The Right Fits: Failed Fit: Why Treadmills Are No Fun....

By Cool J in Minneapolis

With the temperature in Minneapolis around 1 degree, and with wind chills below 0, I decided the treadmill was the right fit for me today.

While on the treadmill at the gym, I overheard a trainer talking to one of his clients while she warmed up on the treadmill. She was training for her first 5k, and wanted to know what she could expect to run on race day based on how she was running on the treadmill. The trainer told her that she should add at least 30 seconds per mile to her treadmill pace to determine her outdoor pace (particularly because she wasn’t using an incline on the treadmill). As though the treadmill isn’t hard enough…now we have to run even faster to maintain a respectable fitness level that translates outdoors!

Gees...treadmill running is no fun!

After that little bit of discouraging information, I started thinking about all my little grievances with regards to running on the treadmill…here it goes.

What SUCKS about TREADMILLS by Jess:

1. You are way too close to other runners:

Other runners smell. Other runners have sweat that flies into your personal space.

2. 30 minute limits:

Most gyms set a 30 minute limit on their cardio equipment. This means you may have eager New Year resolution-makers rubber-necking over your shoulder to see if you’re close to the limit. These eager beavers are quick to ask you to move along after 30 minutes. *My tip: use a towel to cover your screen so no one knows how long you’ve been on the treadmill!

3. Reset at 60 minutes:

Let’s say that somehow you avoid the 30 minute limit on #2. You’re feeling good, thinking about running 8-10 miles on the ol’treadmill. And then you hit 60 minutes and the darn thing stops. Now you’re super sweaty, but are back to mile 0. How un-rewarding! (Also see #6)

4. Acute Awareness of Your Pace.

Running on a treadmill means that you have to be very conscious of what pace you’re running, whereas when running outside you can run how you feel. Even if you’re wearing a Garmin, you can vary your pace throughout the run, but you have to consciously change the pace on a treadmill.

5. The Mental “Countdown”:

When running on a treadmill, I often find myself watching the seconds tick by, minute after minute. If I were running outside, I wouldn’t even been aware of how long I’d be running, but on a treadmill? Oh, you know. See #2 for my towel-tip, which can also help here.

6. Other People Judging Your Pace:

I don’t need that Under-Amour-clad gym rat judging me based on my current treadmill pace, or how hard I appear to be working! Mind your own business there buddy! Yes, I am going slow, and yes, I am extremely sweaty. Hey now- for all you know, my treadmill may have reset multiple times! Yep, that’s right- I’m on mile 105!

7. No pause on the treadmill!

God forbid you need to take a quick bathroom break or even stop to fill up your water bottle. Either your treadmill will reset or that New Year's resolution-keeper from #2 will have taken over your treadmill faster than one of my sisters takes over the cheese tray at a holiday party (I kid… )

8. TV selections… or lack thereof.

I can only handle so much Fox News. Or Days of our Lives.

I could probably go on about what sucks about running on a treadmill, but this is supposed to be a motivational fitness blog so let me tell you some things that are awesome about a treadmill.

1. You can run in shorts in the winter in Minnesota (or anywhere else in the Midwest)

{Yay for running in shorts in December..though this was in Memphis}

2. You can break a real sweat in the winter in Minnesota

{I Heart Sweat shirt, purchased from Ali On the Run- check out her blog- one of my favorites!}

3. You can safely do speed workouts in the winter in Minnesota, without worrying about breaking an ankle on the ice.

{No need for these babies on the treadmill!}

4. You can avoid all of the cold weather necessities discussed HERE and just wear your warm weather clothes on the treadmill.

5. You can do it anywhere. Seriously. Maybe you’re traveling in a dangerous city; I bet your hotel has a treadmill. Maybe it’s sleeting outside- I bet you can find a gym that offers a day pass, and I promise you, they’ll have a treadmill.

6. And the top reason to love a treadmill? Well, the runner’s high from a great treadmill run is just as sweet as that from an outdoor run. The calories burned count just as much as running outside. Running is running, so get it in where you can, outdoors or on a treadmill!

So tie up your running shoes, leave your yak-traks at home, fire up your ipod, and hop on that treadmill!