Surprise! It’s been a while since I’ve posted on a Tuesday, right? I’m working on trying to post more frequently. Due to the fear of boring you to death, we will take it slow and see how it goes!

This is how my Monday morning run looked:

Treadmill Survival1

Yeah, it was that great! It was a struggle fest from the beginning.

I’ve lucked out and haven’t had to run on the treadmill much post-marathon, but between Sunday and Monday’s run on it due to rain I don’t know how I managed to run so long on it previously. I think my body has to readjust to the treadmill.

 

No matter what type of run I am doing, I always use the same simple tips to help “trick” my mind into getting through the run. These really come into handy when you are having a tough day.

 

5 Tips for Treadmill Survival

Drinking Intervals

This may sound strange, but I have used this one for as long as I can remember. Every 6-8 minutes I will take a sip of water. Then I’ll focus on getting to the next interval and drink again.

This just enables you to cut up your run into smaller segments. Then, before you know it you’re done! This came in handy a lot when we lived in Erie and hard to run on the treadmill so much during the winter.

 

Netflix

I’ve been so far behind on a lot of my shows lately due to our crazy schedules. Not the end of the world, but treadmill running gives me the perfect time to catch up. Especially on easy days!

The current show of choice is Nashville.

 

Count Songs

Many times I will cover up the screen of the treadmill. Instead of focusing on time or mileage I will count songs. This gives me something else to focus on besides how far I have to go.

Sometimes I will throw in intervals, or just check to see how much has passed at that point. If you calculate how long you’ll be and knowing that an average song is 3-4 minutes – you will get a quick estimate of how long it will take you.

 

Focus on Form

There is no better time than when you are confined to a treadmill to focus on your form. Focus on how your feet are landing and make sure you are lifting from you quads.

The longer your focus on your form the quicker your miles will go by. Easy runs are also a perfect opportunity, so if you are stuck on a treadmill take advantage!

 

Intervals and Workouts

The final tip is pretty obvious, the more you switch it up the quicker it will go. Add in intervals, using either distance or time, or move you work out to the treadmill.

There is a time and place for outdoor workouts, but doing one every so often on the treadmill isn’t all that bad. It definitely makes the time go quicker.

Treadmill2

Don’t just focus on speed during your intervals either; try mixing up the incline to give yourself a different challenge.

[Tweet “5 Tips for Treadmill Survival via @LovingOnTheRun #run #runner #treadmill #running”]

 

The treadmill can be painful, but if you focus on other things you’ll find that it doesn’t have to be so bad. It may not be the case for everyone, but I find the more I run on the treadmill the easier it gets.

 

The winner of my Mighty Nut Powdered Peanut Butter giveaway is Linda Ruamthong! Congrats Linda! I’ve sent you an email.

 

What are your tricks for getting through treadmill runs?

How often do you run on the treadmill?

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