So the past week has been consumed with consuming the amazing foods and wines of Friuli. This is a region of Italy where few Americans visit and we have heard little English since we left Valbruna on Monday.
Beauty in Friuli...
Still trying to train between bites of prosciutto and fresh local cheese, and the great Friulian wines. Have had some epic vineyard runs, as well as a heated jaunt on the coast in the city of Trieste. Staying at the Hotel Victoria, which was once the home of the great Irish author James Joyce, who spent much of his time loving the food, wines, and especially the coffee for which the city (the home of Illy) is famous.
Best run of the week, however, was a test/training run for the 5000m, or 5K, which I will run next week in Hengelo in the Netherlands. Had, as my training partner, Vail’s beloved Marco Tonazzi, the former Italian World Cup ski racer who was on the Italian team with Alberto Tomba.
Originally from the picture-perfect mountain town of Valbuna, Marco now lives in Eagle, and owns the fabulous Valbruna clothing store in Vail. When he’s not pace setting for me, he runs the Valbruna Inn, which he also owns and where we were fortunate enough to have stayed for a bit.
Anyway, twelve knee procedures later, Marco is still in fine form, biking the steepest hills and very occasionally running with his guests. He took me to fine track in the area, where I got in a smooth 12-and-a-half laps. Exactly the distance of the 5000m.
I won’t tell you the time. But I am looking forward to Hengelo.
...And the Beasts in the Mountains