Monday, August 11, 2008

The A to O Express

Normally, I don't wax poetic about one particular training run. Or compare a run to a train. I will do both below. However, I often DO compare my runs to the alphabet, privately, and will do so publicly for the first time here.

If you haven't noticed, a marathon is 26 miles. The alphabet is 26 letters. See? It lines up if you forget about the pesky .22 miles at the end which, after the preceding 26.0, hardly matter anyhow. By then, you're in full stumble stupor and could care less.

Yesterday's long run was the farthest since Boston. The Summer of Speed is rapidly coming to a close as I replace it with the Fall of Speedier Endurance in preparation for the Detroit Marathon. This requires slightly different type of training. I'll have to console myself with just the 2 age group place awards which I have been bathing with regularly since.

This long run was, really, the best of the year. A cool, breezy 70 degrees. I literally felt like a train chugging along as my pace hardly wavered over all 15 miles. I should also point out that my first experience with Gu's new Roctane gel was positive. This product delivers twice the punch of regular Gu with additional vitamin replenishment not found in the original (at twice the price, of course). As first times go, it delivered. I'll see how it works as the miles start creeping towards 20 before fully endorsing.

This run covered the letters A through O.* Still aways to go to get to Z but I was very pleased with the pace. A side effect of the SoS has been, as expected, the relative ease at which a faster pace seems compared to before the interval training this spring. Get busy on some intervals all you speed seeking folks!

15.0 miles
1:43:26 time
6:54 pace

By the way, I was running along all train like listening to my mp3 player when possibly the BEST running song rotated into action. For some reason, I loaded a few Queen songs onto my mp3 awhile back. I'm listening along to "Bicycle Race" with a big goofy smile on my face when "Don't Stop Me Now" comes on. Awesome at its most cheesiest!

"Don't stop me now,
I'm having such a good time,
I'm having a ball

Don't stop me now"...repeat

I heartily endorse loading this song up and having it kick in just at the point you start feeling a little tired.

Happy trails!

* If you need this spelled out for you, that's 15 letters into the alphabet at a 1:1 mile to letter rate.
_________________________________

Actual quotes from my world this weekend:

While watching the opening ceremony parade of nations of the Olympics, my filly asks: "When are the leprechauns coming in?"

While discussing Guitar Hero, I ask my family: "When are they coming out with a Huey Lewis Guitar Hero?"

Mrs. Nitmos responds: "Only when they want the worst selling Guitar Hero ever."

Pfffffttt.

27 comments:

Marci said...

Bathing with your medals??? Ewwww... JK:)
On a side note, I find all of your speedwork inspiring. I have definately upped mine, but there certainly room for improvement.

chia said...

Huey Lewis?

Probably better in Rock Band than GH. I would so belt out Do you believe in love all Wedding Singer style.

Rock out.

Great run btw :-)

B. Kramer said...

Mrs. Nitmos must not believe in the power of love. Huey Lewis is too hip to be square.

I never knew you had such a grasp on numbers and letters.

Marcy said...

Ooooo I look forward to the full endorsement on the Roctane. I just saw that shiz a couple days ago and wondered how it fared. I need to switch. e-gels taste like sewer (not that I know what that actually tastes like)

Anonymous said...

I HEAR Huey.
and his chin.

ooooh the cleftinchin.

Vava said...

Damn the metric system! What's a Canuck to do? Learn Mandarin? Add hexadecimal to the end? Of course, this rant is all immaterial since I am nowhere near running out of letters, metric or otherwise. Nice post!

tfh said...

OK, I just did a mental rewind to the parade of nations and am now doubled over in laughter at my desk inserting leprechauns into the picture. Seriously. Can't. Stop. Laughing.

Arron said...

i suggest Hammer Nutrition and never look back.

next, did you reference Huey Lewis and leprechauns in the same post?

too funny.

later.

Teacher Pursuits said...

I could totally get down with Huey Lewis on Guitar Hero...

Aileen said...

I'm all over those intervals..all over them!

Now I have no choice but to look at all of my long run miles as letters, too. Thanks.

Crabby McSlacker said...

"Roctane," huh?

I'm not a serious enough runner to try it (I only ever get up to about the letter "d", and I do that damn slowly, so there's no need). But I'm a little jealous of all the cool fake foods you marathoners get to consume in the name of fitness.

The fact that these things probably taste crappy doesn't make me any less jealous.

Melissa said...

Ya, right Crabby. High-tech foodlike substances...hm. Do you really drink goo?

I used to have dreams about flying but now I have dreams about running. Like from Upstate NY to Manhattan just as a mode of transportation. In my dream I could do it...

Aron said...

awesome run!!! bring on the speedwork!

Lily on the Road said...

I *heart* Huey, go figure right?

Roctane, better than Carbooms??? I'll have to "get me some"

Frayed Laces said...

Wow! Nitmos is practicing his numbers and letters! What's next, potty training?

Unknown said...

A new way to look at my training runs, cool. I need to get to the letter I on Saturday.

Anonymous said...

I'm getting busy on the interval training, but it's not quite yielding the same results you're seeing. 6:54?! Daamn!

Ian said...

So you could say that you ran O miles this weekend, which is unfortunate because that looks an awful lot like a zero. You should instead stop at N miles or P miles. You could have a lot of fun with P miles.

Kristin said...

"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen is my #1 favorite running song... I heartily endorse it also!

Kevin said...

You are super speedy on those long runs. One day I hope to be as fast as you

A to O. Its funny first time I read the title I thought you were gonna talk about some A-Hole

jen said...

Nice run!!

I do the alphabet thing when swimming to help me keep track of the laps. I try to think of names of countries for each letter, or foods I'd take on a picnic, etc. Kinda weird. :)

ps I love Queen.

nwgdc said...

mrs. nwgdc will likely be posting about "Don't Stop Me Now," as I had to show your post to her...her absolute favorite song. BUT, while listening to said song do you wag your finger back and forth signifying "no no no" to the "Don't stop me now" portion of the song? She does. Even while running.

AddictedToEndorphins said...

OMG. Nitmos. You just might be brilliant.
Seriously.
26 letters, 26 miles. Seesh. I might have to shamelessly start doing this.

"How far did you run this morning? From A to R" haha I love it!!

Ms. V. said...

Great song. I love the 26 letter bit. I'll be wondering about the .22 all night.

Nancy said...

Huey would totally sell in Rock Band.

Your speed is scaring me.

Eric Gervase said...

Huey Lewis... That's totally a fist bump!!

Michelle said...

Huey is doing a free concert next thursday at the park where i live!! WOOHOO!!!