How do you treadmill runners do it!

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Replies

  • Lady_Lamb
    Lady_Lamb Posts: 103 Member
    Netflix is offering offline streaming starting today. Are you sure tv is not an option? TV helps me. I watch all the trashy shows my partner refuses to be subjected to at home (i.e. Vanderpump Rules!) Audio books and podcasts that I only listen to during my runs are good motivators, too.
  • aashwill
    aashwill Posts: 64 Member
    Listen to music.
  • BraveNewdGirl
    BraveNewdGirl Posts: 937 Member
    edited December 2016
    Try a fun app like Zombies, Run! It does have an accelerometer feature, so it works pretty well on a treadmill! The story missions and voiceovers are really entertaining and the zombie chases can be motivating when it comes to picking up the pace. I find it much more engaging than listening to music or passively watching TV. And you can always transfer your progress to outdoors using GPS when the weather allows.
  • BeeerRunner
    BeeerRunner Posts: 728 Member
    I'd run outside whenever possible and only use the treadmill for super cold below zero weather with really bad windchills. If you dress for it, it's really not that bad. I had a hamstring injury recently and couldn't run at all for a several weeks, so I did the Zero Runner and elliptical at my gym. It was so boring, but I'm training for a February marathon so it had to be done.

    However, I'm glad to know that the Zombies Run app works on a treadmill. For those cold rainy days, I might have to try that! Otherwise, I listen to music.
  • Shanairah1991
    Shanairah1991 Posts: 152 Member
    edited December 2016
    grmckenzie wrote: »
    My treadmill is in my basement in sight of my 60 inch tv. I watch the news or sport shows in the morning and will walk/run 1 or 2 periods of a hockey game when my team is playing. I'm varying what I do, but am not very fast yet. Couple of times I've just listened to something on RockMyRun, and I expect I will do that when I start outside.

    No friggen way would I run at -20. And I was born in Winnipeg. :)

    Edit: I wrote a lot but it didn't get posted... ? I don't want to re-write it all. :/

    I'm from winnipeg too.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,615 Member
    Shanairah1991 wrote: »
    grmckenzie wrote: »
    My treadmill is in my basement in sight of my 60 inch tv. I watch the news or sport shows in the morning and will walk/run 1 or 2 periods of a hockey game when my team is playing. I'm varying what I do, but am not very fast yet. Couple of times I've just listened to something on RockMyRun, and I expect I will do that when I start outside.

    No friggen way would I run at -20. And I was born in Winnipeg. :)

    Edit: I wrote a lot but it didn't get posted... ? I don't want to re-write it all. :/

    I'm from winnipeg too.

    :)

    I lived 13 years in Winnipeg.

    I did cycle year round and occasionally ran in winter. But I was very glad for gyms and for my trainer (thing you put a bicycle on so you can ride your bicycle inside). I did, however, get out cross-country skiing as often as I could.

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I'm not in Winnipeg any more, but in BC so it's nowhere near as cold. Just dark except when I'm working and I don't feel comfortable running in the dark. But the Jets are playing tonight so I'll use it for a couple of periods.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    i listen to audiobooks on the treadmill - they suck me in much more than music ever did
  • rfamjardine
    rfamjardine Posts: 9 Member
    EricaH7 wrote: »
    I love running. I run all spring, summer, and fall. However, I am from Michigan and I am sort of a whimp. I told myself this year I am going to try not to slack off and continue to workout all winter. Usually I quit in the winter and start up again in the spring. I've been trying to go to the gym and run on a treadmill but I find I am so exhausted after a few miles! I usually can run 7-8 outdoors before I feel the way I do after 3 in the gym! I think it is just because I am so focused on watching the time and wanting to be done. I listen to music while I run. Watching tv is not an option. How do you keep yourself focused for a long run on a treadmill?
  • AuthorNinja
    AuthorNinja Posts: 69 Member
    Personally, I love running. I used to run outside on the street asphalt and I was so relieved to switch to a treadmill. The treadmill has never become tedious for me, personally, although there have been some days where I was burned out on my music choices. I typically listen to music and let my mind wander as I run.

    My suggestion would be for you to switch up your songs? I love Fall Out Boy but I only listen to them when I workout that way I have their music to look forward to, heh heh :D Maybe if you switched up your songs it'll be better for you to distract yourself!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Mystery and suspense novels on my headphones.
  • kd_mazur
    kd_mazur Posts: 569 Member
    I am from southeast MI. I run outside all year. Invest in some good winter gear. You might be surprised, I know that for the first few minutes it is cold but as soon as the blood gets pumping I am ok.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    Like others have suggested, varying speeds helps a bit with the boredom. I have been doing some of my speed work on the treadmill recently. For example, yesterday's effort was a 5 mile negative split run that started out slowly, then increased speed each mile until just slightly faster than marathon pace during the last mile. Gives you something to focus on to break up the monotony.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    I love running outside and sort of like but don't love running on a treadmill. I need to follow a "routine" to tolerate the treadmill and usually that routine is no more than 5 miles so I don't scratch my eyes out in boredom.

    Two 3ish mile/30 minute routines I love:
    4321:
    Run for 4 minutes at 1 mph lower than what's "challenging but doable" for you
    Run 4 minutes at your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run 4 minutes at 1 mph higher than your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run for 3 minutes at 1 mph lower than what's "challenging but doable" for you
    Run 3 minutes at your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run 3 minutes at 1 mph higher than your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run for 2 minutes at 1 mph lower than what's "challenging but doable" for you
    Run 2 minutes at your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run 2 minutes at 1 mph higher than your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run for 1 minutes at 1 mph lower than what's "challenging but doable" for you
    Run 1 minutes at your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run 1 minutes at 1 mph higher than your "challenging but doable" speed

    To make this a 45 minute workout, add this block after you get done the 1s:
    Run for 3 minutes at 1 mph lower than what's "challenging but doable" for you
    Run 3 minutes at your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run 3 minutes at 1 mph higher than your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run for 2 minutes at 1 mph lower than what's "challenging but doable" for you
    Run 2 minutes at your "challenging but doable" speed
    Run 2 minutes at 1 mph higher than your "challenging but doable" speed

    Then I have a pace/incline variety that gets me about the same distance. I start at a 6.7 mph (which is my "challenging but doable speed," so do whatever works for you):

    2 minutes 6.7 mph incline 1
    2 minutes 6.8 incline 1
    2 minutes 6.9 incline 1
    2 minutes 7.0 incline 1
    2 minutes 7.1 incline 1
    2 minutes 7.2 incline 1
    1 minute 6.7 mph incline 1
    1 minute 6.7 mph incline 3
    1 minute 6.7 mph incline 5
    2 minutes 6.7 mph incline 1
    2 minutes 6.8 incline 1
    2 minutes 6.9 incline 1
    2 minutes 7.0 incline 1
    2 minutes 7.1 incline 1
    2 minutes 7.2 incline 1
    1 minute 6.7 mph incline 1
    1 minute 6.7 mph incline 3
    1 minute 6.7 mph incline 5

    This one is really tough by the end!!!

  • mindywilsford
    mindywilsford Posts: 6 Member
    Break it up as much as you can. Do intervals as mentioned before. Alternate between treadmill and elliptical after 20-30 minutes. Use music or videos to hold attention. Try to get where you can watch your form in a mirror - that will take your focus also.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Netflix. I find a show I really want to see and only watch on the treadmill. I just ran outside today and ugh it's rough haha
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    EricaH7 wrote: »
    I love running. I run all spring, summer, and fall. However, I am from Michigan and I am sort of a whimp. I told myself this year I am going to try not to slack off and continue to workout all winter. Usually I quit in the winter and start up again in the spring. I've been trying to go to the gym and run on a treadmill but I find I am so exhausted after a few miles! I usually can run 7-8 outdoors before I feel the way I do after 3 in the gym! I think it is just because I am so focused on watching the time and wanting to be done. I listen to music while I run. Watching tv is not an option. How do you keep yourself focused for a long run on a treadmill?

    Watching TV is an option for me at my gym, and so I get absorbed in a show and next thing I know, I've been running for 30 or 40 minutes.

    And when watching TV is not an option, I bring my phone and watch something on it.

    yup this.

    Treadmill in front of a tv is wonderful...just has to be loud...but it's my house so it gets loud...
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Oh the dreadmill. I have a love hate relationship with my gyms dreadmills as I feel like every single one is wrong about my speed. But it could be from boredom. I find audio books and speed work are the only things that keep my sanity on a dreadmill.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    Loud music to drown out the impatient voice in my head. I also went from clock watching to watching my HR monitor count up the calories burned. It's a better feeling.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    I put the incline to the highest it goes and play with speed, every time the super exciting parts of my workout songs come on I turn the speed up as high as I can run it and then turn it down to slower when I can't safely do it at that pace.

    Another thing I love doing is listening to books on tape. Local libraries often have a free online database with membership where you can borrow tapes for free, but regardless of where you get the books once you have downloaded them onto your device you don't need Internet to listen.

    I used to ONLY like treadmills because I felt the opposite (like running outside was so much harder) but now I'm hooked on outside running lol!!
  • CranstonJ2016
    CranstonJ2016 Posts: 142 Member
    I don't watch TV when I'm running because there is no TV outside. I get a good playlist on and run harder than I would outside, this is so I don't lose interest in what I'm doing, it helps me focus on my breathing and my pace rather than whats going on on the TV. I've figured I run about 3 songs per mile (again this is tracked by the tredmill so it may not actually be a complete mile) so I know in 15 songs I'm done...give or take.

    I know it sounds complicated....but it works for me. If I'm lolly gagging on the tredmill I'll start watching the time and TV and lose interest and cop out before my time is up. If I push myself so I focuse on my stamina and breathing then I usually push through pretty well.
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