The Healthy Slice

Make the most of every day

marciashealthyslice_image1 marciashealthyslice_image2 marciashealthyslice_image3

Treadmill Tell-All

Heaven knows we’re milling quite a bit up in here no thanks to polar vortexular conditions. I think I’m milling now more than ever before. For many of us (yours truly included) the mill can be a hateful creature. But when it’s the only option…

mill

Brain freeze took on a new meaning when I arrived at my basement mill yesterday clad in running bra, singlet, corduroy pants and slippers.

All this milling has me wondering about your feelings toward the hamster wheel. Love it? Hate it? Answer some or all of these questions in a comment or post about them on your blog and tag me. Here we go:

    1. What’s your favorite workout to do on a treadmill? About 5 miles of speed intervals. Preferably 400’s, although I’d feel proportionately more badass if I banged out some decent 800’s. One can dream.
    2. How many miles, on average, do you do on the mill each week? Right now it’s all of the miles so about 20. If the weather were more ‘normal’ it would be half that at most. 
    3. What was the most mileage you’ve ever completed on the mill in one workout? When? Why? It was the last long run of a Boston training cycle. We had a sleet/freezing rain mix going on over significant snow and roads were glazed like a fine donut. I went to the YMCA and banged out a 22-miler
    4. Do you mill at home? The gym? Both? Mostly at home, although I love milling on cruise ships for the extra balance challenge. I’m weird that way.
    5. What distractions/entertainment (if any) do you use to help pass the time? Sometimes music, sometimes TV. I change channels all over the place, the same way I constantly change speeds.
    6. If you have a mill at home, how old is it? Mine will be turning 13 soon. I’m trying to get an idea of life expectancy, although I haven’t yet come to terms with the possibility of the ‘end’ being near.
    7. Do you fuel any differently for a treadmill workout than an outside one? I guess not, although I rarely have anything more than water on the mill. If I have more than a dozen miles to run on the mill, gu’ing strategies apply.
    8. Any treadmill mishaps to report? None that I can think of, although now I’m probably jinxing myself.
    9. Do you mill at incline to compensate for not being outside? Yes, always 2%. Unless I’m training hills, then more. Ouch.
    10. Describe your perfect (if there is such an animal) treadmill conditions: The room is cool, there’s a fan blowing. Towel and water bottle are in the holder on the left. TV remote at right. No kids or dogs barge in to bug me (or poop). TV is tuned to FoodNetwork. Barefoot Contessa makes strawberry shortcake and preps for a party filled with copious amounts of hydrangea. Then Pioneer Woman drives around the ranch in her pickup, wrangling cattle, kids, dogs and some brisket. I have all of these women’s cookbooks, I am riveted to their shows, yet I can count on maybe 3 fingers the number of their recipes I’ve actually made. What is up with that??

Don’t forget to enter my Zensah Compression giveaway!

Comments

  1. I have made many many of Ree’s recipes. They are always good. Her mashed potatos are divine and my Thanksgiving standard. While I’ve watched Barefoot Contessa for years, I don’t think I’ve ever made one of hers – always a little too froo froo for me.

    I have a mill. It’s a hand me down. It’s sitting in my garage because my shoulder is too whacked to help John move it to the basement. But soon….for now, I’ve still never run on one. Ever. Truth be told, they intimidate me a little…

  3. I actually love the treadmill especially now that I’m running so much less and feel like I have to pee every mile. I loved it before, though, too.

    We have a treadmill in the basement and I think the most I’ve run on it was 20 miles just to see if I could. I’ve done a couple of long runs on it, too, during winter training cycles.

  4. I just got off the mill. Did a 10k this morning. My favorite thing to do on the treadmill (if there is such a thing) would be intervals– 1 minute all out with 2 mins recover x 10. I rarely use my mill which is why it is 16 years old. I’m glad to have it but in normal conditions it may rest for several months before I get on. Longest ever run was 11 miles when I was training for a winter half…that sucked.

    Today I got off and my dog was just sitting there staring at me… maybe because I was singing along with my music!

  5. I’m pretty sure I show up wearing similar attire for my basement workouts. I just hope that I have appropriate shoes/bottoms downstairs! Our treadmill is only 9 years old (ONLY) but it wasn’t top of the line (not even middle of the line) then and so it’s in need of replacement.

  7. Tink, I truly think that’s some of the attraction of it. It’s so mentally challenging, yet I’m so stubborn.

  8. Ugh, I was forced on the treadmill yesterday and it looks like another week at least of the same… our gym’s cardio room is warm which makes for about a 5 mile limit for me. The longest ever was also in a marathon training cycle in upstate NY in February- I did 18. But it was pretty miserable!

  10. I am not a fan of the cold, so I often head out to the garage to hi the mill. Although cold to me is probably warm to you;) I hate it when people interrupt me when I’m running. It startles me when I see someone standing there out of the corner of my eye! My friend gave me her treadmill, not sure how old it is but I love it!

  11. Love and hate the mill. I love my Sole, I can plug in my iPad and watch movies and read. Yes, read! Gotta put the print in granny letters and it needs to be mindless treacle but I have found that’s the best way to pass the time. The kids will even join me in the basement and watch a movie with me when I’m feeling particularly lonely on the hamster wheel.
    I do go to the gym in bad weather to break it up, but only for the indoor track. I feel like I’m being wasteful for using a gym treadmill when I have such a nice one at home.

  12. I fell off the TM once when I turned and talked so I always put a hand on the mill if I do that now. I had some major “road” rash for sure.

  13. I can’t remember the last time I ran on a treadmill. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It definitely gets boring sooner and I am not great at watching a TV in front of me while on it – I’ll step too far forward or drift back a little. Couple of scary moments! lol. I used to have a treadmill at home but gave it to my mom because i never used it. I know I’ve done double digits on one before, but I don’t think I’ve done anything too crazy.

  14. You know I love the treadmill!!
    My longest consecutive run is 44 miles but I did 60 over 2 days.
    My current treadmill is about 3 years old and it is my 3rd one in 15 years – I burned the motors out of the 2 previous ones and the 2nd one was even a nice commercial grade one – oops!

  15. There’s just nothing that will ever make me like it. I have one, but it is reserved for that absolute, only option possible condition. I honestly think that if I had to do 100% of my runs on a ‘mill, I might not run.

  16. I hate the tm but do it at work when it is icy or raining outside. I usually run only 3 miles. The most I have done is 6. I always have water and a TV show to watch on my iPad.

  19. I don’t like the treadmill and haven’t run on it yet this year. That has meant skipping runs due to the cold weather. Not a good situation specially considering I have one in our basement.

  20. I love the TM, was so sad when ours died, and cannot wait until there is room in the budget for a new one. While trail running will always be #1, I think I ‘d rather run and watch TV than do a slog around the neighborhood.

  22. I got so engrossed in a ‘Breaking Bad’ episode while on the ‘mill and I stepped too far off to the side and WHAM, flew right off the damn thing. I was always going to blog about it….but you know how much I love to blog :).

    I did 5×1-mile hill repeats on the treadmill last night (glutes are feeling it today!)….one of my favie workouts (just no downhill action, which I need). Must be time to rev up for a big race….

  23. I’m going to post my replies this weekend – fun! (The survey is fun, I mean, treadmill runs are NOT). I guess maybe I should have put a spoiler alert ahead of those parentheses. 😉

    I cannot imagine running 22 miles on a treadmill. Ye gods, woman!

  25. Michelle I’m already starting to worry about this weekend too. We have a bunch of snow in the forecast. If I need to run long on the mill, I need to start getting my head around that now.

  30. I love my treadmill. Ours will be 4 in March! I ran 8.5 this morning on it… I don’t think I’ve ever done more then 10– it’s great in the winter and does the trick especially this winter since it is so flipping cold ALL THE TIME!

  31. i hate the mill!! thought I liked it because it had been well over a year since I ran on one a few weeks ago and I was quickly reminded that they suck. I did 6 miles-that’s about my max. I don’t remember if i’ve run more than that or not. I just get so hot and so bored-even watching shows on the ipad.

  33. I used to ALWAYS BE FOUND on the treadmill, every single day, incline of 13%, speed 4mph – YEP. But it’s rough – it’s rough on your joints. And to be honest, I would hold on to the safety bar for dear life – so that is CHEATING! Now, I can always be found on the elliptical, lol! That beast is my bestie, even if we go through “fights” sometimes, ha ha ha! 😉

  34. The Treadmill is my enemy but it helped when i had to recover after the femur fracture. Now it is sadly alone, packed and forgotten, in my garage. Also the spiders don’t build the nets on it!

Trackbacks

thehealthyslice
About :: Race Reports / Training :: Recipes :: Product Reviews / Giveaways :: Linkups :: Coaching :: As Seen In :: Contact Me