As a podista (which is absolutely my most favourite Italian word now) I have learnt a few Italian words and phrases to describe what it is we all do. Jogging is called lo jogging and is a gentle affair involving no red faces at all. Running which is definitely what I prefer to call this programme is called Lo footing. And if you have to run away from something the verb is scappare - which I guess is probably where our verb scarper comes from.
Mr Smooth sent me his usual dating message and so having had a 3 day break in the Dolomites, I was neither bright eyed nor bushy tailed. But I hauled my sorry arse out of bed and was greeted by gloriously grey skies. We've had pretty much constant temperatures of between 35 - 40 degrees here for about 7 weeks, and so I never thought as a Brit I'd welcome a grey sky, but it's blissful - the 8am temperature had dropped to about 22 degrees, which felt positively chilly.
3 days off with friends, eating and drinking is not the best preparation for this programme, but still off I went - down the slope of hope, where I got overtaken by the sisters from the convent - I call them the 'nuns on the run'. They too drive like Ferrari drivers and are the local manufacturers of a rather lethal olive based liqueur. Think Jagermeister mixed with olive twigs and diesel. Definitely an acquired taste.
The run started on the corner of the hill that kills, and of course this time being an 8 minute run, that meant no respite. Mr Smooth was telling me something but in truth I have no idea what it was as my heart was pumping away and then still running on the approach to Lovers Lane, my playlist hit Duffy singing Mercy. Never was a song so appropriate at that time. It did make me laugh out loud and that helped with the breathing bizarrely.
Albino and Anouska were out walking as usual, with most unusually umbrellas (most Italians laugh at us Brits with our insistence on carrying them) - we traded buongiornos and then I got my well earned walking rest. The photo shows Lovers Lane with its recently filled potholes, which again was help as normally I have to run around them.
How on earth do I get that pic the right way up?
Halfway back on Lovers Lane Mr Smooth insisted on a second run - I don't love him all the time, and today it was a good job he was quieter as I may have punched him if he'd been too enthusiastic.
Lovers Lane has its own incline and then it's quite a run up back to the hill that kills, although this time I was mostly running downhill. So that was Run 2 done - lessons learnt if at all possible don't take 3 days rest - it doesn't work for me. And secondly, avoiding the sun helps tremendously. I really wasn't feeling the love this morning and didn't want to go out, but the cooler temperature meant I dropped a shade lower from salsa red to raspberry bellini, at the finish.
Now raspberry bellini - I love that colour name, that could just be my preferred shade of red.
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This is not just exhaustion - Week 8 Run 1
