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Learning to Love the Treadmill
I’ll be honest, I am in the very beginning stages of learning to love the treadmill. In all reality I pretty much loathe it. For clarification purposes….. I L-O-A-T-H-E the treadmill! I try to trick my brain into liking it by calling it cute names like the happymill or the thrillmill but let’s face it, it’s still the dreadmilll.
I find the treadmill to be incredibly boring. It doesn’t matter if I watch TV or listen to music, I still find myself thinking that stabbing myself in the eye with a sharp object would be a less painful undertaking. My longest run I have ever done on a treadmill was 10 miles. That was TOUGH! Even the treadmill thought that I should have thrown in the towel as it turned itself off after 60 minutes. But I was training for my first half marathon and I was determined to get my long run in despite the snow storm that was brewing outside.
Now that it is Summer in Michigan, I am dealing with a whole different kind of weather debacle. Heat and humidity! I like running outside when it is warm but 80 degrees is my cut off point. Lately it has been in the 90′s and that is just not smart running weather. My choices are either to get up early in the morning to run (I already get up at 5am for work so that is not an option) or to enter into a truce with the treadmill. Obviously I have picked the latter option.
Knowing the tumultuous history the treadmill and I have had with each other, I knew that I needed to do something to dull the boredom of it and get me on the path of at least liking if not loving the treadmill.
Here are my 4 tried and true tactics to take the boredom out of running on the treadmill.
1. Race on the treadmill - Find an open treadmill next to a runner and race them. The person doesn’t even need to know that you are racing them but if you are competitive like I am, that will be enough to get you through your miles.
2. Speed Work – Speed work is very simple to do on the treadmill and it helps break up the run!
3. Hill work - Again another thing that is easy to do on the treadmill and it helps break up the monotony. The Nike Women’s half marathon is just about 4 months away and it is rumored to be hilly. The heat is a great opportunity for me to start training for hills!
4. Get in the zone – Pick a spot on the wall or some other stationary object in front of you and just get lost in your running. This is easier for me to do on the treadmill than outside as I tend to get distracted by the sounds and sights of the outside world and it is important to be aware of what is happening around you when you run outside. Running on a treadmill frees me of those responsibilities. I would like to think I look focused when I do this but I may just look possessed.
So what about you? Do you love or loathe the treadmill? What are some ways you beat the boredom of treadmill running?
Weekend Recap: Cute Kids & Country Music
My weekend started off with an extra 4 year old on Friday. Brennen’s friend that he has known since he was 6 months old was at our place for a sleepover!!! We went to the splash pad, ate some goodies and watched a few kiddie shows on TV. I am not sure who had more fun, me or them!
This pic is TOO cute!
One might think that it would be more difficult having an extra kid in tow but it was actually really great because it gave Brennen someone to play with so he didn’t need me to be his constant playmate. On the downside bedtime was doubly difficult though!
On Saturday I went to the Brad Paisley concert with a friend that I went to high school with.
Can you tell that we were having fun??
I wore this super cute but way too short dress.
Cowboy boots would have been a perfect way to complete the look. (Note to self: Get a pair of cowboy boots before my next country concert.)
The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert in the D. And if you don’t think that there is a HUGE country music fan base in Detroit….think again.
Detroit LOVES country music!
The first opener was Scotty McCreery. Not one of my favorites but he has a nice voice nonetheless. This was the only song that I knew other than an old Travis Tritt song that he played.
Next up was one of my favorite country bands, The Band Perry! LOVE them! I knew most of their songs and happily danced and sang along with them.
This is probably my favorite song by them right now.
Next up was the headliner himself ……Brad Paisley! Right from the start there was no question as to why his tours are so popular and why he wins so many CMA awards. He is a great entertainer! Full of energy, showmanship and a great voice to boot! Some highlights of his portion of the concert were him autographing one of his guitars and GIVING it to a little girl in the crowd. (I SO wish I was her!) He went up the aisles into the crowd COUNTLESS times and he even performed a few songs on a small stage near the lawn seats since he said those were the seats he could afford when he was growing up. He also explained why he named his tour the Virtual Reality Tour. (Keep in mind I am severely paraphrasing.) He said that country music is about reality. And at the same time it can provide you an escape from your current reality if need be. Especially when you add country music with beer. 
Here’s one of my favorite Brad Paisley songs.
My only complaints about the concert were primarily venue related. (Except for the cheesy duet Brad did with a digital image of Carrie Underwood.) The frozen drinks were not frozen and the mixed drinks looked and tasted different despite ordering the exact same kind both times. I also had no cell phone reception. I couldn’t communicate with the outside world! lol I couldn’t check in on FourSquare or post pics to Twitter or Facebook. Woe is me! lol Ironically my cell phone provider had a booth at the concert selling their phones. It also took us an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot and to the expressway. I know that leaving a concert is always difficult but that was a bit excessive. On the plus side the women’s bathroom line moved VERY quickly. That was a nice surprise!
All in all it was a great night and I would never let a few negatives impact a whole night of positives! If you ever get a chance to go to a Brad Paisley concert, I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed!
Taking it to the Puke Zone
You may remember that one of my running goals for 2012 is to PR the heck out of a 5k race or more specifically to run it in 27 minutes or less. A time that is certainly achievable with a little hard work. On Wednesday I decided it was time to start trying to complete that goal and I set out to do a 5k training run to see what kind of time I could manage if I pushed myself. Not to mention, I needed to run off a lot of stress so I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to see what I was made of.
The weather was perfect for a run. It was sunny and in the low 70′s with a light wind. My kind of running weather! From the beginning to the end of the run I pushed myself as hard as I could. At the end of the 3.1 miles I clocked just under 27 minutes 40 seconds. So just 40 seconds shy of my goal time. I was incredibly happy with that considering I am still not anywhere near the kind of shape that I was in when I ran the Tough Mudder. My knee pain and crazy work schedule are to blame for that but I know I will get there again.
Although I was happy with the time I was able to complete the 5k run in, I felt miserable at the end as I was feeling dangerously close to the puke zone. If you run or workout, I am sure you know what I am talking about. A lot of people see the puke zone as a positive sign that you pushed yourself to your limits and while I understand that, I still don’t like going there. I have had many runs where I have felt like I have given it my all while not going anywhere close to the puke zone. And those are the kind of runs I prefer.
At the end of this run I peeled all my running gear off and threw them half- hazardly on the floor where I eventually landed myself until I could will myself back to feeling human again.
How do you feel about the puke zone? Do you view it as a negative or positive part of training?
My Favorite Running Shorts
I have done what many runners only dream of! I have found THE perfect pair of running shorts.
With that being said it should be noted that the journey to finding my perfect pair of running shorts was a long and frustrating one but worth every wrong pair of shorts that I tried. And trust me, I have tried many.
Here are just a few that I have tried.
Some shorts were too long, too short, uncomfortable in the waist, rode up in the leg, rode up in the waist, didn’t conceal sweat, had too much fabric, didn’t have enough fabric…. I think you get the idea.
And then these shorts entered my life. And everything changed for the better. Well my running changed for the better anyways. I guess I can’t expect a great pair of running shorts to change my WHOLE life.
Nike Pro Core Compression Shorts
I am partial to fitted running shorts. I can’t stand lose shorts with all the extra material that has nothing to do but annoy me while I am running. However, the main issue with fitted running shorts it the whole riding up the leg thing that is equally annoying. Who wants to keep pulling the legs of their shorts down during a run? Not this girl!
These shorts have minimal riding in the legs if any and no riding anywhere else for that matter. The waistband is fantastically comfy. I love that I can even fold it over if I wish and it stays put! And in true Nike fashion the material is moisture wicking which is a must in my opinion and helps conceal the inevitable sweat that comes from a good run or workout.
Did I mention that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these shorts!!! 
What are some of your favorite running / workout gear?
My Bucket List
Recently I was cleaning out my nightstand and I came across my bucket list. Reading it over made me realize two things. 1) It desperately needed to be updated. There were many things on it that I really had no interest in doing any more. 2) I haven’t really accomplished many of the items on the list even though I wrote it back in 2010. So far the only items I have crossed off the list are run a 5k and go to a Garth Brooks concert. Because of that I figured I would post the list here and maybe that would encourage me to cross off some more items.
So here is my bucket list. It has everything from silly to serious and everything in between. In no particular order.
1. Travel to Greece- Someday when money allows I will see those sparkly blue waters.
2. Go on a cruise – Believe it or not, I have never been on one!
3. Take Brennen to Disney World – This was one of my favorite family vacations as a kid and I want Brennen to experience it too!
4. Take a cooking class – Not sure why about this one. But it seems like fun to me and I could learn something in the process.
5. Take a dance class – I love to go out dancing! So this would be so fun for me.
6. Go snowboarding - Hard to believe that I live in Michigan and I have never skied (other than cross country) or snowboarded! I am not a big fan of Winter but maybe if I had a Winter hobby I would be!
7. Try indoor rock climbing - I am deathly afraid of heights but I still want to do it. Should be interesting!
8. Go on a zip line – Not sure why I am feeling the need to torture myself with another height challenge but it looks like it would be fun if I could just get over my fear!
9. Go to a planetarium – This should be an easy one to cross off the list!
10. Go to New York City – Lots of things I would like to do there!
11. Be in the audience of a live TV show - Doesn’t matter which one. Just think it would be interesting.
12. Go to Tigers Opening day - I live in Detroit and I have never been to opening day for the Tigers. It seems like a great excuse to miss work for the day if you ask me!
13. Go to the Lions game on Thanksgiving – Again, as a Detroiter, it just seems like the right thing to do.
14. Make a bear at Build-A-Bear - This one is kind of silly but I have always wanted to do it and never have.
15. Run a marathon – This will have to wait until Brennen gets a little older so that I have more time that I can devote to training. But I would love to have a 26.2 sticker on the back of my car!
16. Pay for in-vitro for a couple who otherwise couldn’t afford it. - Obviously this will have to wait until I win the lottery or become much more financially stable. But I would love to give this kind of gift to someone since this is how Brennen came into our lives.
17. Try CrossFit - I love watching CrossFit on TV and I think it could be a very addicting workout for me!
18. Try Zumba – Dancing and working out all in one! Why not give it a go?
19. Ride a mechanical bull – This might involve some adult beverages first!
20. Find someone to grow old & grumpy with – Doesn’t everyone want this?
21. Finish Bachelor’s Degree – Better late than never.
22. Go to a corn maze – Never been but have always wanted to. Just not a scary corn maze, I don’t like scary stuff.
What is on your bucket list?
