to recap 2012...

the year started great: training camp at las playitas-fuerteventura! I liked it so much there that I decided to do Challenge Fuerteventura in april, but first there was planned to start race season at abu dhabi!

well, it was a miserable start...I felt sick during the race and so, after 12 years of triathlon, my first DNF happened!

after that, another training camp, with the great bunch of TriathlonTravel in egypt, we did also one week of stage bike riding throughout siani peninsula - simply great!

than I was ready for challenge fuerteventura, 3rd place! back on the road :-)

mid may I won the italian long distance championship (ITU format 4-120-30) another title in the bank!

in june we finally had the pleasure to welcome an official ironman race in italy, the 70.3 Pescara! we were waiting so long for this one...I wanted to do great and with 2nd place I was very satisfied, my race condition for the main goal of the season, IM Austria, was improving!

but w had also the pleasure, for the first time in italy, to welcome a Biestmilch venture during the pescara event, offering race packages for the participants!

everything fine....until....I snapped really bad during a run training! but it didn't swell up and it didn't hurt a lot, so the following days I continued my training sessions! I admit...there was a little hurting point above my right ankle, but you know what: we often have "little hurtings"!

one week to go for IM Austria and the pain got worse, so I decided to stop completely running...it was taper time anyway!

but during race week I could feel the pain also just walking...my physiotherapist worked hard, he tried everything...but nothing seemed to work! so there was a slightly suspicion it could be a stress fracture!

not the best to set my mind at rest 2 days before the ironman :-(

I desided to give it a go and swimming and biking went great, I was right there to battle for a top result..but the first steps out of T2 already hurts like hell!!!

I continued, more hobbling than running, for 5km....than I had to quit...couldn't even put my foot on the ground...so painful!

pure frustration! after 20 IM starts (12 x top 3 + 2 x top 8 + 6 x hawaii) I didn't want to stop this thread!

back home - diagnosed fibular stress fracture - 3 weeks plaster - 2 months without running !!!

back on the track at september and looking forward to build up for the ITU LD World Champs in Las Vegas

everything fine, foot was ok again, well of course my running shape was not 100%, but ok! I got there with my italian national team mates just a few days before the race, mood was great! on race morning the shocker: they cancelled the swim because of the cold water and air temperature! so we had to do a 120km bike time trial and a 30km run...the biggest issue for me was the air temperature: 2 C!!!!

as an asthmatic I had no chance - such cold, dry air is one of the strongest trigger - breathing hurter like hell and I was never able to achieve race pace! result: a painful 14. place!

back home, training for the season double final in thailand: Laguna Phuket Triathlon and 70.3 Phuket

I like the conditions there: hot and humid and was full of hope for a satisfying conlusion of a long triathlon year!

First race: we had to do a beach start and after a few steps I touched someone beside with my elbow, lost balance and sprawl like a hot potato, but no problem...quickly up and in the water...race was on!!

I finished 4th, which was ok, very strong pro field!

the day after this race I got a strong backache with sciatic-pain! I had also some smaller issues: skinned and swollen knees, hurting metacarpal bones...but the sciatica got worse and worse and in a few days there was the 70.3 calling!

to make it short: another painful and "not able to race" experience!

tiresome of this years issues I'm having a rest right now, planning with a lot of hope and confidence the next year :-)

a big THANK YOU

to my coach, Fabio Vedana, we reaped a lot the last years and we will continue in the future

to my long-standing partners Südtirol, Sparim, Biestmilch, Nutrilife Sport with the brands Ceepo, 2xU, ISM, Profile Design, GU Energy, Zoggs, as well as Tachezy Sanit, HM Selection, New Balance, Garmin, Limar, Vittoria, Northwave, Zeppelin and the very best bike mechanic Zanolini Bike Professional!

to all my family, friends, supporters, fans....sorry...but it will get too long to attach names, you know who you are :-)