Treadmills vs Running Tracks

74 Days to Paris.

I'm back! Sorry for the lack of posts over the last week, but between the travel for work, and visiting my daughter and other family up in Quebec over the weekend, blogging just wasn't taking priority. In any case, my training regiment took a serious step backwards last week. I managed one workout on Wednesday and one on Saturday, so I have some serious ground to make up. And while I never promised to post everyday, I really do appreciate all of you who asked me why I hadn't posted anything in so long....it's nice to feel wanted :-)

So tonight I finally decided to join the YMCA. I was using a gym already, but it was at the club where my daughter swims, and it is far from home, and getting motivated to drive another 25 minutes after commuting from work and then another 25 minutes home was just about as hard as actually doing the training.

We have a YMCA about 3 minutes down the street, so tonight I went and signed up. They have literally tons of equipment, but they also have gobs of people. So at this point I'm not sure if actually getting a machine will be a problem, but on the plus side, they have a running track, which is what I used tonight after I got myself registered.

The running track has some definite advantages over the treadmill:

• No waiting for a time-slot on the track - get on and get going;
• No time limit on the track - I can run as long as my little feet want;
• The same resistance as road running - no free propulsion from the rolling mat;
• You're actually going somewhere - not just running in place with the same scenery.

On the other hand, the treadmill does offer some perks:

• You don't have to keep count of how many laps you do - on the track at this Y, you have to do 13 laps for one mile. I may have lost count once or twice, but based on my overall time I think I was accurate to 6 miles (that's 78 laps, which seems like an awful lot).
• If you don't have a watch, no problemo, the t'mill will tell you exactly how long you have been running to stand still.
• The t'mill tells you you exact pace at any given time, as well as your average pace throughout the run.
• If you're really a glutton for punishment, you can add "incline" and pretend you're running uphill.
• You don't have to pass all the slow walkers and inconsiderate walk-and-talker who take up the width of the running track.

All in all, with one run under my belt, I think I definitely prefer the running track. And it sure as hell beats running out in the cold!

Training update:

Saturday: About 6.8 Miles on two different treadmills. I was trying to make up for the fact that I was missing the second race in the Pike's Peak Road Runner's Winter Series which was an 8 mile race. I set the first treadmill for 75 minutes, but the "club limit" was 60. So I set it for 60 and after about 36 minutes I had completed 4 miles, so I reset it for another 36 minutes, trying to complete the 8 miles on the treadmill, but about 0.8 miles into the second set, the blasted contraption just up and stopped. I couldn't get it going again, so I switched machines and did another 2 miles. I ran out of time to do the full 8, but still a solid run, and I did the last two miles in about 17 minutes, so a respectable pace. Playlist: An 80's mix of 38 Special, Triumph, April Wine and Loverboy.

Sunday: Spent the day with family up in Quebec. No training.

Monday: Traveled all day back to Colorado. No training.

Tuesday: 6 Miles on the running track at the Y. About 55 minutes (I forgot my watch). Playlist: Nothing - I forgot my iPod too....ugh.