Why does nobody like me?

Here's a quandry. The other day, Moda and I were at the gym to put on some miles inside since it was b@llz cold out and we're creampuffs. We chatted with a buddy who mentioned that she was going to run her first half-mar in July which had us all goofily kerfluffling advice and good vibes. I invited her to join our outdoor group if she was interested once the weather got nicer and from that she mentioned that she actually really enjoys running on the treadmill versus outside. Baffling, right? That is, like, contrary to almost everyone I talk to who's a runner/jogger/racer. If we disregard the argument for a second that people who are looking to exercise say they "Hate Running" then we have the secondary argument for those fortunate enough to have gym memberships or at-home devices: "I hate running on the treadmill". You hear it all the time. And here's my dirty secret- I really, really don't mind running on the dreadmill. Swear. And while I won't go so far as to say I love it more than running outside- I will say that I don't mind it one bit in terms of fitness and training. And without boring you all with my history with the treadmill. (Jesus. It sounds boring just typing that sentence) I'll give you my top 4 reasons as to why, and hopefully by way of suggestion some of these might help you:

-Good form. For people who don't like running due to a preconceived injury or the impact feels stressful, most treadmills are designed with a bit of a cushion to reduce the stress of foot falls. If you're trying out running for the first time or doing it again, there are a ton of books regarding correct running form. (I know. One of the most intuitive things we can do and you need to learn correct form?) It's true. And if you spend every few minutes making sure you're landing shorter foot falls, mid-foot, with good leg and hip placement? The time goes by faster by keeping you more involved in your form.

-It keeps you honest. Unless you've invested in a Garmin or heartrate telemetry strap (or have some weird mutant ability to gauge your own speed/calories burned/mileage) you probably don't know how fast you're going. Enter the treadmill, providing you with all of that information right below your very nose.

-Change it up! Let's think about the issue that a lot of folks have with the dreadmill- Boredom. Whether you're working out for cardiovascular benefits, trying to burn chubs, or training for your first race- training on the treadmill can be a useful tool during the off-season or winter months when confined inside. And once again you have a way to stay invested in your run by doing speed work, tempo work, hill work. (Here's a list of the a few handy treadmill workouts. On a serious note? Doing hill workouts on the treadmill made me a better run and got me past my aversion to hills when I got back outside. Scout's honor.)

-You are right...in front...of a TV. I have no problem frassin' about my aversion to television shows. And in this day and age everyone is able to listen to podcasts, have their own play list, and the like. Me? I went waaaaay low-fi and picked up a battery operated AM/FM radio. Most gyms have at least a couple of TV's stationed in front of the dreadmills. If I'm catching an early workout, I can zone out to local news or "Good Morning, America". In the afternoon/evening? "Jeopardy". Sure they have ESPN on two of the five TV's at any given time and if you're trying to zone out to NBC on a Saturday morning the cartoons suck. Still, on my longer runs of 5 miles or more it's nice to have an hour long program to take my mind off what I'm doing and get caught up on current events.

By way of a post-script, you can always mix it up by doing the elliptical or stair master. The important thing is that to reap at least a cardio/fat burning benefit from your machine-oriented aerobic activity it should at least exceed 20 minutes.