Treadmill Tricks

So this happened yesterday.

The stars aligned and for the first time in months I hit the ROAD running for a few miles. 

It was great.

So what that I was still sporting the hair from playing basketball the night before.  The beauty of running outside is that no one will see you.  

Wait....scratch that.  

The actual beauty of it is that I don't care!  Plus, you can't smell yourself outside so double bonus.  (I've never been accused of being vain.  The opposite however...)  

The Usual Scenario - My baby goes down for a nap, Tiger plays the Wii (hey, he's working on hand/eye coordination), and I head to the tread.    

Agreed!

On Wednesday I played 40 minutes of basketball (church-ball style) and the time flew by!  I was distracted from the running by a ball and several other ladies that wanted it.  I was also distracted by the comedy that ensued since I grew up playing everything but basketball.  FYI - if you stick out your tongue, it doesn't really help you shoot better or dribble all fancy like.  Pretty fun to try though and as the story of my life goes, I can run.  My hustle seemed to make up for lack of skill.

10 minutes on a treadmill however and I'm completely bored.  The trick of the trade is to apply the same kind of distractions.  Mix it up a little or make a game out of it.  Here are some things that I do...


Pyramid - I created this high-tech chart to demonstrate...because I'm cool like that.

After an easy  5 minute warm-up (and by easy I mean slower than normal) run hard for 1 min then an easy recovery jog for 2 min.  Then run hard for 2 min. and recover for 2 min.  Work your way up the pyramid next by running hard for 3 min and recover for 2 min, then end with running hard for 4 min.  After your 2 min. recovery do the same thing backwards working your way down the pyramid.

Important - your HARD run is not a sprint.  A good estimate is your 5k pace.  If your still not sure then start with a 6 mph or 10 min mile and then adjust accordingly.

Intervals - I do these often.  After I've gone for 2-3 miles and I start my intervals.  If I choose to go by distance I'll rotate running hard for .10 miles with an easy .10 miles.  If by time I'll do 1 min hard, 1 min easy.  I can usually get 1 to 2 more miles in this way by distracting my bored brain.

Strength Training Segments -  After a warm-up jog, run for 5 minutes then hop off and do 1 - 2 minutes of strength training.  This can include push-ups, sit-ups, free weights, wall sit, plank, etc...  Then back on the treadmill for another 5 min.  Repeat as long as you want.  Variation - you can also slow down the treadmill and do walking lunges or side squats.

Music - Music not only helps me zone out, but it helps my stride turnover.  All my music is upbeat and makes me want to move.  Personally it's a must have.

And if I'm lucky enough to get on the treadmill by 9:00 a.m. this is my go to mind distraction show.

Thank you Michael Strahan.  I find this big guy hilarious.