Paris Indoors Crisis Center: Day 7

It's New York Marathon weekend in the city. I always enjoy this week, because the city is flooded with iron men and women, as well as countless more made of baser metals, all gathered to run the most renowned long-distance race of them all. Yesterday morning, while running in Central Park, I had to weave my way through throngs of marathon participants taking their final training runs.

Many of the marathoners are from Europe and other foreign shores, and among them all my favorite group is the Italians. Yesterday, I mixed with three different coveys, who were hooting, hollering and stopping to take pictures of each other as they prepared for the Big Race on the track around Central Park's Jacqueline Onassis reservoir.

Nobody does exuberant anarchy and devil-may-care enthusiasm as well as the Italians. They also know how to dress: at first, I mistook the Italian runners for cyclists, they were so brightly and garishly kitted out. I'm sorry I'll miss the race; the last time I took my place along the thronged route was when my wife, Lisa, ran in 2004. One of my minor regrets in life is never having tried to run a marathon myself. Although I've been a runner for over 25 years, I took it up - and stayed with it - precisely because I enjoyed the way it never became an obsession for me. I never immersed myself in the running culture; I just enjoy lacing up the shoes three or four times a week, regardless of where I am or the season, and getting my dose of that wonderful endorphin rush - the runner's high. I've had some wonderful, memorable runs in foreign climes: Moscow; Bharain; Betty Hill, Scotland; Beijing;  Dublin; New Brunswick, Craig, Montana etc. etc.

I also wish I were young enough to take up snowboarding, and I wish I were good enough on a horse to take part in barrel-racing or even team penning competitions.

Ah, regrets.

But there's another race on our minds these days: the sprint to Shanghai qualification. Tommy Robredo's hopes were dashed yesterday. As I write this (on Friday) two slots remain open, and the contenders for them include Andy Murray, Marcos Baghdatis, and Richard Gasquet (if I read the chart right).

David Nalbandian is not in the running for a place in Shanghai, but he is is sizzzzzling. So he's next best thing to king - he's a potential kingmaker. Enjoy the tennis, everyone!