2009

jjSunday 22 nd March I finished my first Step in preparation for the 100 km of the Passatore. The examination on the road went well.  I  improved half distance time by 2 minutes lowering  to 1.25. The competition was statisfactory despite the wind, a lot of curves and the sidewalk jumps that didn’t help. Now head down for the marathon in Padova, second step, then I can assume time I need for the "Passatore."
 

 

jjjN.1

PADUA MARATHON

Great effort at the marathon in Padua. I started well, keeping my pace before the balloons of the 3 hours up to the 36th km. I ran, giving my best, in view of the 100 km marathon of the PASSATORE. But , unfortunately, something went wrong.
I was prepared to beat greatly my time ( Marathon in Milan 2007 , run in 3 hours 8 minutes 47 seconds) but I had to give up just while I was enjoying  my victory. The end was near but it looked as if there was still a long distance.
6 kms of suffering: I felt my feet wet by the bladders, my legs were stiff and I was aching all over.
At the 40th km, I was still able to see clear  and, after a stop of about 2 minutes, I started again, but I had to stop 2 more times.
When I saw the line of the arrival , I thought I was dreaming, but I was there and I reached that line in 3 hours 5 minutes 36 seconds.
I did not go down the 3 hours but I improved my time by 3 minutes and I think it is a great result  even considering my age(50 years).
Now I must concentrate on the Marathon of the PASSATORE and then …let’s wait and see what happens.

Bye to everybody

 
 
 

 

jjjN.2

 

100 Kms OF PASSATORE

On 31st May at about 1 p.m. I finished the 37th edition of the 100 km marathon of Passatore, according to my expectations in 10 hours and 9 minutes , even if at the 45th km, because of cramp, I was forced to be treated by the doctors of the competition who suggested to me to give up.

On the very moment of the above accident I was on the 21st position but, in spite of this, I was able, recovering all my strength, to reach Faenza on the 85th position and on the 8th of category, on 1400 participants and on 979 arrived men.It was a great joy to reach the end, a joy shared with all the friends of this adventure.
Davide D’Amanzo who supported me when I felt bad and when I started the race again, was on my side up to the 50th km where Riccardo Quilico, ready for the exchange, was able to make me face the slope accordingly, passing me the flask when I needed it and dry clothes.

On the 80th km Antonella Farina entered the race and with her quiet took me up to the arrival, running with me the last 20 kms. She also tried to calm me down when my legs hurt again.However, everything was personally treated by my partner Gloria who, with her car, followed me step by step for all the race long.

Last but not least, I would like to share this great joy with The Athletic centre of Favaro, with the president Roberto Scordamaglia and with Paolo Barghini, ultra-marathon runner, from Carrara, who gave me a lot of advices and who also trained me in the last months.

Now I am going to have some rest, then , perhaps in November, I am going to give me to the desert races in search of some more satisfaction.
 
 
 

 

JJJN.3

 

100 Kms OF PASSATORE

On the 4th December 2009 at 11 o’clock I was ending my great adventure at the BOAVISTA ultra-marathon in the Republic of Green Cape( 8th among everybody and 2nd of category).

The non-stop competition , in self-sufficiency, 150 kms long, started at 7 o’clock, local time, to go around the African desert island.

In spite of my good physical conditions, I had different problems.
Around the 10th km I fell near the Viana desert and I hurt my right leg seriously.
After pulling out the wooden pieces inside my right leg, I started again up to the 2nd CP where the doctor had to heal my injured leg.

After few minutes, I left again and at the 4th CP, my wife who was waiting for me, gave me some bandage to press my wound which bled and was inflated.

At the 6th CP I had to stop for half an hour to heal the blisters under my feet and my heels.

From that moment on, I thought I was not able to run any longer because my feet ached so much.
But I did not give up and at the 7th CP, I was reached by the second of women, the mythical Francesca, whom I had already known since the time of the Sahara marathon , 100 kms long, and together we went on running.

Unfortunately, after the 8th CP, we got lost and, for about 2 hours, we wandered through a stony race in search of the right way. It was quite dark and we did not know where we were.

Finally we found the way for the competition and, CP after CP, at the 13th one we realized it was dawn.

Afterwards, it was really dramatic because the stones found on the race, caused me to lose some nails in my feet which were already suffering.
We had still to run 25 kms on pave’ and 10 kms on asphalt.

Step by step, with many problems, we were able to finish our competition, even accelerating our pace in the end and so Francesca and I passed the finish line. WE HAD WON AS WELL, being placed 8th among everybody, both with the same time: 28 hours.

Unfortunately, the sand in my blisters infected my feet and, the day after, I had to make me heal by the doctor of the marathon.

The physical sufferings are now going away but the joy I am feeling, gives me the right enthusiasm to go on and to face the next race: THE MARATHON DE SABLES in Morocco in April 2010.
 
 
2010

 

JJJN.4

 

 

THE MARATHON OF THE SANDS

In spite the unfavourable previsions because of an accident occurred to me twenty days before the departure to Morocco, I accepted the challenge with the Marathon of the sands – 250 kms in food self-sufficiency – which took place in the Moroccan desert from 4th  to 11th April. I placed 276th among 1015 participants.

The very hard competition was divided in six stages and it included two marathons, one stage 82 kms long, another 29 kms long, another 35,5 kms long and the last one 23 kms long.
The landscape of the competition was very different: from the sandy dunes to the mountains, from the dry salt lakes to the oasis.

I did want to end my competition even if I knew I could not get a good result since I was not in good shape because of the break of two meniscuses which implied the suspension of one month training.

However, I was the only one among the three competitors coming from Liguria( Trincheri from Savona - with his 6th place at the MDS 2009 - and Mattone from Imperia, both of them gave up at the 3rd stage).

As I said, the marathon was very hard and the temperature of 42 degrees Celsius did not help any of us, making the climbs harder and harder.

The ascent to the JEBEL EL OTFAL ( 480 metres  of difference in height in about 500 metres of distance) was destroying so as the 4th stage of 82 kms , finished in 16 hours, where we had to cross two salt lakes under a blinding sun, so high as to make our shadows disappear.

Then, the last one of 23 kms leading to the GREAT ERG across the great dunes of the MERZOUGA.

This stage was the more exhausting for me because my kneel did not carry me anymore and the medicines did not work anymore. So I was pushed to go on with the support of a stick.
When I arrived, after 40 hours, my joy was so great as to make me forget all my efforts.

At the end of April I will have to do an operation to the meniscuses of my right leg and I hope that, in about 2 months, I will be able to start my training again for the next adventure.

 
 
 
2011

 

jjN.5

FROM PASSATORE MARATHON TO THE RACE OF 750 KMS PRO SLA

 

After long time a race without problems! The Passatore marathon 2011 went very smoothly and I was able to reach the end in 9 hours, 32 minutes and 6 seconds: I was placed 74th absolute.
Since the first kilometres I realized I could better my previous time(2009) and so, step by step, with the help of my friends Riccardo Franceschini( my trainer), Roberto Scordamaglia, Antonella farina, Callo Paolo, Davide D’Amanzo, Riccardo Bacci and my wife Gloria, I was able to reach Faenza with less than 37 minutes and 27 seconds.

At the start, I was with my friend Quilico Riccardo who tried for the second time the race, just like me. Unfortunately, because of food problems he could not keep up with me and, at the slope of Colla , I was pushed to leave him, with the hope he could finish the race. He remained with his father Davide, Paolo and Riccardo Bacci that, from time to time, kept me informed on his state. I was happy when, in spite of all, I saw him cross the finishing line in 10 hours and 9 minutes, being able to end the competition, already abandoned the previous year at the 68th kilometre.

After the Passatore race I was greatly worried because I knew I had to leave 2 weeks later, exactly on 11th June, for the “750 km race” in favour of SLA, a non-competitive but very demanding race that started from Parma to La Spezia up to Perugia and then it passed along the Adriatic coast until Padua. All this to make people aware and to collect some money in favour of the research of this terrible disease.

With me, there were my friends Michele Roveredo( president of ASLA) from Pordenone and POPOF ( Filippo POPOnesi) from Perugia.

The race was organized with an average of 75 kilometres a day, for 10 days with one day off.; while 3 campers, driven by Domenico, Giannino and Giuliano who also acted as cooks, had to provide us with food and sleep. The photographic shots were taken by Alessandro and Lele with the collaboration of Mery and Martina. Shorts and T-shirts for the race were sponsored by “ VERI EROI” by Massimiliano Ferla who, sometimes ran with us. The places we touched were beautiful and exciting: at Pontremoli there was the band waiting for us; at Castelnuovo Magra, my native country, there was the major, the councillor, Giaco’s friends, the Alpines and the Avis, the Proloco and other associations..

Then the passage through Perugia , Popof’s land, was fantastic, with a lot of sportsmen and VIPs to wait for us while the sport councillor took us into  the majestic hall of the NOTARI.
And it was that way, every time we arrived in any town like Florence, Arezzo, GUbbio ane Ferrara..

The greatest emotion was when I arrived in Padua, very tired but still wishing to run: to wait for us there was a delegation of SLA patients, with local authorities and other associations. After the benediction in the Cathedral in Padua, we joined to another competition organized for our arrival, pushing the wheel-chairs of the sick people for 500 metres.

This last effort made me feel weaker but gave me a lot of satisfaction and filled my heart with joy.

Now, I am going to have some rest for some weeks; afterwards, I will train again for competitive races, without leaving out races for charitable aims.

 
 
 
2012

 

bbN.6

A non-stop run of 12 hours to help children suffering from SMA.

 

2012 started greatly even if I expected something more on my time of Milan Marathon: 3 hours and 11 seconds. I can just say I am satisfied because I could not train accordingly due to some accidents ; anyway I was able to lower my time of 5 minutes.
But the most beautiful dream was given to me from the ultaSMArato, a competition which took place in the historical centre of Sarzana. The maker of everything was Tonini Giampaolo, operator at Sarzana hospital, who, coming to know of my participation at the marathon for SLA of 750 Kms last year, called me to ask if I could do something in our area, as well. He proposed to me a run in favour of  the SMA which strikes little children, too. I soon accepted and with Massimiliano Ferla( VeriEroi) we joint just as the 3 Musketeers.
There was not D’ Artagnan but we found him inside the Town hall of Sarzana: Giovanni Vasoli, sport councillor who, along with the Princess Rosanna Pittiglio, councillor for social politics and the many “counts and barons” among whom  Doctor Giancarlo Mione, manager of Caritas, helped us with our project.
The first step was to find somebody to run for: We thought to Lorenzo, a very intelligent and strong child from Sarzana, suffering from this terrible disease which forces him to be totally motionless but with 2 fantastic parents.
The second step was how to organize the run: due to my ability to run long distances, I thought to a  non-stop 12 hour run in the centre of Sarzana, a track of no more than 1 kms, to run without breaks.
But my proposal was not soon accepted because nobody believed I was really able to carry on this competition. So they tried to dissuade me without success.
After many meetings, the project was approved by everybody and we chose the date of 23 June, hoping the weather would be fine. All was ready but……
We did not expect that in so a lovely event there were also mean people, too. Indeed, there were so many. The “famous group of the sport associations of Sarzana”, people who, from good altar-boys turned into ugly devils, only because they did not deserve the merit of the project.
From that moment on, a strong “battle” made up of cruel words and unexpectedly strokes, started. They tried to boycott all and they would have done it if D’Artagnan had not intervened. So we went on up to 23 June thanks to some sponsors of disabled people associations; Conad and the Town hall of Sarzana.
In the morning, I left home at 8 and I was agitated. The weather was good and the temperature was 23 degrees. I could not make any mistakes.
When I arrived in Matteotti square, I saw a lot of my friends ready to run with me, relieving each other from time to time. But the very task for running 12 hours was mine. People came from Parma, Varese, Carrara, La Spezia and from all the towns nearby, along with many friends from Sarzana who did not belong to any associations. At 9.15 I started my run, a little later than the fixed time, because D’Artagnan, who had to run the first lap with me, was not ready. I threatened him by saying that I would recover 15 minutes at the end. So we left. The hours passed by and there were more and more friends. Even the temperature was going up and after 5 hours I had run 50 kms.
Supported by my wife Gloria, my trustful friend Domenico and from my sports doctor Salvatore Marchini, I went on up to 9 pm.
In that very moment, D’Artagnan tried to stop me but I reminded him what I had said in the morning and I went on: 12 hours must be 12 hours.
At 9.15 pm I finished my run with applause and embraces.
The mean people were on the corner and they were red with anger because they were not the makers of the event.
The most beautiful thing was the enthusiasm of the common people who took part in the manifestation where about 4000 euros were collected to be assigned to Lorenzo in order to purchase all the stuff he needed.
After a month’s rest, I started over my training for a marathon. I chose the Pisa one, where I expected to go under 3 hours. Unfortunately, because of countless flues and the great effort in the event in Sarzana, I finished my competition in 3 hours 1 minute and 2 seconds more than I expected. I was a little disappointed even if my closing time was a good time at all, considering I am 54.
I have not decided anything yet for 2013: I will let it passing quietly, by living day by day, aware that time passes even for me and the effort is getting harder and harder and the distances does not get shorter but longer.
But I am not going to give it up and I hope I will be able to run in some new performance. Angelo

 
 
 
2013 - 2014

bbN.7

FEW RUNS BUT GOOD RESULTS

Running in 2012 was really exciting both for the competitions and the results obtained. But “ the bill has to be paid” and my body gave up. So 2013 passed from an illness to another with the only chance to take part in the marathon of Paris, apart from other short runs without exaggerating.
The only positive thing, all year long, was, as matter of fact, the Marathon of Paris, not much for the result obtained ( 3H24’38” placing to the 3855th position on 49650 competitors arrived to the end) but because, running in a large and beautiful city like Paris, along with 50.000 people, was really a great satisfaction.
I thought the next year 2014 would be the same as the previous one, but after some  flu, gradually I set up again and after the Cortina-Dobiaco competition ( 30 Kms, wonderful run on a damaged/cobbled ground in a breathless mountain landscape) , run in  2H15’16”, reaching the 16th place of category mm55 and 418th on 4427 arrived,  I started running shorter distances like the Corrilunigiana, reaching the best results of my category mm55.
But the most unexpected surprise came towards the end of the year when I placed 2nd of category in the Marathon of Italy at Carpi(MO) and, after only 2 months I crossed the finishing line, as first arrived in my category in the Half- Marathon of Pisa.
The work I did, has rewarded  all my efforts and now, I would like to go on this way to still have great emotions for this year 2015 which has just started.
Hope so!

 
 
 
2015

N.8

RUNNING : A FAIR 2015


Telling about running competitions of 2015, I have not got much to say. It is nearly a copy of the previous year.

In April, I ran the half marathon of Orbetello, reaching the second position of Category with a time of 1h34m08s, far higher than my personal time.

I kept on running  the distance  Cortina-Dobbiaco on the 31th May in 2h17m19s. In June I undertook the course Pistoia-Abetone, lowering my last time of 15 minutes and closing in 5h09m13s.
In July, I ran  Salitredici which goes from Abbadia San Salvatore to Mount Amiata: a beautiful competition of 13 kms, a  very hard climb  through the age-old woods of Mount Amiata.

I ran many a distance 10.000m long and, above all, competitions related to Corri Lunigiana.
In September, due to mental, rather than physical tiredness, I decided to give up training and so I did,  up to all year round. It was a sort of disintoxication from running with the only exception of the Marathon of Livorno, relay-race in four of us, on the 8th November, covering the longest distance, 14 kms and 200m longer, in 1h4m17s.

But what gave me much satisfaction last year, it was the organisation of a competition of 9kms  that wasThe First Edition of " Corri Castelnuovo", with Brizzi Michela, from my same village. In the minimum time of 15 days, we prepared the run which was a real success from the competitors 'point of view. Surely, it will be repeated in summer 2016.

Now I am waiting for the beginning of the new year, then, in January I will start training again with the hope of being able to run  Firenze-Viareggio of 100 kms. It will be the first edition! Looking forward to seeing if my legs react well, in spite of my age of 57.