Tuesday, February 17, 2015

How Treadmill Running Helped Me Get My Groove Back

When I first began running (not so long ago), I wouldn’t dare venture into the gym.  The thought of sweating it out with several dozen people who were much more fit than I was really didn’t float my boat.  Treadmills were daunting, and I certainly wasn’t going to embarrass myself by hopping on a moving belt to risk flying right off.














The problem?  I was also nervous about running in public in general.  Even jogging around my neighborhood struck me with worry about what people would think – would my couch potato awkwardness be blatantly obvious? 

Starting out, I only ran very early in the morning before sunrise or late at night when the darkness could cloak me.   After awhile, logging my miles became so fun that I actually forgot about people sitting out on their front porches or cars passing me as I ran by.  Eventually, though, the weather became an issue, and I needed an alternative to running in the heavy Florida heat.  The excuses started to pile up again, and I just stopped running altogether.  My groove was gone.

I decided to suck it up and get to the gym.  I chose the treadmill in the furthest darkest corner.  The panel looked like something that might control a spaceship, but after a few button pushes, my feet were moving.

Amazingly, I didn’t fall off.  Instead, I had fun.  I loved playing around with inclines, and the treadmill automatically gave me a warm-up and cool-down (things that I didn’t normally do otherwise).  I could even measure my heart rate if I held onto the handles.  I set up the screen to play a TV show, and the miles just zoomed by.  After just one workout, I was hooked.  Every time I stepped on a treadmill after that, I ended up gaining my motivation back, because I was able to try a new way of running that ultimately helped me get back up off the couch again.  And as for the other people in the gym with me, I didn’t even notice them once my earbuds were in and my legs started running.

I still prefer running outside, my feet pounding real pavement, but the treadmill definitely gave me the umph to keep going whenever I feel like running, even when the conditions aren’t right for it.









Today, I’m linking up with Patty, April, and Erika for their latest installment of Tuesdays on the Run.  Go check out all of the other awesome posts about treadmill running!











Do you prefer the treadmill or the road?
Have you ever lost your fitness groove?  What did you do to get it back?

8 comments:

  1. Hahaha, love that clip of Mike Wazowski. Totally what I feared would happen the first time I got on a treadmill!

    I DEFINITELY prefer running outside, but I can totally relate to this. That fear of what people are going to think of you when you're the gym, running on the streets outside, etc. I learned really quickly that everyone is only concerned with themselves at the gym, and that I had nothing to worry about!

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    1. Hi Jennifer, I'm truly amazed still to this day that I don't pull a Mike Wazowski and fall right off the treadmill every time. :)

      Great point - everyone is definitely more focused on their own routines at the gym and elsewhere to bother with what I'm doing. I just have to remind myself of that whenever I feel particularly awkward, which is pretty often, hahaha!

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  2. I do prefer running outside. It always makes the distance go by quicker. And I always keep a decent pace. But treadmills are great for inclimate weather. -L

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    1. You're so right about the distance going by faster outside. There are times when I glance at my GPS and see that I've gone much further than I thought. I do like having the option of the treadmill when the weather isn't cooperating though. :)

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  3. I definitely prefer outside, but when outside isn't possible, the treadmill is an awesome invention. I may be heading to the gym for a treadmill distance PR as the weather here is sucking.

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    1. I'm so with you on that! Running outside is my favorite, but it's nice to have the treadmill in crappy weather. All the rain here lately has made it really hard to get good training in, so it's looking like a treadmill distance PR for me too! :)

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  4. I am definitely an outside runner, but the summers in Florida do make it hard. I think I'm going to give the treadmill a try again this summer for some speed intervals. Thanks for linking up with us!

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  5. You got that right about the Florida summers! What a pain they can be sometimes! :)

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