Greetings, Tribe!
As someone who works late, and therefore sleeps relatively late (until around 7-8am), it’s hard to get outside for a run in the winter. Plus, the days are short and with no one on the same schedule as me, I would be forced to run alone in the dark. Not an option. Therefore, down to the basement treadmill for most of my winter runs I go. I feel lucky to have a home treadmill to use, but it gets old looking at a cement wall or craning my neck to see the television (we currently have few electrical outlets to work with in the basement – gotta be creative).
This past winter I’ve been able to use the treadmill for short easy runs, tempo runs or speed work, but my max on a treadmill is about 5 miles (and it’s an emotional struggle to get that far). It helps if I play with the incline or the speed, to mix it up, but I yearn for the fresh air.
As summer approaches, the days continue to get longer and my work schedule gets shorter, so getting my runs in outside is becoming a reality.
My sister was in town this weekend and we were able to get a couple of runs in Friday and Saturday. Adam and I headed to Eagle Creek Park on Sunday (yay hills!), I flew solo Monday on the Monon and Fall Creek Greenway and today I was lucky enough to get a run in with a friend, Ruth, visiting from out of town. I feel better already! I might actually be able to keep this 7am run thing going!
If all goes well, I can officially bid the treadmill farewell (mostly) until next winter. Ta-ta treadmill!