One hour on the treadmill that I totally regret

[5KCouch]

It's about -13 degrees outdoors today, and I thought it would be smart to do my scheduled interval training at the gym. Nice and warm, and no running on snow.

As it turned out I had to jump off the band like a million times to dry my head and gulp down more water, and my body was screaming to stop this already. The worst indignity was when I had to go to the ladies (no, no details). In short, it was dreadful, and it will have to be -25 before I do this treadmill thing again.

On reflection, I think I'll rather skip if it gets that cold.

And oh did I forget to mention the boredom?

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Oh gosh... sounds dire... just sit it out... plenty of S and F exercises to do

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Oh no! Treadmill running isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve found it took a while to find my stride with it but now I don’t mind an indoor run , and actively enjoy it if I’ve got a good podcast to listen to.

I wonder if maybe you pushed yourself a bit hard during the intervals? I don’t like having my pace on view for all to see so I sometimes cover part of the display with a towel! I think it can be harder to run at the right effort when you’ve got your speed in your face. Plus I took a while to get the hang of adjusting my speed up and down to keep at the right effort, like I’d do naturally if I was running outdoors. It came with practice.

It’s absolutely not compulsory to run on a treadmill but I just thought I’d share my experience that it can get better if you want using one to be an option.

[5KCouch in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks for listening to my tale of woe. I felt horrible after the experience, but writing it down helped. I can even laugh at it now.

I used to be OK with running on the treadmill, and I actually liked to push myself by running harder on it, believe it or not.

So this was puzzling ... and I've been thinking, and concluding ...

After running outdoors for some months now, I guess the place is just too warm and too boring. I like to start out feeling a bit cold, and run until I get warm. (No chance for that there.) And I like to run a different route every time, so I'll never get bored. And imagine only having that dark green wall right in front of the treadmill to look at.

And I do like to change my pace instantly without pushing some stupid buttons and trying not to fall on my face.

So, the next time I have a choice of -13 degrees and bright sunshine vs. that dungeon ... I'll remember this day. But if the weather is abominable and I only need to do some light jogging I might consider the treadmill again.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to 5KCouch]

Brilliant! We’ve all got tales of woe-mine mainly involve my journey to working out when and what to safely eat before a run…many memories of almost puking in bushes! Time is a great thing for finding a sense of humour. Plus you’ve got all of us to sympathise and share our experiences too. We can remind you that you’re still a great runner, and having had that dodgy experience can be a positive in the longer term.

I hope the weather is kind to you and you get a lovely outdoor run in soon!

[Teresa1632 Graduate10]

I can emphasise; they are a necessary evil when you can't get outside. And the stopping & starting/adjustments- arrrgh! At least you didn't do what I did once - tried to open the window while still running on it - eeek! 🤣

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

You might look for a better gym, or a more state-of-the-art treadmill - I just ran 4k on a trail towards the Grand Canyon, followed by 6k around the temples and streets of Angkor Wat. And on the first bit the machine incline adjusted appropriately for the uphills (not the downs unfortunately 😀). So not boring, though definitely hot! And running outside did not look the least bit enticing this morning 🙄.

[5KCouch in reply to UpTheStanley]

Really? There are some newer treadmills at the gym but only manual incline adjustment. If I manage to get one I set the incline and leave it, never mind that it gets a bit weird sometimes …

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Yeah, treadmills are an acquired taste, I had a super one some years ago at home and walked on it for half an hour every day after work, but I'd got my first iPod with earbuds and loved the me time. We bought it for ex husband, he went on it once, got a blister and never went near it again.

[lusmo]

It is precisely for this reason that I try to avoid the treadmill as much as possible. So far I've managed it, even though I've waded through snow and mud. But maybe it's waiting for me too. I remember exactly the same thing from the past: Heat, boredom, problems with speed and incline. That's exactly why I don't want to repeat it..

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

My gym’s dreadmills also have big chunky levers you push to increase/decrease speed and incline smoothly (he said smugly)