"Nice guys finish last." This is probably true but there have been plenty of nice guys who have finished first as well.

Nice guys finish last is a cliché, a phrase that is so overused it has become mundane. Clichés may ring true in most situations but according to wikipedia: "Using cliches shows a lack of original thought... In writing and general speech it is a mark of inexperience of unoriginality."

This blog has more than 30 clichés in it. We wonder if that shows more of our inexperience or our general lack of originality?

In an attempt to make the unoriginal original, we put a twist on 31 commonly used clichés. We wanted to see if these everyday phrases were true or false when applied to distance runners. See if you agree with our assessments.

1. It's only a matter of time. False

For runners it is a matter of time and distance.

2. It ain't over till the fat lady sings. False

It is over as soon as you cross the finish line no matter what the fat lady is doing.

3. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. True

Over 45,000 people run the New York Marathon and only one person can win. The rest are joining them.

4. What goes around comes around. True

Ever run a 10K on the track?

5. This will hurt me more than it hurts you. True

Very true when said by a runner to a spectator.

6. Time is of the essence. True

Especially true for runners seeking PRs and qualifying standards.

7. Last but not least. True

Even the last finisher is ahead of everyone who didn’t have the courage to run. In a race, last is certainly not least!

8. Make out like a bandit. False

We do not encourage bandits here.

9. Better late than never. True

It is better to finish behind your goal time than not to finish at all.

10. It never hurts to try. False

Wanna bet? Ask any runner and they will tell that if it doesn't hurt you are not trying hard enough.

11. One good turn deserves another. True

Ever run a 10K on the track?

12. Pull a fast one. True

This is every runner’s desire as they toe the line.

13. Go the whole nine yards. False

You are going to have to go a lot more than nine yards to complete a marathon. Are you ready to go to whole 46,145 yards?

14. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. True

As you go up in distance, peoples' love of running intensifies.

15. Get off on the right foot. False

Does it really matter which foot you start on?

16. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. True

That is all a runner can do.

17. You can't judge a book by its cover. True

Ever see the guy/gal who looks really fast but can barely run? Then there is the person who does not even look like a runner but is as fast as lightning.

18. Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. False

This might not be the best running strategy. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

19. The more the merrier. True

See 45,000 people in the New York Marathon.

20. Caught with your pants down. True

For the runner who couldn’t hold it for the full marathon.

21. You only live once. True

Perhaps, but you can die multiple deaths on a long run.

22. Quit while you're ahead. False

Terrible, terrible advice for a runner.

23. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. True

And so does a journey of 46,145 yards!

24. I've got a monkey on my back. True

After you hit the wall the monkey turns into a gorilla ... carrying a piano.

25. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. True

This is why runners are so strong.

26. If the shoe fits, wear it. False

Do not wear it in a race unless you have tested it out in practice first.

27. Misery loves company. True

See 45,000 people running the New York Marathon!

28. Don't hold your breath. True

Unless you only intend to run the whole nine yards.

29. She wouldn't know me from Adam. True

Readers who have never heard of this blog do not know Tim from Adam.

30. S/He is over the hill. False

This is meant to be a bad thing for most people but to a runner it is the best feeling in the world!

31. There now, that wasn't so bad, was it? False

Depends on the day and the run. Sometimes it WAS that bad.

Twenty of the above clichés seem to be true for most runners while eleven are false. Either way they at least win back a bit of originality when we apply them to running.

The artist Salvador Dali hated the use of clichés so much that he was quoted as saying, "The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."

We may be idiots for using so many clichés in this blog but we had fun doing it. In our next blog we will avoid using clichés like the plague! :)

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