Conquering Rome.
The day after Thanksgiving 2022, the week after the Philadelphia marathon, I was out running and watered the seed thinking ahead for the 2023 NYC marathon. Now with a guaranteed entry spot, it inspired me even more to get there and to do better.
I went on the run with a small group of runners from Ocean Breeze Athletic Facility. I had been going to 5:45 am CrossFit classes there for about six months to help with my cardio training for the marathon. Our trainer at the gym, an avid marathon runner and all-around athlete, would take the group out for a run once a week. This happened to be a run-only session and it featured a record-breaking, ultra marathon runner, Chris Calimano. At the time I had no idea, so I went on to tell him how I just ran my first marathon in Philadelphia when he had just got 1st place in a 50K run in Queens. He even ran a marathon in Antarctica! Now I see why NYC is one of the greatest marathons in the world. We have some fascinating athletes. This run was one inspiring step of the many that would take me to the NYC marathon, and more importantly, a step towards a change in my life that I have been waiting for. The path to relentless self-improvement.
I continued to run through January on runner’s high, getting 13 miles runs in on the weekend and setting personal records, and was preparing for a family trip to Italy in March where my sister and I would run the Rome marathon. A little over a month out, the high came to a halt. I had a small fracture in my second metatarsal, a very common runner’s injury from running too much, too fast. My childhood friend is a podiatrist and fortunately, I was diagnosed quickly and given the sentence to no running for 4-6 weeks. I took that opportunity to zoom out and realize how lucky I am that this happened before the Rome marathon rather than before the NYC marathon. I remember speaking to my wife one morning when I got in the car after running a record pace on an 8-mile run at Ocean Breeze. The trainer Melissa, is an amazing runner and motivator. It was a tremendous help being a part of her classes and runs during the early stages of my training. Although that morning was one of the only times where I was able to keep up with her, it was likely the one that fractured my metatarsal and there I was springing with a buzz over an 8-mile run. Classic rookie move!
I learned a valuable lesson about conditioning. It made me more aware of marathon training as a lifestyle and a sport that requires much more than just throwing shoes on and grabbing a handful of gel packs for a run. Staying off of my feet was good advice and it heeled my foot. My first run back was in Windham, NY on a family ski trip. The real highlight from that trip in February 2023, was getting my son, Luca on skis and managing to get in a few runs down the bunny slope at age 4! We had a fantastic trip with my mom, sister, brother, and family. My father would take us skiing at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills growing up and it’s an everlasting memory and skillset that we carry with us to this day. We are grateful to share the same experience with our children. I went on an early morning run the day we were leaving in the crisp cold air, 1,500 feet high, with Windham Mountain and the Catskills as the backdrop. This reinforced my love for wintertime running. I took it easy the rest of the winter and set my priorities straight to prepare for our first family trip to Europe that March!
Luca on skis!
It was a busy time for myself and my family. I was going into a brand new venture that I had been working hard to get into. I was looking forward to going away at the time. My wife and I with a four-year-old and two-year-old, were heading to Rome for two days and then on a seven-day MSC Mediterranean cruise. What were we thinking?! We purchased a stroller with thick tires for the cobblestone streets of Europe and my wife packed for the family without missing a beat as she normally does and we were off! Arnold Schwarzenegger has a rule that he follows for working out when he wakes up and the rule is ‘Don’t Think’. This can apply to many things other than just exercise! He goes on to say, the minute that you start thinking, you find an excuse not to do it. Don’t think, just do it! Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
So off we were to Rome, a day after my niece’s birthday, and a beautiful family gathering the weekend before to celebrate. The hospitality as you would expect was world-class, starting with the Rome Aiport that puts JFK down a few levels! We jumped in a taxi and rode to our Hotel Indigo St. George located on a cobble-stoned alleyway, a few blocks away from the Tiber River and a bridge that crossed over to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican. It was surreal being there and the first thing we did was enjoy a good meal at the hotel. Our boys took it all in, on the rooftop of the hotel looking onto stone stucco buildings and further out to the St. Peter’s Dome which Luca was able to identify from the book we read leading up to the trip; ‘This is Rome’ children’s book! We went for a stroll over the bridge to St. Peter’s Square as the kids fell right asleep. My wife and I taking in the warm sun, a few selfies, a cup of gelato, and un espresso of course!
We went back to the room to a night that we may never forget. Although coming off of jetlag and now six hours ahead in time, I was much better than the paranoia of Philadelphia. I laid in bed early as planned, lights out, shutters closed, Nicolas in the Italian pack-and-play, Luca with us in bed. I did my best to adjust to European standard time and get sleep although that didn’t work out so well. I couldn’t tell you what time exactly I ended up falling asleep but I do know that our children were still back in Eastern Standard Time. Luca repeatedly asked the question of when the sun would come up. It was two nighttimes without sunshine which must have been hard to manage for a 2 and a 4-year-old. My wife, again, stepped up calming them, joking with them, putting shows on, calling back home, and providing Mom and the rest of our family with very good European entertainment!
Then marathon day came again beginning at the crack of dawn. My sister was in a separate hotel closer to the finish line so the morning started with me and a cab driver, alone, him cursing in Italian at the street closures and the chaos of a city marathon center. I made it to the path to the start line, although I forgot one important thing the day prior that would’ve been a good idea to pay close attention to. How to make sure my phone works in remote locations without Wifi? Yes, I called my carrier for the international plan and activated it. It never goes that smoothly! That would come up later, I was too focused on getting to the start line which was a seemingly endless 1-mile walk for a nice warm-up. I took as much as I could in and while recording the Colosseum, got the Italian fighter jets on video flying above for the opening ceremonies! I ran right into my sister’s husband for a quick picture and then caught up to my sister to start the race with her.
The run was the best marathon I’ve run (only the second). And I trained less! I took as much as I could in running through the eternal city. An important note; if you’re not competing for a personal record or a qualifying time, take every second that you can in, especially in a place that you don’t often get to see! I did manage to see my sister’s husband along the course. I give a lot of credit to him for navigating through the city on that day. I caught up with Adriana over the phone who was doing well with the kids since they caught up on their sleep well into late morning. It was not a finish like Philadelphia where I got the final push from seeing the family. This was pure adrenaline, running through historic monuments and a finish line facing the Colosseum head-on! I didn’t pay much attention to my final time at the finish line, got my medal, and my goodie bag and took a quick breather.
As I was walking lightly towards the exits, I noticed that I didn’t have any wifi connection and my phone wasn’t working when I tried to call Adriana. The marathon adrenaline picked right back up in me when the thought of Adriana, Nicolas, and Luca roaming the city on marathon day without getting in touch with each other entered my mind. I to myself, let me start by getting to a place that has Wifi. The first attempt was a pizzeria right outside the finish line area and it was mobbed! I mistakenly asked for wifi with a pure tourist look and the server proceeded to demand money from me to use their wifi. Because of the situation I thought about it for a second, then the New York in me said no and I walked away. I walked back to an area that was closer to where I got dropped off in the morning thinking that was the same route that Adriana’s taxi would have taken and maybe I would run into them. Inversion! I found a bar there with Wifi and after several attempts got in touch with Adriana. She was back behind the finish line in the courtyard in front of the Colosseum. So I headed back that way, now clocking in close to 29 miles for the day. I walked faster and faster as I got closer to the Colosseum knowing that I could finally relax once I was with them. There they were, in the thick of it all wearing big smiles in front of the Colosseum. What a moment!
We enjoyed a good meal right at the finish line across the way from the place that wanted to charge me for using their wifi. Adriana got in touch with my sister, she made it across the finish line and was going back to the hotel to rest. After the experience looking back, I have little reason to panic and all the faith to have in Adriana, knowing how she was able to get Luca and Nicolas around by herself in Rome on the day of a marathon. I’m optimistic in thinking that the boys will remember the trip especially the MSC cruise that we took after Rome. At the least, I hope we can enjoy a fun conversation about the trip in the future!
Lessons Learned:
-There is a paradox for speed. From my training earlier that year, remember to move slowly before moving fast. It’s the principle behind one step backward and two steps forward. Training is about sustainability, not speed. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Less is more. Know your limitations!
-Growth involves going outside of your comfort zone, being in the room or ‘on the course’ with people who are better than you are. That’s what it takes to exceed your limitations.
-When you need a solution, practice inversion. Think backward instead of thinking forward and missing important steps. Whenever we panic with anxiety, it is because we are rushing forward without using practical steps to discover what is really behind the current situation. A famous quote from Seneca ‘He who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary’. So true!
