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Tuesday’s Run (5/25/10)

Today I did something I haven’t done in a long, long time: I ran on a treadmill.

To be quite honest, I do not like working out in a gym.  I feel awkward and self-conscious, and I always feel like I’m being watched.  I prefer to run outside or work out at home doing something like yoga or Pilates.

But it’s getting really, really hot down here in Texas.  If I want to run this summer, I think it will be useful for me to do treadmill work-outs when the heat feels unbearable.  Plus the treadmill has its advantages, one of which I was happy to take tonight: I can run timed miles to see what certain paces feel like.  I don’t own any gadgets that will let me do this outside, so the treadmill is perfect here.  I also think that the treadmill makes it easier to run timed miles because it sets the pace for you, right under your feet.  You just have to run fast enough to keep up with it!

Tonight I ran 20 minutes without stopping, which was a victory in and of itself.  All of my outside runs have included walk breaks.  I really pushed myself tonight by running an 8-minute mile because I wanted to experience my target half-marathon pace.  It’s fast!  I can hardly imagine running 13 miles at that pace.  I’ve got my work cut out for me with this half-marathon.  I think the treadmill will be very useful for doing longer runs with timed miles, so I want to think about how I can structure a training schedule to include the treadmill.