GONADS--SweetSix.3-10-11

In the (temporarily) dry gloom, the Faithful gathered, the ShovelFlag was planted and the miles were run.

The Faithful (FN1):
MacDeuce
MMOB
Dredd
Angrus
P-Bo
OBT
Moniteur (FNG)
Hitman (FNG)

The Route:
The MMOB City Loop, 6.4 miles

The Time:
The lead pack (MMOB, MacDeuce, Dredd, P-Bo and Angrus) came in around 49:50; I was at 50:24; Moniteur and then Hitman were each a couple minutes back from me.

Notes:
1) This felt like a faster/harder run than it was, primarily because we had a relatively loafish pace coming up 3rd Street, then picked it up and brought it home hard down Morehead/Queens/Providence.  Not enough to make up for the slow first half, but that's what happens when you don't have Nino and Affirmation Jones pushing the pace from the get-go.

2) Much talk about BRR 2011.  Dredd is advocating a minimalist approach to the race, with no sleepovers at Wise's mountain house -- just tent camping, nuts and twigs to eat and electric vans.  Meanwhile, MMOB is already backing off, claiming there's some sort of primary the following Tuesday and he fears an ambush from his vulnerable Tea Party flank.  Might be true, but maybe some people shouldn't spend so much time playing the Compassionate Conservative, addressing the League of Women Voters on "How Your Nipple/Hip Ratios Can Help You Win A Man -- And Balance The Budget Too." Just sayin' ...  For those interested in getting in on this whole GONADS/Blue Ridge Relay thing, more details to come soon -- we're starting to crank up the teams for 2011.

3) 3x claps to Hit and Moniteur for making their SweetSix debuts and acquitting themselves well.  The pace can be punishing and I often feel like I'm trying to hang onto the back of a bus as I try to keep up with the lead pack heading up Providence, but there is no question that running in a pack with faster guys will push you to get faster yourself.  As proof, I've now run the route 13 times since the middle of last October, with the following times:

50:24	03/10/2011		7.6mi/h	7:51min/mi	twhit0929
49:52	03/03/2011		7.7mi/h	7:46min/mi	twhit0929
50:59	02/24/2011		7.6mi/h	7:56min/mi	twhit0929
48:59	02/10/2011		7.9mi/h	7:37min/mi	twhit0929
49:36	02/03/2011		7.8mi/h	7:43min/mi	twhit0929
50:05	01/27/2011		7.7mi/h	7:48min/mi	twhit0929
50:43	01/20/2011		7.6mi/h	7:53min/mi	twhit0929
57:19	01/13/2011		6.7mi/h	8:55min/mi	twhit0929
52:41	12/30/2010		7.3mi/h	8:12min/mi	twhit0929
53:29	12/09/2010		7.2mi/h	8:19min/mi	twhit0929
50:51	12/02/2010		7.6mi/h	7:55min/mi	twhit0929
55:35	11/04/2010		6.9mi/h	8:39min/mi	twhit0929
51:00	10/14/2010		7.6mi/h	7:56min/mi	twhit0929

Tomorrow, MudX training -- 6 a.m. at the East Boulevard entrance to Freedom Park.

OBT

(FN1) Absent from the Faithful was Nino.  Talking trash at 10 p.m. and failing to post at 5:15 is poor form, son.