A few weeks ago, here on RunLovers, is. project was presented by Dorelan to bring to the Marathons of Bologna e Florence two pairs of runners, supporting them with the help of a team and a coach in approaching the race and trying to provide them with the necessary working method for this great personal feat. The group of runners has been increased from two to three per race, and I am fortunate to have been selected among the participants in this project, particularly among the three who will run the Florence Marathon next November 28.
That it has been a very peculiar year (but also now almost a year and a half eh) certainly needs no reminding, and to think that it is finally possible to even fantasize about being able to compete in attendance (with all the arrangements that will be necessary in the case, of course) is something that really gives some peace of mind, rekindling the desire to do and get involved. This is the common thought that emerged from each of us runners, coaches and organizers when we had our first meeting-still online-to get to know each other and talk a bit about what we expect from this experience. In the coming weeks and months we will work hard to arrive prepared for race day, but it is obviously in the spirit of fun that we will train, espousing the philosophy DoMore which is inherent to Runlovers all along and which means not only going stronger, but more importantly doing more to get better, whether it is an improvement in time or in one’s mental well-being, it matters little.
In addition to yours truly, Katia and Giorgio will run in Florence on Nov. 28, while Benedetta, Carlotta and Luigi will run in Bologna on Oct. 31.
I introduce them to you, because each one has its own story worth a marathon, and especially because each one of them (of us, because I am also in the middle) is not so different from anyone else. If we can cross that finish line and/or achieve the goal we set for ourselves, it is because everyone can, with a little good will and dedication, pursue ambitious projects.
Katia Ciaccio:
Milanese imbrutita doc
(according to him!), with running he had an up and down relationship, especially when practicing it was something imposed in physical education hours at school, then slowly he began to experience it with a different perspective (eh, when you’re young you never appreciate good things) and things got much better. She has already tried to run the marathon, but she would like to do it more consciously and with the help of a coach, so that she comes to it prepared to the best of her ability and tries to achieve an outcome that she can be proud of.
Giorgio Cappelli from Florence (but practically adopted from Milan): he travels a lot for work and always carries, of course, a racing outfit. He has been dreaming of running the Marathon in his hometown of Florence for a couple of years, so he tried to get involved with Dorelan’s project. It’s going to be a challenging few months, but it’s just what he was looking for: a new stimulus to improve in running and in everyday life. Preparing to run the forty-two thousand one hundred and ninety-five meters for the first time requires a lot in terms of planning, but it is something you have become accustomed to over many years of moving. His motto is “give now, give always,” and I would say he could not have chosen a more appropriate one!
Benedetta Pastore, triathlete from Milan: has been playing sports (and playing them at a high level-trust me) for many years. Swimming, biking and running are her bread and butter, and for the past few years she has been involved in many charitable sports initiatives, supporting bone disease (and other) research projects with her rides. A few years ago, for one of his projects, he ran the Milan Marathon “in ease,” but he has never really prepared one and would like to try his hand at it next October 31. Because “every day presents a new challenge , and it’s good to try to have fun while giving your best and not to forget the smile and passion that sport gives us!“.
Carlotta Ghislanzoni comes down from the Lombardy mountains smiling down on Switzerland: she carries snow and peaks in her heart, and for years walking at those heights has helped her jump higher and higher than others under the net. Her volleyball career unfortunately had to be interrupted by a shoulder injury, but the spirit of sportsmanship remained and running found more and more space in her life and more and more miles to run, until she reached the realization that she wanted to run a marathon. Reaching the finish line in Bologna will not only be the fulfillment of a personal journey, but also a way to say thank you to all the people who “passed her water bottle along the marathon of life.”
Luigi Mongelluzzo from Rome: He has a background (and physique, let me tell you) as a swimmer. Running came
growing up
, after the birth of his son, overbearingly taking more and more space and making him almost feel the need to get to cover the queen distance. He had even already decided which one: Rome 2020, the Marathon of his city, but as we all know, it could not take place and he found himself, after also running a few very long runs, with a bitter taste in his mouth. Bologna will be for him the opportunity he has been waiting for.
Pietro Paschino from Porto Torres: well something about me maybe.
you will have had a chance to read it already
, if you’ve been hanging out here on Runlovers for a while. I have run and narrated several times about the Regina race and the many, many other, occasions when I have been fortunate enough to have fun around the world. I applied for the Dorelan project because, for once, I would like to put the technical aspect in the foreground as well and try to run the forty-two kilometers one hundred and ninety-five meters again to the best of my ability, trying to stay under three hours again. It is an ambitious goal, and I am aware of it: it has been several years since I succeeded the last time, and perhaps I am too old to think of succeeding, but that is also why I thought it was good to try again, because every once in a while it is also good to say, “eh no my dear, you were wrong.” Florence, then, had already been on the list for some time, so I couldn’t have hoped for better!
In the coming weeks we will start training following the advice of our coaches: Ivan Risti for the Bologna Marathon and Fulvio Massini for the Florence Marathon. Warm weather is approaching but they certainly won’t be
three or four degrees too high
giving us a hard time! Will you cheer for us?