Bummer! No excuses now - I can run on a dreadmill!

[Anniemurph]

Previously, my experience on a dreadmill has been somewhat of a white-knuckle ride and I have avoided them like the plague. However, I need to fit in 5 runs over the next 13 days, in order to make my 100th run coincide with my 1 year anniversary of running and c25k (pause for fanfare ). Up here in the frozen North, the snow has been falling thick and fast and the pavements are currently covered with a treacherous mix of rotting snow and a 3 inch thick layer of cobbled ice. Lovely.

So off I went to the gym yesterday thinking that at least I could try the dreadmill again. I find them very tricksy creatures, with wayward minds of their own and an evil sense of humour. (Or perhaps that's just the gym staff?) Anyway, I thought I would have another go and see if I could at least manage 15 minutes.

Much to my surprise, I managed the first 5 minutes okay. I looked at the bloke next to me, who was pounding along like an olympic athlete, and noticed that he was a lot more relaxed than I was. I wondered if I could possibly dare to let go of the side rails? The machine had already told me - in no uncertain terms - to take my hands off the sensors. I thought that they were handles to hold on by, but apparently not. Very cautiously, I let go. Nothing untoward happened - I didn't fly off backwards, or fall over sideways. Okay, this was better than I'd thought.

I started to relax, but then boredom set in. What do you look at when you're running hard and getting nowhere? Obviously it's not the done thing to look at other people, although I was fascinated by the lady in full make-up. She never broke into a sweat in 30 minutes of cross-training - respect! There are three TV screens, but I couldn't read the sub-titles on the news, MTV's a bit pointless when there's no sound, and I didn't want to know what the vet was doing to the sheep on the third screen.

The only thing left to do was to play the numbers - distance vs. minutes. It was still very boring, but I managed to do 30 minutes of running - very slowly, in fact much more slowly than outside, but at least it was a run. And a fairly decent one as well, I'm pleased to say.

So - no more excuses. If the weather is unfit, I'll just have to go to the gym. After all, I'm determined to achieve my 100th run on the anniversary of starting this lark (oh, sorry, did I mention that before? ), and hopefully that will be up on my beloved heights, in bright sunshine, with a huge grin on my face. But if not, there's always the dreadmill.

[gdeann Graduate]

Cute,cute Annie! I have a fear of the buttons on the mill, I never know for sure what I'm pushing! Such a fantastic goal to achieve for your first year Anniversary! Did you sign Up for the 5x50 challenge? We signed up and would love to have you on board! Gayle

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to gdeann]

Yes, Gayle, yes! Imagine if you pushed the wrong button and it speeded up like a mad thing! You just can't really trust them...

I haven't signed up for 5x50 because I have some complicated times coming up mid-April, and I'm away for most of May so wasn't sure I could commit to the daily 30. I'll be cheering you all on, though

[greenlegs Graduate]

Ooh, Annie, that's a lovely blog! ('cobbled ice' - great phrase!) Please do more people watching out of the corner of your eye.

Nearly 100 runs - wow!

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

I'm not sure it was out of the corner of my eye, Greenlegs, I suspect I was frankly gawping

I know - I can't believe it's nearly 100 runs either. Some of them have been better than others, but it's nearly one whole year since I thought I was going to explode before I'd done my first 60 seconds

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I have the same problem with dreadmills (my pet name for them too) when I stopped I nearly fell over, gym instructor said to do a much slower gradual warm down which I now do whenever I use one. Much respect for your 30 minutes though, 20 minutes running is my max to date. Well done and you rock girl, 100 runs in your first year thats bloomin fantastic, good luck I'm sure you'll do it in style. Very well done Annie

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

It's a great name for them, isn't it? I borrowed it from someone on here - might even have been you! That's interesting, because I was so dizzy when I got off - fine (well, relatively) while I was onboard, but very unstable when I got off. I did a warm down, but the machine's idea of a warm down is very slow indeed and I kept punching the faster button because - well, Laura says to keep the legs moving briskly. Perhaps I should try doing what the m/c says...?

I don't think 100 runs in a year is that good, really - I know there have been whole weeks when I haven't run at all, because of illness or travel or other life-stuff getting in the way. However, I'm pleased that I've kept it going and stuck at it, even when times have been hard. Thanks for your good wishes - I'll let you all know

[gdeann Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

Silly girl! 100 runs not many?? 100 runs better then sitting on the couch!!!!

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to gdeann]

Ha ha yes, you're right, Gayle, thank you - much better than 100 sits on the couch

[redfacewoman Graduate]

Respect to you no big respect I'm one of those odd ones who do all of my running on the hamster wheel and no not in any makeup and I do sweat buckets that's my mark of a good run the answer to the boredom is to either watch the very funny designer runners full makeup no sweat a not a hair out of place but with all the latest gear ( not me asda specials or me which never co ordinate even the socks are odd- but very cool trainers) or the best bit is to go when there is a good cookery programme on watching lovely food not eating it but burning it off . As for holding on forget it ! Well good luck with the 100 th run x

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to redfacewoman]

The thing is, either she's remarkably fit, in which case shouldn't she be doing more, or she's not really working very hard, in which case... why??? Anyway, I shouldn't be worrying about other people. I'm with you on the cheap running gear why pay lots of money to get something all sweaty - except for my trainers of course. I like the idea of the cookery programme - I must ask if it's possible to change the channel!

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

She's maybe found an anti-sweat sorry anti-perspiration drug which costs her £100's!! Me i'd sooner have my pores cleansed by a good old sweat

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

I'll have to go again to see if she's there, and I'll look a lot more closely next time to try and solve the mystery

[AnnieW55]

There's definitely another breed of woman out there! When we've been backpacking, or even just out for a Sunday hike, there am I with flies buzzing about my head and usually mud splattered (even in mid summer, possibly even in drought conditions) when we pass fragrant, clean shiny ladies in make up chatting as they walk. Even on mountain bikes we pass those who look like they're on a trip to the shops when I look like something out of a horror film!

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to AnnieW55]

I know - neatly coiffed, beautifully made up and colour co-ordinated! I must have different genes, I guess