Flikr Image from Zacheverson

I fought the treadmill and I won! A nice picture finish, but I pulled out the win.

This past week we took Nadia to the YWCA for the first time.  I ran on the indoor track for 15 minutes and then stretched while Christy enjoyed/endured the elliptical.  Then we switched and I ran on the treadmill while she did some weights.

On the track I warmed up for 5 minutes and then alternated a up tempo lap with an easier lap for 10 minutes.  I didn’t track the number of laps, I think it is 7 laps to a mile though, it was a counter-clockwise day.  It was nice to actually run and not worry about ice or falling off the treadmill.  Not wanting to run for a full hour I stretched out and rehydrated, before the dreadmill.

Once on the conveyor belt I started out pretty slow to get my legs underneath me and then 5 minutes later picked up the pace.  Every 5 minutes after that I picked up the pace a few pushes of the button.  By the end I was under 8 minute pace (which felt faster than I would have liked).  I only had to stop once to soothe Nadia.  She was wearing a pink outfit and  had pink hangy down toys and someone still asked if she was a girl.  Odd.  I felt like breaking the run up into those 5 minute segments helped me to stay motivated.  I knew a change was coming (even if it was faster running) and that helped  me push on.  I think 5 minutes is a good length, because it isn’t super short or super long.  It can easily be broken down but goes by fairly quickly.

That was a nice first session at the YWCA together.

Saturday I ran with the Polar Bears.  It was really stinking cold, 4 above and -14 wind chill.  There was a nice size crowd given the temperature and we made a lot of noisy on the squeaky, crunchy snow.  I was able to hang on for the first half of the run but slowly faded by the end.  I survived the 9 miles in 1:20 and thawed out at home!

What are some tips you have for beating the treadmill?