I needed a reprieve from the cold mornings so I set up my short, three mile conversational pace run for the treadmill. To make it more interesting I mapped out three miles from my upcoming half marathon tune-up race in Laughlin, Nevada.
iFit Google mapping feature
One of the features I love about my treadmill is the ability to map out runs. Since my treadmill inclines and declines with the terrain, I can get a feel for the race course without ever having been there in person. It’s not always exact because my treadmill only declines to 3% and inclines to 15%. However, it does give me a sampling of the undulation.
I know if my treadmill shoots up to 15% incline and stays there for a long time that I am in for a heck of a hike on that course. However, if it simply goes up and down slightly then I know that the course is rolling but not necessarily a mountain climbing excursion.
I mapped out the portion of the course that heads up the dam road and crosses over the dam. On the return route the actual course heads down a trail along the Colorado River. However, Google Maps does not map trails so I programmed my treadmill map to return on the same road I came up.
I haven’t been putting very many miles on my treadmill lately so it was nice to get an easy run in on the machine. Since I didn’t need to prep for running in the cold and dark I was able to get on the treadmill and start my run quickly. I was planning to run my strides on the treadmill too but by the end of my run the sun had come out and it had warmed up outside. So, I changed into outside shoes and ran 8 strides in front of the house.
Listening pleasure
When I run at a conversational pace outside I usually listen to a podcast or audiobook to keep my pace easy. However, on the treadmill I prefer to listen to music. I’m not sure why that is exactly but it was the same today. I haven’t listened to my Spotify running playlist much since August when I ran my last race, so I decided it was time to dust it off and play it again.
Funny how this playlist keeps me pumped and running fast on the roads but simply keeps me entertained and running at all while on the treadmill. As much as I love my treadmill, it is still not as engaging as running outdoors and I need distractions.
Workout
- 3 miles at conversational pace on the treadmill
- 8 strides (20 seconds each with 1 minute rest in between)