Surviving the Dreadmill

Hi everyone! I hope you had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed the snow a little.

Due to the snow and overall cold weather, I have taken my training inside the past few weeks.  Typically I find running on the treadmill to be sooo boring. The scenery never changes, which make it feel like forever. Also, I find I run a lot slower when I am controlled by the treadmill, so it almost makes me feel like I am taking a step back when I can’t go at my usual speed. I am learning to embrace the treadmill and even starting to enjoy its company. Here are some of the things I do to make the time on the treadmill tick by faster.

Watch a TV show or movie.

When I know I’ll be on the treadmill for longer than 20 minutes I have started to watch what’s available On Demand. Recently, my series has been Rachael vs. Guy’s Celebrity Cook-off which is about 46 minutes long. Perfect for my 4-5 mile runs.

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I get my NSYNC fix on during the show with this guy.

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I’m pulling for him to win (I’m a week behind so don’t tell me if he’s been kicked off), but I digress… Once I start getting into even longer runs, I am going to start watching movies On Demand, since they last about an hour and a half. I like that these shows keep my interest because there are no commercials and I usually forget that I’m running.

Cover the mileage counter.

I always forget to bring a towel to the gym so I cover the mileage counter with my phone.  I drive myself crazy when I watch the mileage slowly tick away, so covering it puts that dreaded number out of your mind.

Listen to a podcast.

Listening to music isn’t usually enough for me. The music doesn’t distract me from what I’m doing. Listening to a podcast is more interactive because you actually have to listen to what is being said. I think this could also work well with a book on tape. I am going to try that next.

Don’t think of the distance in terms of a total amount.

This is the best trick I have. This can apply to inside or outside running.  Rather than dwelling on the fact that you have to run 4 miles, think that you have to run 2 miles twice or 1 mile four times. I like to have milestones in the run to make it seem shorter. At one mile, I’ll think “this is no big deal you’re already a fourth of the way through.” This type of internal motivational conversation is very helpful for me.

Do you have any helpful tips to make working out inside a more enjoyable experience?

So onto this week’s training. I completed week 4 of Hal Higdon’s 10k training plan, which means I’m half way done with my first (of two) training plans! I feel much more confident this week that I will be able to run 13 miles come May. Bring it on, Cox Providence Half Marathon!

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Monday- Sunday’s run was on the treadmill so I wasn’t that sore. Still, I rolled the leggies and did some great stretching. I also did the 100 workout while watching The Bachelor (go Kacie B!). It occurred to me that the perfect substitution for stretch and strength would be yoga. I don’t know why I didn’t do this before! Looks like this Monday I’ll be yogacizing. Here’s the 100 workout that I completed (I did 10 burpees at the end instead of 10 minutes of running.)

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Tuesday-I went into the city after work to take part in the Self Magazine Healthy Food Awards taste testing and was exhausted by the time I got home. I postponed the 3 miles until Wednesday.

Wednesday- We do yoga at work every Wednesday, so instead of 35 minutes of cross, I did an hour of yoga. I’d say that’s a pretty good substitution. I also ran my 3 miles from Tuesday on the treadmill as soon as I got home from work. Two-a-days baby.

Thursday-I busted out 2 miles on the treadmill with ease. I am beginning to love that running is becoming something I enjoy and not just a strenuous chore! I also did Courtney’s build your own bootcamp workout. Here’s what it looks like, except I only did it one time through.

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Friday-A glorious day of rest. It was marvelous to not worry about working out. I saw friends in the city after work and didn’t have to think about running. What a relief

Saturday-For my 50 minutes of cross, I rode the recumbent bike at the gym. I programed it to bring me through different resistances and levels and boy, was it a good workout! I was a tad worried that my legs would feel like bricks for my long run on Sunday, but alas, I was fine. I love my cross training days because I can read my Kindle or magazines while I am getting my sweat on. I tried to do this while running one day but I got pretty nauseous from the bobbing up and down. I wouldn’t recommend it!

Sunday-Nothing like long run Sundays! I am starting to enjoy building my Sundays around when I’m going to run. Today’s run had to be scheduled around the now AFC Champs Pats! I used all of my tricks for running inside and the miles flew by. I also challenged myself to complete the run with negative splits. I ran the first mile at 5.0 mph, the second at 5.2 mph, the third at 5.4 and the fourth at 5.6. Obviously, I was not doing this run for speed, but I’m glad I tried this type of workout. I think it accurately simulates how the race will go. Perfect practice make perfect.

I’m really pleased with how this week went and that I am really getting into the groove of this running thing The next few weeks will be a challenge because we have big events at work. It’s going to be a challenge to fit all of the training in, but I am going to try to make it happen!

Have a great week everyone!