Last Sunday, under the towers of Bologna, on a purely autumnal day, the first edition of the renewed Bologna Marathon was staged, in which Benedetta, Carlotta and Luigi, who had participated in the selections in which RunLovers had been a partner with the sponsorship of Dorelan and the Marathons of Bologna e Florence.
Let’s start with a giant spoiler:
marathon successfully concluded
In all three cases, and what a success! Being coached by a great professional like Ivan Risti, following his advice to improve in running and resting properly on the ReActive provided by Dorelan have allowed Benedetta, Carlotta e Louis to cross the finish line with a toothy smile plastered on their faces, fulfilling a dream they had been pursuing for some time. We asked them to tell us something about what they experienced.
Benedetta: If Ivan had asked me on the first day of the Dorelan project: how do you think your training will go and what do you expect?, I think I would have answered: I hope it will be a great experience and especially to hold up the slack and finish the race in the best possible way.
Now instead I would say: Ordinary people believe only in the possible, extraordinary people achieve the impossible. This is not bragging for its own sake (whatever, we also have to give ourselves some compliments now and then, right?), because this project was a CRAZY, engaging, exciting, unique experience. From the first moment to the last, from the first phone call from Ruben (from the Dorelan staff, Editor’s note) to walking down the stairs of the subway on our way back to Milan (because you know, in the post-marathon period, stairs are the biggest obstacle!). A marathon is a challenge for the body and mind, and involves a large number of physiological and psychological processes. To this day, looking back on what I experienced because of the marathon, the emotions felt continue to resurface constantly. A magnificent team, a perfect race, a weekend to be framed, so what can we say except: when’s the next one?
Carlotta: A thrill from start to finish! I was in my first marathon and anxiety set in, unexpectedly, however, it only came to strike the night before the race when I looked at the course map and realized the length. At that moment more than ever, the presence of the team was crucial for support and sharing of doubts!
On the morning of departure, although my alarm was scheduled for 7 a.m., by 5 a.m. I was pawing in bed methodically going over clothing, supplementation, and what-have-you. At 8:30 a.m. when my “wingman” Benedetta stared at my bib I realized what I was about to do and I arrived at the grid and had a rush of adrenaline That just thinking about it makes me try it again, and then away, PARENTS! Thoughts during the race were few, the most recurring was definitely an incitement to myself. I spent the time punctuating the miles with refreshment stops and pondering what was the right time to integrate. I tried to stay positive throughout the race, enjoyed the cheers of the Bolognese, and occasionally exchanged some banter with the other runners, or encouraged each other. The miles can be said to have slipped under my feet.
The arrival was… WOW!
I was incredulous that I was able to close it in the time assumed at the start, it was a mix of satisfaction and joy! The preparation was challenging but fun, to the point that I miss it already, and the support of the team and family were crucial, a heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who worked behind the curtain, I raced but you all supported me in everything!
Luigi: Sunday for me was not just running the Bologna Marathon, it was not just a race and that’s it. That starting line was for me a sign that
Louis was again starting to do the things he had long dreamed of.
and that, for one reason or another, he had not yet been able to do. Months of preparation nearly gone to waste for
A setback
a month and a half away from the race, then the adjustment of the table by the legendary Ivan and getting back into the game, with a goal that was not only to get to the finish line (good or bad I knew I would succeed in that) but also to do it in a certain time that seemed like a dream to me. At the beginning of the competition I was nervous, didn’t sleep much and woke up at 5 a.m., stared at the ceiling I think until 6:30 until I decided to go down and meet the girls and the coach. Luckily Ivan was with us, his motivation and encouragement turned that nervous tension into pure adrenaline and, partly out of inexperience and partly because my heart was pumped up by the fact that I was starting in the first grid along with the top runners, I did the first 2 km at a pace I knew I couldn’t keep up for ten kilometers, let alone the entire forty-two thousand one hundred and ninety-five meters! I then came to my senses and slowed down, keeping as fast and tolerable a pace as I could until the thirtieth kilometer, where I realized that I was going to arrive by a wide margin than I had planned, so without looking at the clock anymore I ran the final twelve kilometers and 195 meters enjoying every step! Pure poetry and then … at the finish line I look up and: SBAM, I almost can’t believe it! I was planning to run under four hours, but maybe I make a mistake and the timer I see is not the right one, because it reads 3h46’04”! It’s just a moment of amazement, then I materialize everything, I think back to the effort I made to be here, to CoViD-19 who tried to keep me from getting here, to the people who supported me and I can’t, I swear, I try but I really can’t, I try to hold back the tears but they come down anyway, mingling with the laughter and I think it’s okay, because it is just as I had dreamed it, forty-two kilometers with legs and heart and the last 195 meters with tears in my eyes!
