It’s hot here in Dallas. Very, very hot.
And it’s summer and sometimes I close at work and get home very late so don’t want to get up at 6am (the only semi-bearable time of day).
So, this time of year, my treadmill and I get to spend a lot of time together.
Over the years I’ve learned to love (OK, maybe not love but like. Maybe not like. Tolerate?) my treadmill and at least be grateful for it as it allows me to maintain my fitness through the less than ideal running conditions of a typical TX summer.
So here they are . . My 5 Ways to Make Running on the Treadmill More Fun
Chunking
Many of you used this to study, but basically chunking is breaking a big effort into several smaller efforts. Don’t think of it as a 4 mile run, it’s just 4, one mile repeats. I mean come on, that’s no big deal, right?
Entertainment
You must have something interesting to watch, listen to, or boogie to. For me this means podcasts, kick ass play lists, or Netflix, preferable West Wing, Gilmore Girls or a Disney movie.
Climate Control
Yes, it’s going to cost more, but about an hour before my treadmill run I turn our home’s AC way down to 68 degrees. I also have a huge fan that I point directly at my face. This is mandatory.
KEEP CHILDREN OUT
Having a treadmill in your home can be great. Except for when your kids and husband pop in every five minutes to see how you’re doing or “chat”. Hell to the no. Keep those people OUT OF YOUR ROOM. Tell them to treat it just like an outdoor run. If they wouldn’t drive slowly beside you and ask where their shoes are, they shouldn’t pop into the treadmill room and ask the same thing. I lock the door.
GET ONLINE ENCOURAGEMENT
Especially when forced to do a long run on a treadmill, social media encouragement is A MUST. Tweet, FB, instagram everyone you know and make sure they know that you are on the treadmill and you need them virtually cheering GO (insert your name here) YOU’RE A ROCK STAR AND INCREDIBLY DEDICATED TO YOUR FITNESS!
It will be fall soon and my treadmill and I won’t have as much time together. And I just have one thing to say about that:
THANK GOD.
These are great tips!
Number 4 is probably the biggest hurdle! Part of the reason I run on the treadmill so often is that I can’t leave my littlest at home alone, and while the convenience of it is fantastic, it can often turn a 10 minute mile into 20 depending on the distractions.
Keep up the great work, and I’m with you, Texas is HOT!!! Even down here in H-town it’s freakin’ steamy!!!
Yes, for sure with smaller kids this is a big challenge!! And I get CRANKY when I’m finally in a groove and somebody comes in for some huge EMERGENCY (such as do we have any Ritz crackers left;).
Great tips! Another big one for me is: Cover up the display with a towel. Just like a watched pot that never boils, time on a treadmills seems to move slower when you’re watching the seconds click by. Throw a towel over the display, get wrapped up in your movie or music, and check it periodically – you’ll be surprised by how quickly it goes by!
YES! I should have put that one. Because I DO that all the time!