Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Thoughts on treadmill running

With the days getting shorter and winter approaching, I'm rethinking my running program. Because yesterday was cold and rainy, I figured it was the perfect time to use my trial membership at a fitness center nearby and decide whether that'll be my home gym this winter. A few observations about treadmill running:
  • I knew I wasn't setting any world records, but the monitor thingy confirmed that I'm really slow. My confidence definitely took a hit yesterday.
  • I've been running for time rather than distance. My actual mileage isn't nearly as impressive as I thought.
  • My hip flexors hurt today because I set the incline too high. I'm also fairly certain that my gait wasn't the same since treadmills limit motion to some extent.
  • It's boring. Where am I supposed to look? The monitor? The TV? The sweaty guy next to me? The mirror three feet in front of my face? Pass.
  • I must make sure that my iPod is fully charged BEFORE I get to the gym. Music would surely take away some of those "hamster on a wheel" thoughts going through my head.
Bottom line, I'm not sold on the treadmill concept but I'll have to use it if I want to keep up my training through the winter. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to cold-weather running. I'm okay once I get started, but I dread getting bundled up and facing the wind and cold.

Luckily, the rain has stopped and it's nice and sunny today. After a good amount of stretching, I'll go on a 30-minute recovery walk before sunset.

6 comments:

Paul Anderson said...

I usually just stare off into space and get lost in my thoughts. You could just find a large building and run stairs if they're empty/walk the hallways. It doesn't matter if you're really slow/don't have endurance. The important thing is that you're making the effort to exercise. It's only a matter of time before you get alot of guys checking you out---Watch out Andy ;)

Julie said...

What a lovely post, Paul!

So Ashley, I'm pleased you value stretching. Lack of post-workout stretching leads people to early retirement from exercise.

I actually like treadmill running, especially when I'm doing intervals. With slow people next to me, my confidence is boosted. The faster people play with the competitive spirit inside of me. Of course I rarely run on an incline... not thrilled with what it does to my quads. I tend to add muscle there more quickly than some.

But don't you just love trial gym memberships?

Ashley said...

Thank you for the nice comments, Paul. :)

Julie, I agree that the treadmill will be very useful for interval training. Once I can run 3 miles consistently (I'm so close!), I think I'll start interval training.

I'm thinking about entering a 5k Turkey Trot on Nov. 15. Does that sound doable, if I'm currently running about 2.5 miles three or four times a week?

Hayley said...

Where's the Turkey Trot???????? Sounds fun! Paul, that was such a lovely post! You are such a great support. I think I will be posting about my latest workout endeavors as well. Sorry to copy, Ashley :)

Julie said...

Adrenaline from the excitement of race day, plus being surrounded by a bunch of other runners will definitely get you the last half mile. Did you know marathon runners only train to a max length of 20 miles, even though a few weeks later they'll be running 26.2? It sounds like you're doing awesome. I've been doing intervals so much lately that I have awful endurance anymore. Though to please Mary's dreams, we're running the boardwalk across Waikiki beach this afternoon, likely around 3 miles. Hopefully that goes well.

Ashley said...

Hayley, there's a Turkey Trot in Elkhorn on Nov. 15. AND the race director is encouraging everyone to dress like a turkey. Isn't that awesome?

*Andy's head is gonna roll. People raised in Gretna don't like Elkhorn. ;) *