Roma Day 6 Headed Home

After packing the bags and getting everyone organized it was time to take a stroll before the  for the long journey home.

Day 5 Roma

Plan for the day

1. Vatican City
2. Sisten Chapel
3. St. Peter's Basilica - Climb to the top 531 steps and a lot of very narrow passages one last rope assisted climb
4. Lunch @Ristorante Di Rienzo
5. Ghetto di Roma
6. Portico d'Ottavia
7. Trajan's Column
8. The Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II) or "Il Vittoriano"
9. Gelateria Origini
10. Ristorante La Sagrestia

Day 4 Roma

It had warmed up significantly and we no longer needed our hats or scarves although the Romans still felt it a bit on the cool side.

1. Spanish Steps
2. Villa Medici
3. Walked through the Borghese Park to the Villa Borghese Museum
4. Thanksgiving lunch was at Open Colonna at the  Palazzo delle Esposizioni History(Art Museum)
5. Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi
6. Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta
7. Catacombe di San Callisto
8. Mouth of Truth @Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin
9. Ristorante La Sagrestia
10. Giolitti

Day 3 Roma

So Im finally getting adjusted to the schedule and actually hear the first alarm go off.   Plan for the day has been altered as its even colder than yesterday.  We changed the order to visit the indoor places first.

1. Villa Farnesina
2. Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
3. Snack Break @ Pasticceria Valzani
4. Point Sisto Bridge
5. Via Giulia to Palace Farnese
6. Market Campo de' Fiori  which featured Monumento a Giordano Bruno (looks like emperor Palpatine from Star Wars)
7. Piazza Navona featuring Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
8. Archivio di Stato di Roma
9. Lunch at Osteria ar Galletto
10.  Castel Sant'Angelo via the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II
11. Dinner @Taverna del Seminario

Day 2 Roma

The plan for the week was meet our guide at 9:30am.  Tough to get out of bed with the time change.  In addition it was unseasonably cold and I mean wicked cold. It was below freezing with a strong wind and a plan that included a lot of time outdoors.    Plan for the day:

1. Visit the Pantheon
2. Visit to the Church of San Clemente
3. Walk to the Colosseum
4. Roman Forum and Capital Hill
5. Lunch @Taverna degli Amici
6. Dinner that evening with Count Stefano Aluffi-Pentini whose company A private view of Italy organized our trip.  A private view of Italy
7. After dinner visit to Trevi Fountain 

Reviewing the plan for the day

An impressive Stadium in any era

Amazing

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Foto Bombing the Forum

Trevi Fountain

Day 1 in Roma

Uneventful night flight from Boston to Roma on Alitalia.  Watched  Now You see Me and then Shutter Island and managed to get a few hours of sleep as well.  It even looked like we were going to break our streak of airport delays as they had a shuttle bus just for business class to take you to the terminal and there was no wait at customs.  From then on it ground to a halt, it seemed to take forever for our bags to show up and then we got stuck in construction and street closures because of the upcoming Senate vote on Berlusconi.

We arrived at the Albergo del Senato Hotel which was right across the street from the Pantheon.   We

were the last of the group to arrive as HC had flown on Friday, Martha, Sam and Emma on Saturday and then us.  I figured that we had the day to unwind. Nope the tickets I had bought for Roma were for Monday not Wednesday as I believed.   We had a nice lunch PANTHEON SEI and then we had time to go the local AS Roma store and pick up some hats and scarves as it was going to be a cold night and we wanted to look like true supporters.  We left super early anticipating traffic, and a lengthy process to get into the stadium.   When we arrived the stadium was fairly empty aside from both of the ends.  Good game with lots of action and scoring chances for both Roma and Cagliari.   We ended with dinner right next to the hotel @RISTORANTE L & C GESROMA.

Craic Comp

Pretty tired when I got up this morning but I was looking forward to being back in the gym and for a internal Craic competition.    I haven't slept well over the past couple of weeks, maybe a better way to say it is I haven't slept enough.   I'm somehow on West Coast time making it hard to fall asleep.

Nonetheless it was time to get after it.  I like the internal throw downs as they have all the excitement and fun of a comp without the hassles.   I checked my heat times and knew I would have a little problem as the 2nd WOD was when I was suppose to be on a Conf call for work. I know it's a Saturday WTF?  Well the alternative was last night during Susie Birthday dinner.   I wasn't too worried I figured worst case I would miss the 2nd WOD and best case someone would switch. 

 1) Ground 2 Overhead

     - 8 mins
     - score = sum of 3 heaviest lifts

I knew this wouldn't be one I could do top 3 as we now have some big boys tossing some weight around like its phone.  In particular Big Russ who I think did well over 275.

     Open up at 215lbs and then did 225lbs 3 times.  Next up 235 boom.  Missed at 245lbs and then again at 235lbs.  My war, consisted of 1 rep at 185lbs and 1@215lbs.  Not a wise warm up or strategy. Didn't sweat it either way as I was intent on just getting the work in.

     Total = 685lbs - ???place 

 

Now the clock was ticking and I was looking at the heats and quickly determined that if I was not in one of the first two heats I would miss the WOD.  I didn't want to go to the coaches and ask them for help as they had enough on their plate.  I was also worried about asking someone to switch as I sure that's a bit unsettling.   Decided to ask Jay and he was like fine, no problem.

2) Thruster DU Ladder
     - 7m
     - 10 thrusters @65lbs
     - 20 DUs
     - weight increases by 10# each round

I have come to hate Thrusters since I now associate them with both Fran and the Opens.  I had no idea how I would feel in this and kept my strategy super simple.  Just keep moving and try not to blow up.  Man first round at 65 was easy peasey.  Actually every round was pretty easy on the Thruster as they weren't wicked heavy it was just important to try to move fast.  Thankfully my double unders were going well.  The only time I got in trouble was at the start of a set when I tried to go to fast I would mess up.  Once I settled into a even pace they were no problem.  We had about 45 seconds to go when I started my last round - got the thrusters even though I took a racked barbell rest.  Managed to get 1 double under in the last 3 seconds.

     5 Rnds +11 reps = 161 reps - ????place

Ran home and had 10 minutes to try to catch my breadth.  The call was scheduled for 30 minutes and within the first 10 minutes I knew this call was going at least an hour.  This was going to put me dangerously close to missing the last even.   The clock was just ticking away as we reviewed the renewals forecast line by line.  Susie even texted me asking I was coming back.  Geez I hope so I said.  The last group was going and then finished.   Ran out the door and jumped onto the rower and had 15 seconds to get focused on rowing!

3+4) 2K Row
     - 2 scores
     - 1st 500m split
     -row total 2K

I have historically had a tendency to go out too fast but that wouldn't be a bad idea today.  My 2k time is nowhere as strong as Deroma's or Big Russ's.  Those guys are tall and strong so my plan was to go for the 500 and then try to not blow up too soon. 3,2,1 my adrenaline was already sky high so I set out at 1:24 pace which was nuts.  It didn't hurt until about 250meters in and even then it didn't drop off too badly.   

     1:32   2nd place
  Now I was hanging on for dear life.  Everyone was cheering and screaming and all I could think about was how loud the music was.   Jarrod and Dickson got a big laugh out of my rowing strategy of actually taking breaks every now and then.  I mean come on I'm tired this rowing is tough on the vertically challenged.  Managed to hang on and not embarrass myself.  

 7:24- ??? place 

I immediately went out in the parking lot and did a quick follow up call from the earlier Conf call.  When I saw everyone inside circling up for the winners I was surprised as usually processing the scorecards takes forever.  Was thrilled when Susie got called up to the podium for 2nd place.  All things consider that was pretty damn good.   I had no idea how I had done in any of the events other than the 500m row which I had an idea I had got second in,  just didn't know if it was overall or for my heat. I was psyched when they called my name for third place. I was literally seconds away from not even making the last event and was able to pull it off. 

Watch the video to enjoy my rest break.

Here are the podium finishers.  I'm in the land of giants.  Not a good place for a guy that is vertically challenged. 

Made it home in time for the 2nd half of the SLU vs Amherst game.   Game was video broadcast in low def which was a huge bummer after being spoiled by St Laurence's HD broadcasts in the prior games.   St Lawrence scored in the last 44 seconds to force overtime and banged one off the post and had one stopped with an amazing one handed save before succumbing in the 2nd OT!  They had a great run especially with only 1 senior.  Here is the reaction after the tying goal with 40 seconds left.