I thoroughly enjoyed it! The nice weather (50!) and early start helped. I may try to get out again.
Time: 2:17:30. Most miles were in the 8:30-8:40 range.
I'm on Zicam. Just felt the slightest hint of a cold yesterday, and thought I'd better hit the Z. I feel better now, but I'll stay on it for another day or so.
I got out at noon for a second run. It was still nice - low 50s and cloudy. I didn't want to drive anywhere at noon, so I just did the President's route - 3 miles at tempo pace (20:35). I felt great!
Here's an exchange between me and Rita regarding treadmills.
Well I just *have* to chime in on this one. Rita, I thoroughly enjoyed your
post. I must say that I felt the same way about treadmills the first few
times I rode them. Even now, after a thousand or two mill miles, I cannot
say that I enjoy a treadmill run in the same sense that I enjoy any
particular outdoor run. And even now, I couldn't possibly run even one mile
on the mill without watching a tv to pass the time.
I can't handle indoor tracks because of the constant turning, not to mention
dodging the dreaded walkers. I suppose if they were 8 laps per mile or
better, I wouldn't mind them so much. For my speedwork, I do enjoy the
challenge of outdoor tracks.
Back to dreadmills. There was a lively debate on the big list several years
ago. I had gotten past the initial boredom stage, and understood their value
as a training tool, but I had decided that they took the joy out of running.
I therefore swore off them for a year. Laurel Park took the opposite side,
arguing that they: 1) were great training tools (which I didn't dispute) and
2) could indeed provide running enjoyment and fulfillment (which I did
dispute with great vigor).
Now I have my own mill, with which I have a love-hate relationship. As long
as there's something on the tube, I can go quite a long way on it. After a
sort-of-planned very slow month in December (when the mill was in dry-dock),
I set it up in January and things turned around. Combined with the milder
weather, that mill has given my running quite a jump-start. I can even do
speedwork again. (Most of my mill runs turn into speedwork sessions, since I
still can't wait to get off the dang thing.) When the weather's decent
outside, I'll stay off the mill. But it's great to have it as an option for
the bad weather days. I need all the training help I can get.
See you all Sunday. Outside.
Dan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rita L. Cognion"
To:
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:33 AM
Subject: shortest workout ever
> OK, maybe it was not the "shortest workout ever," but it
> was a lot shorter than I'd intended. I'm just not accustomed
> to running indoors.
>
> Facing an icy path and no YakTrax yesterday, I decided
> almost on the spur-of-the-moment to buy the last half
> of a one-month membership to Omni Fitness Center in
> Middleburg Hts. I drove the 3 miles to the facility, then slipped
> on the ice a little as I walked across the lot to enter the building,
> and I felt glad that I was about to escape the uncertain footing
> for awhile.
> Only $28 gets me an indoor running environment, with no ice,
> no need for screw-shoes, no YakTrax, until 31 January.
> I can run in shorts every day here!
>
> As soon as they took my photo for the ID, I went to the
> locker room, put on my shorts and running shoes, and
> headed for the treadmill. My aspirations were big;
> I expected to knock out 6 miles or so. Dan Horvath does
> this all the time, right? No problem.
>
> Oh, I was so wrong. Big problem! Time just drags on the
> treadmill!
> There was a TV, but i couldn't bear to look at it, some talk
> show crap or something, so instead I stared at a nail-hole on the
> wall in front of me, just above eye level. I hoped to attain some
> zen-like peace and flow in my running. And I ran endlessly it
> seemed, and frigging slowly too! The meter on the treadmill
> revealed that I had not even gone one mile yet after almost
> 10 minutes. What hell is this?!
> I upped the speed of the treadmill (why do their gauges and
> meters have no units or dimensions? Very poor practice!
> For example, what speed is "6"?) and I started making deals
> with myself. "Just hang in there for 4 miles, that will be
> enough for today. After all, it's a new surface, etc etc."
> Then after 12 or so minutes, which took an eternity to
> pass, I told myself: "OK, just do 20 minutes, whatever
> distance that is. You're halfway there! You don't need to
> run any longer than that for your first time on this odd surface."
> Then at 20:17, and some fraction over two miles (!) I
> abandoned the thing, with the bright idea to head upstairs
> to the indoor track.
>
> Twelve laps make one mile on the outside lane. At least there
> are units I can understand. Laps. Miles. And unfortunately, eons.
> The story did not change. After 1/4 mile, I realized that it takes a
> very long time to accumulate enough laps to make one mile. The track
> is better than the treadmill, but it was still torture to make those
> rounds. Hamster in a wheel. I did something like 1.25 miles
> and called it a day.
>
> The added insult is that while running on the track, one can see
> out the top-floor windows, and the outdoors looked unbelievably
> friendly from that viewpoint. I was dying to be out there!
>
> What do people do with their minds when they run indoors?
>
> After my miniature workout, 2 miles here, one mile there, I kicked
> myself into the shower, thinking I'd just wasted 28 bucks.
> But then as I walked to my car in the parking lot, I slipped on the
> ice again, and I remembered the reason I joined and promised to
> give it another shot...the next time it's unbearable outside.
>
> On the bright side, the 2-wk membership buys me a back-up
> plan until my replacement YakTrax arrives. But what torture.
>
> I'll see you folks outdoors.
> -----Rita
1 comment:
Your sixteen mile run seems quite scenic. Your three mile "Presidents" run implies a pretty mentally challenging run, back and forth on all those side streets.
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