thanks to the soon-to-be-more-expensive-yet-less-useful mta, i did not make it to practice. the commute that usually takes me 30 minutes at the most took me a full 45, so i rolled into my door just when practice was about to start. this left me two options...
1) go late - and i really really hate being late, for anything!
2) go to the gym and use the (insert ominous music) treadmill
for anyone that doesn't know...me and the treadmill...well...we don't get along so much. we fight. it makes me feel bad. i stalk off. usually, this is how the treadmill wins and consequently i do not use this torture device very often.
its chilly in new york, at least compared to what it's been, and the rain was starting to fall. i've been snuffly in the mornings the last few days, and am not sure if its allergies, a cold or just general over-tiredness and so i set my jaw and decided today i would brave the treadmill work out. this is what i was going to do:
Treadmill work out:
10 minute warm up
20-30 minutes alternating easy pace running for 1/4 mile and 1/4 mile at a slightly faster pace (for example: run 1/4 mile at 5.5 mph then 1/4 mile at 5.8 mph, repeat)
10 minute cool down
then:
2 x 10 squats
2 x 10 Lunges on right side
2 x 10 lunges on left side
2 x 30 seconds plank
2 x 30 seconds left side plank
2 x 30 seconds right side plank
and finally:
STRETCH
i decided to do the 20 minutes of alternating since i was a little nervous about making it through the whole thing (yes! i hate the treadmill that much). and it was hot in and sticky in there in the gym. i grabbed the last available treadmill, set the incline for 1.0 (to combat the momentum of the 'mill), set the speed for 5.0 and off i went.
40 very sweaty minutes later, i was done! dripping and red-faced but i had made it through a full treadmill work out - oh yes! it will never be my first choice, but i managed to muscle my way through and beat that machine. screw you treadmill - i win today!
today's mileage: 3.3
time run: 40m
season mileage to date: 21.7
Showing posts with label i hate the treadmill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label i hate the treadmill. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, January 03, 2008
roxie 2, treadmill 0
wednesday i planned on doing a regular run on the treadmill after work, since the cold has set in. but when i checked my email that day, there was ramon - and he was having practice! i was already at work without running stuff and the brooklyn crew was not having practice that evening so there wasn't a way for me to join. despite the frigid air, i was slightly disappointed - because work was so crazy during december i had yet to attend a tuesday practice and those are the practices where they basically, well, kick your butt.
ramon did give a treadmill alternative to the workout though, and so i decided not only to battle the treadmill (which i loathe), but also to take on the prescribed interval work out. for those of you who are just joining me or for those that have forgotten, the point of these sessions are to build strength and speed. saturdays are purely about getting used to long distances, and the other weekday runs are more fitness maintenance than anything else. if you want to improve, and i need to if i'm going to hit my time goal, the intervals are where its at.
the workout was as follows:
warmup 8-10 minutes
then do:
8 times: 1 mins @ incline 2 and 1 min @ incline 4 (keeping same speed)
run easy 5 minutes @ incline 1
5 times: 1 mins @ incline 2 and 1 min @ incline 4 (keeping same speed)
8 mins cooldown
it was...well, not easy. i could see in the reflection of the tv that my face was read, i was sweating like crazy, breathing a little heavy (which is, frankly, the point)and the weird quad pain was back but i managed. it was actually not as boring as when you're just plodding away like a hamster on a wheel at the same level for 45 minutes. i was very close to taking that 5 minute break a bit early, somewhere around the 6th time of the first set, but i kept at it.
when all was said and done i was a sweaty, dizzy mess (the 'mill usually throws my equilibrium of balance a bit), but happy for it.
last night, i opted for fundraising letter writing and stretching/icing of the quad instead of the treadmill. i'm going to go for 9 miles on saturday - i'm trying to get ready for a 1/2 marathon at the end of the month - and i'm trying to balance my stubbornness at wanting to get out there and run vs. being smart about when i should take a night off.
time on treadmill: 45 minutes
wednesday's miles: 3.6 (with intervals!)
miles to date: 45.9
ramon did give a treadmill alternative to the workout though, and so i decided not only to battle the treadmill (which i loathe), but also to take on the prescribed interval work out. for those of you who are just joining me or for those that have forgotten, the point of these sessions are to build strength and speed. saturdays are purely about getting used to long distances, and the other weekday runs are more fitness maintenance than anything else. if you want to improve, and i need to if i'm going to hit my time goal, the intervals are where its at.
the workout was as follows:
warmup 8-10 minutes
then do:
8 times: 1 mins @ incline 2 and 1 min @ incline 4 (keeping same speed)
run easy 5 minutes @ incline 1
5 times: 1 mins @ incline 2 and 1 min @ incline 4 (keeping same speed)
8 mins cooldown
it was...well, not easy. i could see in the reflection of the tv that my face was read, i was sweating like crazy, breathing a little heavy (which is, frankly, the point)and the weird quad pain was back but i managed. it was actually not as boring as when you're just plodding away like a hamster on a wheel at the same level for 45 minutes. i was very close to taking that 5 minute break a bit early, somewhere around the 6th time of the first set, but i kept at it.
when all was said and done i was a sweaty, dizzy mess (the 'mill usually throws my equilibrium of balance a bit), but happy for it.
last night, i opted for fundraising letter writing and stretching/icing of the quad instead of the treadmill. i'm going to go for 9 miles on saturday - i'm trying to get ready for a 1/2 marathon at the end of the month - and i'm trying to balance my stubbornness at wanting to get out there and run vs. being smart about when i should take a night off.
time on treadmill: 45 minutes
wednesday's miles: 3.6 (with intervals!)
miles to date: 45.9
Monday, December 17, 2007
roxie: 1, treadmill: 0
at long last, i beat that (explative) machine.
so this week is crazy at work, which means i won't get to practice tomorrow. so i left work a little after 7 tonight, with more work to do at home, but i said to myself that if i managed to get in my door before 8 pm, i would change and force myself back out into the cold to my gym, which is (i have to say) ridiculously close. like 2 blocks away close. LONG blocks. but still.
anyway, i like to make these little wagers with myself sometimes. maybe its my way of procrastinating...or letting myself off the hook, but its kind of like gambling without the losing money part. and in this case it was a win-win. i would either miss my deadline and get to relax right away (instant gratification!) or have to battle the treadmill, and afterwards i would, hopefully, feel good. or at least decent.
trains ran semiquickly and i knew it was going to be tight but wouldn't look at my phone until i was actually off the train and at the door.
7:57pm. of course.
i dug up some inside running gear and headed backout. there is a yoga studio on the first floor of my building, and as i was locking my door, a girl leaving turned and said "oh you are my hero going for a run in the cold!" i smiled and took more credit than i deserved. even though i was going to have to face my nemesis, the treadmill, at least i would be warm....
i walked through the doors of my gym for the first time and headed to a treadmill on the end of a row. i was also sporting my new nano, and some new headphones which i was not sure were actually going to stay put in my ears (i have the world's tinyest ears. for real). i got situated. put the nano on shuffle. and stared down my opponent. would i challenge him on a program? pick a certain amount of time? or just go for the quick draw...i mean, start. i chose the latter and started off on the hamster wheel.
since it was cold, i walked for 2 minutes just to lessen the risk of pulling something. then, i debated between 10 and 11 minute miles. given my history with the treadmill, my usual failures, and my little running so far this season, i prudently opted for the 11 minute miles.
the beginning and the end were hard. you've heard me complain about why i hate the treadmill so i'll spare you now, but the forced steady pace gets to me. once i was over that a little bit, i focused on the music and attempted to unwind, trying to think of the run as good quality alone time. of course, alone time is more easily enjoyed (in my mind, esp in this weather) curled up on the couch with a good book, but i tried not to think about that.
before i knew it a mile had passed, and then another, and then, i thought to myself...just three more songs (about 11 minutes, no?). three songs is nothing, right roxie? lucky for me the last of the three was a rockin' one and it took me home. 3 miles on that damn machine. i win!
today's mileage: 3.0
season mileage to date: 25.5
so this week is crazy at work, which means i won't get to practice tomorrow. so i left work a little after 7 tonight, with more work to do at home, but i said to myself that if i managed to get in my door before 8 pm, i would change and force myself back out into the cold to my gym, which is (i have to say) ridiculously close. like 2 blocks away close. LONG blocks. but still.
anyway, i like to make these little wagers with myself sometimes. maybe its my way of procrastinating...or letting myself off the hook, but its kind of like gambling without the losing money part. and in this case it was a win-win. i would either miss my deadline and get to relax right away (instant gratification!) or have to battle the treadmill, and afterwards i would, hopefully, feel good. or at least decent.
trains ran semiquickly and i knew it was going to be tight but wouldn't look at my phone until i was actually off the train and at the door.
7:57pm. of course.
i dug up some inside running gear and headed backout. there is a yoga studio on the first floor of my building, and as i was locking my door, a girl leaving turned and said "oh you are my hero going for a run in the cold!" i smiled and took more credit than i deserved. even though i was going to have to face my nemesis, the treadmill, at least i would be warm....
i walked through the doors of my gym for the first time and headed to a treadmill on the end of a row. i was also sporting my new nano, and some new headphones which i was not sure were actually going to stay put in my ears (i have the world's tinyest ears. for real). i got situated. put the nano on shuffle. and stared down my opponent. would i challenge him on a program? pick a certain amount of time? or just go for the quick draw...i mean, start. i chose the latter and started off on the hamster wheel.
since it was cold, i walked for 2 minutes just to lessen the risk of pulling something. then, i debated between 10 and 11 minute miles. given my history with the treadmill, my usual failures, and my little running so far this season, i prudently opted for the 11 minute miles.
the beginning and the end were hard. you've heard me complain about why i hate the treadmill so i'll spare you now, but the forced steady pace gets to me. once i was over that a little bit, i focused on the music and attempted to unwind, trying to think of the run as good quality alone time. of course, alone time is more easily enjoyed (in my mind, esp in this weather) curled up on the couch with a good book, but i tried not to think about that.
before i knew it a mile had passed, and then another, and then, i thought to myself...just three more songs (about 11 minutes, no?). three songs is nothing, right roxie? lucky for me the last of the three was a rockin' one and it took me home. 3 miles on that damn machine. i win!
today's mileage: 3.0
season mileage to date: 25.5
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
roxie v treadmill: roxie 1, treadmill 2
finally, the treadmill didn't kick my ass.
nor did i do any ass-kicking, but i held my own, more or less. it still doesn't feel good - i feel like i run much harder on the treadmill. no, this doesn't make sense, but i do know my shin splints were killing me this morning. and i only did the bare minimum - 3 miles - before declaring myself done. but some is better than none, and if necessary i am ready to go into battle again.
then, feeling extra motivated, and having the potential company of my coworker & pal D (actually, we'll call her tri because she is also a fellow tnt-er training for the triathalon), i went to a 7 am yoga class this morning. the studio is very conveniently located at the end of my block, so i could pretty much roll out of bed and go.
i haven't been to a yoga class (a real one) in ages, so i was a little nervous about both my strength and flexibility. the class was only 6 people, which was great, and i actually felt like it was the perfect speed and difficulty level for both where i am and for 7 am. the class was an hour, and definitely got this gorgeous day of to a great start. i left feeling limber, and had a dumb "it's a beautiful day" grin on my face the whole bike ride to work.
and now that i've been so well behaved, anyone want to hit a garden for a beer or two after work today?
yesterday's mileage: 3.0
today's cross-training: yoga
mileage to date: 69.9
nor did i do any ass-kicking, but i held my own, more or less. it still doesn't feel good - i feel like i run much harder on the treadmill. no, this doesn't make sense, but i do know my shin splints were killing me this morning. and i only did the bare minimum - 3 miles - before declaring myself done. but some is better than none, and if necessary i am ready to go into battle again.
then, feeling extra motivated, and having the potential company of my coworker & pal D (actually, we'll call her tri because she is also a fellow tnt-er training for the triathalon), i went to a 7 am yoga class this morning. the studio is very conveniently located at the end of my block, so i could pretty much roll out of bed and go.
i haven't been to a yoga class (a real one) in ages, so i was a little nervous about both my strength and flexibility. the class was only 6 people, which was great, and i actually felt like it was the perfect speed and difficulty level for both where i am and for 7 am. the class was an hour, and definitely got this gorgeous day of to a great start. i left feeling limber, and had a dumb "it's a beautiful day" grin on my face the whole bike ride to work.
and now that i've been so well behaved, anyone want to hit a garden for a beer or two after work today?
yesterday's mileage: 3.0
today's cross-training: yoga
mileage to date: 69.9
Saturday, November 11, 2006
worst. run. ever.
prepare yourself for a lotta whining.
since i've been trying to kick a nasty cold, i thought that today i would do my short run, and tomorrow i would do my long run. this week, since we did 16 last week, i only had to do 12 miles, so i thought that 2 loops in the park tomorrow evening would be fun (and smart). then, since i've had this dumb shin splint that won't go away on my left leg that i'm paranoid about, i thought, why not give my body a break from the pavement, and do the 3-4 miles on the treadmill.
damn treadmill and damn legs.
i started off at a faster pace than usual, which probably wasn't wise since i haven't run since wednesday and, being sick, have been doing a lot of laying around. i was aiming for an 11 minute mile and after one at that pace, my RIGHT leg, the one without the shin splint, betrayed me and my calf totally cramped up, which hasn't happened in months. argh. i slowed down to my typical pace but it felt so bad that i had to stop.
i probably could have completed the miles very painfully, but i remembered ramon saying one day, if your body is refusing, then the benefits may not outway the hurt by keeping going. plus i still need to do my 12 tomorrow, which needs to go well or, well, i will just be very discouraged.
so i grouchily stopped and got a good long stretch in. and made my way home. i'm icing my shin as i write. i don't even want to admit the mileage but i will. it shouldn't even count, it's so sad and pathetic. i guess i should be happy that my cough seems to be disappating, but if you don't mind, i'm just going to sulk for a little bit.
today's mileage: 1.5
total mileage: 194.6
since i've been trying to kick a nasty cold, i thought that today i would do my short run, and tomorrow i would do my long run. this week, since we did 16 last week, i only had to do 12 miles, so i thought that 2 loops in the park tomorrow evening would be fun (and smart). then, since i've had this dumb shin splint that won't go away on my left leg that i'm paranoid about, i thought, why not give my body a break from the pavement, and do the 3-4 miles on the treadmill.
damn treadmill and damn legs.
i started off at a faster pace than usual, which probably wasn't wise since i haven't run since wednesday and, being sick, have been doing a lot of laying around. i was aiming for an 11 minute mile and after one at that pace, my RIGHT leg, the one without the shin splint, betrayed me and my calf totally cramped up, which hasn't happened in months. argh. i slowed down to my typical pace but it felt so bad that i had to stop.
i probably could have completed the miles very painfully, but i remembered ramon saying one day, if your body is refusing, then the benefits may not outway the hurt by keeping going. plus i still need to do my 12 tomorrow, which needs to go well or, well, i will just be very discouraged.
so i grouchily stopped and got a good long stretch in. and made my way home. i'm icing my shin as i write. i don't even want to admit the mileage but i will. it shouldn't even count, it's so sad and pathetic. i guess i should be happy that my cough seems to be disappating, but if you don't mind, i'm just going to sulk for a little bit.
today's mileage: 1.5
total mileage: 194.6
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