The Skyrace!

Oh what a day, what a day... Lisa and I arose at 5:00 in the morning to start this whirlwind of a day. We quickly got ready, wolfed down breakfast and started jogging over to the train station (a mile away) around 5:30. Upon arriving to the station, we noticed that our 6 a.m. train didn't have a platform listed, but instead the letters "SOP" which we soon discovered meant "soppero." Apparently, one day a year, Italy's trains go on strike (soppero)... and Sunday, July 13th was the day. Our anxiety started to rise because the 6:00 train to Gallicano was the only train heading to our race destination before the start time. When inquiring about a taxi, we were told it would cost us 90 euro, since the cabs had jacked up their prices due to the strike. :(

Slightly panicked, we ran back home, loudly whispering "Isabella" to see if she was awake. She came down, we explained the situation and she immediately said she would drive us there. And so, Isabella, Lisa, Cico and I jumped in the car, to drive 35 minutes to Gallicano, where we would take a shuttle from the sports complex to the start of the race.

When we arrived to the sports complex, I looked out the window and thought to myself "oh crap..."The parking lot was loaded with Italian
men, fully covered in wind suits, waiting to board the shuttle. Lisa and I were wearing tank tops and running shorts, noticeably naked in comparison. Ahhhh the stares we got. I never appreciated receiving a racing shirt more, quickly putting it on after receiving my registration packet.

By the time we made it to the start, obtained our racing packets, and put on our bibs, we still had about an hour and a half to kill, so Lisa and I hung out in the school, and watched all of the Italian athletes prepare for the race. The air was clouded with the smell of Bengay, as Italian men thought nothing of walking around in their skivvies. (Even though there were three toilet rooms). Luckily, we
didn't feel completely out of place, as there were a handful of women in the room with us.

We began to gather at the start line around 9:00, taking off around 9:15, even though the race was scheduled to start at 9:30. We encountered bottlenecking right away, but soon realized that even when we spread out, a lot of walking would resume. The course was very technical with jagged rocks and roots sprouting up everywhere, so played if safe, having to walk for a vast majority of it. Even the walking turned out to be intense, especially as we hiked up cliffs that seemed neverending, winding up and up and up!

 Around five kilometers in, we were quickly reminded of why it was called a "Skyrace," as we ran along the top of a few cliffs. Up until this point, we were winding our way up, and running on wide surfaces with picturesque views of mountain tops. Eventually, the pathways  became more narrow, and we had to cross one section that was a thinner pathway over a cliff with no railings. I stopped for a moment and asked Lisa to lead, feeling my anxiety rise due to a moderate fear of heights. All I remember saying was "don't look down, focus on her feet..." and with relief we made it across the first obstacle.

We had been forewarned prior to the race, that it would be an intense course, and were asked if we were certain we wanted to participate several times (by the race director). I understand why
now, as it NOT the typical running course. We
were literally running along cliffs, and even
scaling parts, using ropes to hold on. The scariest part was when we saw a memorial for someone who has died scaling one of the sections we went through. Lisa had mentioned "what would our mothers think right now?" I am pretty sure they are glad they didn't know. ;)

Halfway through the race, we climbed to the highest point, wiping out our hamstrings while ascending 1000 meters. Throughout the entire course, we climbed 1600 meters, so you can imagine what 1000  felt like at once. It was painful to say the least. Afterward, we started our trek downward, with 7 miles to go until the finish. We were so grateful for any opportunity to run on the road. After 5 hours and 2 minutes, we crossed the finish line! We were halted near the finish, given an American flag and sent on to cross the line. Everyone was cheering for us, and the U.S. National Anthem was
even played later as they called our names up for awards. Incredibly surreal.

The only challenge left of the day was finding a way to get back home. The train situation was still an issue with "soppero" and Isabella was bound for Switzerland to see her sister. I whispered to Lisa "I wish some of these guys were heading to Lucca, so we could hitch a ride." Fortunately, a few minutes later, while waiting for the shuttle back down the mountain, we made friends with members of a running club from Lucca. Knowing we were from America, their club elder, "Nono" or "Grandfather" started serenading us with Frank Sinatra songs. The kicker was that he sang the words in perfect English, but didn't understand what they meant, asking us if we could translate them into Italian.

Upon hearing we were heading back to Lucca, three of the running club guys, who had carpooled to the race from Lucca, offered to drive us home. Considering the trains were still on strike, it was very fortunate for us. We graciously accepted their offer, stopping for coffee along the way and hearing many great stories about "Grandfather."

We are extremely grateful for Isabella, taking the time to get up early and drive us 70 minutes out of her way so that we could partake in this experience. We also appreciate the generosity of Luca di Lucca, Marco and Francesco, driving us home, and treating us to coffee to boot. These Italians are pretty altruistic people!

FP:  82

SoG: 55