Haile Marathon

Would this be cool or what?!    First Haile Marathon    Nice prizes too.   

The First Tycoon

This is a great biography of the man who was both the steam ship captain for Gibbons of Ogden v. Gibbons fame and arguably the first private monopolist in the United States.   Provides a lot of information and support for the popular hatred of both public and private monopoly prior to the Gilded age that produced the Sherman Act and ammunition against those who seek to minimize the significance of Section 2 of the Sherman Act versus cartel enforcement.

Make my first a Half

So my road to recovery wouldn't have kickstarted without putting something into the calendar, so quietly a few weeks ago I signed up for the Oxford Half...knowing it was too far for me so soon, but thinking it was something to build to, and a distance I wouldn't try to blast like times of old, or if it was a 10k.   I hadn't run the distance in training without many many stops for walkies..and I intended to have to do just the same, and not to wear a watch or look at ancient clock tower spires even.   So there I was, super excited, but trying to be super chilled, queuing up interminably in the freezing temperatures, to hand in my kitbag and pin on my first running number in three years!   The race was started by Sir Roger Bannister, and I moseyed in near the 2.20 pacers, adamant that I would finish the course, or drop out, but either way emerge injury free.   Since my fitness running-wise is low, I didn't have a hard time keeping my ego in check as the quick bunch at the front flew off, but gradually as we passed through the Mini and MG plant, and sidled down Iffley Road past the track where Roger B broke the 4 minute mile, I noticed I was passing the 2.15s and then 2.10s.   We turned through Christ Church meadow, and onto the towpath, where I shouted "Go CITY, full pressure!" to my rowing Eight, looking sweet as they plowed through the Gut, absent me in the Stroke seat for once.   By now I was with the 1.55s and feeling the pain in my feet, but all over, not just the PF.   An unwelcome but gradual two mile uphill to the Finish and then I crossed with 1.50.27 on my chip.    My slowest half by 20 minutes, but probably my most jubilant one, after so much time off with chronic injury.   And I emerged unscathed, proud and only slightly put off by a freezing two hour outdoor wait for kitbags....dangerous to do that to 4000 runners!   So, while the PF is still there, and I am now taping and resuming physio, maybe this old Oxford road will indeed lead to Roma in March.   

NYC on or off?

We Eurolanders have of course been watching stormy Sandy on the East Coast, from the comfort of our living rooms...but amid the reports, sincere concern for friends there, and mild bemusement at the over-hysteria that CNN and Fox try to whip up, one was surprised to see the second story on BBC news this morning being concern about the thousands of foreign runners who would normally be boarding flights to NYC this week to run with Ted.    The UK is a running nation of sorts...but that was an odd one!

A poll question

Calendar tells me Ted has 9 days until the NY Marathon. (Fingers are crossed here for that one.)

What to do preparation-wise as time starts winding down? This is something I've never figured out. Need to keep moving to keep from tightening -- and fattening! -- up. Can't move too much if you are worried about wearing out. (Dumbest pre-marathon plan ever? I and P__ spent the day walking in Boston the day prior to the marathon in 2011. But spending that day lying in my hotel bed in 2012 wasn't much better.) Short jogs every other day? A little mild speed work? Please -- do tell!

Get ready for Antitrust Marathon V: When in Rome

Invites for the March 18th Rome Antitrust Marathon will be going out sometime next week.  Be sure to register for the actual race as well if you are so inclined.  Regardless, be ready to discuss Pubic and Private Enforcement at Italian Competition Authority and carbo load with Phil and me as two of your co-hosts on Sunday evening the 17th at the conference dinner regardless of how much running you do earlier that day.

Funny sort of run yesterday

My plan was to run the long way to the car dealer to pick up the car with the winter tires on. I got up, went through my pre-long-run ritual of gels, caffeine, and liquids, and headed out the door. Then the thunder started rolling. I'm not afraid of a little run in a storm in a place other than the Rocky Mountains, but I'm not inclined to start running just when the storm is arriving.

I headed home and puttered around the condo to wait it out. A little home repair work, got started on the next step in the tiling project, and so on. The thunder and lightning stopped, so I started the ritual again. More calories, more water, more caffeine. Was lacing up the shoes when the sky opened up.

Same story two more times. I finally made it out at noon after four times preparing and standing down. Ended up with a nice 16-miler and a moderate car shop bill, with instructions to return soon for the rear brakes.