Best Sports Moments
Welcome to my collection of the most memorable sports moments! In this section, I share the milestones I've achieved in various sports disciplines. While they may be small, these moments represent significant personal achievements and my ongoing pursuit of improvement and well-being. All with the goal of getting by in everything but never being truly good at anything! :)
In the near future, I would like to complete some sporting experiences: marathon, a murph, and my bench press max, aiming for 120kg.
Bike
I decided to cycle around Lake Maggiore. Obviously, with no training at all. To avoid the classic saddle soreness, I wore two pairs of padded shorts and added a silicone seat cover. Just like 34 years ago (I was a newborn), I had a snack every 60 minutes. Not knowing if I would make it, I decided not to overdo it at the beginning and set a steady pace of around 20 km/h, trying to maintain it throughout the whole ride.
Skateboarding
With skateboarding, it's harder to pinpoint iconic moments like in other sports since there are no distances or times to measure. But there are two tricks that are kind of my specialty: the 'Smith flip out' and the '360 flip.' In the video below, you can see the first time I landed the 'Smith flip out,' and in another video, I managed to land 65 consecutive '360 flips.' Unfortunately, the video starts a bit late because I hadn’t planned on doing it: a friend challenged me to land 10 in a row, but I kept going, and when I reached 30, someone started recording.
Calisthenics
I tried doing 100 push-ups in a row and 30 consecutive pull-ups. No specific goal, just wanted to see if I could manage it. A simple challenge, but tougher than it seemed.
Olympic Triathlon
I tried my first Olympic-distance triathlon, and true to form, without any real training plan. I hadn’t swum in years, stopped running when spring (and the heat) arrived, and while I do bike to the lake every day, it’s just 10km there and 10 back. My moving time was 3 hours, 9 minutes and 18 seconds, with a total time of 3 hours, 25 minutes and 32 seconds. That’s when I realized how much time can be lost in the transitions between sports. A tough, intense, and new challenge that left me with a strong desire to improve.
Swimming
Another memorable sports moment was crossing Lake Maggiore. Once again, without any preparation – because who needs preparation, right? – I somehow made it to the other shore. I wouldn’t recommend it as a strategy, but I must admit that improvisation has become my specialty in sports challenges!
Kayak
One day, with a group of friends, one of them told me we’d go for a relaxing kayak tour. In the end, we paddled a full 42 km! Only later did I find out that kayak and canoe marathons don't have a fixed distance but can range from 10 to 40 km. So, we definitely went above and beyond that day!
Running 30km
One of my most curious running achievements was a run around Lake Varese. I initially planned to cover only 10 or 15 km, as usual. After running 8 km, it seemed like I was halfway around the lake, so I figured it wouldn’t make much difference whether I continued or turned back. Unfortunately, my eye deceived me, and I ended up running 29 km! And as if that wasn’t enough, I had to leave the track at some point... because I couldn’t find a single water fountain! But I have to say, it made me want to try a marathon... this time, I'll actually prepare!
Running 10km
For the 10 km run, I can finally say that I was training seriously. My goal was to finish it in 40 minutes, but just before the COVID quarantine, I tore my ACL while skateboarding. I had to stop for several months, and when I started again, I had lost a lot of speed, which demotivated me from training consistently. Despite everything, this was my best result.
Running 5km
After a whole summer without running, I thought: what better way to start again than with a nice race? So, I jumped into a 5 km run and, to my surprise, finished in just under 20 minutes. I'd also like to highlight my professionalism: phone in hand, wired earphones and 10-euro shoes from Decathlon!
Click here for the ranking.
Hiking
One of my most significant sports achievements was the walk to Capanna Margherita, the highest refuge in Europe at 4,554 meters above sea level. Without any specific preparation, we managed to ascend and descend in a single day. It was an unforgettable experience, proving that sometimes improvisation leads to great results!
