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Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

Well, I completed 26.2 miles or 42 kilometers around the beautiful ancient city of Rome, Italy. The buildings I traversed through are older than our entire country, it was surreal to understand the age of the city. The course started right in front of the Coliseum where warriors fought to the death just a few hundred years ago, then brought us right through the middle of the Vatican during a mass, in front of the Trevi fountain, through St Peter's Square, around the old Jewish ghettos, across the River and back a couple of times. We went through Piazzas after Piazzas. It was the most incredible experience of my life and challenging. I was doing very well through mile 13 (1/2 way) and then started experiencing knee pains. I worked through them, stopping at the aid stations for a spray of bio-freeze. That lasted a little while until my knee was just overworked and swollen. I had to slow down to a mere crawl that last 5 or 6 miles, literally. It took me longer to finish the last 3 miles than it took me to complete the first 13 miles. I wanted to quit, but remembered why I was there, doing this for my family members and everyone that has suffered through Leukemia and blood cancers, some made it some didnt. I was going to finish no matter what. I finished the first 13 miles (1/2 of the course ) in about 2.5 hours, and the last 1/2 in 4 hours, totalling almost 6 1/2 hours of trekking through Rome. I was so hungry around mile 20 that I pulled off the course and went into a little coffee house and got a sandwhich to go. I got back on the course and walked while eating the best panini I have ever eaten. It was so funny, all the onlookers were laughing and yelling Buon Apetite! One guy even handed me his water bottle to wash it all down, I gladly took it with a smile and a Grazie! After the race, my leg stiffened up so much that I could barely move. I needed help to get up a flight of steps to catch a tax back to the hotel. I didnt go to the victory party that night. My teammate Niti and I stayed back and iced our injuries. It took me about 2 or 3 days before I could walk normal, but of course it didnt slow my roll down too much. We were all up and traveling the next day. We went to Florence and througout the Chianti region then to Santa Margherita and the coast line of the famed Cinque Terra (5 lands), which is 5 small towns connected by hiking trails, trains and water taxi's. We stopped in Pisa to see the leaning tower the day before and then to Verona where the Giuliette house is, "Oh Romeo where for art thou?" Our next stop was a US Army base in Vincenza, where I met with anyone I could to find a job there.. After that we spent three rainy days in Venice, taking Gondola's, water taxi's and shuttle boats. An amazing city with no motorized vehicles, only boats. The streets where so narrow, by this time, I ate so much pasta, and drank so much wine, I could barely fit through some of them. Post marathon carb loading apparently isnt the best thing to do when you cant exercise (word of caution for you marathoners). I gained a few pounds over the 3 weeks in Italy, but every chocolate gelato was worth it twice a day, pizza, pasta, cappacinos daily and the panini's, cant forget the panini's! Overall, a great trip, a wonderful experience and I owe it all to you for sponsoring me! a cheer..."To my Last Marathon!"

Rod