Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Report on Running on Captiva

I went to the GMU Law and Economics Center Public Choice workshop on Captiva Island, Florida, last weekend.  It was a good program, with instruction by Todd Zywicki (very good), Barry Weingast (extraordinary), and Fred McChesney (interesting, educational, and quite entertaining).  I did not come away with new ideas for completing my bankruptcy draft, but a good experience nonetheless.

I arrived at the hotel on Friday at 1 pm.  It was 80 degrees with beautiful sunny skies.  It took me less than 5 minutes to make it to the beach and start running, barefoot, out and back for one hour.  A marvelous run.  The hotspots began to be noticeable about 20 minutes in.  By the time I turned around I was hoping I could at least even out the blisters between my feet.  By the end I had massive, toe-engulfing, feet-pad covering, blood-filled blisters that required me to walk to the first session of class (that evening) on my heels.

I cut the blisters away that night.  Saturday afternoon we had a few hours between our morning session of classes and the group dinner.  This time wearing shoes, I headed south along the one road along Captiva Island.  After a few excruciating strides I was able to run despite my flayed feet.  Another 60 minute run, I'm guessing 9 miles, also entirely in the beautiful sunshine.  I topped it off with 30 minutes swimming in the very crisp Gulf of Mexico water.

Sunday morning I joined Bill for 10 miles, exactly the distance north to south along Captiva Island and back.  Bill is an excellent runner with decades of experience and some tremendous race results to show for it.  We talked running, we talked antitrust, and we talked whatever else one talks over 85 minutes when you have the road to yourselves.  That afternoon I headed back to the water for 30 more minutes, this time following the beach north to the point of the island before returning.

And I returned to Indianapolis and 55 degree weather.  A little rainy, yes, but the skin on the feet is healing and Boston is about 11 weeks away.

3 comments:

  1. "flayed feet" sounds disgusting.

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  2. Beach running is the best reason for 5 finger shoes. Did some great beach runs on Cape Cod last summer. No blisters!!

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  3. I was thinking just that. Glad to have it confirmed. Wish I had formed that thought, and sought confirmation of it, a week ago -- but what the heck.

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