On the way home

Friday night we went to the Golden Gala in Rome, it's always exciting to see live athletics. Piero had to go work for the first half of the meet, more specifically his job was to film Oscar Pitorius while he ran the 400mt race. The IAAF was studying him and his request to run the world championship in Osaka next month. He was looking at his gait and number of steps per 100mts. Very interesting stuff.
Evan filled himself with and ice cream at about 8.00pm, and by 8.30pm he was fast asleep in my arms! Music, starting guns, screaming crowds did not disturb him! At one point I heard him snoring. We witnessed the freak accident with the Javelin. Just next to us another guy fainted watching what happened and hit his head on a rail. It was total chaos for about ten minutes.

We left Rome at about 10.00 pm and headed up to Roccaraso where Piero was following the marathoners workout the next day. Nobody is going to the World Championships this year since they don't want to get cooked, so they're all going to be doing a fall marathon, probably NYCM.
The workout was a 5km on the track.

Before they started warming up I asked them if they would take a picture with Evan. I'm supposed to do an album for his school, "What I did this summer". So on week three of summer vacation he spent time with athletic champions. Left to right: Giacomo Leone (1996 NYCM winner), Stefano Baldini (Olympic Gold Medal Athens Marathon), Piero holding Evan, Mimmo Caliandro (3km 2007 European indoor champion), Ottavio Andriani (1st place, 2007 Trieste marathon).


Before we left for the workout I went running on my own. I climbed up this hill that looked over the valley. Beautiful and silent, I had one of those beautiful moments where I am totally grateful for the life I have and to be in this world. I've noticed those moments have been coming more and more often...

Vacation

Well, the title is a bit allusive because I didn't really go on vacation. Summer is one of my busier working periods since everybody starts to gear up for fall marathons. We went to the beach house for one week but I had my computer with my so that I could work every day. One week is the perfect amount of time for me to be at the beach house. I went swimming every day and rode my bike once and went running several times. I ate my weight in watermelon. I had some health issues which I'll write about later (no time now!). Today we're in Rome because Piero had to come back to work (I'm in his office using the internet) and tonight we're going to the Golden Gala athletic meeting. Yesterday we accompanied Piero to the stadium. So cool to be inside that huge Olympic stadium with nobody inside! Here's a few pics:

Running up and down the beach. Perfect stategy to get him to faint into bed in the evening.

In the Olympic stadium in Rome, trying to get a picture taken together.
Running in the Olympic stadium. Can't wait to see it filled with people tomorrow!

My favorite photos

I told Olly I wanted to print my favorite photos that she shot this last month and hang them somewhere at home. These are my pics from May... May be Mamma's pride, but I say she has a special eye for details.