Treadmill....tool? or torture device? (Read 915 times)

Ok, I know I probably should have HTFU and run this morning, but it was 30-45mph winds...and I just felt like getting on the treadmill (haven't had to use it in about 2 weeks). BUT I forgot how awful it is on there. I get so bored!! I have the tv on, my iPod...seriously...I even mess with my speed, my incline, how do you get through a longer workout on the thing? I think they were really invented as a torture device....its just not common knowledge. So, give me the tips, how do you all get through it??? CC

+1 on the torture device. All they're good for is injury rehab in my books.

Different strokes for different folks. Although I usually prefer running outdoors, I have no problem with treadmill running. There are times when I actually prefer it: --Hill workouts when there are no hills nearby. --When the temp outdoors is above 100 degrees or below 10 degrees. --When I was on business trips to Saudi Arabia and Jordan and the only option to treadmills in the hotels' gyms was to run around the streets near the hotel on hot days when running suit was not practical in shorts, which was frowned upon in those countries. --While watching the Boston Marathon live on TV and racing the winner to the finish. I won by a few minutes....he ran 26.2 and I ran 13.1 miles. --To watch a movie on TV, especially a classic on AMC or TMC, that I would otherwise miss. I think that the like or dislike of treadmill running is at least partly determined by one's personality. Type "B" personalities tend to handle it well....type "A's" don't.

Look at my log from Jan-Apr. Nuff said. For me it's a mental test. I don't try to be distracted by a TV, but instead try to maintain focus for the entire run. I think it's good training for races or at least for me it is, because during a race of any distance I am extremely focused on the now and that takes practice. I do mess with speed a lot though. I do get bored running the same pace on a TM for anything longer than 30 minutes but I have done it.

No, I know they are practical...there are times when you truly can't get outside...but the more I get into running, the more I hate the thing! (and I am not really sure I see myself as type A) I just keep thinking there has to be something I can do to not want to get off and scream while I'm running on the darned thing!! CC

I can understand the kids in the next room sleeping/playing kind of reason, but weather isn't enough to put me on a treadmill. Well, cold isn't. It doesn't really get that hot here, so I can't say about heat, but even when it's hot I don't find it any cooler on the treadmill.

I just keep thinking there has to be something I can do to not want to get off and scream while I'm running on the darned thing!! CC

The only thing I can do to keep from going crazy is intervals or some kind of speed work where I mess with it every 3 minutes or so. My favorite is progressions. By the time I am super bored I am running too dang fast to be bored. I consider the dreadmill punishment for not getting up early enough to run outside before dh leaves for work I want to add a 6th day though and my only choice is going to be easy at the gym. Will see how NOT doing speedwork goes. At least it is only a few miles.

I've been using a treadmill at home for the past month or so as part of my marathon preperations as it gets dark early here now and streets are really poorly lit. I actually find it good psychological training for the marathon as well as physical. I figure if i can get through 25km on a treadmill, bored out of my brain then 42k outside will be fine... I also have taken to watching a TV series on DVD, for me at the moment its The West Wing and I figure getting in three episodes of that while running is better than just sitting on my a$$ for three episodes... Hank

It's a tool... that some folks hate to use. ... I have goals that I want to accomplish and this is a means to that end. It's no different that putting my feet on the floor at 4:15 in the morning.

What he said. Also, like Chris_So_Cal said, I find it great for runs at set paces. I've done all my tempo runs on them. I've never run really far on one, mostly because I'm slow, but I've run an hour on one regularly, and wouldn't forsee any problems running longer than that if circumstances dictated. I also like using them as a measurement tool. I'm an HR dork, so I like to set up a test of HR vs. speed by doing a progressive run and plotting my avg HR at each of the paces I ran. It's nice to see actual physiological evidence of my improvement.