So I was
pleasantly surprised to learn a new lesson on my limbo run on Thursday. I thought I knew everything about limbo runs
seeing as I invented the term. To
refresh, Tuesdays are my track intervals day and Thursday is a tempo run or
limbo run, whatever the mood strikes as I lace ‘em up. Long time F.M.S. readers know that a limbo
run, known as a “progressive run” by the running glitterati, involves me
running each mile progressively faster after starting with a comfortable
warm-up mile. Limbo run is a much more
descriptive term than progressive run and I expect it to catch on like wildfire
– eventually – in the running community.
Just remember where you heard it first.
A smart
limbo runner gently accelerates through each mile. You may drop 4-8 seconds per mile. Heck, even one second gets you under the line
for a successful limbo. It would be
nipple tickling but….it works! If you go
too low, too early, well, it just makes it harder for the subsequent miles. Be a smart limboer.
As the
original limboer, I’ve had some close calls but always managed to judge my pace
enough to beat the previous mile. But,
yesterday, I almost knocked the bar over.
The plan was
a 7 miles. After a relaxed warm-up, I
started my gentle downward sloping limbo:
7:14
–warm-up
6:52
6:48
6:47
So far, so
good. Miles 2-4 only saw an overall
decrease of 5 seconds and, believe me, I
noticed that I was limbo slacking a bit.
I prefer to knock off a nice 5 or 6 seconds per mile. So I picked up the pace for mile 5 and found
myself in the LDL Zone.
6:19
Oh,
shit. I dropped 28 seconds and, for the
first time, found myself in the Limbo Death Leap (LDL). I dropped too quickly, too much. Like bad cholesterol, a high LDL is not a
good thing to have.
But press on
I must:
6:18
Okay, let’s
bring it home.
6:09
And
done. Against all odds, I limboed to
keep my streak of needless braggadocio alive and well. But Nitmos does what Nitmos does. (shrugs shoulders,
feigns nonchalance) I was tired and my
mouth was dryer than a reused dryer sheet.
Truth be told, I ain’t in shape for that kind of limbo. Give me a few more weeks. If a DJ with a tenor voice smoothly chanted
at me, “How looow, can you go?”, I would have responded, “6:09. That’s it buddy.” It wouldn’t have mattered how much – or how
loud – the calypso drums or Hasselhoff played.
Lesson
learned: When limboing, don’t create a
huge LDL or you’ll knock the bar down.
So I guess I
can learn new things. And maybe Andy
won’t give away his toys and there’s a beer that doesn’t taste good. Run and learn.
Limbo
wisely, my friends.
Happy
trails.
Garmin don't lie:
7.0 miles
46:26
6:38 per
mile
8 comments:
You are too fast. Nice work!
I have definitely taken the LDL before and suffered the consequences. Looking good-n-speedy there! And I must argue that I have had beer that didn't taste good...from a local microbrewery here in philadelphia...absolute worst beer ever, every flavor in that sample case was gross. But did we still manage to choke down the entire case? Yes we did because we are not quitters...
Ignorance is bliss. I don't limbo, so the only high LDL I encounter is mitigated by medication. Cheers!
Not a bad run at all. Nice way to negative split it.
LDL is a place I don't like to be, usually I can't hold and keep decreasing pace. Nice job!
I prefer reverse LDL. By the way, don't think I'll forget your Buckeye bashing barbs last post when the Buckeyes smash your sissy-punkass Wolverines for the ninth time in ten years this fall. You can have the soccer victory. Nobody cares.
I am going to patent the Pole Vault Run, where every mile is successively at a higher pace. I'm pretty good at that one.
Awesome run dude. You racing anytime soon here? Looks like you're in good shape?
I'll start using "limbo" in Alabama. If it's anything like "oh no, he didn't" and "off the chain," we'll still be using it next century. But it will take twenty years to be seeded.
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