Today I finally managed to get out running again. After Sunday’s 100 km in Alberobello, on Tuesday I did 10 km just to “tie my legs back together,” and since then… I simply haven’t had time. The nights that followed were total chaos: the first night after a hundred kilometers I never sleep well—I get those small, annoying aches that come after a long effort, only cubed.
Then two nights lost to work, delays, things piling up and eating up all my sleep. On Wednesday I got hit with that classic exhaustion dizziness and I went on a full stop. I slept, I reset, and only then did I finally do the recovery I should have done right after the race.
Saturday was dream weather, but I didn’t go out then either, because Ica came over. She had just finished the 21-day running challenge at Fitness Tribe: Monday through Friday, waking up at 6 a.m. and running every day. A real challenge.
In fact, she took it all the way to day 25, to catch the moment when FT were celebrating 2000 days of their program. It was a big celebration there: shirts, photos, joy, people coming to congratulate her. I would’ve liked to be there too, but I was still in Italy. Friday… I was wrecked. 😔
But the joy came on Saturday, when I gave her the gift: a pair of Hoka Bondi 9s and a Garmin Forerunner 165. That was all it took. She jumped for joy, put them on, tried everything out, and we went out together for our classic kilometer around the block. She shot off like a rocket—at 400 meters she was already wondering if she’d still make it to retirement 😂—but then she found her rhythm and brought it home. Simple, beautiful joy. I have nothing but admiration for what she’s done over the last few months. It’s absolutely incredible for her age—73.
Back to today’s run: gloomy weather, water everywhere, heavy clouds like they wanted to shove depression down your throat. But I left Carmen’s place determined—and genuinely motivated—to move a bit and take a break from work.
I took Virtuții, the Ciurel Bridge, then toward Lacul Morii. I hadn’t even properly gotten onto the lake route when I spotted Victor—I knew him from online, and I think we’d met once before, maybe when I was on my bike. He had 30 km on the plan; I had about 10, just to breathe. He told me he’d run with me.
And off we went, the two of us, at a good pace, with stories, ideas, plans. He’s training for the Florence Marathon; I… I’m daydreaming about the December 1st marathon, which, honestly, I didn’t even know where I stood with anymore.
We looped the lake, took the promenade in Chiajna, and at the far end he showed me a drinking fountain I had no idea existed. We headed back, cut through the Dâmbovița Delta, came out in Roșu, did a forest loop, and at a roundabout he showed me another fountain, hidden in the church wall on a little side street—one you don’t even notice if you don’t know it’s there. I’ve been running in the area for almost two years and had no clue about them. I felt like a tourist in my own neighborhood. We both laughed. 😂
At kilometer 15 we split up. I told him that if he went back the same way, it would land him exactly 30. We hugged and each went on our way. I kept going on the other side of the lake, picked up a bit of tempo at the end, and wrapped up the day with 19 clean kilometers—exactly what I needed to come back mentally and emotionally. ☺️
And honestly, today’s run gave me confidence for the December 1st marathon. I even signed up, since I’m feeling better. Today, between the bad weather, the post-Alberobello fatigue, the Ica story, and bumping into Victor at just the right moment, everything fell into place exactly how I needed it. It’s like the chaos of the last few days cleared a little.
19 km, in dreary weather. And yet, one of the best comeback runs I’ve had lately. ❤️🏃♂️
#running #runningromania #hokarunnersromania #sportguru #yoloevents #marathon #december1marathon #laculmori #fitnesstribe #hoka #garmin
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