At some point during Week 2, I found my marbles while running on the treadmill. They say that running is 10% physical and 90% mental, but running on the treadmill, I promise you, is just 100% mental :) It took a couple of weeks of practice to get to where I really enjoyed my treadmill runs, and the more I practiced enjoying it, the more I actually, legitimately enjoyed it, until I was able to get up to 2 hours without wanting to stab my eye out with a spoon! Yay.
Here are the things I love about treadmill running:
- I can run to my heart's content before 6:00 a.m. and still have time to stretch, make coffee, and sometimes even shower, before my little sweetheart comes down the stairs each morning. We then have more time throughout the day for fun little hikes and exploration.
- The impact to my stupid plantar fasciitis foot is greatly reduced. After the first week of running on the treadmill, I have had no twinge of it, whatsoever. It had started to creep back after bumping up my miles in September.
- I can listen to music without putting things in or on my ears or arms (which gives me serious sensory overload which is why I hate running with music...just don't like a lot of things touching me while I run)
- I don't have to worry about running into cars, skunks, deer, or stopping for crosswalks
- Speedwork is more enjoyable! And pacing work.
What I don't love about treadmill running:
- lack of wind
- I miss the smell of fresh air
- I miss watching the sun come up
- I miss seeing wildlife (except skunks)
- I miss the different textures and grades of whatever running surface you are on
- I miss exploring new routes (sometimes)
- I miss the impact, which sounds weird, but it's true. I like the feeling of the impact from running.
- I miss feeling like I am getting a metal massage, like I am working out all of life's little problems in my brain while I run. I don't do that on the treadmill, for some reason. Probably because I am listening to music.
- Watching the clock - I miss the feeling that I could run forever, without stopping and imagining myself as Forest Gump, haha. Seriously.
Here are some other new things that happened during Week 3:
- Henry figured out how to take all of the caps off of my lip balms and properly apply lip balm by himself, without eating it, and also apply it on my lips/general face area
- We finally ate at Homer's (the local drive-in hamburger and shakes joint). Solid C+ for good onion rings and because Henry liked the salt-less smiley fries. Life is too short to return to C+ places...so...yay for trying a new place, in any case :) The Yard House and my own house still have my favorite burgers around these here parts.
- I finished my John Muir book and Nephew #5's blanket (finally)!
- Definitely have begun to notice some new and more mature expressions of emotion in my Son. It's kind of neat to watch him grow in this way, even though I wish he didn't have to, you know? Ted has been able to record some cute little messages for him using words like "happy" and "sad", which he definitely has responded to and loved.
