Pluto.

Speechless.

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-returns-first-of-the-best-images-of-pluto

Peace.

No, really, could you stop with all these bullshits and stop bombarding, exploding and killing each other?

Thanks.

Two thoughts.

1) At some point we all were fibroblasts.

2) We are walking biohazard.

Building things.

"We'll continue building things just so someone else can watch them fall."

"Hi I'm a social disease" (Andersen Prunty)

Stick to it.

When I was younger I was thinking: "When I'll be older, I will listen to more sophisticated music, like jazz: I can't believe I'll be still listening to this metal-shit....".

I'm closer to my 40s than to my 20s now, and yesterday I've ordered Grave and Malevolent Creation' new albums.

Semper fidelis.

Slayer...

...either you love them or you love them.

The new album is out today.

Buy it.

P.S.: Tom Araya for president!

Altra Superior 2.0: review!

...it's my blog, so I do what I want, and what I want to do today is to talk a little bit about this wonderful shoes.

I was tired to wear painful trail shoes and I decided to give a chance to the Altra Superior 2.0.

In few words: they are amazing!

I don't know if it was a placebo effect, but this last weekend I was flying with them on my feet.

Since I'm used to wear minimal running shoes (aka, no crap between my feet and the ground), the zero drop wasn't a big change for my running, even though I noticed I was using more my toes and less my heels.

The toes-box it the best thing these shoes can offer. My toes are finally happy and free, and I can push better with my feet because I can feel that all my toes are actually actively involved in the action.

Also, the shoes are so light and comfortable that it feels like I' was running barefoot.

Only one negative thing: since the toes-box is so comfortable, the feet tend to randomly move a little bit too much, especially down hill. But this is just a minor thing, and a thicker pair of socks will easily resolve the situation.

Here a pictures of me trying my brand new shoes:

...still clean and shiny after 30-and-something miles.

I don't think this shoes are perfect for aggressive up/down-hill on technical course, but for long distances on easier trail or for general training are perfect.

Note to myself: I'm curious now, and I would like to try also to their road running shoes...

Hug several trees.

Habanero 100 race report: 105 km of heat, sweat, ramen and blisters

...if they call it "the hottest race in Texas" there is a reason, and now I know why.

But let's go in order here.

I wasn't even sure if I was able to running it. I was still tired from the last two races (here and here) and also I had a stupid cold/flu/bug last week that 1) really killed all my ambitions and motivations and 2) basically didn't let me train how I was planning to... Also, I was busy sciencing and my mind wasn't in the right place. Long story short, I decided to running it just two days before the race day.

So Friday I headed to the Buescher state park, deep in the South of Texas (Figure 1a and 1b).

Figure 1a-b) Oh, texas...

After a night in my tiny-brand-new-20$ tent (I don't fit in that thing and I slept with my feet out), precisely at noon the race was on.

The race was on a up- and down-hill trail of about 11.5 km, and I had to run it 9 times. The loop itself wasn't hard, and it was all runnable, meaning that it was never to steep, but the real challenge was another.

The real challenge indeed was the heat.

...and of course, I totally underestimated it, as well as I did the same for the distance (my smartest thought was "It's just a 50 km, only two times...").

So I started faster as I can, and I kept going in that way, but the heat was hard. The sun was hitting hard on my skin, and I was smart enough to run with a hat, otherwise my brain was boiled after the first loop.

Anyway, I kept going, I didn't care about the heat or anything else, I was focus, I wanted to finish it.

After about 6 hours and something, the first 50 km were done (usually I'm at 50 in about 4 hours and a half, and this explains how hot it was). It's amazing to think that the 50 km mark was just the half of the race. Honestly, I had a moment of weakness, but I drank some more electrolytes, I ate some gels, and the weakness was flushed away.

I kept going, the sun was finally going down and completing its loop around the earth and it was getting colder.

...no, not really colder, just a little bit chiller.

Now it was time to wear my headlamp and be ready to run in the night.

I love run in the night. Everything changes. You feel even more alone and by yourself, it's almost """""spiritual""""": you just see what your headlamp allows you to see (not much in my case) and you're alone with your thoughts. You hold on happy thoughts and you try to stay away from negativity and bad dreams, and you keep going. It's just a stupid run, I know, and I paid for this, I wanted this, there are people out there suffering for real reasons, but still those moments out there in the dark are really challenging...

At this point of the race, the energy started to dim down like the light of my headlamp: I needed food/energy/fuel. Unfortunately, when I'm running I'm not really in the mood for big and happy meals, and the general idea of eating it doesn't excite me at all, but I also know that I must do it. This is something I'm struggling since I've decided to be in the ultra-business, and I'm working on it, and after all, I'm getting better and better.

Anyway, I was going through this "food debate" in my mind when at the aid station they offer me some ラーメン: that was the most amazing thing ever! I think for my next race I will prepare a couple of gallons of ramen and I will fill up my water bottles with that!! Thanks millenary culture of Japanese (or Chinese, apparently is not clear) for such great food!! Ok, I'm partially kidding, but it's true that the ramen really cheer me a little bit. At that point (between loop 6th and 7th) I was really tired and in my legs totally felt it, and still I had to run a lot (thats it's true: I still had ~40 km to run).

After the loop number 7 I started to feel that I was close to finish the race and I scrape out all of my energy for the last two loops.

At this point I asked to my buddy Augustin if he wanted to pace me for the last two loops, and I will be eternally thankful for that. It really helped having him there, mentally helping me, keeping up the moral, up-dating me with the miles (my GPS went of around km 96) and in general kicking my ass.

"Agustiiiin, I need to rest..."

...and after 21 hours and 33 minutes of running and 105 km, the race was over.

I finished it 9th overall, 2nd of my group age, and considering all of those DNFs and drop of, I can't really complain.

Done.

It was a great race and it has been amazing. Again, I learnt a lot from this race and I can't wait for the next one, and I'm wondering when I'll be ready for the next step of the 100 miles.

Peace and hug a tree.

Happy birthday Black album!

Yesterday it was the birthday of the Black album (24 years) and I guess I should spend a couple of words on one of the most important album of my life...

I grew up with these songs. It has been my soundtrack for a lot of years.

We can complain, we can say that that was the beginning of the end, we can say that they sold themselves with the Black album, and whatever. However we cannot ignore how much important this album has been for the whole metal and thrash scene.

So, shut up and sing.

Happy birthday Black album!

"My friend of misery" is one of the first song I learnt to play with the bass...

The Universe is declining...

...that's what the new measurements say, and there is nothing we can do to change this pattern: http://news.sciencemag.org/space/2015/08/universe-long-slow-decline-darkness?utm_campaign=email-news-latest&utm_src=email

Isn't that sad?

Sex Pistols were right: there is no future.
We are doomed. Well, not as humanity (we're doomed already) but as a single unit with the Universe itself. So many questions in my mind... Probably our small brains are not even able to understand the real truth and get close to it...

I would love to have a time machine and travel 10 million years in the future just for a quick peep...

RIP Willy.

RIP Wilmut, aka Willy.

You have been part of my life for 15 years.

You were supposed to die when you were 1 month old. We rescued you and cured you and you grew up an became a wonderful and amazing cat: a great pigeons hunter, super cute and full of personality.

You had a wonderful life and now you're back to be part of the carbon and nitrate cycle of the Nature.

Godspeed Willy.

Faith No More & Napalm Death: the show of the century live report.

Ok, first of all, let me start with a statement: yesterday this bag of bones was tired from the last run and I wasn't in the mood in general because of all those fuckheads in my everyday life.

...and with this very positive attitude, I dragged my self to see FnM.

I didn't know who was supposed to open for them. Somewhere I had read "Dinosaur Jr." and I thought they were the opening band. Again: I really didn't care, I was so close to gave up and stay home in my ball of hate.

Anyway, I paid for the ticket and I was there already, so I made an effort to stay. I gave a quick look at the merchandise point and I saw that they were selling Napalm Death t-shirt. My thought was "Why the fuck they are selling Napalm death stuff?" followed by "...oh, maybe because Bill Gould often wears Napalm' t-shirt and he played in Brujeria with some of them, and blah blah blah....", but still it didn't make too much sense.

...but as I said, I was not in the mood even for listen to my own crap.

So, I'm there, waiting for the show, and at 8:00 pm sharp four shady musician started their show.

After ten seconds of music (noise, for most of the people there, but I'll talk about that later) I realized "Fuck, those are the only and true and original and genuine Napalm Death!!" and I ran under the stage, and I enjoyed every single seconds of pure old fashion kick ass grind core. I made my ear bleed, and my heart happy and I sang (kind of) almost all the songs they played. For once, I was 16 years old again.

Total respect for these guys: they have invented a new way to play extreme music something like 25 years ago. Barney (the singer if you don't know them) he's still hard core in his soul, and he still believes in his music (again, noise, as he called it as well), and between the songs he gave us his own point of view about what's wrong in this society (I need to check if he wrote a book because it should be interesting). Poor guy, when he tried to criticize church in Texas: basically everyone gave him the classic cold-stare-you-don-'t-fuck-with-my-god (seriously texans, whats wrong with you? Wake up: god doesn't exist).

They played a nice mix of new and old song, including the "Scum" and the classic Dead Kennedys' cover "Nazi punk fuck off", and after 30 minutes of lovely violence, they left the stage.

I was looking around me right after they finished the show: most of the people was confused and they didn't believe in what they'd just saw. Someone was lost, someone disgusted. Only few were happy and I was one of them.

...and then it hit me! Why Patton and co. would take Napalm Death touring with them? Because they know how to piss of people, and they love it, and apparently they succeeded!!

Anyway, after 30 minutes, it's FnM time. There is not too much to say. I love them, and I'm probably too bias. The thing is: they are perfect. They are professional, they are in the business for a long time, they are incredible musicians, so everything went as it was supposed to go. They played songs from every album, and you can find on-line the set list so I don't even bother to write it down. I just want to mention the highest -for me- moment, when they played "Midlife crisis", completely changed in the central part...

I have only one complain: the show was too short! Only one tiny hour, and honestly, they could have played for another -at least- 30 minutes.

Anyhow, this one was probably the concert of the century.

...and now some general complaining because I'm old and old people complain a lot:

1. Why do people go to concert when they don't have absolutely any idea of who's playing?

2. I hate those fuckers spending the whole show with their phone in the air taking pictures and videos: you're there asshole, enjoy the moment!

3. A Napalm Death concert without mosh pit is like an ocean without waves: it shouldn't exist in nature. Just sayin'...

4. If you go to a metal concert with flip-flop it's all your fault if someone stomp on your feet.

5. Why there is always someone dressed in a completely un-appropriate way? Are they doing it in purpose? If yes, why?

A lot of words this time: I don't really have time to check for typos, so...

Fossil Valley trail run: hamster edition...

I had a hamster once, his name was Einstein, and his main activity was running all night on his wheel.

...and this is basically what I've done last Saturday night: run and run and run on a 4 km loop for 9 hours.

It was the first time for me running this kind of race: I've always run for the distance, never for the time (I'm pretty sure this is not the right way to write it, but who cares). And this is why I didn't have the idea of how to approach this new -for me- race. So I chose the less smart method: run like there is no tomorrow and faster as possible.

Well, apparently it worked because I finished 3rd overall (second of my age group).

My initial goal was to run around 65-70 km, but I ran "only" ~59.

The fact is that the loop wasn't too hard, with only two serious climbs, but when you run that easy thing for 9 hours straight, from 10 pm to 7 am, the scenario changes a lot: you get tired and bored and you run less.

Running in the dark changes everything, and I should be used by now, but I'm not: it amazes me all the time, and as always I really enjoyed the first light when the sun was rising. I had also a new headlamp, and once again I'm disappointed: I saw runners with headlamps so powerful to look like the batman-signal, while mine looks like a lighter...

So, to conclude: great race, and now its time to think to the Habanero 100 km.

Done. I don't have too much time to write and also I'm not inspired.


Here, since I'm going to see them tonight:

...I should be happy, but I'm not. I actually don't give a fuck.

El Scorcho 9

...and the edition number 9 of the El Scorcho is now filed.

Compared to last year, it was easier.

At least I felt it easier. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it was cooler (not so hot or humid, nice breeze) than last year, or maybe because I'm more trained, or maybe because -I'm being extremely cocky here, but also extremely sincere- lately I found 50 km really easy to run.

The pressure for me was a little bit higher this eyer.

I entered as 50 k top finalist because last year I ran it in 4 hour and 44 minutes and I was 9th overall. So my goal was to run it in less than 4:44:00. Also, my goal was to save the energy because this Saturday night I have the Fossil Valley 9 hours night run.

I was trying to convince myself to take it easy, but at the beginning it didn't work: when I'm doing something, I must do it in the right way and put 110% of my energy, so I ran focusing on the moment and not thinking about the next race.

...but I also ran in a smart way, with a solid constant pace for the first 40 km and when I saw that I was in a good position, I slowed down a little bit for the last 10 km. I finished it in 4:21:56 (3 minutes slower than my PR on road) and I finished 4th overall. I cannot complain and I'm happy about it.

The only problem I had was from my shoes. I changed shoes 2 months ago, and since then I've been just training on them and never had a race. I was feeling something was wrong with them but I wasn't sure. Now I know: they are too tight on my toes, and this is the result:

Godspeed nail.

...well, so long my dear toe nail, I will miss you. It looks bad, gross & disgusting, but it really doesn't hurt, so who cares...

Anyway, now it's time to focus on the next race this weekend, and after that the Habanero 100 km in August.

An unrelated note: I haven't written anything in the last 2 months because I am really busy. And also because this fucking place has the ability to dry me up and leave me completely empty. After a day of assholes, lazy people, unfair businesses and general motherfuckers and bullshits all over the place, I'm feeling so hollow that writing a post (even though I would like to) is the last thing I can do...

Peace.

A good damn quote. Another one.

"I run ultras to become the best possible version of myself."

Tymothy Olson

Jemez mountain trail run 50(+3) miles: mountain goat edition

Saturday I ran the hardest race I have ever run (so far).

53.4 mile (86.02 km to be precise) up and down (mostly up) on the mountain of New Mexico.

Wonderful places and mountains, but so damn hard.

I guess I'm not used (anymore) to high altitude.

Anyway, this is the profile:

Intense...

My plan was to finish it in about 12 hours. Unfortunately, in the last 15 miles I had a problem on the back of my knee, and since I'm not completely stupid (and most importantly, I learn from my mistakes), I slowed down. I finished in 13 hours and 21 minutes, but at least my knee is safe and I can use it.

I've learned a lot of things. I've learned that mountain trail running is so much harder than the classic trail running (...wait! I was supposed to know that already...). I've learned that walking is important, especially if the up-hill is really steep and the oxygen is low (3,000 meters). And I've also learned that you will catch up with the time lost on the steep hills, running like a demon on the really steep down-hills. I've learned that sometimes the goal is "just finish it" and I've learned that flipping the bird to the next up-hill it doesn't change anything: you still have to running it. I've also learned that since I ran this really hard 86 km, running a 100 km (my next step) shouldn't be a problem. Finally, I've learned that soaking is the way for a faster recover...

Anyway, very wonderful experience, and I want to run more and more and more.

Here a picture of me just after the race:

Happily tired...

What else?
As usual, a lot of nice and friendly people out there, and also my trip-companions (Dave and Tim) were amazing.
A final consideration: it's amazing where this ultra-running is taking me, both my mind and my body.
I think that's it.

Go for it Bruce! "Ruuuuun to the hiiiiiiillllllls..."

Sol Invictus (Faith no more): track by track

After 18 years, FnM are back. Their brand new album titled "Sol invictus" is now available and after two days of loop-listeninig, I've decided to give my totally-biased two cents.
It's a great album, but honestly, I don't know words good enough to describe it accurately (in any language).
The general sound of the album reminds me "King for a day...", but sometime it gets closer to "Angel dust". The mood instead is from "Album of the year".
There is only one negative side: this album is too fucking short. Only 34 minutes. I want more!!
Anyway, here are my impressions track by track.

1) Sol Invictus. That's the starting point. Sad and deep and dark, and this is the mood of the album. Mike Patton's voice vibrates in the air, and you suddenly realize that they are back.

2) Superhero. It reminds me "Caffeine" from "Angel dust". Groovy. It sticks in your head and you'll find your self singing it all day long.

3) Sunny side up. Funky and catchy. It perfectly fits with "King for a day...". Hudson left his signature with his the guitar works, with his classic style and touch. Another great song.

4) Separation anxiety. Very Tomahawk-oriented. One of the best songs of the album, with a nice change of style in the end.

5) Cone of shame. Sounds like a spaghetti-western movie soundtrack (not a new style for Patton, by the way) with a nice and heavy change of gear in the middle.

6) Rise to the fall: one of my favorite. The only way for me to describe it is: mariachi music meets Muse with a little bit of East-Europe flavor perfectly blended by FnM.

7) Black Friday. back in the Tomahawk' zone. Maybe the less "inspired" song of the album.

8) Motherfucker: one of my favorite. It's hard to explain... It's 100% FnM, but still, is different from whatever they've done before... Listen to it and try to NOT sing...

9) Matador. The perfect mix between "King for a day..." and "Album of the year". Again: one of my favorite. Heavy song in terms of feelings: dark and sad but with epic vibes all over the place. Sublime work of Patton with his voice.

10) From the dead. After nine songs soaked deep in the dark, this song it's like a sudden change of mood. Very "happy" song, with a nice surf-style that reminds me "California" form Mr. Bungle. For me, this last song sounds like FnM are saying "Hey, we were just joking... Take it easy and have fun."...

My paper...

...has been scooped.

Twice.

A record!

Fuck.

...at 0:12, Robb Flynn explains exactly my feelings.

Faith No More (aka, I'm such a fan-boy)...

...in this glorious day, I got my ticket for Faith No More (July 27).

I'm going to see live one of the best band in the World.

I've seen Mike Patton already (and I had the privilege and honor to speak with him, in Italian, about pesto alla genovese and other stuffs), but with Tomahawk, and it was great, off course, but with FnM is totally another level.

I love FnM.

Together with Isis, Neurosis and TooL, FnM are up there: perfects, untouchables and immortals.

The first time I've listened to them I had a struggle. I was a pure metalhead, and death metal was the way. With that mind set, it was impossible for me to be tolerant with less extreme bands, and even worse if that band had keyboards.

...however, the music was too catchy, it was impossible to resist to those songs with that incredible crazy voice.

Then I evolved, and I've discovered all the unlimited potential of FnM, and from that moment it was love. My favorite album is "King for a day... Fool for a lifetime", immediately followed by "Angel dust" (but the position between these two albums is exchangeable: in some periods I prefer "King..." in other periods I prefer "Angel...), followed by "The real thing", then "Album of the year" and "Introduce yourself".

...and now I'm waiting for the new album "Sol invictus": May 18th, 2015.

Ok, all these words to say: I'm going to see live FnM and this makes me really happy.

Talking about pesto, Texas, etc. with Mike Patton. Yes, I'm bragging.

From the new album:

Brainstorming (Pt. 8)

I'm back!

I mean, I wasn't away or something.

Actually my ass was glued to my desktop.

I was worrying on my paper, and finally yesterday I've sent it out. I've done my job. Now is in the hands of something/someone that doesn't have nothing in common with science. I delivered honest and solid science. Now it's up to luck/connections/politic/magic/fate to decide.

If you're outside this world, this big family of hate called "science" you can't understand (one day I will explain). If you belong to the family, you know what I mean.

Anyway, I was so busy that I haven't time to write anything interesting, and honestly, after a day spent staring at a screen, juggling with Photoshop, Illustrator, Words and company, my desire to spend more time writing thing in the blog was under my feet.

Ok, done with the intro. Here the trash bin of my brain...

- It's hug-a-tree week/month/whatever, so now more than ever, hug a tree like there is no tomorrow.

- "Shine on you crazy diamond" early in the morning it's an experience, not a song.

- It's again that time of the year, when squirrels feel the heat, when flowers and trees are blossoming, when temperature are lovely and when douchebags are running almost naked. Ah, spring!

- Look at this huge salamander! it's huge!

- Ghost. I have a ghost in my bedroom. And it's fine, I'm not complaining. It doesn't bother me... It's like the feeling of this presence in my bedroom, kind of scary kind of who-cares... It usually happens when I'm not sleeping yet, but also I'm not completely awake... Usually it tickles my feet or whispers thing that I cannot understand, but the other night it woke me up yelling "It's me, it's god!!". So, here's my request: dear ghost, if you have something to say, say it, but please, let me sleep. Now, if instead you're god for real, please choose another one because I'm definitively not in your team (as you can see, I write your name without capital letter).

- Ok, I don't believe in any ghosts or god, but it would be nice if it was real (the ghost part, I mean, not the god one. The god-one who cares...)...

- ...and speaking of that, I've always been attracted by the classic ghost stories, since I was a kid. I like the atmosphere and the mood of those stories...

- If you want to read a really good graphic novel from Italian authors (do not worry, it's in English), please help the campaign here: Rim City.

- I'm in deep crisis with my music: I don't know what to listen.

- The other day I saw a squirrel doing the imitation of Phil Anselmo (I swear, it was exactly in this pose, looking with disgust another squirrel), and it was great! Actually I laughed a lot. I was thinking about the story of this tough squirrel (I will call it Philip the Squirrel), and all the consequences of this, like he has an album titled "Vulgar display of squirrels", and then he become addicted to drugs and he OD with nuts, etc, etc...

- Once again: I want to climb!! But the idea of that crowded/annoying/stinky gym makes me sick.

- Stupid dream I had last week: I was one the character from Master of the Universe, and I was fighting my enemy inside a CVS...

- I'm tired... My legs are tired. I didn't recover properly from my last race, and now I'm paying it...

- ...and speaking of races, I need to find a couple of 50 miles to run (plus other ultras). I'm already in for the  El Scorcho (let's see if I can do better than last year [9th overall]), I want to run the insane 9 hours/2 miles loop/night-to-morning at the new Fossil Trail (I'm just guessing the name, I'm lazy and I don't want to search), I want to run some Capt'n Karl's (it would be nice run all the races, but unfortunately I don't have time) and definitively I want to have my revenge on Cactus Rose and trying to do better. Also, I want to run a (couple of) 100 km, just to get myself in the condition to run a 100 miles.

Hey, I wrote a lot this time...
This one is for Philip the Squirrel.

A-OK race report: when random things work well...

A short report of what I did Sunday.

Basically: I signed up for this 50 km in Oklahoma. It wasn't in program, I signed the very last minute, and the plan was to run it just for training (even though I now myself, and I know that I can't just do it for training: if I'm there I have the rush of being competitive and do my best), with no intention at all of being epic...

Well, it turned out it went better than I thought.

I did first over all, with a nice time of 4 hours, 21 minutes and 6 seconds, that is actually my PR on the 50 km trail (and only 3 minutes slower to my road-PR). Meh, who cares, boring numbers...

It was a nice course and a fun race: a lot of mud, a lot of water to cross, and I also got lost...

Special thanks to: Mother Nature for Epsom Salt and the DDR for the support.

Ok, that's it, I'm busy, the end.

Reprieve.

Set yourself a goal so difficult that death will seem like a welcome reprieve...

(From "Doomed", Chuck Palahniuk)

7.5 years and 4,900,000,000 km after.

Dawn, a cool probe from NASA, has reached the dwarf planet Ceres.

Read the full story and watch the video here.

Neat!

Hurray for Science!

365 days and 5339.67 km after.

I's my ultra-birthday.

One year from my first ultra (the 50 km Cowtown in Fort Worth).

Yeeeiii, congratulation!!!

Actually, I was supposed to celebrate it on February 23, but I missed the date (I thought it was this weekend)...

Anyway, that was the first one, I ran a bunch of others during the year, and I'm kind of happy of my results (I'm not bagging, I'm just saying it)...

During this year I've learned a lot of things, and I still have to learn a lot...

(One of) The biggest satisfaction was (and still is), rubbing it on the face of those haters that never believed in me and were saying "You are not able to do that...", "What do you think you are..." etc. etc... Ah, priceless...

Anyway, I keep rolling and it's not time to rest yet... As I was saying, right now I'm not feeling (mentally) ready for the 100 miles... I'm planning a lot of 50 miles and a (less) 100 km before step up to 100 miles. But I'll do it, don't worry...

Ok, done, happy birthday to me.

Here: totally unrelated music (but great song):

(note: there are a lot of parenthesis in this post.)

Cross Timbers 50 miles report: a story about fruits and coke.

...so Saturday February 21 I ran the first ultra of 2015.

...so i should write a long and analytic report on how I finished in 9 hour 37 minutes and some seconds in the 5th place overall.

...but it will boring.

So, I'm gonna write random things about the race: connect the dots and enjoy the journey.

- The place and the course is really wonderful. Pretty hard the first part, easy and fast the second half.

- The first 10 km I was out. I was feeling weak and tired... I was in the mood of "I will barely finish it..."... Then something happened, I changed gear and I was in an altered-state of grace and everything was fine...

- ...it was SO fine, that for almost all the time I was thinking "It can't be possible, there is something wrong..." and the more cheerful "Something bad is gonna happen soon..."...

- This time I was prepared: I have plenty of food and fuel. I didn't use any. I was fueling with grapes and orange and coke: one bit of orange, some grape, a sip of coke and go. I've never stopped more then five minutes in the aid stations. I think I've found my best fueling-rule and my "winning" strategy.

- The last couple of miles I was thinking that I'm probably not ready yet for a 100 miles. I could be physically prepared, but not mentally. No rush anyway, I'm working on it.

- In general, I think I ran smart: I dosed my energy really well and I've been able to run all the time without any dramatic change in the pace. Honestly speaking, I was amazed by myself.

- In the last two weeks I was so nervous about the race. I don't know why. I wasn't feeling good. I was afraid to fail and I was feeling this burden on my shoulders. I was scare of disappoint myself.

...I think it's pretty much it.

If something else will pop in my mind about the race I will upgrade the post.

...or I won't.

I don't care.

Last meters: me happy of my result and time.

Unrelated note: c'mon Bruce, don't give up!