The Dread-mill

When I first started this blog  I didn’t want to write about running. I post a lot about it on Facebook. I don’t want to be redundant. But, today I decided I have many things I need to write about pertaining to running that I don’t really write about on FB .. So, here is 1…

“The Dread-mill…”

I don’t own a treadmill. I don’t enjoy running on one. The reasons are :: that it’s just too boring for me to stay in one location. I need things to look at. Also, because the belt on the machine spins around, it’s like the ground is moving FOR me. It throws off my “gait” and I just don’t enjoy it.

The other problem is.. Winter.. in New York. It’s cold and it’s icy on the roads. It’s dark outside in the early morning and in the early evening.

The motivation factor for running outside disappears with cold and ice and darkness.

In order to keep up with my routine , I have to pick one .. Treadmill (at the gym) or outside …

That leads to the question… Why do I even  run? Most people can’t stand it .. They hate  everything about it  …

The reasons why I run have changed over the years. I first started out running when I was 30 years old. I needed to get in shape, desperately . I ran for that reason only ..Over the years the reasons have changed . It became fun to me and turned into the addiction to the “high” that I feel from running. It has also become a social event since I have some very dear friends who run. We use this time to be with each other , motivate each other , and catch up in each other’s lives. Not to mention .. Steve also runs and it’s another thing we have in common to talk about and that we can do together .. Thanks to him – because he helped me get started 15 years ago ..

It also makes me feel like I really accomplished something when I am done. How can you not feel proud after doing a  20 mile run on a Sunday morning? A sense of pride is definitely part of it.

Over the years it has also progressed into a “control” thing. Life is filled with things that you can’t control. Running, to me, is the one thing I feel like I have control over. Everyone needs at least one thing in their lives to feel like they can control.

That is why I freak out when I get hurt. I feel like I have lost control of something really big .. I hate that feeling !

Back to the treadmill – AKA dread-mill..

Sometimes I have no choice but to get on the treadmill. It’s just how it is .. I just can’t go out in that snow and ice and cold.

So, here are the tricks I use to get thru a run on the treadmill …

1. Use the most awesome music playlist you have.

2. Wear a heart rate monitor. Try turning up the speed on the treadmill and see how high you can get your heartrate and how long you can keep that speed up.

3. Do intervals. Watch the timer on the treadmill. Turn the speed up by 3 notches and hold it for a minute, then go back down 2 notches for a minute. Up 3 for a minute, down 2 for a minute. Until you max out .. Use that “ladder effect” to trick yourself into running faster. It works…And most importantly it makes the time go by faster.

4. Get a friend to join you . It helps .

5. It’s also fun to ” people watch.”. If you are running at a gym treadmill.

That is basically it…

The treadmill…

Just suck it up and deal with it …