Where I come from - 3 - My first race. Appia Run 2011

April 2011. Already seven months of resumed training, according to the scheme explained here (link). Helped by a colleague, I joined a running club and I'm ready for my first race.

To complete the picture, these are the training sessions of three weeks before the race: 

 

29/ 03   2x3000 rec 4' + 1000. The 3000s respectively at 4'45'' / 4'30'' for km on average. The 1000 at 4'34''.

01/ 04 Tempo-run, 8km at 4'34''

03/04 Slow run , 16km at 5'30''/km 155 bpm on average!

05/ 04 20x200 standstill recovery, the 200s in 46'' average.

08/ 04 Middle fast run, 10km at 5'05'' 160 bpm

10/ 04 Slow run , 16km at 5'25 ''

12/04 6x1000 rec 3' standstill at 4'30'' average

14/ 04 5 km very slow run

As first race I chose the Appia Run, 12.7 km between the Appia Antica, Caffarella park and the Baths of Caracalla, arriving inside the stadium. I chose it mainly for the location, unique for history and beauty, but also hard, because it is very hilly as well as generally hot, coming the first warm days of spring.

According to quoted workouts, I decided as first goal finishing within one hour, at an average of 4'43'' per km. Especially the 8 km tempo-run at  ​​4'34 '' told me I can did it. Then, of course never happy, I ask myself a second goal, more challenging. Passing at 10 km in less than 45', i.e. 4'30'' / km.

Morning of the race, more excited than it should be an adult against a game, I go to Caracalla in motorcycle and pick my first bib. Heating in the “cookie” (it's a little park beside the avenues of Caracalla in which every day many Roman runners train). I have no idea of the starting procedure. I had thought to warm up well almost to the start time, so when I enter in the starting area there is already a wall of runners in front of me (more or less the Appia Run has 3000 participants).

Here we go, I reset the GPS, 5-4-3-2-1-go. I have so many people slower than me to overcome, the first 200 meters I’m over 5'/km, then I get a little space and speed up (a little  too much). First km 4'24 ''. In the second km the track passes through Porta San Sebastiano and it goes downhill, 4’14’’. I look at the beats, very high, around 175! Boh. No I don’t even realize where I'm running, I do not recognize immediately the places that pass beside me.

5th km, very hard Cecilia Metella hill, where I lose something. I cross the 5^th km mark in 22'33'' perfectly in line with the goal of 10km in 45'. The track enters in the Caffarella, with a very dangerous and technical slope. Luckily I do not fall down,  and I see 7th km mark, yeeeet! I'm already a bit tired. But I don’t give up and pass the 9th km mark just slightly behind the plan in 40'41''.  

It would be enough, however, a 4'20'' in the next km, but there is the climb back to the Porta San Sebastiano. I'm making my maximum effort, when I arrive at the top of the hill the path turns to the left and I realize that there are another 400 meters of climbing! 

Here my head gives in, I’ve been at 180 bpm for some time (my HRmax is 183!), so I slow down, passing the 10km mark in 45'40''!  

 It remains still 2.7 kilometers to the finish line, many of which uphill! The pace is no more like at initial phase, now I’m closer to the 5' then to 4'30''. I arrive exhausted at the final slope, when I hear the announcer saying that we are still below one hour. Speeding the pace up for the last time, I enter in the stadium and cross finish line.

Final time 58'27''.

A goal achieved of two, but I am so happy all the same. Amazing Appia Run, I'll come back here in 2012 and 2013 and hopefully this year. It is a so insidious race, that the 2012 edition will be one of my worst races in terms of conducting. I will be able to tame it only in 2013.