If you’ve wondered why I haven’t been updating my blog as much lately, it’s because Ive been super busy with other projects. As strange as it may seen, there’s actually more to my life than racewalking and asthma. One of my other passions , is researching my Italian heritage and learning to speak “La bella lingua”. I’m referring of course, to the Italian language.
Though Ive completed 2 years of formal Italian classes in the not so distant past, as an older adult with limited access to other Italian speakers, it’s been a constant struggle to retain and use what little Italian Ive learned in school. I was starting to lose interest.
Well, a few weeks ago my brother, a language expert, suggested that I check out a this new language learning system called Fluenz. I went to the company’s website, did one of their sample lessons and became immediately hooked. The next day I went out and bought the program.
Ive only been futzing around with Fluenz for about 2 weeks now, but in that short time Ive already regained almost everything I had forgotten since quitting traditional classes, and my enthusiasm for continuing on with my language studies has been re-ignited. The challenge of learning a new language is fun once again. When’s the last time a software program patted you on the back for a job well done? This one does.
What makes Fluenz different from other software language learning systems, is that they tutor you in English. As adults, I think learning something new becomes much easier once we understand how something works. Fluenz accomplishes this by opening and closing each session with a video tutorial using a real person who reviews and explains everything that you’ve just learned… in English! With Fluenz there’s no guessing at what the teacher is trying to tell you. All of the comparisons are done in English. This is so different and so much easier than they way I learned in the classroom.
In addition to the lessons and the tutorials, they also incorporate a variety of repetitive, yet fun workouts, which employ some really sophisticated audio and video tools designed to help you better memorize, and put into use, the things you’ve learned in the lesson.
While much of what Fluenz teaches you is foundational, they do it in a way that’s relevant, engaging and completely useful in the real world. They don’t throw all the grammar rules at you at one time. Instead, they divvy them out as needed. The lessons are sequential, so that each one builds off the previous. You can check out a sample lesson here.
I rarely promote commercial products on my blog, but this is such a fun and unique approach to learning a new language, that I just couldn’t resist. All the hard work and pride that went into the development of this product really comes across when you use it.
Of course Fluenz isn’t the only tool you’ll need to master a new language. You still need to practice with real people every chance you get, but Fluenz certainly offers a good place to start, especially for adults.
The customer service people are awesome as well. They have live chat and quick email response .And so far, everyone Ive come in contact with have been courteous and have gone out of their way to find answers to my questions.
So, if you’re looking for a non stressful and fun way to learn a new language at your own pace, I highly recommend that you give Fluenz a try. The investment is worth every penny.
Boy, I’ve been home for a couple of days now and I’m still jet-lagged. This always affects me more on the return flight for some reason. Anyways, Rome out did herself this year. The 15th edition of Maratona di Roma was by far the best one yet, and in my opinion, is now one of the top 3 best marathons in world! They really got it together this year. I don’t think Ive ever seen so many volunteers or staff in a single race before. Without exaggeration, the number of support people had to be in the thousands . As far as actually runners, I don’t think they were far off when they predicted 100,000 would participate. I have never seen so many people in one place at one time for a sporting event. The first place winner came in at something like 2:07 which I believe is a record for the course.
As for my racing stats, well, let’s just say I didn’t break any records. But, I felt good, I was breathing well ,I soaked in as much of the atmosphere as I could and had the time of my life. Actually I would say, that the marathon was the highlight for the entire trip. Even though this was one of my slowest races ( 3:23 for the first 21 km) , I managed to cross the 21km point within the course time limit which is really all that I wanted to do.
As planned, I completed 21 of the 42 kms , but actually ended up walking 30km to catch the SAG bus back to the finish area. I have to say, I’m kinda glad that I stuck to my guns and stopped when I did, because as tempting as it was to keep going, my legs were already starting to cramp. I’m not really sure that I would have been able to finish the entire race….without really hurting myself.
Even though I didn’t do the entire race, when I got back to the finish area they called me up to the stage and congratulated me in front of a million people and cameras. They then presented me with a special gift ( pictures of which I will post at a later time).
All I can say, is that if you ever get a chance, do this race! It’s an experience you will never forget.
Here are some pictures I took during the actual race. Some of them are kind of blurry as I was in motion during most of them.
I arrived in Italy a full week ahead the race, but jet lag prevented me from doing all things I wanted to do. I was able to get down to Ercolano for a day and visit the scavi ( the excavation of the ruins of Herculaneum). What a fascinating place to visit. It’s hard to believe that an entire city was buried underneath the soot of the Mt Vesuvius eruption some 2000 years ago. Everything is as if it was frozen in time (for lack of a better word). It is literally a huge pit that they are still unearthing to this day.
From Ercolano I went on to Sorrento, but was too tired from my day at Herculaneum to go further south to the Amalfy coast or to visit the other more famous ruins site at Pompeii . Definitely, on my next visit.
Here are some pictures I took during my time in Ercolano.
After returning back to the north, I spent a couple days roaming
around Rome. I skipped the Vatican Museums, because again, I was racking up too many miles and really needed to spare my legs for the race. I focused mainly on the Pantheon area and some other tourist spots that I missed the last time I was here.
Here are a few misc shots of I took while “roaming” around Rome… including the infamous train station ..Rome Termini (I don’t know why I’m so fascinated by that railway station).
Lastly, but certainly not least, is the town of Zagarolo. This was my home base and where I usually stay when I come to Italy. It’s also one of my favorite places in the whole country. It’s definitely a different way of life here, one that I think I could get very used too.
Here are some pictures of I took of Zagarolo.
Finally, here’s a collage of video clips of the things I did and the places I saw on my short stay. I had to chop about 15 minutes off it because of the Youtube time limit. A short clip of the marathon is at the end . Sorry, the playback quality isn’t that great ,cuz the camera was bouncing all over. You can actually see my feet as I’m walking ( the orange shoes).
OK…..Next adventure is the Boston Marathon in just 3 weeks. I’m excited about that trip as well, because Ive never been to any of the New England states.
The bags are packed, the legs are ready, and the lungs… well who knows, but in just a few hours, I’ll be on a plane to Italy!
For the next 2 weeks I’ll be calling the medieval town of Zagarolo (located in the foothills about 30 minutes southeast from Rome), my home.
I have wonderful friends who live there from whom I’m renting an apartment. I love making Zagarolo my home base when I’m in central Italy, because it’s so peaceful and laid back, yet still very close to the hustle and bustle of Rome.
I’ll also be taking a side trip south to Sorrento , with visits to Ercolano and Pompeii . I really wanna do the Mt Vesuvius hike this time if the weather is OK.
Back in Rome, I’ll be visiting the Vatican Museums again ( there’s so much to see there) , Largo di Torre Argentina –the famous cat sanctuary , and of course on March 22 , there’s a certain little marathon that’s I’m supposed to be doing:-), which is basically a grand tour of all the famous Rome sites. A lot to see and do on this short trip.
I wont be bringing a computer along on this trip, so the next blog update will be towards the end of the month ….Hopefully with tons of pictures and maybe even a race report!
One week from tomorrow, I’m supposed to be on a plane heading to Italy, but as luck would have it, looks like my lungs might have the final say as to whether that actually happens. As is usually the case when it comes to me and marathons or travel…. it’s gonna get down to the wire.
I started flaring- up about 2 weeks ago and haven’t really recovered since…at least not to my baseline. That, plus the inability to train the way I should be for this marathon , has put somewhat of a damper on my enthusiasm for this long awaited trip. Hopefully, I’ll turn the corner in the next few days and everything will seem exciting again. I would hate to have to cancel the reservations with my Italian hosts on such short notice.
In the meantime, I’m just gonna start packing and get things in order for the trip as if everything was normal. Man, you wouldn’t believe the planning that goes into a trip like this when you have serious health issues… especially when you travel alone. With just one suit case and one carry on to work with , I have to transport two separate stashes of medications, plus two separate nebulizer machines ( in case get my luggage gets lost, like it did last time). I also have to have multiple contingency plans in place, in case I get sick over there and need hospital care. I basically have to have a back up plan for everything I do when I travel. Not only costly, but a huge pain in the ass.
We’ll see how this all plays out by next weekend.
Oh..Almost forgot….as you can see , the old blog is getting a make-over. Should be finished in a couple days.
OK…If I get sick, it’s all your fault! ……… just kidding. Thanks everyone for your input!
You know, I could easily lock myself up in an air tight plastic bubble for the next two months until the Boston marathon rolls around, but experience with this disease has taught me that no matter what I do to avoid getting sick, if my lungs wanna act-up…their gonna act-up.
So, after carefully weighing all the pros and cons, and assuming that I’m breathing well enough to travel in a couple weeks, this is where I’ll be on the morning of March 22nd………along with 100,000 other manics.
And this is where I’ll be that afternoon…….
I think that as long as I don’t over do it during the marathon, that I’ll be OK for Boston. The bulk of my training has already been completed, so in a worst case scenario ( ie…if I were to get sick during or immediately following my trip to Italy), Id still have about 4 weeks to recover and get my s**t together before B day.
With that issue resolved, I can re focus my attention on my upcoming Roman adventure. In addition to Rome and the surrounding communities, I’m also gonna head south, just past Naples for a day to see the ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum
If I have enough time , I also want to take the Mt Vesuvius hiking tour around the rim of Volcano.
Now that the pipe dream of becoming one of the first lung challenged athletes ever granted a mobility impaired slot in the Boston marathon has become reality, I have to make some tough decisions about the other marathon that I love so much. I’m referring of course, to the Rome marathon. Obviously, I can’t do both ..(they’re only 4 weeks apart). I think it would be a huge disappointment it I went all the way to Italy and wasn’t able to participate in the race, but it would be an even bigger disappointment if I went to Italy, got sick and then had to forgo Boston.
Most people would say it’s a no-brainer…just cancel Rome!… but it’s not that easy for me. The Rome marathon promoters and the Italian media have been very kind to me and I hate to give the impression that I chose Boston over Rome. In my opinion the Rome marathon is the best marathon in the world for ambiance and historical scenery. I had a wonderful time doing it last year and wanted very much to do it again. The Boston marathon on the other hand, is without doubt, the most prestige pedestrian race of all time and is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for someone like me. If I passed up this opportunity, I’d probably regret it for the rest of my life. I will never get a chance to do it again, because for all practical purposes, after this next race, I’m done with full marathons. My body just can’t handle the 26.2 mile distance anymore. After this, it’s half marathons or less.
So these are my options……. What would you do?
Option#1) Cancel my upcoming trip to Italy and reschedule at a later date when I don’t have a marathon to worry about.
Option#2) Go to Rome next month as planned , but only for 10 days instead of 3 weeks. Be present at the Rome marathon starting line as promised , but only walk the first half of the marathon(13.1 miles) and then voluntarily withdraw. I wouldn’t receive recognition for finishing, but that’s OK, because at least I would be able to say I participated , and by doing only half of the Rome Marathon, not only would I be saving my legs, but I’d be doing a 13 mile taper walk that I would have to anyway for Boston.
Option#3) Go to Rome as scheduled , but skip the marathon.
What ever I decide, I have to do it soon. The Rome marathon is only 4 weeks away and Boston is only 8 weeks out.
Btw….even though I was granted a disability slot in the Boston Marathon, I still had to have a qualifying finish time from a previous certified race, albeit a much more generous one than for regular entrants.
In preparing to do this marathon for the second time, I thought it would be cool to retrace the marathon route step-by -step. However, the only available map of the course ,which is located on the marathon website , is more of a illustration than an actual map. So I decided to create my own map using Google maps. With a little research I was able to obtain some of the actual street names. Using that info, along with the website illustrations and my own recollections of what I actually saw while doing the marathon , I was able to piece together, what I believe, is a very accurate virtual tour of the Marathon course. The only part of the map that might not be a 100% accurate , is where the course goes through St Peters square near the Vatican. (That part of the marathon route was just added for the 2009 race)
Talk about deja vu , as I was viewing the completed map , going street by street as the course weaves in and out along the Tigress river, I was actually getting goose bumps. I had forgotten just how overwhelming an experience this whole thing was for me at the time. Things that I had totally forgotten about were starting to come back in my head clearer than ever. Walking past certain buildings or seeing certain street scenes in this virtual trip, triggered almost the same emotions that I felt when I was there for real. I can even remember what I was thinking at the very moment I passed certain landmarks along the way…
To take a virtual tour of the marathon course at street level, click on “larger view” at the bottom of the map.When the new page opens , zoom in on any part of the course ( the purple line). Look for the little yellow man located on the toolbar on the left upper side of the viewing window and drag him anywhere along that purple line. Click the arrows to move forward and drag within the viewing window to get a 360 degree view. The start of the marathon is the in front of the Colosseum ( blue bubble) , the finish line is behind the Colosseum.
My sympathies go out to the victims and families of the Earthquake which occurred in the town of L’Aquila in central Italy early Monday morning. It breaks my heart that so many people died or were injured. The destruction appears to be massive.
We in California are not exactly strangers to Earthquakes. I know all to well how devastating these larger quakes can be, even in the most modern of cities. I can only imagine how terrified the people must be who live in that area , but I can certainly understand their hesitation to return to their homes…or whats left of them. I wish there was some way I could help out.
I contacted some of my friends who live in Rome, and while they felt the shaking, they report to me that there was no damage in the Rome area and that they are all fine. My friend who works for the Rome marathon, said he felt the vibrations, but fell back asleep and didnt think anything of it until the new morning when he saw people walking in the street with their pajamas on.
I was in that region of Italy , less than two weeks ago. I just can’t believe it.
OK, everyone seems to be doing a 2008 year in review, so here’s mine.
I fitness walked 838 miles , which is way down from the almost 1,000 miles I walked in 2007 and more than 1,200 miles I walked in 2006. Most of that decline was planned, because I wanted to spend more time cross training in the gym ( which, by the way hasn’t worked out too well). My iffy health was probably a factor as well.
I completed 3 races in 2008…. the operative word here is “completed”. Not a lot of races , but they were all very unique and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to do them …and FINISH them. I walked 26.2 miles at the Maratona di Roma in Italy in March, followed by my very first 5K race at the San Francisco Marathon in August , then 2 weeks later my first nighttime half marathon up the side of a mountain in the middle of area 51 in the Nevada desert. The desert walk was by far the most difficult half marathon Ive ever done ( 13 miles uphill). Unfortunately I didn’t PR any of these races, but then again, I didn’t train very hard for any of them either. And for the second year in a row, thanks to my lungs, I had to back out of a prepaid, non-refundable trip and race, which ironically , I did train very hard for. Maybe too hard.
Speaking of stupid lungs, 2008 saw me in prison 5 times, for a record of 33 days spent behind bars in just one year. In other medical news; I completed 2-one year long asthma research studies, I stopped taking Xolair injections, I stopped taking my daily maintenance dose of prednisone , and for the first time in three years, saw a decline in my average FEV1, which is now below 40%.
2009
I have plans for only one or two races this year, a full marathon and possibly a half marathon. Ive mentioned doing the Rome marathon several times , but there’s a possibility that I may do another marathon just 4 weeks after the Rome marathon. This will be the first time Ive contemplated doing 2 full marathons back to back ( YUP..Im insane). I’m keeping a lid on the details for that 2nd marathon until I know for sure ( hopefully within the next few weeks). As for the half marathon, my choices are the SF marathon, The US Half ( in San Francisco a well), Seattle marathon or possibly a marathon in Florence (Firenze) or Rome again. In addition, I hope to do another one of Dave Mc Governs Racwalking clinics.
Aside from the Rome marathon in March, I hope to return to Italy again in the fall just to tour the country. Back here at home, I hope to extend my involvement in the asthma research and education field.
I guess my biggest hope, is to spend less time in the hospital, and more time enjoying the little things that most people take for granted.
With the Rome marathon training window rapidly narrowing (not to mention the availability of airline tickets to Italy in March), I need to make a decision soon, as to whether or not I’m actually going to do the marathon this year. I’m already registered, but saying I wanna do it, and actually committing to it, are two different things.
As a date with a marathon draws closer, isn’t it funny how we start to recall some of the not so pleasant aspects of the previous one? There’s no better feeling of self accomplishment and joy, than in crossing the finish line of race you’ve trained so hard for. Ah..but how soon we forget just how tough it is to walk or run 26 miles, and how many times we told ourselves, that we would never-ever subject our bodies to this type of voluntary torture again. Let’s face it, even in a setting as magnificent as ancient Rome, completing a marathon is very hard on the body…. maybe even harder because of all the effort it takes to get over there…not to mention the cobble-stone streets that you have to run on.
I guess having second thoughts about doing another marathon just goes with the territory, but what makes this an extra tough decision for me, is that over the last year, my lung function, along with my physical endurance, have really declined. I’ve been hospitalized more than ever this year, and the aches and pains of just growing old are really starting to catch up with me. My muscles hurt all the time. Since this will be my 5th and probably last full marathon, I don’t want to proceed unless I’m confident I can finish faster and stronger than I did last year. Actually, I’ll have to , because for 2009 they’re lowering the course time limit to 7.0 hours! ..(No stress there.)
So, if I decide to go-for-it, not only will I have to train much harder than in previous times, but I’ll also need a heap of good luck to go along with it, to keep me from getting sick from the very training that is supposed to prepare me. (like Portland).
Spring time marathons are also tough to do (at least for me), because the bulk of the required training has to happen during the winter months. Granted, I live in a fairly mild climate here in the San Francisco bay area, nevertheless, it’s been very cold and wet here lately and this weather pattern will probably extend into January and February. Add to that ,the pollens which tend to make their debut in those crucial later months. For the first time ever, I may actually do some of the shorter walks on the treadmill.
Depending on how my lungs act, and the status of this head cold that’s been lingering with me, I plan to do a 10 mile “test walk” this coming Saturday, followed by a 13 mile walk on Christmas weekend. If I can survive those two walks without falling apart or getting sick, then I’ll commit fully to the rest of the planned training schedule, which I will post later.
*One good thing; because I’m so conditioned to walking 4-6 milers, I don’t have to ramp up to 10 miles. Effectively, I can start marathon training at the 10 mile mark. This easily shaves a month off the training.*
Marathon or not, I’ll still be going to Italy in either Feb or March and then again in October.
Boy….How time flies ! Seems like I just started this class, but the semester is already over, and today I graduated from the first grade!
Anyways, as a final exam for the semester, we were given a list of topics from which to compose a short story. We chose to write about the Italian holiday… “La Befana”. They’re going publish our individual stories in the school newspaper sometime next spring.
I’m sure the grammar isn’t perfect , but this is the paper I wrote …….( and you thought I was just a dumb marathon walker).
La festa della Befana è celebrata in Italia il 6 gannaio ed è una festa nazionale.L’Epifania celebra il 12 giorni di Natale quando i Re Magi arrivano all stalla portando regali al bambino Gesu.
Numerose varianti della leggenda della Befana sono venuti attraverso i secoli come la tradizione è ilfolclore , ma il tema comune a tutte queste storie è come segue :
Alla vigilia dell’Epifania (il dodicesimo giorno di Natale), i Magi, (i tre saggi Re delle mistico orientele) fedeli è determinati, loro seguono la stella più brillante nella cielo nella loro implacabile ricerca di un neonato Re per dare il benvenuto a Lui come rappresentanti dei loro regni.
Lungo il loro cammino, loro incontrano una vecchia donna, mentre lei diligentemente spazza la sua piccola casa,loro chiedono a lei direzione per Betlemme.
I Re invitano lei a accompagnano Re loro, ma lei rifiuta, perchè, spiega, lei e troppo occupatò pulire la sua casa è non può andarsene. Loro continuano senza di lei, ma piu tardi, la vecchia donna decide di intraprendere il proprio viaggia lunga in cerca di questo nuovo misterioso bambino.
Volando attraverso il cielo sulla sua scopa magica, lei non lo trova, ma ovunque vede una bambino addormentato,lascia un dono speciale solo nel caso in cui Lui è il neonato Re. E lei adempie tale scopo la vigilia dell’Epifania vigilia per secoli.
In Italia, la celebrazione dell’Epifania include le leggenda di una buona strega chiamata befana. E descritta come una vecchietta brutta con capelli bianchi, è vestiti sporchi di fuliggine. Arriva su una scopa durante la notte del 5 gennaio. Porta giocattoli è dolci a bambini buoni è carbone a cattivi. I bambini sospendono le loro calze la vigilia dell’Epifania nell’attesa della visita della Befana.
The English Translation:
La Befana , a Christian holiday (also known as the Epiphany) is celebrated in Italy on January 6th and is also a national holiday. The Epiphany celebrates the 12 days of Christmas when the 3 Kings (the 3 wise men) arrive at the manger of baby Jesus bearing gifts.
Many variations of the legend of La Befana have come down through the ages as tradition and folklore, but the common theme in all of these stories is as follows:
On the Eve of the Epiphany (the 12 days of Christmas), the Magi, ( the three wise Kings from the mystical east) faithful and determined, follow the brightest star in the heavens in their relentless search for a newborn king to welcome him as representatives of their own kingdoms.
Along their journey, they encounter an old woman, La Befana, as she diligently sweeps her little house and they ask her for directions to Bethlehem. The kings invite her to accompany them, but she declines; because she explains, she is too busy cleaning her house and cannot leave.
They continue on without her, but later, old Befana has misgivings and decides to embark on her own long journey in search of this new mysterious child. Flying through the sky on her magical broom, she never finds him, but wherever she sees a sleeping child, she leaves a special gift just in
case that one is the newborn king. And she has been fulfilling this purpose on Epiphany eve for centuries.
Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th, which is the Twelfth Day.
In Italy, the celebration of the Epiphany includes the legend of a good witch who is called “La Befana.” She is described as and ugly old women with white hair wearing torn shoes and clothes that are soiled from soot. She arrives on a broom late on the night of January 5th and enters the house through the chimney. She brings toys and sweets to the good children and coal to the bad ones.
The children hang their stockings on epifany eve in anticipation of her arrival.
What are the chances you could re-connect with a person you only met for a few hours while in a sea of 75,000 other runners, in a foreign country, that you never exchanged addresses with , or for that matter even spoke the same language? The only thing I knew was his first name…Giuseppi
This is Giuseppi ⇩
If you read through my race report of the Rome marathon back in March ( which I somehow misplaced), you might remember me talking about these two guys that I met during the marathon. One of them was a young French guy by the name of Merri who was raising money for a charity, and the other , a really colorful Italian character by the name Giuseppi something. The 3 of us kept each other amused and entertained during the toughest part of any marathon ..the last 6 miles. Giuseppi even serenaded us as we walked through Piazza Del Popolo, though I have no idea what he was singing about. After the race Merri and I hung out for a while and exchanged info , but Guiseppi disappeared into the crowd before I had a chance to say goodbye.
Well, a few weeks ago I got to thinking about Guiseppi and how cool it would to reunite with both him and Merri in Rome next year. Armed with only a first name and my computer, I set out to locate this needle in a haystack.
The first thing I had to do was at least get his last name…that part was easy. I knew that since we all crossed the finish line together,that his full name would appear just above mine on the results page of the marathon website. Great, I have his last name now , Guiseppi Finite. Helped a little, but do you know how many Guiseppi Finites there are in Rome? Heck..I don’t even know if he lived in Rome.
Then I remembered that he had a very unique a logo of some running club on his race shirt. So, I went on the web and searched though what seemed like hundreds of Italian running club websites, until I stumbled upon one that had that very same logo .
I wrote a letter to the president of that running club ( in my terrible Italian), explaining that I was trying to locate a lost friend. I figured it was probably a long shot, but I also knew that despite privacy issues, that Italian people tend to be helpful when it comes to matters like this.
Well, my hunch paid off. It turns out that both the running club AND the Rome marathon organizers themselves, had forwarded my emails to Giuseppi and today I received this letter :
Hi Stephen Gaudet begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting I’m Paolo, Giuseppe Finiti’s son.You’ve met him during the Rome marathon 2008.
My father is very happy to meet you another time in Rome 2009. He doesn’t run the next 2009 rome marathon but he’ll be present in that day.He’ll run few kilometers only and then will stop.
He doesn’t understand english very well, so I read and write for him.
You can contact this e-mail to send messages to my father, thank you.
Bye
Giuseppe & Paolo Finiti.
If you’ve wondered why I haven’t been updating my blog as much lately, it’s because Ive been super busy with other projects. As strange as it may seen, there’s actually more to my life than racewalking and asthma. One of my other passions , is researching my Italian heritage and learning to speak “La bella lingua”. I’m referring of course, to the Italian language. 
