Lightweight Eats

Where am I? On a treadmill!

Recently, Ashley wrote a post about reasons to stop running. It reminded me of the many reasons why I keep coming back to the treadmill.

Yes, it's incredibly boring to run in place for an hour (or more). Still, almost every time I suit up for a run, I drag myself down to the gym and get on the treadmill.



Why? Here are my top six reasons:

1. There's a bathroom across the hall! I *ALWAYS* have to go pee during my run. When I ran a half-marathon, I had to stop 2 miles in--and yes, I went 10-minutes beforehand.

2. I hate carrying water, but I get so thirsty! I know they have those little waist pouches with teeny tiny water bottles. And the ones that strap onto your hands. But the treadmill has a cup holder, and I'd rather avoid carrying an extra 2 or 3 pounds on my run, if possible.

3. It keeps my competitive streak in check. When I run outside, I tend to go really fast--like, too fast. I get all hyped on the adrenaline of passing people, and the wind in my hair. And then, I absolutely die, usually about 10 minutes into the run. On the treadmill, I can force myself to pace out a warm-up, and a run.

4. No matter how far you go, when you turn around, you're home. I'm fit enough to run for two hours continuously, but sometimes my knees start to ache after an hour, or I get blisters, or something else goes wrong, completely unrelated to my fitness levels. In a boat, I know what I can push through, and what's likely to cause a longer term problem. Not so much running. I like the security of not having to run back home.

5. Music! I don't really like listening to music outside. There are so many cars, stoplights and people, that I feel very disconnected from my surroundings. I find it disorienting. On the treadmill, I can watch the people and cars out the window and listen to music.

6. The weather is better. I know I live in Northern California, so I don't really have a lot to complain about. Except I'm allergic to sunscreen, and NorCal happens to be very, very sunny. To run outside, especially during the summer months or the height of day, I have to cover up, wear a hat, and sometimes I still feel myself getting roasted after 30 minutes. Not pleasant.




Of course, there are a lot of reasons to run outside: it's more interesting, fresh air is lovely, it's easier to do interval work, the elevation can vary, you can do it anywhere, etc. Still, the treadmill almost always wins for me.

Do you prefer the gym or the great outdoors?