Dread the Tread(mill)

Since school started up again, I have been braving the darkness and still running outside most mornings. I don't really mind it at all. The streets are quiet. The stars are twinkling. The air is clear. I am alone. Plus, I really enjoy peeking into the lighted windows of the houses by which I run. It is comforting to know there are other people awake at that hour; most just aren't out jogging. I can take the dark and silence, but as the weather has grown much cooler lately, I can't handle the addition of the cold. I am not crazy enough to run in the dark AND the cold. So, the dreary weather this past week has forced me indoors, which means my runs are now confined to the dreaded treadmill. After months and months of glorious outdoor running, the treadmill feels like a cage, stuck in one place with the belt spinning underneath. Now, the good thing about the treadmill is you can keep excellent track of your pace and mileage, which I have a hard time exactly calculating when I am running outside. Now that I will be mostly limited to the treadmill, I figure I can use its one bonus to my advantage. So on this cold, dark, rainy morning, as I packed up my gym bag and headed to the Y, I was planning on completing a speed workout. After a few quick stretches, I put on my headphones (the ipod is a must for indoor running!), mounted the treadmill and pushed its mysterious buttons. Slowly, the belt began to move. I was planning on clocking 5 miles today - a mile warm-up followed by some intervals. As I finally hit my stride, I couldn't help but look down at the lighted display and cringe in agony at the minimal amount of miles I had covered in complete boredom. But there the numbers were, slowly but surely adding up with every strike of my foot. Taking some comfort in that, I continued pushing the up arrow to increase my pace. Not as boring after all. The minutes and miles seemed to now go by much more quickly. Finally and thankfully, I was approaching the end of my sentence on the treadmill. On my last push, I kept hitting the arrow higher than I had before. There I was like a gerbil, pumping my arms, quickening my speed, sweating like crazy. All I could think was, "Take that treadmill!"