Why I Hate the Treadmill

The weather here in Alaska has not been ideal for running outdoors. It’s very icy which makes for very treacherous conditions.

But I am committed to my running plan of not missing more than two days in a row. Being that I work 12 hour shifts, I need to run on those days that I am not working.

Obviously, these icy conditions make it difficult to stick to the plan. I could, of course, head to the gym and run on the treadmill, except that I absolutely HATE it. And here are 5 reasons why I simply refuse to do that.

1. Running on the treadmill is sooo boring! I am constantly looking at the stats and time. I suppose I could get lost in the music or watch TV, but I would rather get lost in the scenery of the outdoors.

2. I sound like a herd of elephants while running. I am a heavy foot striker as it is, but on the treadmill, I feel like I am just slapping my feet into the belts. I turn up the music so I don’t have to hear myself running, but I can tell from the looks I get that I am really loud. It’s embarrassing!

3. I tend to run faster and over stride during my run. Maybe psychologically I think if I run faster, it will be over soon.

4.  I am worried that it will cause injury (like falling on the ice won’t). I have achilles problems and the last time I ran on the treadmill, I was convinced that the flare up of my achilles was due to that run.

5. I don’t like the way my legs feel when I get off of the treadmill. I do a good 5-10 minute walk to cool down, but my legs just feel really tight and stiff afterwards.

So, yes I did venture out in these icy conditions, but I wore grippers and I took it really nice and slow. Thankfully, I did not fall!  An additional muscle strengthening benefit was the unintentional isometric exercises; I was very tense throughout the run. But, I still loved being outside!

Today, we got a little snow that adhered to the ice and gave a little more traction. I had a much easier run.

I am not saying that I would never run on the treadmill, but if it is at all possible to stick to the outdoors, that is where I will be. Happy running!