Rough roads, tough routes

stats of the week: run 10 km, cycled 367 km

Cycling in the Piemont is tough. The roads are rough and every village is situated on the top a hill. Roads always lead through these villages therefore you take in a lot of very steep hills en route. Our average speed did not exceed 20 km/h.

The good side is that is the landscape is more than beautiful, the coffee is great and very cheap and the ice cream is best of world.

Still running while cycling

stats of the week: run 28 km, cycled 93 km, gym 2 h

Starting the cycling holiday in Italian Piemont we discovered that a local running event took place on Friday evening. No question we had to take part. It was a short race of some 6.2 km at the hilltop village of Moncalvo. Hilltop meant the course start was at the top, then it went steeply down to the valley and steeply back to the piazza in the village.

It was a very informal race without timing and results. Luckily I studied the route map before race day so I was right en route while several runners in front of me went wrong although there was a volunteer to show the direction but he kept calm and let them go. At least half a dozen runners finished minutes behind me though they were much faster. However, it was sort of a fun run and nobody really complained.

Most impressive was a 89-year-old guy who finished just 2 minutes behind me!

Still tired

stats of the week: run 26 km, cycled 154 km, gym 3 h

Still feeling tired and especially my running performance is dreadfully low. May be running half ill during several weeks takes its toll now.

There is not only a Boxhill in England (part of the London Ride). This is Boxberg in the heart of Germany, east of Cologne.

Heading for next challenge

stats of the week: run 8 km, cycled 236 km, gym 2 h

It's cycling season now and I am surprised that the legs don't hesitate to rotate again. The season on the bike will be short this year because after only two bike races there are more interesting runs waiting. And I am looking forward to these events.

However, next challenge is no less than Mont Ventoux!

65 and happy

London time: 4:46:53
Boston time: 4:32:48

I'm not certain about how to judge my double marathon week. Of course I'm happy that I was able to finish both runs.

In Boston happened what I planned to avoid absolutely. But due to the cold and wet weather the muscle pain was the worst ever I had after any marathon. Therefore it was very hard work to complete another marathon after only six days. In London I was able to run painfully for the first 30 km but then the muscles had their own finish. I walked nearly all of the remaining 12 km. So I got my medals and should be happy with this result.

The main finding of my races this year is that I am no longer able to run a sub 4 hours marathon. However, in London there were only 437 men of 65 years and older among more than 40,000 runners. I was one of them. That is why I am really happy.