Treadmill or Track

[ummbnb]

I've always been an outdoor exerciser but as I get older and less excited about running in 6inches of snow on a 10 degree day I've decided to start going to my neighborhood's rec center. They have an indoor track along with plenty of treadmills.

I've never, ever run or walked on a treadmill. Is it hard to get used to? Borning as hell? How can I keep up my motivation while running in one place?

[KnottedYet]

I've used treadmills at work. Some folks love them, some folks hate them. They make me seasick.

Folks who like them seem to get a kick of motivation from watching their speed and time. You can also listen to your foot-falls to be sure you are running evenly. Working on even strides can be entertaining. Also listening for your foot-falls to be quiet (not slamming your feet down) can be entertaining. And good for you, too.

[wemoon]

I hate both treadmill and track running but they are the lesser evils when faced with 9 degrees and below zero wind chills. I prefer treadmills over track just because there is more stimulation for me. My campus treadmills have TV, music, internet etc all hooked up to each one and I can vary the settings for different workouts.

[Kimmyt]

It's not my first choice, but it's handy to run on a treadmill during lunchtime at work when it's cold, and especially since it gets dark so early.

I also get to watch ESPN so it's not all bad.

K.

[baskingshark]

I run on a treadmill for about half my weekly runs. I find running on a treadmill harder than running outside, but my DH finds exactly the opposite. I find listening to music helps to pass the time better than watching TV. It is very hard not to keep looking at the clock though. But, I'm not willing to run alone at night when it's dark out (I run in a city park) and I can't run during the day except at the gym, so I save my outdoor runs for the weekend.

[pll]

I still prefer to run outside, although we rarely have 6" of snow outside, and I would be inclined to use an indoor track if large enough (5 loops to a mile, for example, which are scarce). Most indoor tracks require 10 loops to a mile, which can strain the knee facing the inside of the track. Alternating directions is typically not possible... Between a small track and a treadmill, I would prefer the latter, but it I find it boring and keep looking at the clock. In most gyms, you need to keep it at 30 minutes.

[Tuckervill]

I listen to This American Life podcasts when I use a treadmill. It's the only time I get to hear all the stories without interruption.

thislife.org

Karen

[ummbnb]

I listen to This American Life podcasts when I use a treadmill. It's the only time I get to hear all the stories without interruption.

thislife.org

Karen

Great idea! I was going to go to the rec center tonight but dh had dinner waiting when I got home....and I stuffed myself Normally we have dinner after I'm back from my run.

When I was out yesterday afternoon it was hard to find a place to run that wasn't either snow packed or straight up ice.

Thanks for the input ladies!

[ummbnb]

So I joined the rec center last night and did 30 on the treadmill. I had really horrible shin pain! Any ideas what I might have been doing to cause that? I've not had shin issues in eons.

I switched over to the elliptical which was certainly better on my legs, or so it seemed.

[deidre]

So I joined the rec center last night and did 30 on the treadmill. I had really horrible shin pain! Any ideas what I might have been doing to cause that? I've not had shin issues in eons.

I switched over to the elliptical which was certainly better on my legs, or so it seemed.

I set the treadmill to an incline of 1. Before I started doing that, my ankles and knees bothered me as soon as I started running on the treadmill. I found that having a small incline (for me it's a 1 but .5 might work for some) on the treadmill feels much better to me.

I am not sure why but my thinking is that the incline is a bit closer to the unevenness of the road, which may be more of a natural feeling to my body than a flat, even surface.