As for Lance’s running cred, since retiring from cycling he’s been running and racing for fun. He finished the 2007 New York City Marathon 2:46 and is currently training to hit the mid-2:40s in Boston and New York in the 2:30s after that. You can read more about his marathon training schedule in the May 2008 Runner’s World. That combined with his mythic reputation as a cyclist certainly would (over) qualify him to say things like, “One minute to go, keep your stride strong.”
All in all, as a runner I’m both fickle and independent about what my MP3 player is doing while I’m on the road. From audio books to old blues compilations, from Iron Maiden to NPR, I have to go with what my mood demands.
Which is why I was surprised to have enjoyed this workout as much as I did. Having someone else keep time for you, along with a mix of good, hard but broadly appealing rock tunes, and Lance Armstrong’s pithy remarks (“Pain is only temporary, quitting lasts forever…” which sounds good when you first hear it but may, upon reflection, triggers some cognitive dissonance), turns out to be a motivating experience.
So motivating that, despite the wind, the cold, and the post workday fatigue, I turned in my fastest minutes-per-mile average interval workout ever. Now granted, I started running late and have been running for less than a dozen years, and running seriously for far fewer than that, and I’m still hitting new PRs at all distances with some regularity, so this isn’t exactly a testimonial from a peak-career Paul Tergat, but still… I was happily surprised. If you’re looking for something to spice up your interval training, it’s definitely worth checking out.
The Lance Armstrong Run Longer Coaching Mix is available from iTunes for $13.99. You can also buy it at NikePlus.com.
Tracklisting:
1. Island In the Sun (Weezer)
2. Dance Inside (The All-American Rejects)
3. Love It When You Call (The Feeling)
4. Woman (Wolfmother)
5. 3's & 7's (Queens of the Stone Age)
6. Yesterday to Tomorrow (Audioslave)
7. Move Along (The All-American Rejects)
8. 155 (+44)
9. Is It Any Wonder (Keane)
10. Say It Ain't So (Weezer)
11. Everybody's Changing (Keane)
12. Loser (Beck)
13. Sewn (The Feeling)
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