Treadmill 101

Here's what I learned about treadmill running today.....

1.) Unlike running outside where I get to ditch leave my children at home and run in uninterrupted peace...I am still 100% responsible for them when they are in the gyms "kid club" and a certain 2yr old decides to drop a deuce when you are only on mile 2 of 7....joy.

2.) If the gym is crowded and you are sandwiched between other mill runners, their stride will always kinda throw mine off causing me to work twice as hard at keeping my breathing and own stride in check.

3.)  Out running other people who get on the treadmill next to me will never get old and will always give me a second wind.  Even if they don't know it....we're in a race and I'm gonna smoke em'....BAM!

4.)  I will always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS pull the godforsaken emergency "stop" button on ACCIDENT...causing me to come to a screeching halt and losing all my valuable running info...GRRRR!!  Nothing like being in your groove and settling into mile 4 only to instantly be at a speed of 0.0 and having to guess what your time was.  I swear if this happens to me one. more. time. I am gonna go awol on the treadmill.  That button is in the WORST spot. for reals.

Here is the breakdown of my run this morning:

-run 1 mile and get flagged down by the "kid club" lady who is holding up 2 fingers at me, which can only mean one thing to a mama who has a potty trained 2 yr old who is currently going through a HUGE regression since we moved.

5 mins later....

-run 1 more mile and accidently pull the emergency "STOP" plug....swear under my breath for a good minute, then resume run.

-run 4 more miles and manage to pull "STOP" plug. again. swear. again.

-run last and final mile at a super awesome pace and decide that running a fast 7 miler (9:24 pace) with a few unexpected stops along the way is waaaaay better than running in heat and humidity.  But seriously, does anybody know the trick of how NOT to pull that dang "STOP" plug?

It ain't great, but the Hubs did snap a pic of me on the ole' mill this morning.   

 

Wonder if people thought he was being a stalker since I was oblivious to my picture being taken?  And why does it always look like I'm just walking fast when the Hubs photographs me running?  I swear I was running in this pic, I was at a sub 9 pace. pinky swear.  Although, if this was taken at the very end of my run than this running mama was actually at a sub 8......wuz up LFBIL, better watch it cause I'm gonna catch you......muahahahaha

Going for Gold

Golds Gym that is. 

The weather won the battle and it was time to move some of my runs indoors.  I still plan on training outside on occasion, but girlfriend needs a break from the heat every now and again.  After suffering through the last 3 weeks in super hot weather and having terrible, TERRIBLE runs, it was time.  I feared I was losing my running mojo to the heat and lord knows I have worked way too hard to let that happen. 

Today was my first day taking the gym for a test drive.  I signed up on Friday, although my workout that day was a run to the gym...sign up....run home from the gym (3 miles in all).  I mean am I coo koo?  I think the guy at Golds may have thought I was crazy to run at high noon to obtain a membership.  I could have easily driven to the gym, signed up, ran 3 miles in a air conditioned gym and driven home.  Whatev's, I do what I want.

So, that brings me to today's fantabulous run!  It had been 3 weeks since I had a run that was longer than 4 miles and I knew that I needed to put in work on the treadmill.  I needed to rekindle my flame for running.  The heat had made me start to resent my quest for the13.1 bumper sticker and I needed to get back on track. stat.  My goal for today was 7 miles, but secretly I was thinking it would be a miracle to make it to 6.  Seriously.  My last 3 or 4 runs had been so miserable that I felt like I was back at the beginning of my training program. Running is redonkulous....just sayin'.  I digress.....I headed to the gym this morning super excited to be running indoors.  I had all of my supplies...

Nike Visor...check

Moisture wicking top and shorts...check (seriously, I think all this wicking technology makes you stink more when you workout.  Anybody else agree?)

Ipod...check

Nuun...double check (obsessed.)

BodyGlide...triple check!!  This stuff is AMAZING and I never run without it.  Although I ran further than I had planned today so I didn't apply enough...I'm paying for that now with a nasty little blister on one of my toes (the same damn toe always gives me trouble) and a sports bra "rash/burn" from a seam  under my tata's (tmi? nah...we're keepin' it real....right?).  I didn't realize the sports bra rash until the water from the shower hit it...HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THINGS AWFUL.....I literaly thought I had just been attacked by bees in the shower, it felt like a bazillion bee stings.  Won't ever make that mistake again.  From now on I will be applying bodyglide as if I'm gonna be running for days on end.

my new BFF

Which treadmill to choose?  There were so many. I honestly stood in the lobby for what seemed like forever trying to make the "right" choice.  Obviously I lead a very exciting life when my idea of a good time is obtaining the perfect treadmill location.  I finally decided on a 'mill upstairs that over looked the main cardio floor.  I liked having a birds eye view of the gym happenings and also the fact that no one would be running behind me since it was only a single row of machines.  I would be way to consumed with "does my butt look jiggly" thoughts if someone was running with a direct view of my backside. no thank you. 

With the perfect 'mill chosen, I was ready to get my run on.  I started at a nice slow 11min pace since I had a rough couple runs recently, but quickly realized that running on a nice, flat, pace keeping piece of machinery is da bomb dot com and I can run way faster.  So, I upped my pace to a 10:30, then 10:20, 10:10, sub 10, 9:40...and so on and so on....With every mile I ran I felt more confident.  Of course I was still keeping in mind that I didn't want to burn out by mile 6 or 7, so I would say my sub 10 came closer to mile 4.  By mile 6 I had made the executive decision to run 8 miles and had also decided that I love treadmills.  It was such a nice change of pace to just run on a flat even surface in the AC without worrying about stoplights, tripping on sidewalks, the HEAT, getting attacked by rabid dogs, being abducted by a stranger...you know, normal outside things.  It was just me, my Ipod, the Today show and AC....heaven.  I really kicked it up the last 1/2 mile of my run and was almost sprinting...it was awesome!!  All in all I ran 8.4 miles at a sub 10 pace.  Not to shabby since I wasn't expecting to even finish 7.  Looks like it's Game On.....that bumper sticker is so mine.