How do you treadmill runners do it!

Sabine_Stroehm

Mystery and suspense novels on my headphones.

kd_mazur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.