Marathon Update: Arrivo! Andata e ritorno!

Buon giorno!

    You will find in my Photos: proof, however worse for wear, that I completed running a distance of 26.2 miles last week.  No, the photo wasn't shot on a back lot at Paramount Studios-- it was taken in Florence, Italy, just after running that city's annual marathon.

    I missed meeting my goal finish-time by 10 minutes-- and I'd like to blame the organizers' rather hazardously allowing heavy pedestrian and auto traffic through the cobblestone course as soon as the elite runners had finished-- but that would be sour grapes.  I did manage to shave 45 minutes off my time from the marathon last year in Dublin (since my knee was busted from the beginning this time, I knew what I was dealing with!)-- so I will just be pleased as punch, look at my shiny little medal and know I ran like I meant it and finished on an absolutely lovely course, as well.  Despite locals who were rather puzzled by our alien presence and/or why we'd want to do what we were doing, we had lots of family and friends to cheer us on, and it really couldn't have been a more ... complete package of an experience that I'll never forget. 

    Thanks to all who wished us well and shared such words of support and guidance along the way.

    And for those who might doubt even just a little that any 'small' donation to AIDS Project LA on the runners' behalf can't really make that much of a difference, the LA training groups for both the Florence and Honolulu marathons raised over $248,000, with all of the training cities in the country (for all of the marathons APLA trains for throughout the year) raising a total of nearly $1.5 million this year so far.  People you don't even know can live that much longer, with that much more well-being, because of you.

Grazie!  Molte grazie!  Thank you all for who you've been and who you are!

xo

Danielle D.