Can We Please Share the Road Until Springtime?
For a brief time every winter, we runners are forced onto the roads with the rest of the world. Can't we all just get along and share the road?
Love it or hate it, running on the treadmill can be a necessary evil for a marathon runner.
The treadmill.
What say you?
Do you love it? Loathe it? Personally, I’m split right down the middle.
In the winter, I love it.
OK, no, let’s not go that far.
But I am definitely grateful to have it. When the roads are icy, the wind is vicious, and your only alternative is risking a hip on black ice, the treadmill feels like a gift from the running gods. Do I enjoy running in place for hours? No, I do not. But again, if it’s the only option, I am not going to complain. So yes, I do love it when I need it but I don’t love that I need it. Does that make sense? It’s a complicated relationship.
The Dreadmill. The Belt. The Hamster Wheel.
We’ve all had our names for it.
After running for more than 40 years, logging miles on both roads and the machine, I’ve come to accept the full spectrum: the pros, the cons, and the “dreadmill” reality in between.
I’ve lived in the Boston area since 2001. That’s a lot of winters. And there are things I enjoy about the season: the holidays, skiing, winter track, and that magical first snowfall when the dogs lose their minds and the kids run around like banshees. Even the occasional snow day when you’re forced to stay inside and be lazy—yes, fine, I’ll take it.
But if all of that could happen within about a two-week span? That would be ideal.
Back in February of 2015, we had a snow day every single Monday of the month. At the time, I had two kids in grade school. Obviously, I was training for the Boston Marathon. And no, at that point, I did not own a treadmill. So whenever I got desperate—which was pretty much every week that month—I went to the YMCA.
I remember one Sunday night I ran a 20-miler on the treadmill while watching the Super Bowl. Around mile 16, the staff shut off most of the lights. I was the only one left. I knew they wanted to go home. I felt terrible … but I also knew the next day was almost certainly going to be another snow day, and I was not missing two runs in a row.
Sorry. Not sorry.
If I’m being honest, winters have gotten milder since then. That’s probably not a good thing as far as climate goes but I will go ahead and reap the benefits of the situation. We haven’t had snow like that in years (leaves to go knock on wood). And while it does get cold, it’s somewhat manageable with good gear. More often than not I am opting for outside. But there are some situations when I just can’t deal. And these have gotten worse since I have gotten older.
I’m guessing I’m a little more cautious than 30-year-old Rebecca but I also have a harder time motivating when Old Man Winter is working against me. If the streets are icy it’s a hard NO for me. I’m not risking it.
If it’s whipping wind, I’m probably gonna bow out. In this case, because I am a wuss.
If it’s snowing, I’m all in. Happy to be out there with the snow coming down. That said, this usually means the sidewalks are out of commission and if the roads get too narrow I have to start fighting with cars who don’t like to share, then back inside I go. I’d say I’m on the belt about two days a week from December through March.
There are definitely other reasons that I prefer the treadmill to the street. If I’m traveling and I don’t feel safe running alone or don’t know my way around, I tend to run inside. If I have a really hard workout or a long one or both, I like being able to get on and zone out rather than having to deal with street crossings and lights that require me to slow down or stop and lose my rhythm.
It’s also nice to have fluids available to sip on throughout the session. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use the treadmill to help me with pacing once in a while. If I’m staring down something really challenging and I’m not feeling super confident, I have been known to use the treadmill to help me hit goal pace. Some might call it a crutch. And perhaps that’s true. But, my coach always says, I’m still doing the work. And it all counts in the end.
As far as workouts go, sometimes it’s harder to do specific interval workouts on a treadmill for a number of reasons. Personally, I struggle to keep track of specific distances. I also have a hard time staying focused on my pace changes. And then, of course, I am that person that hits the button 10 times to get to the pace I’m looking for because even though it is clear as day, it still seems complicated while I’m running in place.
So, if I have that type of workout I will change the intervals to periods of time rather than distance. For example, if I’m doing 8 x 1000 outside, I might do 8 x 4 minutes at my usual hard workout effort on the treadmill. There are tons of treadmills out there with so many options for workouts but mine is pretty basic so if I’m offering advice for those who are in the same boat, it is to keep things as simple as possible.
Bottom line? There are a lot of good things about this people-moving machine. And while I respect those who say outside or bust. I’m going to politely disagree. Life is hard enough as it is. Training for marathons makes it that much harder. If there is a tool to help me get through without pulling my hair out then, yes, I’m going to take advantage. Happy running, wherever you prefer to do it.
Boston-area editor-at-large Rebecca Trachsel is a mom, a competitive age-group marathoner, a high school cross country and track coach, and music lover with a coffee problem. She’s still chasing big goals and having a blast along the way.
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