Arriverdecii Bella Italia

[Marvo69]

Like cooking a meal, it takes ages and is eaten in moments. And so the long awaited holiday is quickly over.

We had a wonderful time in a remote party of SW Italy and I'd recommend it unreservedly.

Italy is a beautiful welcoming place full of contradictions.

3,000 years of civilisation totally uninterrupted by progress.

A language created by the Gods that sounds like smooth chocolate ambrosia is coating the mouth of a singing angel. And yet, ask 3 Italians which bus you need for the station, and the yelling cacophony could be heard over an erupting Vesuvius.

The fabled Mediterranean diet provides for long life, but along with Olive oil and tomatoes comes Neapolitan pizza, pasta, buckets of carbs and gelato and yet the men continue to embrace Speedos and the carbonised bronze women still fit in thong bikinis. How do they do it?!

A country that boasts Ferrari as its own, and yet to a man, drive 1972 Fiat Pandas. Like maniacs.

Bella Italia.

The hell fire heat across Europe continues and we’re heading home.

A little travel advice…

I travel a fair bit for work, and I’m forever setting off the scanner alarm at airport security. Watch, cufflinks, belt, shoes, etc. And so I was excited at the prospect of traveling in flip flops and t-shirt and sailing incident free through security.

Well, two things..

I did get through the scanner with no alarm… And shouted “Yes”.

I can recommend not celebrating when you get through security. This delayed us a little😂

Also, my wife loves to bake her own bread and had bought some special bags of Italian ‘Tipo 00’ flour to take home, and put it in the suitcase. Yep. It tore.

And so we tried to walk through security at London Gatwick with clouds of white powder puffing from the luggage. This delayed us a little 😆

And we’re home.

This week I’ve really lacked motivation to go and run. Not sure why, just not feeling it. I managed 5k earlier this week. I thought I’d find it easier in the cooler weather, lower altitude and flatter ground and yet I had a toxic 35! I’m sure I’m getting slower!

Yesterday, I had a lovely day at Lords. England v India test match. The rain was biblical. I’m sure at some point I saw Noah herding pairs of animals from nearby London zoo into an ark. So, not much cricket got played, which meant 12 hours of passing time with friends and wine. Great fun at the time but didn’t feel good this morning at 0800 when I ought to have been heading for park run. Ah well, I’m not feeling it anyway. The gremlins have well and truly taken root.

But you know what, come lunchtime, I still wasn’t feeling it, but I was feeling guilty and accountable in some strange way to myself, my wife and to you lot. Reading your park run posts made me need to keep up with you. And so I went out. So, so proud of today’s run. Not particularly long. Not particularly fast. But the fact that I went and did it at all was a major victory of mind over lethargy.

Thanks all for continuing to inspire me. 😩

Good running!

#you can do it

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Well done Marvo, it’s always difficult to adjust after a holiday and yours was a rather hot one. If you’d gone to Hastings Parkrun with pianoteacher you’d have met your old pal Dame Kelly! Good to have you back. I guess like my OH you’ll soon be playing hockey at weekends too. 🏑🏃‍♂️

[Marvo69 in reply to Dexy5]

Yep, hockey season not far away now! Encouraged that I met my hockey pals at the cricket yesterday and they all remarked on my weight loss and well being from running. I may still very picked for the team yet! That’s my motivation now! Cheers

[Saartjie Graduate10]

I also had a terrible run yesterday after not really feeling like it. But went out there anyway because I felt guilty for not running on my usual run day! Our minds and our sense of obligation to ourselves and our run-buddies from the forum are amazing.

Sounds like you had an amazing holiday...I love Italy and the crazy Italian way of things.

Hopefully you will feel more in sync with your next run. Well done for getting out there anyway 🙂

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate]

Hey you..... welcome home

Great post and great holiday!!!

You are back into the UK running and that is fantastic! xx

PS

The painting is taking shape

[Dizzysmum17 Graduate10]

Your holiday sounds amazing - I did laugh at your post 😆! Glad you had a good time. And happy running! 🏃😉

[_SimonT_]

Bad luck with the cricket! What a shame. Great post though and well done for getting out to do your run. The main obstacle for park run for me is the time they start at!