Queen City Striders,Cumberland,Md
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PR Corner – Column #1
Note: “PR Corner” is a new feature to the QCS Website, written by me, Dan DeWitt, new Public Relations Manager for the Queen City Striders. The “PR” in the title stands for “Public Relations” but it can also stand for “Personal Record” or “Proper Running” or anything else you can imagine. The goal of this column is to stir up some interest in the local running scene. I welcome your comments, criticisms, suggestions for future topics, or whatever else you’d like to share. Please e-mail all comments to me at qcstriders@gmail.com and I will respond to them as soon as possible.
Treadmills and Running: a Love/Hate Relationship
It’s a simple concept, really. The treadmill is no more than a strip of material moving round and around a platform. The impetus for the motion usually ends up being one half of a high-priced pair of running shoes. Set whatever pace you’d like, and run as far or as long as you wish. So what issue do I have with the treadmill?
Note: “PR Corner” is a new feature to the QCS Website, written by me, Dan DeWitt, new Public Relations Manager for the Queen City Striders. The “PR” in the title stands for “Public Relations” but it can also stand for “Personal Record” or “Proper Running” or anything else you can imagine. The goal of this column is to stir up some interest in the local running scene. I welcome your comments, criticisms, suggestions for future topics, or whatever else you’d like to share. Please e-mail all comments to me at qcstriders@gmail.com and I will respond to them as soon as possible.
Treadmills and Running: a Love/Hate Relationship
It’s a simple concept, really. The treadmill is no more than a strip of material moving round and around a platform. The impetus for the motion usually ends up being one half of a high-priced pair of running shoes. Set whatever pace you’d like, and run as far or as long as you wish. So what issue do I have with the treadmill?
Within this piece, I am going to examine some of the positive and negative feelings I have about treadmill running. At the end, I will invite you, the reader, to submit your comments about your love/hate for the treadmill.
Let’s begin with the negatives as there are quite a few. The first one I have is the annoying tendency for treadmills to be incorrectly calibrated. In January 2010, I would guess I logged nearly 150 miles on my treadmill. I usually run in the mornings and set the treadmill at 7mph. However, 7mph on my treadmill feels (to me, at least) like 7:00/mile pace does on a regular run outdoors. So where does the discrepancy lie between the reported ~8:30/mile on the treadmill display and the 7:00/mile in my brain? I have no idea. All I know is that every treadmill I’ve ever run on has made me feel incredibly slow and useless. If I think I’m in good shape, all I have to do is set the treadmill to a speed I can usually run outside with no problems, and then I find out quite rudely that, at least according to the treadmill, I am not fit to call myself a runner.
Let’s begin with the negatives as there are quite a few. The first one I have is the annoying tendency for treadmills to be incorrectly calibrated. In January 2010, I would guess I logged nearly 150 miles on my treadmill. I usually run in the mornings and set the treadmill at 7mph. However, 7mph on my treadmill feels (to me, at least) like 7:00/mile pace does on a regular run outdoors. So where does the discrepancy lie between the reported ~8:30/mile on the treadmill display and the 7:00/mile in my brain? I have no idea. All I know is that every treadmill I’ve ever run on has made me feel incredibly slow and useless. If I think I’m in good shape, all I have to do is set the treadmill to a speed I can usually run outside with no problems, and then I find out quite rudely that, at least according to the treadmill, I am not fit to call myself a runner.
This part of the discussion totally excludes my lone experience with metric system treadmills. On my honeymoon in Jamaica, I tried to run one day on the treadmill in the fitness area. Even though my brain is usually somewhat inclined to mental math, I had more than a little difficulty converting the minutes/km pace to my regular minutes/mile pace. Throw in 90 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures with near 100% humidity, and I have no clue whether that treadmill was right or not. Maybe the Jamaicans have it all figured out.
My next complaint with treadmill running is the same one that many non-runners have about running in general – it is so boring! How can it be enjoyable to stare at the same surroundings for an extended period of time? Well, it isn’t, really. While running on a treadmill at a local gym, as I have a few times, I find that I am apt to watch everyone else around me to make sure that I can “keep up” with them no matter what exercise they are actually doing. I find myself trying to run so fast that I feel like I’m getting a better workout than the guy over at the other side of the gym on the bench press. The fact that we are working two different muscle groups isn’t relevant to me, apparently, and I just waste the whole run worrying about others.
I’ve tried to combat the boredom by watching DVD’s on a small TV in my basement. This works rather well, actually, but in the end I feel like I’ve cheated the run. I read once that famous marathoner Alberto Salazar ran all winter on a treadmill at 5:00/mile pace while staring at bare cinderblocks to get into rather startling shape. I doubt that I am reaping those same benefits as I zone out into whatever movie I choose for that morning.. My form isn’t considered, my breathing takes a backseat, and I really don’t even look at the display. Some of you might think that is a good thing, as the run goes by faster, but when I get done I just feel like the miles shouldn’t count. Who knows? Call it the conscience of a runner.
While I could likely keep going all day about the reasons I don’t like the “mill,” as I’ve heard it described by my good friends who also regularly frequent the treadmill, I now move to the few reasons why the treadmill can be an ally.
In case you haven’t noticed, we live in Western Maryland. The name of the town I live in is FROSTburg. Before someone becomes concerned that I actually think the town was named because of the cold, relax. I know that’s not the reason. But, honestly, most of you know how ridiculously bitter the cold days are in our little neck of the woods. It can be 40 degrees and sunny and I’ll be excited to head out for a run and by the time I get my shoes on the sun is gone and it’s sleeting. While this unpredictability provides for some great training stimuli, it also kills the spirit. The treadmill is perfect for days like this.
If I’m feeling cold or even just like a wuss, I can just hop onto the mill and enjoy the carefully controlled climate of my basement. To take it a step farther, if the weather is downright dangerous outside and running isn’t smart, I can still get my run done for the day thanks to the treadmill.
I also like the treadmill because it won’t slow down automatically. If I am in the middle of a workout outside and I just get fed up, I can easily slow down and take a break. However, if I have the treadmill cranked way up and want to take a break, it can’t just stop on a dime. I have to make the conscious decision to press a button to decrease the speed. Having to take that extra two or three seconds to make up my mind might be all I need to hang in there a little bit longer and finish the surge, fartlek, tempo, interval, etc.
As I reach the end of my first “PR Corner” column, I am aware there are many issues about treadmill running I haven’t covered. I ask for your comments and questions about these issues and invite you to post them on the QCS Message Board, accessible by way of the tabbed link at the top of the website. Also, please feel free to e-mail me with your comments about this and any other running issues. I look forward to many more articles to come!
Best of luck with your winter running!
Dan DeWitt
QCS Public Relations Manager
qcstriders@gmail.com