Zoe Romano, 26, when she’s not doing something “big,” her day job is teaching introductory Spanish classes to kids back in her hometown of Richmond. But this summer, Romano is pushing herself to the limit once again—both physically and mentally.
Last Saturday, Romano hit the road, starting from Nice, France, officially beginning her tribute to and challenge of the 2013 Tour de France. This year’s Tour route spans 2,162 miles (approximately 3,479 kilometers), and Romano plans to complete the entire route in nine weeks. The difference is that while Tour de France participants tackle the challenge by bicycle, she’ll be relying solely on her own two legs—attempting to run the whole thing. To finish as planned, Romano will need to average 30 miles per day. That’s even more grueling than a marathon, which is just 26 miles and 385 yards.
“I want to see if it’s actually possible.” Romano has plenty of experience with long-distance endurance running. Two years ago, she pulled a stroller-like cart, carrying most of her supplies with her, to complete an ultra-marathon challenge across the North American continent. Romano was the first woman to run across the U.S. in this way.
After finishing her North American challenge, Romano took a break for over a year before coming up with a new plan. Initially, she set her sights on Iceland, as the climate there differs from that of the U.S., making it a fresh challenge. But she later decided Iceland was too small, so she changed her plan and set her sights on the Tour de France. “I know I can do it, so I wanted to add a bit more challenge.”
This year marks the 100th edition of the Tour de France, so the organizers have included some innovative elements in the route. For the first time, the race will start from the island of Corsica, pass through the famous French tourist destination of Mont-Saint-Michel, face huge challenges in two Alpine climbing stages, and finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris as the sun sets, with riders crossing the Arc de Triomphe for the first time.
The 2013 Tour de France will consist of 21 stages, starting on June 29 and finishing on July 21. According to Romano’s plan, she will take over 65 days to complete the entire route, maintaining an average pace of about 9 minutes per mile. However, since she plans to take a rest day every 9 days, she’ll actually need to maintain a faster pace. “What Tour de France riders complete in one day, I might need three days to run,” Romano explained.
Running for the World Pediatric Project, aiming to raise $100,000
This is a fundraising journey under the banner of charity, and if you’ve seen photos of the Tour de France, you’ll know it’s truly a daring attempt. But Romano isn’t backing down.
“When I’m running, I feel like I’ve gone back to my childhood. I hope this challenge can draw more attention to the World Pediatric Project, let more people around the world know about it, and help more sick children rediscover the joy of childhood.” Romano’s goal is to raise $100,000 for the World Pediatric Project through the Tour de France challenge and to recruit 1,000 volunteers for the program. The World Pediatric Project is a non-profit initiative in Richmond that provides medical aid to children in Central and Latin America.
Thousands have successfully summited Mount Everest, and slightly fewer have crossed the North American continent, with hundreds achieving that feat. But so far, no one has ever set foot and run the entire Tour de France cycling route on foot. Now, Romano, a woman from Richmond, Virginia, hopes to fill that gap. Her charitable run has already gotten off to a good start, with 115 volunteers joining and $12,000 raised—1/9 of the goal achieved.
Alex Kreek, Romano’s boyfriend, will follow her in an SUV during the challenge, collecting video footage for a documentary. They’ve also planned to stick to a frugal style by staying with locals along the way, thanks to convenient online platforms.
“What amazed me the most during my run across the U.S. was the people I met and the stories they shared. You share your story with them, and they naturally share theirs with you,” Romano said.
The Alps: The biggest challenge ahead
According to the published route map, the 2013 Tour de France will include six mountain stages and five hilly stages. For Romano, who’s attempting the challenge on foot, the steeper the climbs, the greater the obstacles she’ll face.
Considering logistical and timing issues, Romano made a small adjustment to her “mini Tour de France” route—she’ll complete all the land-based stages first and then tackle the first three stages on Corsica. If all goes well, she’ll arrive on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 20—exactly one day ahead of the riders.
The mountain stages are the most exciting but also the toughest, and the Alps will be a challenge Romano must overcome. “Every week, I run in the mountains near my home (Richmond), but they’re nothing compared to the Alps.”
Romano’s intensive training began in January this year. She started by running 5 miles a day, six days a week, then increased her weekly mileage by 10% each week, eventually reaching 120 miles per week. To avoid overloading and injury, she takes a short break every four weeks. Only after increasing her daily run to 19 miles did she begin incorporating speed training. By early May, she was running 25 miles a day and could even handle 28 miles.
During the four-month preparation period, Romano practiced yoga every night to relax and used ice baths to aid recovery. She plans to keep up this habit even after the official start.