The beauty of the treadmill

I suppose trying to start running again in the middle of Winter was probably not the best idea.  But I had the time off work and figured that all that free time would help motivate me to get back out on the road.  To be honest, I didn't really even think much about the weather and how cold it might be.  The first week of my holiday I was lucky in that the sun was out every day and by midday the temperatures reached about 18 or 19 degrees, which is supposedly perfect running weather (or so I've read in some or other running article).  So I managed to get out on the road every day of the first week (except Thursday when the chocolate cake seemed like a better idea, and of course Sunday, when I was enjoying a well deserved day of good food, great company and nursing a slight hangover). The second week of my holiday however, I was not so lucky! One of the few benefits of living in Johannesburg (because lets face it, Cape Town has the sea, the mountain and the sane drivers) is the weather in Winter.  It might be unbearably cold in the morning and at night, but there's no rain and miserable gray skies.  So running in Winter is not impossible, its just more difficult to get out on the road when its cold.

When I woke up on Monday morning of my second week of holiday I noticed that there wasn't much morning sun coming through the curtains as there had been the previous week.  I checked the time expecting it to be a lot earlier than it was because of how dull it still looked outside.  Unfortunately, it remained dull for the rest of the day.  So I had to make a choice.  Either, layer up and brave a run in the 9 degree weather, or go to the gym and run on the treadmill.  After opening the window, I made a quick decision for the treadmill!  I'm lucky enough to have a gym in my complex (because everyone knows the hardest part about the gym is actually getting in your car and going there!).  I was quite surprised to find the small gym quite busy on Monday morning...is everyone a teacher or do these people just not have jobs?? There was one treadmill free so I claimed it straight away and started a slow run.  I find running on the treadmill somewhat harder than road running, mainly because watching 'My Super Sweet 16' while running is not quite as fulfilling as being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air.  Gyms are always hot and stuffy, no matter how cold it is outside - which I do enjoy for the first 500m  while I'm trying to warm up, but thereafter, you can be sure that I'll be sweating up a storm in the next couple of km! I carried on running until the treadmill said 5 km (in a shocking total of 28 minutes...and I used to do it in 23!).  Because it was such a slow run, I felt good afterwards and decided that since I had already won half the battle by getting to the gym, I may as well stay for some cross training.  So after a quick drink of water, I moved on to some weights and other strength training.  Tuesday I had a disaster of a day - being in a small accident and other insignificant problems can really demotivate you! So after my little car accident I decided to spend the rest of the day feeling sorry for myself on the couch instead of going back to the treadmill.  In hindsight, a little exercise was probably exactly what I needed to pull myself towards myself, but of course this didn't cross my mind in amongst all my self pity!  Wednesday, I was back in the game! The weather was still as it had been at the start of the week so I chose the treadmill once again.  I ran the 5 km and watched a total of 27 minutes of MTV, after which, I stayed in the gym and cross trained for a further 45 minutes.  Thursday was a big day and left me feeling good about things throughout the weekend! I went to the gym, ran on the treadmill, cross trained and when the sun came out later in the afternoon, I put my running shoes back on and enjoyed a 5km run on the road...finally!  Friday's bad weather saw me back on the treadmill, but as my weak  arms are suffering from all the weight lifting, I left the gym directly after my run.

 Saturday I managed to get out on the road  and ran a 5km route in 25 minutes (slightly better than the treadmill, but still not a good time!) and Sunday I was back in the gym for more treadmill time and of course a little cross training.  So all in all, a 35 km week (not quite the 70 km weeks I used to have!) with plenty of cross training.  If it wasn't for my good friend the treadmill, my week would've looked a lot less energetic! Do I prefer running on the road, definitely.  But the trusty treadmill makes for a great substitute when I can't face the cold!