Happy Tuesday! Thank you for joining me and Jenn for another edition of Tuesday Topics. Remember to link up with us! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Don’t forget to come back for later linkers!
I like running outside and on the treadmill. I know many people don’t like the treadmill. In fact, many people HATE it and call it the dreamill.
Here are a few reasons why I like running outside:
• I love running outside because I can leave the house and get some fresh air.
• Sometimes I like running when it is dark because it makes me feel safe and alone in my own world. I know it sounds weird but this way I tend to not think about all of the things going on in this world and just focus on ME.
• I like checking out the neighborhood. It makes me happy to see some of the cats. It makes me sad too because I wonder why they are out there.
• When I run in the neighborhood, I look for any houses that are for sale. I also like to pick a house and imagine me living there. Silly? Maybe.
• I get my vitamin D.
I haven’t run on the treadmill in years but here is what helped me get through treadmill running:
• Listen to fun music. I have a variety of Spanish and English music and various playlists. Depending on how I was feeling is the music I would pick.
• Watch TV. Sometimes music gets on my nerves so I prefer to watch TV. I’ve watched whatever is playing on the television or a show on my iPad.
• Change incline and pace. I did my runs at 0% incline but made sure to change the pace. I would set a timer for 1:30/2:00 minutes or 3:00/4:00 minutes and then change the pace (I would have 3 different paces) at the sound of the buzzer. Or I would change it after each song. This would make the run a bit more exciting and made the time go by faster.
• Break up the run into parts. I never did a run without stopping. Who wants to run 10 miles without stopping? Not me. For a run of that distance, I would run 2.5 miles, take a quick break, and run again 2.5 miles. Then I would use the bathroom and/or get more water and repeat for the rest of the 5 miles. Something similar could be done for 12, 14, or 16 miles. The key is to not think of it as a LONG run of 12, 14, 16 miles but instead as short and quick runs with breaks in between.
• Reward myself. For me it would be a coffee, food, beer, or a new piece of gear. Of course I wouldn’t do this for every single run but mainly on days when I had ZERO desire to run and needed some motivation.
The topic for next week – What are your favorite recovery aids? Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!
Happy Sunday everyone! I am on Team TCS Teachers and training to run the Chicago Marathon on October 13. This will be my 9th marathon and my 6th Chicago Marathon.
