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Running 10 Miles on The Treadmill

 

Bo and I had aggressive plans this morning.

  • Wake up by 6am
  • Run 6.3 miles to the center of Prospect Park, by way of the Manhattan Bridge
  • Run the 4 mile NYRR race in Prospect Park
  • Take the subway back to Manhattan in time for me to head to see my cousin in New Jersey

When the alarm went off at 5:55 this morning neither of us were ready to get up. Even though we’d gone to sleep at 10:30, we were still exhausted and our bodies were craving more sleep. Due to our busy work schedules we don’t have the opportunity to sleep in during the week and therefore feel it’s healthiest to listen to our bodies during the weekend.  It didn’t help that when our alarm went off we could already hear the howling wind that was blowing through Manhattan. When we saw that it was only 30 degrees, felt like 27, and the wind guests were 22 miles per hour, we decided to bag the race. Oh well, that’s $34 which will go to a good cause, by way of NYRR.

Instead, I woke up 2 hours later, ready to conquer ten miles on the treadmill. Don’t get me wrong. I love running outside in Manhattan each weekend but there are some things I only do if I’m running a race. Running in crazy, gusty wind is one of those things. Therefore, I enjoyed an open faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a cup of coffee before heading to the gym.

imageSome people cringe at the thought of running even a few miles on the treadmill. Therefore, I figured I’d share with you all a few of my tips to making a long treadmill run bearable.

  1. Bring your own water bottle and ensure that you have a towel large enough to cover the treadmill screen.
  2. Dress for the gym, not outside. Today I really wished I was wearing shorts and a tank during my run instead of crop pants and a technical t-shirt. I was sweating bullets and the crowded gym was a bit more hot and humid than it is when it’s nice and empty.
  3. Bring your own water bottle and fuel so you can treat it like a race. I sipped water every two miles and enjoyed a few Honey Stingers at mile 6, similar to what I’d do during a race.
  4. If possible, position yourself in front of a television. Watching two episodes of Law & Order made the time fly by this morning. If your gym or home treadmill aren’t set up near a television, bring your favorite playlist and jam out.
  5. Switch it up! It seems more bearable to think of it in little parts. Therefore, I ran 4 miles on one treadmill, moved down three treadmills for the next 4 miles, and moved upstairs for the final 2 miles. I didn’t waste time during my treadmill swap either. This is a time to log the miles, not dilly dally around the gym.
  6. Rarely log long runs on the treadmill. This will keep it fresh and more like a unique situation than a dreadful habit. This is my first treadmill long run this training season and I think that made it far more tolerable.

image What are your tips for treadmill running or do you avoid it entirely?

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A Day in My Life

So it’s Friday, which means in a perfectly scheduled world, there would be a Friday Facetime. But wait, this is the real world and this has been a really crazy week. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all been very good but it’s been a bit unusual due to some crazy insomnia and dreams. I had two nights of insomnia and one night of wicked scary snake dreams. That means that my days have been dragging due to exhaustion which isn’t the best combination for a week that includes a huge client meeting.

But, it’s Friday evening and I’m now perfectly situated on my couch in the most comfortable of clothes and have indulged in my weekly manicure.

Therefore, instead of a Friday Facetime, I thought I’d share with you all A Day in My Life, inspired by Katy’s post last week.

5:15 Alarm goes off the first time

5:30 Alarm goes off second and final time

5:45 Catch up on Google Reader and news for a few minutes before getting dressed for the gym.

6:00 Jog to the gym, cursing myself for spending those 10 minutes on the computer

6:05 Apologize to trainer for being late, enjoy an hour of sweating with Lauren, my personal trainer

7:10 Arrive back home and quickly dash to our second bathroom where I shower and get ready for the day (shower, blow dry hair, apply makeup, etc). Give Bo a quick kiss goodbye as he’ll leave while I’m in the shower.

7: 35 Choose today’s outfit, while reviewing the day’s calendar so I know whether to dress for meetings or just a day at my desk.

7:50 Jump on the 6 train uptown to 51st Street stop

8:05 Arrive at my desk

8:15 While computer is booting up, make my breakfast (oats, chia seeds, bananas, and hot water) in our mini kitchen area

8:20-8:30 Interact on Twitter, check personal email, and catch up on the Beauty headlines while eating breakfast.

8:30-1:00 Spend the morning responding to work emails, preparing for a client meeting, and providing feedback to our marketing team for the Fall ‘12 initiative plans

1:00 Head to Toasties with co-workers to grab my daily salad and enjoy the few minutes of fresh air while we laugh about the day’s craziness

1:15 Catch up with co-workers while enjoying lunch at our small table between our cubicles. It feels good to swivel my chair away from my computer and work emails, even if only for a few minutes.

1:30-6:00 Spend the next few hours the same as the morning: meetings, phone calls, meetings, emails, etc.

6:15 Convince myself that my muscles will thank me after yoga

6:30-7:15 I spent 45 minutes working out the stress kinks and focus on how thankful I am to have an Equinox with a block of my office and four blocks of my home. There’s a reason I have the full access pass.

7:30 Take the subway home since it’s before 9pm (I’m trying to limit cab rides to post 9pm on weekdays)

7:45 Walk through the front door feeling relaxed but exhausted and realize that I still need to make dinner. Cutting back on Seamless Web has meant that I don’t feel quite so guilty about my weekly manicures.

7:50-8:10 Catch up with my mom and dad on the phone while I boil pasta and heat the sauce in our fridge. Make a small side salad for some extra greens and microwave a veggie burger as protein. Combine crumbled veggie burger, drained pasta, and heated sauce for a quick and easy meal.

8:20-8:45 Catch up on blogs while watching TV and eating dinner.

8:45-10:00 Blog, respond to blog emails and comments, interact on Twitter and Facebook

10:05 Bo walks through the door, exhausted, but still wants to catch up for a bit. He convinces me to watch an episode of Law & Order SVU before bed while we talk about our day and spend a few quality minutes on the couch together.

10:45 Cut our Law & Order episode off before it ends due to exhaustion. Remind myself that brushing teeth, removing makeup, and applying moisturizer aren’t a choice.

11:00 Fall asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow.

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My Lent Focus

In the spirit of the Lent season, I did something yesterday that brought me some much needed peace and calm.

003 004 I headed uptown an hour early so that I could partake in Ash Wednesday services at St.Thomas Church. One common theme that I’ve heard over the years at these services is that the season isn’t necessarily about what you’re giving up or how many people know what you’re strong enough to give up for 40 days. In fact, Frank Allen, the rector at St David’s in Wayne, Pennsylvania said that he often gained more by choosing to focus on something during these days. Since then, I’ve done my best to take a similar attitude. Even if I choose something to refrain from during Lent, such as this year’s processed sweets, I try to take it a step further by spending at least five to ten minutes each day focusing on something.

Last year, I focused on patience, much to my mother’s pleasure. This year, I chose something that is even more important for me: gratitude. I find that I often move so quickly, both in my personal life and work life, that I forget all the amazing things in my life each day. Therefore, each day I am writing a hand written note thank you note to someone showing them appreciation for everything they do each day, near or far. Even though today was only my second thank you note, the few minutes of quiet, focusing on how much they have brought to my life, has been meditation like.

I challenge you to give it a try. Take five minutes and write someone a good old fashion thank you note.

Question: Do you participate in Lent? What are you giving up or focusing on this year? 

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