First of all an apology to all Italians, who are shocked at my incorrect spelling of the Tirreno Adriatico cycle race the TIRRENO is the Italian word for the Tyrrhenian Sea, and I got it wrong - it's not Terreno ....
Which means all those plucky professional cyclists who had battled through the worst Spring weather Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche have had to offer, I placed them into a non-existent race. Which is really bad news for the Yates twins and Tom Pidcock . Thank goodness their professional body has a bit more about them than I do and their GC points still are being counted. Phew!
On which subject, Mr JCR was able to get decent access to the race before it started and he saw his English cycling heroes - courtesy of him being a member of a local cycling club who were invited to do part of the race stage ahead of the official start.
His prize for doing this, wasn't just bragging rights, oh dearie me no. This is Italy and any group participation gets a prize, I was somewhat surprised at the royal blue shower caps he presented, which seemed fairly random even by local standards (one of our friends once won a frying pan for running a 10Km trail run....)
But the financial crisis is biting and clearly our local Comune couldn't afford frying pans, which is why Mr JCR showed me his shower caps, which seemed just about big enough for our greyhounds.
I said 'why shower caps?' and he replied they were cycling saddle rain covers - hmmmm, not convinced, anyway they've been added to the 'tat cupboard' - sorry the Cycling Hall of Fame in the garage.
Sunday was a sofa surfing day, watching the last stage of the Tirreno Adriatico followed by watching my team collapse in the Carabao Cup. Much pacing up and down and swearing. Ho Hum.
Out this morning, could I complete Week 7 without needing the bribery of a blue shower cap? Well, in discussion with Mr JCR we decided I'd see if I could actually recognise left from right and do the run I'd planned for Week 7 Run 1.
Started out at the cafe, I left Fibi Fardashian and Bobster the Monster with Mr JCR, and started on my way. Got to Baghdad roundabout and hallelujah took the right turn which was the left one, if you know what I mean. It is a fairly flat lane, no tree cover, but today was a dullish morning so that wasn't an issue. And I started pootling to my 90s mix, which included Ebeneezer Good by The Shaman, naturally I changed the lyrics to 'My knees are good' and couldn't resist joining in on the Naughty, Naughty Very Naughty part. Not naughty but only 2.5 minutes in as Jo Cool delighted in telling me, also making the point that now they're all longer runs, which is an achievement and of course she's right, it is.
In the distance a loping male runner was 'proper running' and coming my way. Like many people of a certain age, my eyesight requires bifocals but I can't run in them, so the distant runner was definitely male, but seemingly carrying a bright yellow towel. Maybe he sweats a lot?
No not a towel, nor a yellow duster, but a daffodil yellow sweatshirt, which was looped in his jacket belt, but he was already wearing a jacket and a gilet and of course leggings, just in case anyone thought Italian runners like running in their knickers ...
Now it wasn't warm but it was between 12 and 15 degrees and I had a jacket and base layer, but I forget being in Italy, Spring isn't considered to have arrived until it’s really quite warm. In our local area the first day of Spring is when Yankee, the restaurant, opens in Fano. It's not American owned, nor is it a burger joint, but a fresh fish restaurant. It is 10 metres from the beach and always opens a week before Easter. For all locals, it's not the daffodils, nor the tractors, nor the cuckoos that herald Spring, it is Yankee opening. Yankee is still shut, therefore he was correctly attired in Winter running gear and it was me a straniera who was wearing the wrong clothes!
The brilliant thing about living here is everyone is so friendly - he greeted me with a Ciao and wished me a good run, and I did the same. he gave me a bit of a lift and I picked up the pace to snail pace and it was rather lovely, I was in a fab groove - Groove is in the Heart to be precise. Bearing in mind I lack directional sense, I thought I was aiming back towards the village and came to a T junction - bum - I hadn't discussed the right or left conundrum with Mr JCR - which way to go? - I took the right up a small incline and saw the carrozzeria in the distance. Interesting for me, I genuinely thought I was aiming towards home and in fact I was going the other way.
Make an about turn on the half way mark, hit that T junction again and turn back thinking by now I should have made enough progress to meet up with the JCR posse. Nope, then I saw Fibi Fardashian in the distance, oops - better turn back to the T and do some back and forward runs up the left hand turn. Did that a few times, then ran back towards the carrozzeria (coach builder aka body shop, not a carrot seller just in case you're wondering!) Still Jo Cool was being stubborn and not giving me a time check - I do wish the coaches were a little more present in the longer runs, it seems lonely sometimes...
Finally she said she'd tell me when it was a minute to go, had to faff up and down the left hand turn again and then started running towards the JCR posse, who hadn't actually moved since the last time I saw them. Apparently Fibi put the anchors on and refused to move until I came into view.
Chesney was warbling about being the one and only, and I realised that for the first time this Spring I could see some calves. It's not a usual sight here, we think the cows are hidden in cupboards somewhere... these weren't mooing calves, but they do appear to be my calves coming out of pudge hiding...
W7 R3 done, no shower cap as a prize, but Spring calves making an appearance, what next I wonder - possibly a waistline emerging from the mists.... I do hope so
Picture Question which 'world famous' JCR landmark is this?
Overstaying Guest and Jealousy Issues - Week 7 Run 3
