I Got the Treadmill Blues.

My man left me. My dog is dead. My pick-up truck won't run and I got the Treadmill Blues.

What to do? What to do? What to do when you live in a bayou? What to do when you live in an area that has an official festival celebrating the mosquito? What to do when the average daily humidity is 77%?

The answer: SUCK IT UP AND RUN.

I was briefly locked out of my usual running locale and handy treadmill (since some yayhoo! decided to bring a glass container into the pool area, which inevitably broke, blah blah blah. Pool had to be closed down. Gates locked. You get the picture). I was faced with the reality of logging miles outside. Yes, I had grown soft over the last five years. The mild climate of the Bay Area had spoiled me. However, faced with the option of not putting in at least a couple of miles that day or potentially causing myself heat stroke, I opted for the latter. (Never say I am not dedicated!) Low and f*ckin' behold, what did I discover? I run faster on pavement! Tja. Who knew? (An 8 minute mile pace on a treadmill feels way faster than it does on pavement). Sooo, even though it is still "sticky" outside, I am making it a point to slowly increase my number of outdoor runs. Come fall, or at least the Texas-bayou-swamp equivalent of fall, I will be set.

Much like Mainz and Cologne, and nothing like the Bay Area, the LJ (that is what I like to call it. I even made up little gang signs for it) is flatter than, well, me. I completely agree with Dayton, running flat terrain is not only boring but lacks challenge for various parts of the body (read: the butt). Rather than focusing mentally and physically on just trying to make it up and over the next hill (or steep, muddy, slipper slope!), your mind is left to ponder the mile that you can see in any direction. Now, consider running ten miles and getting nowhere!

This brings me back to the "Treadmill Blues." Here is what I have come up with, so far, to help break up the monotony of running indoors on a treadmill. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS!!!!!

1) Vary speed and grade of the treadmill every quarter mile.

2) Think about those beautiful and challenging runs through SF, Golden Gate, Tilden, Wildcat Canyon. Theoretically, I could simulate one of those runs by varying the grade on the treadmill, but it is more about distracting myself mentally (losing myself in some form of thought to make the minutes click by faster).

3) Imagine your running partners in front of you and needing to catch up with them ;) I also find that, even though I don't have a competative nature ;), I am more likely to push myself to finish or go an extra mile or minute, if there are other people in the workout room.

4) Lastly, put together a bad-ass running mix. As Don pointed out to me on our Sausalito run, the first 20 minutes are the hardest. Or was it Dayton who pointed that out to me on the Fire Trail run? Anywho, point is, if you can make it over the 20 minute hump, generally, you will finish your run. So, I have laid out my playlist so that around minutes 17 or 18, a particularly upbeat song comes on (something I would sing along with if I weren't gasping for air). I also do this for minutes 30, 40, etc.

Even with these coping mechanisms, I am still finding it hard to motivate myself. Give me a shout out if you have any advice!