Treadmill Tips and Tricks

Wow! Thank you for your feedback on the mid-week 20-miler. I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment, not so much physically, but mentally. That was a huge roadblock to get over in my head and now I know I can survive on a treadmill for 3 hours.

Just to clear a few things up…It is not that I don’t run outside because of the temperature, or weather, or because it is too wet, etc. I would much prefer to run outside, even during some of these crazy winter storms we have been having, but I don’t for a few reasons:

*I can’t run anywhere from my apartment. I basically live on a major highway that I would have to cross to get anywhere so whenever I run outside, I drive to my parents’ house and leave from their neighborhood. Unfortunately, the roads have been too bad to drive over there, so I just walk down to the treadmill.

*Safety, from the cars: The snow is piled up so high, and so wide into the streets that roads are narrower, and cars can’t see around corners when they are turning. Many sidewalks are left unplowed, and we are up to over 2 feet of snow on the ground so it becomes very difficult to trudge through. Plus this seriously ruins the pace I have going :)

*Safety, from the ice: I am so, so afraid of slipping on the ice and getting injured. The ice is unavoidable. Sidewalks are sheets of ice, and there are random patches of black ice on the pavement. It is easier to spot during the day, but hitting it is inevitable. I do not want to get injured before Boston!

The treadmill is not ideal, but it is a wonderfully convenient option.

Here are some ways to make it more bearable.

Treadmill Tips & Tricks

*Have a plan in mind. I especially like to use it for tempo or interval workouts. Something where I am changing up the speed and I know exactly what workout I need to accomplish. If I do not go there with a specific plan in mind, it is too easy to end the run early.

*Cover the screen. After I set up my workout and settings, I like to cover the screen with a magazine or a towel. Otherwise, I just stare at the distance and how slowly the number increases.

*Stay busy. Bring lots of music, reading material, delicious fuel (if necessary), watch tv, etc. Yesterday, I had 3 magazines, top chef on tv, I made a new playlist (including this song which I listened to 3 times!) and I brought plenty of snacks.

*Don’t pysch yourself out. For me, this means resetting the treadmill after every 5 miles. If I see the miles getting higher and higher, I psych myself out. You already ran 16 miles…you should be tired. When I am doing a long run outside, it is very difficult to stop and quit because I run 10 miles out and then have to run home. I have to get home, so if I stop, I still have to walk there. Might as well run. But on the treadmill, it is way to easy to hit that stop button. Plus, resetting the treadmill breaks the run up mentally for me. It may not be ideal to stop 3 times, but stopping 3 times on a 20 miler is better than quitting after 15. Also, on a regular long run, I stop about that many times to use the bathroom, stretch if necessary, and cross the street, so for me, it isn’t really all that disruptive. And the treadmill shuts off after an hour anyway, so I would rather be prepared for it and reset myself.

That is all I can think of to survive the treadmill. I also always set the incline to 1% to mimic running on the roads.

And, because I haven’t posted his pics in awhile:

*If you run on the treadmill, what is your best tip?

And, since I am constantly hitting you guys up for workout songs…

Download: You be Killin ‘Em by Fabolous

She look like the best money that I ever spent
Just watching my cutiepie get beautified
Make me want better jewels, a newer ride
Louis Vuitton shoes, she got too much pride
Her feet are killing her, I call it shoe-icide

Love it!