Feel free to cheer (really or virtually) for me - I am wearing bib number: 9296 ... and THANKS to many of you who have already dropped me messages via e-mail, facebook, SMS, etc. - I really appreciate it!
NOTES: As a participant in the City of Rome Marathon, one gets to drink in the city’s historic atmosphere right from the beginning. The start line is placed in front of the 2,000 year old Coliseum, and from there the course is a veritable festival of magnificent sights. Among other things, runners go past Saint Peter’s, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and through a lot of picturesque, narrow streets in the old part of the city. No PB aspirations (I'll break 4 hours next time) – one needs time to appreciate all the breathtaking landmarks and to conquer the cobblestones, that cover about half the route. The course, they say, is surprisingly flat for a city built on seven hills, but the sometimes uneven cobblestone streets, which in the narrowest places can feel quite crowded, may add a few extra minutes to finish times.
UPDATE: And, indeed, the cobblestones did add an interesting dimension (and 5 minutes to my last marathon time) ... I crossed the finish line at 4h44m49s after having staved off calf cramps (for the last 10km). A video of my shuffling arrival is here - about half-way through the segment, watch for me to "shake out" my hands. A close-up version is here. And, to see me in finer form, take a look here (towards the end of the video) filmed at 21.1km, the half-way point, where you'll see me with enough energy to run backwards (!) showing off the flag of Puerto Rico.
Dinner time saw us back at the "White Chicken" (see Friday March 20 blog post).
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