In an attempt to stop looking for excuses (it's cold, wet, rainy, icy, dark, i'm tired etc etc I am either signing up at the local gym or buying my neighbours treadmill.
Does anyone have a preference? Will it matter which I do? The treadmill at home will obviously be much cheaper but then I won't be able to go swimming etc. It's just a basic 'pro fitness motorised treadmill' so no incline or anything but I just want to see through the dark evenings then I'll get out on the streets again.
Will I feel like too much of an idiot to use the treadmill at home? I've never ever had any sort of gym equipment at home, hence my uncertainty But I'm fed up of hearing my own excuses!
Thanks
Written by
sidbetty
Graduate
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If you sign up to the local gym - then you can cross train, swim and have a natter and watch other peeps. I suspect the very fact that your neighbour is selling their treadmill may be an indication of how unefficacious home running is. I would imagine it is incredibly boring and doesn't have the same sense of achievement that road running or going to the gym would have. Ultimately though it does just seem like a lack of motivation (difficult I know when it is cold, stormy and dark) - so probably best to remind yourself why your took this up in the first place 'cos without the motivation, outdoors/gym/home running all become irrelevant. So I would suggest sticking at the road running - it is hard - but in a couple of weeks the days will be getting longer (plus you save money)
difficult one ,i have only run outside and hoping to do so through the winter (weather permitting) I have seen that running on tread has a very differnt feel to it , not something i would contemplate , Try it see how you feel , any run is better than no run
This is my thinking too, and the dark is just not cutting it at the moment I think it's partly because we haven't lived in this town very long so I'm not familiar with the routes and streets. I couldn't care less about it being cold! Plus my boyfriend isn't overly happy with me going out in the dark which is why I'm looking for an alternative I think I will find the treadmill boring but as you say, it's better than no run... plus I was thinking that at weekends I can try and fit in a run during daylight along the river.
I've solved this exact problem by joining my local running club. £15 for the year, friendly faces (especially if you're new to your town - it's a good, non stressy way to meet like minded folk), a weekly run in company, good advice and reduced race entry fees. Well worth a go!
I've solved this exact problem by joining my local running club. £15 for the year, friendly faces (especially if you're new to your town - it's a good, non stressy way to meet like minded folk), a weekly run in company, good advice and reduced race entry fees. Well worth a go!
I'm a little bit too much of a wimp just yet, and I know that if i get home and sit down I am not getting up again I have however posted on my local RC facebook page to ask if anyone wants to run straight before or after work, and then I'll maybe pluck up the courage to go along to a meeting
You could stick the iplayer in front of it at home and catch up with all your favourite programmes? I work out in the kitchen sometimes with the stepper and the rowing machine. I listen to LBC and shout at the phone ins!!
True, any run is better than no run. I signed up to my local gym as I feel insecure running in the dark. If you can use a treadmill where you can up the incline & speed enough you will be able to get closer to the exertion you use outside running (there are lots of blogs on the subject). However, I did my first road-run in about 5 weeks at the weekend & didn't do very well. Was suffering from back pain at the time but I think the treadmill had given me a false sense of how good I am...we're all different though!!
The treadmill I can buy doesn't have an incline which does worry me a little. But I'm hoping if I could run outside at weekends and the treadmill would only be for a few weeks then it'll see me through. I was just getting to the stage where I was learning to 'enjoy' the running so I'm pretty gutted I've let it slip so much.
I use a treadmill at home but use it only when I absolutely can't get out or would otherwise not run. It does have an incline and I set it to 8 for the warmup walk then 2 for the running bits which does make the effort similar to a relatively flat outdoor run. BUT it is soooooo boring. I find the way to deal with it is to put the Mac or laptop nearby and watch something captivating on iPlayer (The Missing at the moment).
My treadmill was bought 2nd hand from a company that reconditions gym equip, has a good guarantee and is quite a good one (but really heavy). After two years it has more than paid for itself in the (Virgin) gym membership fees I used to pay and hardly ever used. Not Virgin's fault, was just too busy at work.
Downsides of the treadmill: it is heavy, takes up a fair chunk of room, hotter than running outdoors and even without my pounding still makes enough noise on its own. But it is there as a last resort and keeps me 'on the road' on days when I might not otherwise be fagged! Probably use it about twice a month.
If it was me, I'd prefer having one at home. that removes the excuse of "it takes too long to get to the gym" or "I'll do it when I'm near there anyway". If you've got it at home, you can jump on it whenever you want.
I couldn't run outside tonight for lots of reasons, so for only the third time ever I used a treadmill.. and how frustrating! I ran a 5k in 31mins! I would currently need at least another 10mins to do the same outdoors.
Yes it is boring even with the radio on, but I ran tonight which otherwise I wouldn't have been able to. Don't want to start a debate about treadmills, as there are lots of views both ways. Bottom line to me is its better than nothing if running outside is not possible.
This is my thinking... I think I've persuaded myself to go for the treadmill, it's only £50 so more or less the same as one month at the gym, and I could probably sell it on if I don't use it.
I had the same predicament. I have a cross trainer at home but found it too easy to bunk off. I would always see the ironing pile, or the cleaning that needed doing and get on with that instead.My local gym are offering a 3 month membership with the rest of December free so I decided to join. I will have to make myself go, to make it worth paying the money, but I figured that I will do the gym, swim and sauna, and maybe a class or two. I find the treadmill a tad boring but anything is better than nothing. The weekends I shall still do parkrun and a Sunday run with a local group I joined recently, (weather permitting). After the 3 months, hopefully the weather will be a bit better for getting out more regularly in the week. x
I have a treadmill set up in the garage for when the weather gets really bad. The nearest gym is more than 10 miles away so it's quicker to nip out there. It is tedious though so I go outside whenever I can manage it.
I wish I could join a local running club but they all seem to run too early in an evening I wouldn't be able to go until 7.30 or 8pm as I have to get the kids in bed first. I had the same dilema. I always ran outside but with the winter nights running in the dark on my own not an option for me. It might be worth checking out your local running clubs if you can do their sessions. Local ones to me seem to meet at 6 or 6.30pm and some offer daytime runs too. They have the benefit of giving you motivation to push a bit harder then you would at he. Do you do park run as that's one run a week you can still run outside in winter
Keep in mind that gyms can get crazy busy for New Year's resolutions in January and February. If you bought the machine - no waiting for equipment to become available.
Thank you everyone I have decided to go with the treadmill for now, if I find it too dull or hard I'm sure I could flog it in January!
I have also had a few people on the local RC facebook page offer to run at earlier times than the RC session, so hopefully I can go with them occassionally.
I have been to parkrun a couple of times, I will try go head there more often although I really do love the river walk that I usually follow.
Here's hoping I can build up again to the 10km in 7 weeks!
I find I buy things and when don't use them at home. Whereas if I go to the gym then I ensure that I get my money's worth. Buying secondhand can reduce costs as you can sell it on if you don't use it, but check why it is being sold. Quite often 'domestic' equipment is not as good to use as the gear in the gym.
Hiya, yes I know it won't be as good as going to the gym but I can't justify the money for the gym right now so the treadmill makes a better option as it's really only until it's lighter after work too I have also had at least two people from the RC offer to run with me so hopefully I can arrange something with them to be running outside every so often too!
The treadmill is a basic one, it was her grandfather's who has passed away and apparently he didn't use it that much. It'll probably do me to just keep doing some form of running for now!
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I think it's partly because we haven't lived in this town very long so I'm not familiar with the routes and streets. I couldn't care less about it being cold! Plus my boyfriend isn't overly happy with me going out in the dark which is why I'm looking for an alternative 
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