It's so cold this morning that people are wearing gloves and winter jackets as we wait for the train to arrive. I wish I could put in a quick three miles on the road to take advantage of this perfect running weather. Hopefully the low temperatures and dry air will continue throughout the afternoon.I haven't run since Sunday and I miss it. I did an elliptical workout on Monday and rested yesterday. I took a rest day because I know they're important but part of that decision was based upon my growing dislike for the treadmill. It may be related to the frustrations I've had with measuring my performance and the problems I've encountered with the treadmill display. The data from the treadmill has never really matched my other tracking devices. I could calibrate the Nike+ Sportband and the Garmin 50 foot pod so I knew that I was accurately capturing speed and distance. Recently my Garmin has become inconsistent, tracking under and then over by around 5% on consecutive days. I'm finishing my treadmill runs wondering how I've really performed.
Besides the tracking issues I've found running on the treadmill to be increasingly tedious. The more I run outside the more I dislike running inside. Besides a lack of visual stimulation (television is not a good alternative for me) I'm also finding the noise annoying. I know I should appreciate the treadmill for its convenience and consistency (surface and elevation). I'll try to keep that in mind when I hop back on tomorrow.
Until then I will resume my training today with an afternoon run in the city. I'm hoping to make 20 miles a week until the 8K on June 7 and I do mileage better outdoors. I know I shouldn't be so hard on the treadmill, it's lasted us well over a decade. My wife puts me to shame in terms of the time and distance spent on the machine and she never complains about it. Still, a new quiet and modern unit with a home entertainment center and virtual reality would be nice to have.
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I hear you on getting sick of running inside, just started running in the park and its glorious compared to my dank basement. If it helps:
ReplyDeleteI've got an xbox360 wirelessly streaming Netflix in front of my tm and I started watching Heros which was an ok distraction (and I guess there's a subliminal thing with superpowers and running. I'll leave that to my therapist) but then I killed the lights and started watching inspirational movies and they are great, so far:
- The Edge
David Mamet, Anthony Hopkins, grizzly bears. Kicks ass.
- Spirit of the Marathon
makes my 3 milers seem pathetic
- Gunnin for that #1 spot
HS Basketball phenoms and a great soundtrack
It does get old though and I switch up with just plain old music and headphones occasionally.
Those all seem to be interesting alternatives to staring at the wall or window. If I'm going to watch television while I run I'd prefer live sports, especially those with continuous action. I once watched part of a marathon while I ran. That was pretty fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your favorites.