A story of going from being a non-runner to planning for a marathon in three years...

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Treadmill Psych Out


Image from http://www.runnerswrite.com/




For a multitude of reasons, I decided to run my 5 miles on the treadmill last night instead of doing half outside and half inside.

Bad idea.

I struggled to run 2 miles. I walked for long enough that I forgot to keep track. I tried changing the incline. I tried changing the speed. I just couldn't mentally push myself to do it.

Until I hit 3.5 miles. Then it was like a switch in my brain clicked and I could run again. And run I did. At the 4 mile mark I felt as though I could run forever. I finished at just over 5 miles and the only reason I stopped was because I had meatloaf in the oven that I needed to take out.

I'm hoping that this strange inability to run for even two miles at the beginning was just treadmill ennui. Interestingly, the past two Wednesdays when I've done a run on the treadmill I've had serious thoughts of just quitting and forgetting about doing that day's mileage. However, I've struggled through the first few miles and then finished strong. But apparently only on Wednesdays.

What is going on with me???

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nothing's wrong with you! I think our minds work differently when we are on the treadmills. Sometimes I get on and feel like I can go forever, often I am going great in the begginning then crap out (too low on energy) and a few times I've had runs like you. It's so strange, isn't it?

Maybe Wednesday's just a bad day. I've done all 4 of last Thursday's run on Fridays. I just have gotten home every night and said "meh! doing it Friday!"

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