Open Mic Friday: Meet Nitmos

There's no limit to his imagination.  He can take an ordinary moment or thought and weave piles of thoughts and miles of stories around it.  If you haven't met Mike, aka Nitmos, author of Feet Meet Street, you're in for a treat. 

After reading this interview, indulge yourself and go straight to his blog to enjoy his mind bending and off-the-wall musings.  And by the way, he also just happens to inhabit an incredibly talented runner's body.

What’s the story behind the Feet Meet Street blog name?  And the Nitmos name?  And  where do you get the ideas for posts?

I originally planned to call the blog “Cereal Killer” after my imagined love of breakfast cereals but a quick google scan later revealed this name to be commonly used.  So, being of short attention span and prone to specificity, I went with Feet Meet Street because I happened to be running at the time the blog was conceived.  If I had come up with the idea a few minutes earlier, it might have been called Nosepickers Paradise. Dodged a bullet there I guess. Oh, and I love double vowel rhyming words.  They are neat and sweet.  The Nitmos moniker derives from one of my favorite overlooked athletes of nondescript accomplishment.  See the very bottom of my blog for an explanation.  As far as post ideas, I like to hyper focus on one recent happening or thing that crossed my path – real or imagined – and let the mind wander.  It goes where it goes and I act as its stenographer.  It’s a great way to start the day and get the coffee soaked mind moving.

How did you develop your passion for running and fitness?

I  used to be all about putting the round, orange pumpkin in the hoop but, as you get older and everyone has jobs and families, it gets harder and harder to assemble enough folks for a game.  And if you do, you spend half the time waiting for everyone to lace up their knee braces.  Running can be done solo.  It requires no one else to participate.  One day, I remember looking down at my ever expanding, non-basketball playing gut and saying out loud “That ain’t right.”  (When I’m self critical, I often use slang words.)   So, I started running.  And haven’t stopped.

What are your current running goals?  Future running plans?

I’d like to get another Boston qualifying time and revisit the Boston Marathon.  I seek redemption on that course.  From there, I feel like I can still go a bit faster at all race distances – 5k, 10k, 15k, half marathon, full marathon.  So, I’ll be working towards setting PR’s in all of those distances in the future.  For the very distant future, I’m looking forward to completing my 10th…20th…etc. marathons and, perhaps, taking on an ultra (or seven).  Shhh, no one tell Mrs. Nitmos.

What gets you excited about running?

The competition with myself.  I have a type A running personality (to go along with my type B non-running personality). When I train, I have no other goal than doing the best I can that day.  When I show up for a race, it’s all about obtaining my own goal regardless of  who else is present and how fast they may be running.  Everything is geared towards pushing myself just a bit more to get just a bit faster.  Others enjoy the physical and emotional benefits of the sport.  I do as well.  However, what really gets the juices flowing, is the hunt for PR’s.  I can’t deny it.  Maybe this will be a phase that’ll pass.  Who knows? 

What’s your secret to running success?

A healthy fear of panthers.

The archives on Nitmos' blog are filled with gut-busting posts.  If you've read him, share which of his post have left you in tears and with stitches in your side.  If you haven't read him, get busy making up for lost time, and add him to your blog reader.

Comments

[Betsy]

I love Mrs. Nitmos' shirt. What a great wife!

My favorite Nitmos post of recent memory is the one where he talks about his kids (the colt and the filly) running a kids' race.

[nwgdc]

Nitmos is hilarious. The post that sticks out for me is his recent marathon specatating experience, where he came up with suggested signs to hold up for...errr...motivation. One such sign: "Maybe running isn't for you"

[moose]

Nitmos is hilariously funny, so it's hard to pick just one post. One that I especially love, though, is his post regarding overturned flower pots that we runners must upright. Veery funny.

[Vanilla]

He's not that funny.

:)

[Kristina]

How big is that head now, Nitmos? Yikes. I bet you can't even fit through your garage door. I think Mrs. N needs to dole out some serious ego-deflation. In the meantime, enjoy your much deserved celebrity.

[Laurel (aka Lily)]

hey, I thought you had a serious fear of llamas!!!

Glad to see you have a supporting fan in Mrs. Nitmos....she is truly and angel! LOL....

As always Nitmos I cannot read your blog while I am at work, my laughing until tears and desk thumping are just a dead giveaway!

Thanks for all the great mind bending laughs....

[Viv]

Love the Mrs's shirt! Nitmos ahh my most fav 1st loser!

[John at Hella Sound]

My favorite (recurring) theme in his blog is the low-grade hazing he receives from Mrs. Nitmos, in particular his deservedness of a celebratory post-race beer. Hysterical.
Good stuff, and a must-read.