We got up early today and made our way down to the Arno River to see Kristine at 14 kilometers. While I forgot the mini cheesehead hats on the table at home, we did have large Bucky Badger signs - Forza Kristine! - which were visible by all who passed, and the boys had their harmonicas to make some noise. After seeing Kris there, we made our way to 18km where Eric spied Kris passing. Then across the road to catch her coming over the railroad viaduct at about 23 kilometers. While wating we made a pit stop- though since the Jolly Cafe was not inclined to have non-customers use their facilities, we were directed to the betting parlor next door. Kris was on her own until we could cheer her on at 42 kilometers, just before the finish line. We had a great time cheering on the runners.
After the race, Kris asked whether we had read the official marathon program yet. She had read it the night before the race. While it was much like other official programs for marathons, providing advertising and schedule of events, the Technical Hints in the program were just different enough to confirm that we were not in Kansas anymore. In the section on Before the Marathon, in addition to the tips on what to eat, dietary supplements and training, there was the following "hints" on sex:
"Follow your instinct. If you feel like having sex, you can do it. A few hundreds of calories burnt during the sexual act won't make you fail the race. If you have sex all night long and you do not have a great performance on the following day, it won't be difficult to understand why."
Only in Italy.
