Welcome to the inaugural issue of the U.S. edition of "ePodismo". This is an important milestone for our running publication and - as runners ourselves - we are very excited about this new adventure. After having published over 420 monthly issues in Italian for Italians, summing up to thirty-eight years of publications, "ePodismo", one of the major Italian running magazines, is now catering to U.S. runners in love with Italy.

While it may seem like a specific, very small market, we believe the charme of Italy is strong among U.S. runners. Our staff at RunningInItaly.com knows best - there are plenty of visitors who dream about traveling abroad and enjoy jogging on Italian roads and trails. Some of these are actually already preparing for their upcoming trip and want a recommendation on a local half marathon or 10k. And others just like to stay informed on the Italian running scene.

With the U.S. version of "ePodismo" we want to combine our local expertise on the Italian running scene with your desire to learn more, from a runner's perspective, about the place we ourselves call il Belpaese, "the beautiful Country".

Each month the U.S. version of "ePodismo" will bring you the very best of Italian running - a selection of events hand-picked by our running staff members, illustrated suggestions on training courses, photos from Italian races and more, directly in your email inbox. All free.

Well, again, we are very excited about this new monthly adventure. If you have feedback, good or bad, if there is anything you'd like us to cover in the next issues or if you need assistance with your Italian running trip, do not hesitate to send us an email. And of course, arrivederci in Italia.

Indro Neri
Editor of ePodismo

If you go up to the piazzale Michelangelo there are a lot of little narrow roads one can take, and mileage varies. For a nice loop start from the San Niccolò bridge once called by Florentines ponte di ferro (the iron bridge) located on the Arno river in Piazza Ferrucci, at the base of the Viale dei Colli. You run up Viale dei Colli, passing by the "Assi Giglio Rosso" running track (open only to members) on your right. Then you cross Piazzale Michelangelo, admire the copy of the statue of the David, and look out for a fantastic panorama of the city: the best spot is on the left side, as you can see the Duomo (cathedral) and Ponte Vecchio, Forte Belvedere (the name literally means "Beautiful-View" Fort, and was once a Medici family residence) and part of the leftover walls of Firenze. Then you keep running until you run into a traffic light. Here you turn right into Via San Leonardo and follow this which is considered the most beautiful road of the city (with its typical walls of the countryside on both sides) and reach Forte Belvedere on your left, right before an old door of the city. If you go right before the door you will follow a steep road going down to the next door called Porta San Miniato, you cross it and turn right following Via San Niccolò which will end in front of another door, Porta San Niccolò in Piazza Poggi (the name of this square is the name of the architect who designed piazzale Michelangelo, there is a plaque in his memory on the opposite side of the Piazzale Michelangelo) right on the Lungarno Serristori and Lungarno Cellini between Ponte San Niccolò on your right (you can head back to the bridge and end the loop) and Ponte alle Grazie on your left heading towards Ponte Vecchio and the center of Firenze. If you go towards the center you can continue and run a longer loop - before choosing to cross any of the bridges you will find on your way to head back to Ponte San Niccolò - and you will pass by Ponte alle Grazie, Ponte Vecchio, Ponte Santa Trinita (recommended for the beautiful view that you have on Ponte Vecchio on your right; to reach this bridge the road won't directly be on the river, but you have to head straight through the cute street named Borgo San Jacopo up to Piazza Frescobaldi), Ponte alla Carraia, Ponte Vespucci (dedicated to Amerigo Vespucci: the name "America" comes from "Amerigo" who discovered America before Cristoforo Colombo), Ponte della Vittoria. Crossing Ponte della Vittoria you have two more choices: if you go left you will enter in the Parco delle Cascine, if you go right you are heading back to Ponte San Niccolò. You are now on the same side of the river where the Duomo is. On your way, you will find (in order) the American Consulate building on a nice wide street with some traffic, then a narrow street with limited traffic, a narrow street with many souvenir stores and no traffic (except mopeds and scooters), the arches of the Uffizi gallery, the National library building. Here the trafic resumes but you are almost at the end of your loop.

ASICS ELECTRO33 - The Electro33 is a new shoe, and one of three shoes in the 33 series that connects to ASICS mainline shoes, each designed to vary the stress of training by alternating with its partner shoe (in this case either the Gel-Kayano or GT-2000). The Electro33 is a performance shoe that veers a bit from previous ASICS approaches, and which results in a light shoe with efficient geometry, but is stable thanks to a firm layer of medial foam and its full contact sole. The upper is an engineered mesh that is very breathable with minimal structure, just a bit of welded support at the toes and a lattice of thin welded supports sandwiched into the rearfoot. The midsole is Solyte foam, notably lower in drop and with the efficiency associated from that flatter contact. The Fluid Axis decoupling in the rearfoot allows the foot more latitude in moving in its natural path, rather than overly limiting its motion. The outersole is minimal, with segmented rubber alternating with the toughened foam of the sole. All of this adds up to a light performance shoe that runners can use as a transition shoe to lower drops, but which can handle the daily training for many runners.

Testers: "Fit well with a nicely stable and cushioned ride. Comfortable shoe that did a great job on my faster runs, even for some of my longer runs, including a half marathon."

Sizes: Men 7-13, 14, 15; Women 5-12
Weight: 9.3 oz. (men's size 11); 7.6 oz. (women's size 8)
Shape: semi-curved
Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, polyurethane Strobel board
Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to mild overpronation