Mille Miglia Diary

8:30 AM: We are off again at a relatively civilized hour. We begin to relax. Only 165 km to go. Think we’ve got it now. Don’t screw it up.

10:38 AM: We get to the first checkpoint ahead of schedule. This is the first time this has happened. We wait to cross the line so as not to receive negative penalty points, feeling something like pros for the first time.

1:55 PM: We repeat the same feat at the finish line in Brescia. We must be doing something right as our placement has risen, we are told to the upper 200s, out of about 440, not bad for first-timers without sophisticated timing equipment.  We did in fact “run our own Mille” though admittedly “getting caught up in the craziness” from time-to-time. I’ve never experienced such a roller coaster of emotion, elation, despair, fear and joy. What didn’t change throughout the event was the consistent warm, enthusiastic welcome of the crowds in every town. The MM is not just a race for well-to-do enthusiasts but truly part of the patrimony of Italy.