The recent snowfall (and lack of plowing in my neighborhood) has caused me to take my running inside. I’ve always had issues with using a treadmill. I end up running too close to the control panel and ripping the emergency stop button off or kneeing the console. Limited air-flow in my gym also leaves me a sweaty mess. My least favorite part of treadmill running in the gym: Lookie-loos. Those are the people that check out my screen and feel the need to pump their speed up to .1 mph faster than mine. Most of the time they end up running for a couple of minutes before turning off their machine and leaving the cardio area. I can’t help but shake my head.
Conversations with my wife and other female friends reveal that few males can stand when a woman is running faster than them. My favorite story involves my wife doing a little workout in the gym. She was scheduled for a longish brisk run. Not quite tempo pace, but for a good 45min. About halfway through the workout, a gentleman started up the treadmill next to her. In true Lookie-loo fashion, he saw her speed and raised his. One minute in, she said he looked like he was sprinting…pumping his arms and driving his knees. By 2:30, he was audibly panting. At 3:30 into his run, the dry heaves came. Four minutes into the run, his treadmill was off and she could see him in the mirror gagging into a trash can.
This is obviously a story about the worst offender. Everyone can learn from it, however. Running is a sport for everyone, provided that we approach it in an individualized manner. What is good for one person is not necessarily appropriate for the next. Knowing and accepting our current fitness levels is the name of the game. Gradual and intelligent progression from there will lead to the most benefits. So, you have two items to take your running to new heights in 2010. One, run to your ability and only incrementally increase training levels. Two, don’t run next to my wife in the gym unless you have quick access to a trash receptacle.
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