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.

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!

Ci vediamo presto!

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.

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.

Check out these other Italian websites : Podistidoc , Corridori

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.

Btw….The Rome marathon people were so impressed by my map, they made it their own and put it on their Website!

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.

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%.

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.

Salute!

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.

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.

Seriously, if you ever get the opportunity…. Do the Rome marathon! — It’s a life changer! And if you need help registering (which can be a daunting task if you”re in the United States) , contact me and I’ll show you how to cut through some of the red-tape.

You might like these posts as well:

• 
  How does the saying go?..... When in Rome.....
• 
  2008 in Review
• 
  Two great races, one tough decision

By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/im-in/feed/ 0 http://breathinstephen.com/sto-imparando-litaliano/ http://breathinstephen.com/sto-imparando-litaliano/#comments Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:14:56 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=760
Today I began a new Italian language class at the Scula di Lingua e Cultura Italiana  ( School of Italian Language and Culture) in South San Francisco.   The class only meets once a week for 3 hours, but it”s a total immersion environment for those 3 hours. The instructor speaks minimal English while teaching… and she talks FAST !

I was a little worried that because my breathing has been really bad most of this week, that I’d be too short of breath to speak much in class, but I managed to get through it surprising well. I think the distraction of having to concentrate on something other than my lungs really helped.   The school is quite a drive ( 40 miles each way from my home), but it has a very good reputation and the intuition is very reasonable, so I think overall, it”s worth the hassle.

So why Italiano ?  Firstly,  because I like love the language and the people , but also because I”m planning to go back to Italy in a few months and Id really like to be able to communicate better with the locals. Contrary to popular tourist belief, not every Italian you run into in Italy… speaks English ( and they shouldn’t have to).

The class is held every Saturday morning, which means for at least the next 13 weeks, I’ll be doing my long training walks on Sundays instead.

You might like these posts as well:

• 
  Needle in a haystack
• 
  Getting down to the wire..
• 
  It's that time again !

By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/sto-imparando-litaliano/feed/ 0 http://breathinstephen.com/off-to-the-eternal-city/ http://breathinstephen.com/off-to-the-eternal-city/#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:27:40 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=645
(Piazza Navona)

Well, after a close call with my lungs this weekend , in just a few hours and with a ton medications in tow, I’ll be on a plane to Italy for the start of my Roman adventure. This trip has been in the planning for nearly eight months and there was no way ,short of being intubated , that I was gonna miss this opportunity.

My trip begins with an 11 hour flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt followed by another 2 hour flight to Rome, followed by a 90 minute train ride to where I’ll be staying. Net travel time … 24 hours . I have a portable neb machine that I’m hauling along , so I should be OK during the transit.

Once I’ve settled into my new diggs , I have 5 full days to Roam around Rome before the marathon on Sunday. Needless to say, I have a to-see list that’s a mile long. There are also a lot of people I hope to meet up with during my stay. My good friend, and legendary racewalker/elite runner , Hansi Rigney is flying out from California to run this race. I’m also hoping to bump into some of my Facebook Rome Marathon Group and TA ( TripAdvisor.com) friends, many of whom are traveling in from the UK and France. Believe it or not, even my dentist , who I apparently inspired to become a fitness walker, will be here to attempt his first marathon. As of the registration closing date, they had over 15,000 runners/walkers registered for the full marathon (6,000 of which are coming in from 76 different countries), and over 50,000 participants for the Stacittadina 4K fun run. Talk about a Big multi cultural block party! Good luck to all!

As you might imagine , I’m very excited about this trip, and yes…a little nervous too. After all, this is a pretty ambitious undertaking for someone with such funky and unpredictable lungs… I’m stepping way beyond my safety/comfort zone on this one . If my lungs get outta hand, I just can’t call my doc and tell him that I’ll be right in.

Seriously though, short of not going at all, I think Ive taken all the precautions I can. I’ve even purchased an emergency medical-evacuation plan which would supposedly jet me back to the US from anywhere on the planet if I’m hospitalized . I’ve missed out on way too much of this world because of these “what ifs?” in my life, and I refuse to let if happen anymore. If I’m breathing half way decent and I wanna travel half way around the world to sight see and walk a marathon…. I will. Hey, I may not bring home a medal this time, but I’m pretty sure I will come back much richer in other ways.

I dedicate this trip/walk to all the severe asthmatics out there who are not as fit or as lucky as I am.

Arrivederci !
A presto!
Next post in a couple of weeks.

You might like these posts as well:

• 
  How does the saying go?..... When in Rome.....
• 
  Getting down to the wire..
• 
  Off to Italy.........

By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/off-to-the-eternal-city/feed/ 0 http://breathinstephen.com/picks-for-2008/ http://breathinstephen.com/picks-for-2008/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:02:00 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=470 1) Maratona Della Citta Di Roma (March 16th)
A beautiful ancient city and a marathon together? What more could you ask for!

2) E.T. Full Moon Midnight Marathon (August 17th)
“Running along the fringe of the mysterious Area 51, this stretch of highway (375) has an overwhelming number of reported UFO sightings. So much so, that in 1996 the federal government officially named highway 375 the “Extraterrestrial Highway”. The ET Highway has become a gathering place for UFO enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. With elevations ranging from roughly 4000-5600 feet, the high desert will enchant you with gorgeous vegetation, surrounding mountains, and stunning vistas. An additional treat is the cooler temperatures. Rachel, NV is generally 15 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley; coupled with a midnight run, temperatures should be in the 60′s in August! ”

Oh yes……this one’s definitely for me!

3) Portland Marathon (October 5th)
Where I caught the bug.

4) Trail of Two Cities Marathon ( November 9th)
New comer….I’ve heard nothing but things about this event.

You might like these posts as well:

• 
  Congrats are in order
• 
  How does the saying go?..... When in Rome.....
• 
  Race plans for 2006

By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/picks-for-2008/feed/ 1 http://breathinstephen.com/how-does-the-saying-go-when-in-rome/ http://breathinstephen.com/how-does-the-saying-go-when-in-rome/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:55:00 +0000 Stephen http://breathinstephen.com/?p=420 Ok… I think I will !

Well, after months of working out the logistics, and obtaining the medical waivers, today I received official confirmation. March 16th 2008, I’ll be walking the Maratona Della Citta Di Roma or by it’s english name, the “City of Rome Marathon” …… in Rome, Italy!

What better way to see ancient Rome, than to walk a marathon right through the middle of it…. Kinda like walking 2000 years back in time!

Check out this course ……”Starting and finishing at the Roman Colosseum, runners and walkers will pass by all the the major landmarks including, the Vatican/St. Peter’s Square, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain”, etc etc.
How cool is that! Plus … I got great accommodations just 2 blocks from the starting line ( the Colosseum)

As you might imagine, this is quite an ambitious endeavor for me and not everyone is exactly thrilled with the idea (especially my pulmonologists). Traveling 6500 miles alone, to a foreign country with questionable air quality, and then to walk a marathon through it, has them a little concerned. I admit, a trip like this can seem a little daunting for a person with health issues, but we’re talking ROME baby!

Just getting getting there will be a challenge. Unlike my typical weekend /marathon getaways , this time I have to haul a ton of drugs and asthma paraphernalia half way around the world, and I have no idea of how my lungs are going to react to the climate once I get there. Heck, just staying healthy on the 12 hour flight over will be a trick, but these are risks I’m prepared to take on.

As for the marathon itself ? Their expecting a record turnout . Upwards of 25,000 runners and walkers for the marathon and 5K races. It’s also received excellent reviews by most people. A little different than most Americans are used to maybe (not as many creature comforts..such as toilets, water lol ), but they say that the scenery along the course, more than makes up for the lack of facilities–it’s breathtakingly beautiful! And except for the cobble stone streets here and there, the course is pretty much flat .The weather in March is supposed to be very nice and the air quality, though not as good as SF, is probably better than LA ….I’m not too worried about it.

I don’t know how many marathons I have left in me, but this is one I really want to do.

You might like these posts as well:

• 
  Bass Ackwards
• 
  easy does it..............maybe!
• 
  Congrats are in order

By Blogsdna

]]> http://breathinstephen.com/how-does-the-saying-go-when-in-rome/feed/ 3