I’ve been running on the treadmill to train for the Colorado Colfax Half Marathon. It has just been too cold or too dark to run outside and I’m alright with that. It’s been going o.k., except for the fact that I’d much rather run outside AND the treadmill injured me.

How, you may ask, did the treadmill – a non-living piece of equipment - cause injury? Well, I was trekking along, watching a bit of the boob tube, when it came unplugged. I guess when that happens to a treadmill, it applies the brakes abruptly. Needless to say, I came to an unexpected, quick, full stop – ugh!

It’s amazing how much faster I run when I’m outside versus on the treadmill. I ran four miles in about 43 minutes. Not bad… I also had an opportunity to let my mind wander and take in the scenery – something that I can’t do when I’m on the treadmill.

I’ve decided that I’m going to try to use the treadmill primarily for hill work. Crank up the incline and work on building the hamstring and thigh muscles. I also want to try to do a little weight lifting while on the treadmill – at slow speeds of course. Maybe then, the treadmill and I can be friends.

I’m sure I’ll hit the treadmill again, since some days it is impossible to secure time during the day to run outside. For now…I love the spring-like days in January. I’ll take them whenever I can get them.