Running from my treadmill

I think my treadmill is trying to kill me.

Some days it starts at the bottom of my feet, attacking my heel with a vengeance before moving up to my ankles and shins. From there it’s a slow burn of assaults on quads, hammies and glutes.

Once the treadmill is bored of these below the belt games it will find a new target in my shoulders and neck. Oh he is a crafty one. With his hard and unrelenting surface forcing me to use muscles that I don’t use outside and into submission as I count the minutes on the clock.

My treadmill may look innocent but he is anything but.

Other days it’s like I am the warden of this running machine. (Remember treadmills were first invented to punish prisoners. ) I don’t have time for your feeble games. Give me all you got, treadmill. I can hear as the motor chugs along trying to keep up with my constant pace and elevation changes. Who’s in pain now?

Where is spring?

It was on Wednesday when I had a breakdown. I cut my run short because my ankle was starting to give me some serious grief. Although last week I felt I had found my treadmill running groove, this week was another story. I had enough.

It feels like weeks since I have run outside. The weather is still mostly crap for running. The best day was Friday but I had to go south of the city to pick up my new Qashqai so I missed out. When I got home I went for a 7K power walk on Nose Hill and I felt so much better. (Yes, I probably could have run but I didn’t want to get frustrated by the snowy conditions. A power walk in knee deep snow is better than nothing, friends.)

I think I just needed a couple of days off from the treadmill. I will be back on it today.

Taking the dread out of the treadmill

  1. Cover the console. This way you are not constantly staring at the time
  2. Watch a TV show or listen to a podcast.
  3. Break up the run. For example, if you want to run 20K. Take a washroom break at 10K then get back on.
  4. Do intervals – speed and elevation. My new favourite workout is to run 30 seconds to a minute on each elevation grade to the top, then I run back down.
  5. Remember your goals.


What are your tips for staying focused on the treadmill? Have you ever had a treadmill mishap? Are you having a great winter?

2 Comments

  1. I would so love a treadmill, just no money and no room! I DID almost fall off of one at Goodlife a few years back, had no idea how close to the back edge I was! A little “running on air” but I was able to correct myself in time. Nothing better than a whole bunch of You Tube treadmill disasters to make your day, though!

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