The Dreadmill

If it wasn't already official, it now is - I loathe the treadmill for steady state runs. Yes the tready serves it's purpose for rainy days or some no thought required interval training but I've got no idea how people only train on it. The image below almost perfectly sums up my feelings on it.

Source: google.com.au via Kym on Pinterest

Treadmills have an evil reputation. They like to spit people off the back of them if they lose their attention for more than a split session.  In general they can't do a negative incline (I only discovered tonight that my DH's gym has one that goes to -3%).  Add to that the aided motion that they give you when running and its just not for me.  On the other hand in a home situation they quite often find a new work purpose.

Source: google.com.au via Kym on Pinterest

I've had two days in a row that I've had to resort to the dreadmill. Thursday it was raining when I woke so it was either run in the rain, which wasn't very appealing, or go and do a full on interval session at the gym. I think I had a few people concerned with my running that morning. I was sprinting for 30 seconds and then resting on the runners for 30 seconds. I also discovered that the treadmill sounds like it might take to the air at 16km/hr! I was worried the whole workout that I was going to be one of the statistics of the person getting thrown off the end, and I even had the kill switch attached to me.

Source: google.com.au via Kym on Pinterest

Tonight I was catching up on my Tuesday cardio session that I missed as my body decided it needed to rest.  I decided to attack a fair portion of the Mini Milestone Challenge.  It consisted of an 8km run, 20km bike ride and 2km row.  For some reason the gym was uncharacteristically busy for a Friday night and all the cardio equipment was in use. I decided that so I wouldn't be an equipment hog that I'd break up my session.  I started with a 4km run, using the random program. Big mistake! When running 4km outside it is fairly easy for me, even with hills involved. I realised the main difference, outside I get some "recovery" due to the downhill parts.  Add to that no fresh breeze and an unchanging view and I loathed every second of the run.

Jumping on the rower for the 2km was a welcome change until my forearms started to kill me. 11 minutes after starting and it was off to the bike. While I'm complaining about cardio equipment I'll add my gym's bikes to the list. I avoid the recumbent ones so I can't comment on them but the upright stationary bikes just don't work well for me either.  I don't know if my upper body is just too short or if the design is wrong but I keep sliding off the saddle. 23 minutes later and 10km down and its time to jump back on the dreadmill ...

Now I understand the terminology about "brick session" when it comes to triathlons. My legs felt so heavy for the first 1.5km after getting off the bike. I was at the point of almost walking at one stage and then all of a sudden things improved, as much as possible on the treadmill, and the heaviness was gone.

After I'd finished the last 4km I decided to skip the last 10km. I'd been going for 1.5hours and burnt 700 calories.  No guilt here about not completing it either as this isn't my Mini Milestone Challenge, that's on Sunday. I'm tackling Mt Gravatt again ....