I have been running for a little over 6 weeks now. Outside of my first three runs in week One, I have been outside for all of them. I surprised myself by immensely enjoying the outdoors that I was really upset this weekend when I knew I would have to run on the treadmill at the gym. My normal running day is Sunday, but a cancellation of my Pump class today meant I could give the tread a try instead. I forgot my Ipod and headphones, but thankfully did have my App on my phone. (I'm sure the die hard runner next to me "loved" hearing my DING when my transitions happened)
I was a little nervous to begin, only because the last time I was on the machine, I was barely running 90 seconds. I decided not to continue with my current schedule and instead backtracked to the last one I did, 15 minutes, 3 min walk, 10 mins and cooldown. No real reason for it. Maybe I felt like I wouldn't be able to complete what I was originally supposed to run, who knows. In either case, I began.
I had no idea what pace I was running when outside, so I had to make a guess on the treadmill speed. I knew I was a slow runner, and the speed on the tread showed me how slow... 4.1
I think I probably could have gone up to 4.2 or 4.3 but I wasn't sure how much I could push on it. Maybe next time. In either case I was a bit reflective knowing that prior to having kids and when I was at my "healthiest," I was able to walk at a 4.0 speed. I suppose running at a 4.1 is better than walking at 4.0, right?
Anyway, I began my run and within a few minutes I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead, and pooling in my elbow crooks. Something I never get to really feel when I am outside. I had often wondered when I was outdoors, whether I was working up a sweat, or if I was really just that "good" of a runner. By the time I would get home, my clothes would be damp with sweat, but my skin never seemed to bead with it. So at least now I know that being outside acts as a wonderful coolant for me. And that I do actually earn the activity points it says I earn:)
While the treadmill is not my favorite place to run on, I at least know that I can and still get my run in.
When I first did the longer runs, I slowed down as much as I could and still consider it running. I actually found it funny when a friend commented about how you could slow down a bit for a break. For me, I couldn't slow down and still call it a run. That will come.
ReplyDeleteYou've got the right attitude. Don't even worry about speed until later.