restaurant on the main street and he seriously came to our rescue! He drove us to a nearby river where we pitched the tent. I washed in the cool waters which felt fantastic, whilst Hannah managed to dip her toe in...what a wimp! We made friends with some local people (Mario and Aldo) who had more generosity of spirit than you would think possible. They came back in the evening with Prosecco sparkling wine, cream cakes fom the 'pasticcieria' and even ice cream ('gellato')!! From having nowhere to pitch up we have enjoyed an evening next to the river, learning Italian and enjoying some terrific company. A friend of Khaleb's (Leo) also joined us with a mobile internet 'dongle' enabling us to update the blog! It's evenings like this that make the trip so unforgettable... We left our budget hotel in Parma at 5:45am having loaded up the car, a routine we have become very familiar with over the last fortnight! Leaving the busy A-road which heads towards Milan, we turned north onto a fantasic B-road. With cool early morning temperatures and a clear blue sky the first couple of hours of running were really enjoyable. This region (Lombardy) is flat and agricultural and it is famous for the production of Parmesan cheese. We passed numerous farms and my legs felt pretty good for the duration of the run (thankfully!). We found a little camp site close to the end point of today's marathon and spent an (exhausting!) hour pitching our tent. After a brief siesta we checked out the historical centre of Cremona and we are heading back for a BBQ with the hungry campsite mosquitoes... I need to find some ice this evening for my right calf which is sore at the moment. Hannah's support continues to be absolutely unbelievable and I simply could not do this without such super help. A huge thank you once again for all the marvelous messages and donations, I feel quite humbled by all the support we are receiving. |