RunningAHEAD - Topic: Staying entertained? Stuck on a dreadmill.

Finished!

posted: 9/20/2006 at 12:30 PM

Hey all, I'm new. as in the last time I ran was in high school. and I was a sprinter. and not a very good one at that. A while back a friend turned me onto C2k5 and all was good and then I got distracted, and now to get back into it, I've registered for a race. The competitor in me won't let me not train Blush

Anyway, I'm stuck training indoors on a dreadmill (yes, that spelling is intentional) at the local gym - and I'm needing suggestions to stay entertained so I don't stare obsessively at the clock. Glad to have found this site - all the fancy graphs and options on the log really appeal to the nerd in me Wink

TIA for suggestions!

Walk + Jog = wog.
I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry

vmace

posted: 9/20/2006 at 1:07 PM

I trained on a treadmill for the past year, and find that I clock watch too. I don't know what displays your treadmill has, but I stopped looking at the time and focussed on the laps - as this meant I ran a further distance than if I gave myself targets in minutes etc. I have found that when running outside, I can distract myself quite well using a stepometer that doubles as an mp3 player. I bought mine on e-bay for next to nothing and it is really quite good. Only holds about 14 songs, but plenty to last for a run. However, I am a musician, so I guess listening to music would distract me... Anyway, it sounds like we're in it together, as I only started my training at the beginning of August, and with just over a month to go I have reached a mile short of my distance. Believe me, if I can do it anyone can. Keep going and all the best! Vic x Smile

JakeKnight

posted: 9/20/2006 at 1:32 PM

Out of curiosity ... why are you stuck on the t(d)readmill? Why not run outside (at least for the next month or two)? Personally, I hate the things with a passion. Havent' seen weather yet that would make me pick a treadmill over outside. But my better, smarter, and cuter half insisted we have one. She does 90% of her running on it (at $1,000 for the thing, she better). And I'm always amazed that she doesn't die of boredom. I've only picked up one trick from her -- to avoid that boredom, she relies heavily on the the pre-programmed "plans" or whatever they are (can you tell I'm clueless on treadmills?) ... she uses them a lot, those program thingies that change the pace, elevation, etc., to make it seem like you're running on a trail in the woods or whatever. Maybe you could try those? She really digs 'em. Seems to keep it more interesting than a steady pace for the same distance every day. Alternatively, you could try drinking. Maybe a shot every time the machine beeps at you? That might be fun. Cool

Dangerous, though. You could fall off. Make sure you have somebody videotape it so we can watch later.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
-----------------------------

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 9/20/2006 at 1:36 PM
modified: 9/20/2006 at 1:36 PM

http://www.runningahead.com/frm_topic.aspx?id=555c8f0f1cef41d8be68752c16fdf559 Click on the link on the first post... Okay, maybe it won't help, but it should make you laugh! Big grin

Roads were made for journeys...

woodlandsprite

Finished!

posted: 9/20/2006 at 2:17 PM

Quote from JakeKnight on 9/20/2006 at 1:32 PM:

Out of curiosity ... why are you stuck on the t(d)readmill? Why not run outside (at least for the next month or two)?

Stuck on the Dreadmill for the weekday workouts so far because 1) it's still too freakin hot to run out side (I live in the desert southwest) and 2) I haven't managed to convince my body it loves running so much to wake up at an ungodly hour to get it done first thing in the morning. I work out in the evening during the week mostly to decompress - I've been told I can force my body to like morning workouts, but I remain unconvinced at this stage Tongue

I'll probably take to the streets near my house for the weekend runs - and if I can manage to get up a little earlier on days that I telecommute to work, I might try to see if it's cool enough out for an occasional weekday run - though I'll have to see what the traffic on the road is like. I noticed my asthma appears to be flairng up again - I don't know yet if it's onset of the brown cloud syndrome down here or if it's exercise induced since I'm just now picking back up my training after being off it for oh, a month and a half or so.

Walk + Jog = wog.
I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry

woodlandsprite

Finished!

posted: 9/20/2006 at 2:30 PM

Quote from Wingz on 9/20/2006 at 1:36 PM:

Click on the link on the first post... Okay, maybe it won't help, but it should make you laugh!

that has got to be the best use of 8 treadmills I've ever seen LOL

Walk + Jog = wog.
I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry

NotSoAverageJ0e

posted: 9/20/2006 at 4:28 PM

I generally pick the treadmill behind the cutest girl available and plug away... Evil grin

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 9/20/2006 at 4:29 PM

Quote from woodlandsprite on 9/20/2006 at 2:17 PM:

Stuck on the Dreadmill for the weekday workouts so far because ... 2) I haven't managed to convince my body it loves running so much to wake up at an ungodly hour to get it done first thing in the morning.

LOL! If it's the weather that's keeping you indoors, two things you can try. 1) Try running in the heat - once - just expect it to go a lot slower (really! Go even slower!) and have the shower ready when you get back. 2) Decide that you are going to run early once this week and once next week. That's it. Just two times. You can handle two times, right? Then at the end of your two weeks reevaluate if it was worth getting up extra-early for. Also, if the asthma thing continues, see your doc. You don't have to let it stop you from running - and in fact regular exercise may help with it overall. There are people in here with asthma. I think zoom-zoom's one of them. You guys ought to set up a support group like the diabetic runners have, over in the user groups section! And if you have an inhaler, bring it with you when you go on your outside runs. Better safe than sorry, eh? Smile

Welcome (back) to running!

Roads were made for journeys...

zoom-zoom

rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 9/20/2006 at 5:08 PM

Quote from Wingz on 9/20/2006 at 4:29 PM:

There are people in here with asthma. I think zoom-zoom's one of them.

Yup! Luckily mine doesn't seem too bad most of the time, but I use my inhaler pro-actively, as I tend to get "exercise-induced" asthma. So far, so good. We get REALLY humid here during the Summers and it was all that allowed me to be able to actually breathe while running the past few months. k

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

woodlandsprite

Finished!

posted: 9/20/2006 at 6:23 PM

Thanks for the suggestions - and I will start looking at doing morning runs. As for the asthma, I'll definitely keep an eye on it - my main concern is they are predicting another dry winter I think, which makes for poor air quality which = asthma problems. Sad

Walk + Jog = wog.
I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry

zoom-zoom

rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 9/20/2006 at 6:41 PM

This will be my first Winter running, so I wonder what that will do to my lungs. I can remember in HS that I didn't like running outdoors when it was really cold and dry and that it led to a bad hacking cough, but I'm not sure if that was an asthmatic issue, or just general dryness irritating my throat. k

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

woodlandsprite

Finished!

posted: 9/20/2006 at 7:00 PM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 9/20/2006 at 6:41 PM:

This will be my first Winter running, so I wonder what that will do to my lungs. I can remember in HS that I didn't like running outdoors when it was really cold and dry and that it led to a bad hacking cough, but I'm not sure if that was an asthmatic issue, or just general dryness irritating my throat.

Ah. Well, the air is always dry here - even during the monsoon, though it doesn't feel that way. I don't have too many issues with cold air since it just doesn't get *that* cold here. The hacking cough I had today I am pretty sure was asthmatic related, and I know it gets worse with heavy pollution Sad

which is fairly common here in the winter if we don't get rain.

Walk + Jog = wog.
I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry

zoom-zoom

rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 9/20/2006 at 7:23 PM

Quote from woodlandsprite on 9/20/2006 at 7:00 PM:

The hacking cough I had today I am pretty sure was asthmatic related, and I know it gets worse with heavy pollution which is fairly common here in the winter if we don't get rain.

I spent a semester in the UK back in the early 90s and got sick with some nasty sinus bug that had me feeling like death for 3 weeks and crap for the following 3. I'm certain their cold, damp weather combined with the awful pollution didn't help matters. That was before I was diagnosed with any sort of asthma, but I have always had sinus issues and it really made life miserable for a while. I probably should have been on an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, since I had all of the symptoms that I now have when I get raging sinus infections. k

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

Spideog

posted: 9/21/2006 at 8:36 AM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 9/20/2006 at 7:23 PM:

I spent a semester in the UK back in the early 90s and got sick with some nasty sinus bug that had me feeling like death for 3 weeks and crap for the following 3. I'm certain their cold, damp weather combined with the awful pollution didn't help matters. That was before I was diagnosed with any sort of asthma, but I have always had sinus issues and it really made life miserable for a while. I probably should have been on an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, since I had all of the symptoms that I now have when I get raging sinus infections. k

My asthma used to be really bad especially during the summer, but an unexpected 'cure' occured due to me moving from the UK to Ireland several years ago. I'm not really cured of course, but the severity of my asthma is majorly reduced now but within an hour of me getting off the plane in the UK when going back to visit relatives and I'd be feeling bad again if I go back during the summer months. I don't think its just down to pollution though as where I am in Ireland is probably worse than the places I'd be visiting in the UK so it must be some combination of pollen that does not seem to exist over here that effects me badly over there.

JoeOs

posted: 9/21/2006 at 11:45 AM

There is no easy solution to the dreadmill, change the pace evry couple of mins. Change the incline every couple of mins. Challange yourself increase the pace every 2 mins by 1/10 mph, or 2/10ths, Set some goals. The trick is to not get stuck in a rut.

Age is not an illusion

Staying entertained? Stuck on a dreadmill. (Read 1093 times)