Posts Tagged ‘treadmill’

Two weeks to Carlsbad and there’s some major changing of the schedule.  It initially started due to weather considerations but morphed into a purposefully steeper, more traditional taper.  For the Philadelphia Half, I only took a one-week taper.  This time, I’m going for a 2-week cut with approx. 25% less mileage this week:

Mon: off
Tues: 10
Wed: off
Thurs: 10 w/ strides
Fri: 5
Sat: 15 tempo sandwich (1wu, 3tempo, 7easy, 3 tempo, 1cd)
Sun: off or 5, not sure
Total: 40 or 45 depending on Sun.

I’m glad to be trying a different approach and think that in this case, Less = More.

Treadmill?
After my 2-week break, I’m considering joining a gym (for a month or two at a time) so in the midst of the worst seasons, I can do the workouts I need to without worrying about it.  I posted something about this on FB yesterday and got a couple expected puffed-chest “man-up” replies but those guys missed the point entirely; it’s nothing to do with weather wussiness.

If you do a weekly tempo and interval session plus a LR, there are only so many days you can switch, you need those recovery days between.  I’m really tired of having to switch or dumb-down important workouts due to bad wind (which we have all.the.time, especially since I run at the river), slippery snow or 90 degree days with suck% dewpoint (which we also had all.the.time. last summer).

When I look at the forecast and see that the week will require some major finagling to get the workouts in, maybe cutting long intervals to short or skipping something entirely…it makes me tense.  I don’t like added difficulty, I’m a laid back type of chick.  Not to mention it could be useful for long hill reps without having to run 4.5 miles to Smile Hill and back when I’d done.

Now, this is all in  my head right now because the few times I’ve been on a treadmill have been truly tortuous but I only did easy runs (no workout changes to break up the monotony) and they were just me and the treadmill in unpopulated locales.  Since I’m a huge people-watcher, I’m thinking a busy gym might also provide some stellar entertainment value.  If not, and it turns out to be as hellish as ever, then forget about it, I’ll keep on keeping on outside.

Any treadmill thoughts from you guys?  If so…share.  Like, did you learn to like it better the more you used it?

Goofy day. Went to a gym for the first time since the 80s. My friend, Lara, gave me a 7-day pass to her gym and since today was windy and cold, it was the perfect time to try it out.

On the way there, I had a brush with anti-greatness; I saw Danny Bonaduce. He and a pretty girl crossed the street in front of my car as I was stopped at a stop sign. They were looking at historic stuff along the block. I had him in my sights long enough to call Nick and tell him, “I can see Danny Bonaduce in my rear view mirror.” He thought I was nuts. Anyway, seeing him ranks up there with the time I waited tables on Tiny Tim, or saw Liberace in concert or Pia Zadora belting her guts out at Radio City Music Hall. Something about loony-tune pop icons, they’re so invigorating and life-affirming. Sigh.

So I was all ramped up by the time I got to the gym. They gave me the little tour and then I made my way to the treadmills. Having recently read a forumite’s post of joining a gym where she mentioned the treadmills have personal TVs now (how Jetsons!), I was uber excited to enjoy this bit of luxury for myself. Two seconds later, I’m all, “Wow, I’m running and I’m watching TV! This is cool!” then about a minute later, when I’m feeling quite unsteady and disgusted with myself for watching Inside Weekend Edition because running is one time in my life where I can assure myself I’m NOT ingesting crap, I turn off the TV. Three minutes have gone by.

Then I innocently start playing with things that hang off the treadmill, this thing that looks like a blood pressure thing, and I see there’s a slot for heartrate, so this thing must read my heartrate, but…wtf? why am I stopping, what did I do? Then I press the Pause/reset button one two many times, so the treadmill goes back to zero, instantly negating the half mile I miserably completed.

Because I am miserable. I am just standing in one place, running. I can’t keep my eye away from the Distance readout, as if watching it will turn the numbers faster. Finally I get a respite – some crazy guy hops on two treadmills down from mine. He must be carrying lead in his sneakers, because each footstep is punctuated with Bam! Bam! Bam! Which would be OK, if he didn’t start singing aloud with his ipod. And not proper words and tune, just random guttural notes that sounded like a seal being slaughtered.

Thankfully, half way through the hour, my friend Lara meets me and steps on the treadmill between me and the seal, which seems to calm him down. And for the next ½ hour, Lara and I chat while I stare woefully at the distance readout some more, wanting it to please, just be over. I end up doing some tempo miles so I can finish faster.

Now I’m home and feeling great that I got some miles in on this cold day, thanks to Lara – my only runner friend (non forum related, that is), the one who just about held my hand at my first 5K, and ran with me when I was slower than dirt. Thank you, Lara, for helping me to see that fancy little TVs do not make the run, and thank you for getting between me and the dying seal. Love you, girl.