After several days of rain that has swept across northern Italy in the period up to the eve of August, I went to Morfa, a town in the province of Piacenza, conscious of not finding a "plot" ecomaratona very favorable for a safe but you can make a good workout anyway .. It's five o'clock in the morning is very early, but you can already see the clouds that blacks do not promise anything good and a few drops of rain makes its appearance on the windshield of macchina.Comincio then asking if I'd done the right thing in taking part in a race which, shamefully, I knew relatively little if not only the altitude and race only allenarmi.Ormai there ... I'm going! More 'I approach the Emilian town nestled in the Val D'Arda, and more' the sun rises brighten up the colors that surround this part of Italy, cliffs, valleys and small villages along the way ... one another are alone, no, no Speed \u200b\u200bcameras (quite hidden). Finally, toward six forty arrival at destination, the country still wrapped in his sleeping quieteche from them a few minutosarà pleasantly interrupted by the voices and footsteps of a hundred and fifty atleti.In a school gym, which overnight accommodation is served to the athletes come from more 'far, there is the withdrawal of the chest and packages gara.Tutto takes place very quickly ... I do believe I am the first! The square, the heart of this village, began to throb more 'rapidly awakening from its slumber and night ... start living a new day with all noi.Una detour to the bar for a coffee, a quick read of the newspapers, chat with friends and a bit ' Heating deceive the expectation that brings us to partenza.La church bell with her eight strokes reminds us that now is missing half an hour to start. The speaker invites everyone to the punch and bring along the inflatable partenza.Si laughing, joking, but at some point the voice from the speaker asks us our attention to an important communication on the route warning against the presence of a lot of mud especially in the second part of the track, so we can be more 'prudenti.Ore eight-thirty, you parte.Un around the town on paved surface and then the dirt starts, you ford a stream and begins to rise. The scenery is constantly changing, forest paths give way to paths rock, even asphalt, rocks, grass ... all of it to cover the entire distanza.E 'all so wonderfully affascinante.Fotografi scattered along the route of the race immortalize our deeds, our faces so busy in some places but permette.Arrivo the carefree when the road to a point where even walking has become difficult to view the slope very strong, almost m'arrampico. I turn briefly to see if there fossequalcuno more 'fast in order to "give way" and I realize that they are on a wall hanging made of rock and grass, almost all in the air and down the valley ... A show of breathtaking and more 'I look around and more' rest estasiato.Io who are not accustomed these scenarios, for me that when I train my eyes focus only one language and one line biancache asphalt off the road is a "breath of heaven." In the middle of the wall that I can not get my camera and fix those that come attimi.Aspetto another athlete and I ask him politely if he can 'take a picture, and made me forever presence in that picture stupendo.Arrivo point more' up and find a cross, which is also not immune to my goal this fotografico.In series of shots I lose a few minutes. "But what do you want to be compared allimmensita '" I dico.Da here a road-only rock, very steep, slippery and it makes me strettache capireche begins to chant the "Cima Coppi" (using a term cycling) dell'ecomaratona. Ok, it starts the descent, but that does not mean that they are finite salite.Adesso the scenario that appears in front of me is made of one rock, one distraction could be fatal but it is too bello.Si runs a hundred yards along the ridge of the mountain and again rocce.In my help, though, here are the strings attached to me by nails in the rock climbing, holding on to the cable ... I get off that rock avventura.Dalla boschivoe it go to a path going down 'that is a pleasure, But at some point because I must stay between me and the path there is a fence with the wire. "We can not climb over the gate, I wondered, and so I take a road parallel but that 'at some point ends up being and this deviation, I realize I'm strada.Intelligentemente back off and look behind. "It will take someone, I hope!" It 's my friends pensiero.Qualche minutes after arriving degl'altri-athletes who tell me to get over, "Why is it" repeated in chorus . That said, I throw fatto.Mi giu'lungo the path, feet and legs already muddy with increasing mud s'impasticciano more and more 'and I bring with me a burden for some wet feet from chilo.I' early lead with them yet another problem and that is when the earth is more support for 'long is the onset of cramps, but that' taking over now I can get so that the situation normalizzi.Bene, keep it up!! ! There are, on the way, only small languages land emerging from the small swamps on which you can pass, or when there are even these have to stay on board, helping with the trees, almost aggrappandomi.Riprendo speed, and speed decisions are taken in a moment, especially where is difficult if not impossible to curb the slancio.Arrivo at a point where I decide in a split second to jump to avoid getting bogged down, mistakes were never more 'fatale.Il landing spot then I would have served to disconnect automatically again , cede.Vado in until mid-leg, just my reflexes, my training and my agility to help me stay in balance and to ensure that the leg is not free spezzi.Superata also continued this pitfall in my incedere.Poco later, because of a lash of a branch I realize I have an Achilles tendon pain, and I fancy fastidioso.Solo eventually find out after the shower to have a bruise approximately three to four centimeters and a plug conficcata.Vado, I run anyway happy in the company of my i-pod (I know that you can not'...), my head is light as we have become the legs. Arrival at the restaurant, well-stocked as any on the other hand, and the boys tell me they are the thirty-chilometro.Mi stop a bit, drink, joke with the kids, take some pictures with the flag of Inter and meanwhile comes first woman with three other athletes, all very simpatici.Si all together again, we talk a little bit because, the path, which is now an expanse of grass regularly, the permette.Siamo in a "sea green" and do not see but a stone mortem on track, so we walk about forty meters before realizing of being wrong, retrace our steps and before you point out in the right direction to blow the whistle to draw attention to another athlete who has not noticed the error. Now there are only ten kilometers, those who are more 'accustomed to me this type of racing going on, so giustamente.Arrivo the last four kilometers and the alternation between asphalt, where I'm going down 'to splinter and I take those that were gone and the slippery dirt track, where I have to stop the race, it becomes more 'regolare.E' own this series of surfaces, this sudden change of style of racing that causes me some problems in the muscles of the rear cosce.Ad a mile from the end come the cramps in both legs but that 'with intelligence, luck and experience can manage, slowing a little and physical relaxation and also mentalmente.Ultimi quecento five meters of road, over a couple of other athletes, turn ninety degrees to the right, fifty meters uphill again, I pull out my banner White Inter and cross the finish in 4h49'10 happy in the twenty-fourth position. "Medal, souvenir photos and many risate.Arriva the first woman that she too had my own football faith calls me to be taking pictures together with the bandiera.Bell 'atmosphere, all contenti.Mi take off my shoes and throw them away, but expect to buy for this type of special events and do not use more of' those training consumed and not to feel that old feeling to drive the car fast on the ice without catene.Ritiro bag, shower and even a nice pasta party.Qui sorpresa.Ditemi what do you think you had a choice of penne and risotto, polenta with mushrooms and between polenta with gorgonzola, fried squid, meat, french fries to follow ending with ice cream or strawberry mousse, water or wine for those who desiderava.Il afternoons spent waiting for the awards and chatting with friends Santo, Federica Amedeo.Quelle and black clouds that had been my first vision and concern of the early morning peek at the Casali Morfasso.Decido so that it is time to resume the van and come back down 'to Morfasso.Ancora time for a coffee with a friend known in advance and then casa.Cosa car to this day I have left? Surely the memory of a beautiful experience, the vision of beautiful scenery, the certainty of having done a good workout and contentment of being in the company of many friends that day by day increase more more '. I hope that my enthusiasm show through the reading of my story and can get to those people who shamefully snubbed just because this race is run in August, preferring long queues on the motorway and stress ombrellone.L 'last thoughts, as always, I address organizzatori.Li to thank, first of all and tell him to continue so that the road taken is to improve giusta.Devono to me only three things to become perfect :
1) In a couple of points, despite the reported location was good, some athletes have sbagliati.MIGLIORARE REPORTING IN CRITICAL POINTS (you know);
2) Why not mark every five kilometers maybe? It would help us athletes, we can not regulate or restaurants rightly given the particular characteristics may not be perfect;
3) Why to pay five euro for the shuttle? Find some sponsors, I do not think there is need a large amount.
Ps These three points, I must be honest, the organizer said in a comprehensive manner in the mail that he sent me after receiving my note with thanks to those already annotazioni.Posso 'say that next year will be even best.
