Hated Treadmill Running

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 · Mike Davis

Good morning!

Tis the season to be jolly! Well, until you are forced to get on the treadmill!

Does that sentiment resonate with you? Over my years of coaching runners, I have listened to more grumbling over having to run on a treadmill than even running hill repeats! In fact, last night my wife even grumbled a bit when I suggested that she might try treadmill running to protect her foot while she works her way back. A few years ago, I worked with a client that wore me out with her complaints of the treadmill and it made working with her challenging. I would almost say that treadmill anxiety rates up there with seasonal affective disorder. (I had to Google the technical definition)

Absolutely No Finish Line Running advocates running throughout the winter outside if safely possible. We not only advocate it, but we support it with our “Winter Pacers” group that meets Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights (6pm- 7th Settlement Brewery). However, to technically run throughout the winter, you should run. How much you run is subjective, but for discussion purposes, let’s go with at least 3 times a week. Even with global warming, finding 3 ideal, and safe days in a week throughout the winter in New England or even North Carolina can be challenging. Safely running is paramount and sacrificing it for any reason is not wise. I have chronicled my own bad judgment and am properly reformed.

So now that we have established that ideally if we want to run through the winter, we should be running 3 times a week. We also no realistically that it is a challenge to find 3 safe days a week over a span of a typical winter. So, while there are options such as moving south or choosing to run less, if we want to run or train throughout the winter, we must run! So, the treadmill becomes our backup to safely running outside. Hate it all you want, but the treadmill is an excellent resource and a very effective training tool. Climate controlled, traction friendly and if you run at a place like Planet Fitness, you even get the group effect.

Reasons abound for the dislike of running on a treadmill. You can also feel like the mouse on that little wheel in the cage going nowhere, fear that you will stumble and the results will not be so good or like me, you just get bored! I am sure there are many reasons people dislike treadmills and I would agree with many of them. Despite those reasons even I agree with AND even the fact that I do not have to deal with slippery roads, I not only advocate treadmill running, I use a treadmill on occasion.

Training to run healthy and efficient requires us to include the following: a regular running schedule, hill repeats and interval workouts. For someone training for an event, it is critical to include all of these as well as strength training. For someone that wants to run through the winter, one if not all of these same workouts are helpful. Each has significant benefits both physically and mentally. However, all three (regular running schedule, hills, and intervals) can be interrupted by winter conditions, schedule, and other reasons. Foregoing a workout is not a big deal in many instances but eventually that can affect your training or even completely sidetrack your running.

So, we often must decide how to effectively run throughout the winter or even other times when our options are limited. Yes, that does indeed bring us back to the treadmill. Instead of building up hatred and anxiety, we must look at the treadmill as a great resource and not misery. The great thing about a treadmill is the ability to safely run, create a specific workout and control our time constraints. All of these help to accomplish our ultimate goals whether they be training for an event or running throughout the winter. I do not enjoy running on a treadmill, but I use one for all the various reasons I have mentioned and it has helped me immensely. I look at a treadmill as a resource. The important thing is to be “okay” with using a treadmill when the circumstances arise.

Next week I will chat about workouts I use on the treadmill and how they make it enjoyable.

Time to get along. Have a great day and be safe!

God Bless!

Mike