I woke up to 20-30 mph sustained winds with 40 mph gusts and torrents of rain. My backyard had been transformed into a pond, and the streets were strewn with tree limbs, puddles and downed power lines. This situation did not square well with the workout listed in my training plan: a 20 mile run. A run of this length is difficult enough. Add tropical storm force winds, rains, and live power lines and the challenge increases greatly.
I’ve run in the rain, snow, ice and wind before. I’m not a fair-weather only kind of runner by any means. So, I started to suit up for the weather. As I opened the door to head out on my run, however, the rain seemed to be a solid curtain, waved fanatically by gusty winds. I like to think of myself as a trooper, but I guess I’m not that much of a trooper. So, I reviewed my options.
I could do the run later in the day and hoped that the weather cleared. No dice on that one – I had work to do in the afternoon.
I could switch today’s workout with tomorrow’s, which is scheduled as a rest day. But, that would pose a problem for Sunday’s workout, which is a challenging transition workout. I really need the rest day between the long run and that workout – as both would take about three hours.
I could just skip this week’s long run. That would be a foolhardy decision. I wanted (and needed) to get a 20 miler in this week. In addition to training for the half iron distanct Bassman Triathlon, I’m also preparing for the Philadelphia Marathon. So, my training plan includes longer runs in preparation for that race. If I didn’t get the 20-miler in this week, I wouldn’t get another crack at it for at least four more weeks because of tapering and racing for the Bassman. So, this run had to get done.
My last option? Do the run on a treadmill. Falling victim to a tornado or an electric shock almost seemed more appealing. But, after thinking about my options a little bit more, I realized this was the only option that I had left. I know the purists reading this are cringing right now – you should be! I’m not a total purist – I will do shorter runs on treadmills if necessary due to weather or time constrains. But, I have NEVER done a run longer than 60 minutes on the human hamster wheel. Now that I’ve completed my workout for the day (yes, I made the 20 miles on the damned contraption), I can think of at least a few reasons why I hope I will never be forced to take this option again.
First, it is terribly boring. One of the best aspects of running is the changing scenery, and perhaps sharing a moment with a fellow runner on the same route. I love to feel the air on my face–and now that cooler temperatures have returned, running outside is an absolute treat. The treadmill offers none of this scenic benefit. This is what I saw today during my almost three hours on the treadmill: My own face and legs in the mirrors that the gym insists on putting just three feet in front of the treadmills. I can’t think of much that I would rather see less than my own face and legs for three hours. I saw a dozen or two people getting on and off treadmills, bikes, stair steppers and ellipticals. Several of them stared quizzically at my compression socks. I imagine they were also completed disgusted by the sweat that had soaked my clothing and the treadmill. (It was hot as hades in the building today. The gym management needs to investigate the new-fangled technology that I like to call AIR CONDITIONING–if I’m going to run inside, let’s make the temperature comfortable.) I saw (but did not listen to) various mind numbing morning TV shows flicker across the television screens. In other words: nothing worth seeing. It was a stark contrast with the trail running I’ve been doing lately. I’ll take the chiggers and ticks over the gym scene any day.
Second, treadmills are machines with technological shortcomings for continuous running. One example of this diclofenac problem: Gym management sets the treadmills to stop automatically at 60 minutes – no matter what. So, I had to stop to restart the machine after the first hour and the second hour. Then, during the third hour, the machine decided to put me into “cool down” mode with just 2.5 miles to go. So, I had to restart the machine again. All of this complete stopping and starting takes a toll on mental focus, and the last 2.5 miles were especially grueling. And, it is a continual reminder of how far you’ve gone, how far you have yet to go.
Third, and most importantly, it’s not realistic. Along with the changing scenery comes changing terrain. While I don’t live in a terribly hilly area, we do have at least a little bit of changing elevation, and there are obstacles that force one to stay mentally alert and focused. I played around with the speed and the incline on the treadmill to accomodate for these types of changes, but this method is not a very effective representation of physical space. I think there is something important about being surprised by the terrain. It forces your body and brain to become accustomed on the fly to changing conditions . But, today, I was in control of those changing conditions and was able to change them as I wanted–not as mother nature intended (to steal a phrase).
These are not be the only reasons why treadmill running sucks. They are the ones I see as primary. I could list others, but for fear of droning on relentlessly, I will leave the list as it is.
I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize at least some benefits from the workout. I tend to be an optimist and almost always try to salvage some positive from situations. First, the treadmill helped me do the workout in the first place. Something is definitely better than nothing. With busy schedules and complicated training plans, it’s not easy to find time to fit in a 20 mile run, which generally take me between two hours and forty-five minutes to three hours. So, if it weren’t for the treadmill, I might not have been able to do the run at all. Call my a fraidy-cat, but I was concerned just a bit about safety, what with raging tropical storm-like conditions, which were combined with the National Weather Service’s coastal flood and tornado warnings. I guess I’m a little conservative that way. I realize that race day conditions might be stormy. And, that’s why I really wanted to do the run outside – rain, wind and all. But, if race day were today, the race director would be facing a tough decision about holding off on the start until the worst of the weather passed. It was that bad this morning. I couldn’t wait to the afternoon–morning was the only time I had. So, I had to make the tough call.
In addition to getting the workout completed, there were other benefits. Because the “terrain” (if we want to call it that) stayed relatively consistent, I was able to control and maintain an optimum heart rate more efficiently. I was zone 3 all the way, so despite the boredom, I felt pretty good doing my run. A minor benefit: I didn’t have to carry my water bottles – I just put them in the water holders.
The most significant benefit of this morning’s workout is that it forced me to stay mentally tough. There were several times I wanted to just stop. “I’m bored.” “This is ridiculous.” “Oh my goodness, how can I only be at 15 miles? I feel like I’ve been on this thing FOREVER!” It would have been really easy to stop: just hit the button, walk out to my car, and go home. But, I didn’t. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other as the hamster wheel whirred on. So, even if the conditions were not optimal, I reinforced my belief that I am not a quitter through my actions. As I prepare for a race that will take me about 6 hours, I’ll need to hold on to that belief when the strain of the effort wants to convince me otherwise. I will persevere. I won’t quit.
