The Treadmill: A Lesson in Patience

I don't work on Fridays (because I love my job), so it's always a bit of a wild card if I'm going to get up and workout or not.  Today I got a text from my neighbor the lots were being plowed at 1pm (put the sign somewhere I'll see it next time), so I used that time to hit the gym.  (Snow had melted off the lots by 1pm anyways.)

My "goal" distance was 6 miles.  For some reason, I wanted to do some of that six miles on the treadmill.  I have no idea what wild hair caused the urge.  Treadmills are the opposite or road running.  They teach pacing, calm, and relaxation if used correctly.  When the treadmill is spinning at 6mph, running harder doesn't actually make the pace faster.  It just means using more energy to accomplish the same pace.  So it teaches patience and relaxation, even at a pace that feels like a challenge torture. 

I finished up by walking and running around the track.  For entertainment sometime, try running on land after an hour on the treadmill.  See how your legs feel.  Mine were sort of like rubber.  Happily, I had drummers and dancers (drummers!) to entertain me on the track.  I have no idea who they were, or if they were practicing for a performance (or giving one?) but it was pretty cool. 

I'd like to thank the following songs for a great workout:
Foster the People - Helena Beat.  New this week to my playlist.
Fort Minor - Believe Me, also new to the list.
Pitbull - I Know You Want Me.  I love Pitbull.  His purpose is similar to Lady Gaga.
Sean Paul - Temperature.  This one has been on and off playlists since I started to run.  Boom.