Parkinson&Sport

For years I spoke of this marathon as the most incredible experience you can live a runner, now that I’ve lived I realized that it is true. Such is beautiful, I do not know if this story will convey such strong emotions. But I try the same.

It is said that the marathon will run for 30 km. with legs, 10 with head 2 with the heart and 195 meters with tears. That of New York runs all with a smile. Thanks to Dr. Gabriele Rosa and the Rosa Associati project.

Although Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer and Down’s Syndrome,

YES! I WILL STILL IN QUEENS

This is not a classic race, but I’d rather the “Carnival of Rio Marathons” the party of the runner around the world and in every category, especially for those who confronts a tourist / tapascione runner, like me yesterday.

For every curve, angle, bridge district or a new party. Music, improvised singers, orchestras of children or elders, drummers, someone with a megaphone in hand screaming constantly go go go, you can do it, as god job, or your name if you’ve printed on the shirt.

I did not care to arrive quickly, I was fine there, I wanted to join the party, to show my gratitude to New Yorkers for the joy that they were giving me stopping with people on the street.

In fact, I stopped, I danced and sang, beat highfive not end up caring about the performance, which to me for some time is no longer a priority, receiving enthusiastic and welcoming.

I

say this with absolute respect of the runners, who are best equipped and have also underway to get their personal best in this race where the audience cheering makes you fly. But my race was another goal was fun until the end and so it was.

Take this opportunity to congratulate his friend Edward Leotta, runner with Parkinson’s disease for several years, but also with the passion to speed in the race, that 3 hours and 09 min. He got his personal best, despite a ‘vintage lived with various injuries. Immediately after the race to return home in Bologna has had bright eyes and a smile that showed no long. Although his was a way to beat Parkinson’s.

THE NEW YORK INVITATION TO HIS PARTY

No one was worried that neighbors, workers and motorists stuck in traffic has arisen for deviations, you could complain about the noise or rubbish left in the streets by this flood of people.

Only in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, home to ultra-Orthodox Jews, on Sunday, a holy day people are locked in the house, the few people in the street seemed to not pay deliberately careful, some children were playing at running across the road braving the incessant traffic athletes and endangering their safety and that of others.

About security, greater deployment of forces, thanks to NYPD police NYFD firefighters and an all-American organization.

The race started at 8.30, with handbikers, many from around the world, but the roads were already closed by 6, and the last riders arrived after 13 hours, calculating from the last wave starting at 11 my , all it finished at 24.

Can you imagine a city like New York, 8.5 million people, in addition to the influx of tourists every day fills the streets, who decides to fully spend the day and not imposing time limits arrivals, just to include anyone ? If this is not hospitality!

10,000 TIMES JORGE

I did most of the race, laughing and waving to the audience, as if I were Bruce Springsteen passing among his fans, feeling shouting the name printed on my shirt at least 10,000 times, calculating a meter ahead for 42 km and the fact that I they called, every 4th of media, in different ways depending on the ethnic groups.

When thanked, screaming, smiling and with tears in his eyes, indicating it public, I received even more screams and applause, in an exchange of energy and unforgettable ever felt before, that I had the fortune to meet for the first time right here.

My name on this occasion was Jorge, I decided a few months ago to get me to call it that, and get help to reach the finish by the incredible power of this potentiating still tied to his name. Jorge, a boy ecuadoreno – known thanks to Catia Tilli, a coach friend music therapist – who dreams and makes projects, works and is committed every day by continuing to strive to be happy despite the SLA that has made him a quadriplegic, and forces him to communicate with a computer controlled by the eyes.

VERRAZZANO FROM THE BRIDGE, WITH SEA VIEW

What other marathon in the world, puts you in a perfect state of mind like this?

We started, the cannon shot from Verrazano Bridge, overlooking the ocean on the right and on the left we could see already the arrival, in the distance represented by the skyline of Manhattan, could immediately project the image of our arrival in Central Park, between us and the finish line, a sea of ​​km.

EMOTIONS AND THRILLS

Still, what other marathon in the world along bridges so long? I started on the road lane lower deck of the Verrazano Bridge, at some point someone sang “We are the Champion” hundreds of people have responded by singing the chorus, you can imagine the effect it did, hear the singing voices bouncing on the cover.

After kilometers of typhus and inciting loud and continuous, we have crossed the Queensboro Bridge in silence, to hear then gradually increase again the sound of the cries of the people and the music, announcing our arrival on First Avenue for its entire length .

MANHATTAN, WALK AND CORRO

The last bridge, the Madison Avenue Bridge comes around 30 km mark. and it takes us on 5th street, from this moment on, the smile is more latent, his head before he enjoyed the party is now more committed to managing pain in his right foot and fatigue of my hypertrophied calves. big annoyance Calf!

My normal daily therapy involves two doses of Sinemet 100.05, a just turned up and before lunch, assuming that they are awake from the first intake of levodopa at 4.30 in the morning and the second was at 10.30 half an hour before departure, I brought a spare tablet in case of need, when doing sports in the second half of the day I do.

They are the 15,30, I speak a little ‘I do a check of my body, I’m doing physical activity for nearly four hours, I’ll still for an hour and a half more or less decided to recruit, I want to see if I can help to diminish hardening of the calf and foot pain.

In the end I did not notice any substantial changes in the area, maybe a little ‘placebo effect. At the same time decide for an energy-saving strategy and I split pieces in the physical and mental commitment, I begin to alternate walking and running. I had already made stretches of road at every refueling even before, but from here onwards methodically run 800 and walk 200 meters.

The rhythm, for those who have followed me in direct application, decreases drastically, are about 16 and skyscrapers we hide the sun, the temperature drops and feel a little ‘cold even for the decrease of rhythm and body temperature.

… CONTINUED … the next chapters will be:

-SURPRISE! CENTRAL PARK ARRIVES AT KM. 43 And 790

-THE GREAT MEDAL AND FATIGUE

-WHERE  ALFONSO?