(no subject)

[vicarz]

I decided because my legs are a little sore that I would not go running today. Then on the way home I realized the surprising fact I wanted to go running. Soon after, I came up with a plausible argument about why it was a good idea to go running tonight...then running at the gym...
"Gee, I'm already in the car. If I run at home I'll only do 2 miles. I might do it fast, but never as fast and consistently fast as on the treadmill. Think of the savings of gas by making it all one trip, and um...eh fuckit I wanna go."

So I went to the gym, realized my t-shirt was the CHOOSE DEATH t-shirt, and tried to pick the best treadmill near an interesting tv show. Fail - all the tvs were on either ESPN or ESPN2. Seriously - does anyone watch any of that? I mean we work out - why watch recycle sports?

I had a good day, or so I thought. I ran my first 10 minute mile like it was nothing, so I increased the pace to 6.5 mph. Another 10 minutes and I was sweating, but not cramped, so for the hell of it I increased it to 7 mph. I was getting tired at 25 mins, but still going so just to ... well no reason, but I finished my run at 7 mph. I was feeling like Randy Savage OHHHHHHHHH YEEEEEAAAAAHHH...until I looked down at the cooldown meter and realized my giant leap in treadmill settings had yielded less than half a mile's improvement in distance.

I though I was Brock until I checked my score and realized I was Dean.

Comments

[grymnir.livejournal.com]

but you're the doctor as I can't figure out how to handle the settings of my computers...treadmills at the local Golds.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I figured out that if you ignore the fact it's broken, so while it's begging you to "check heartrate" you just hit "manual program" it shuts up.

Manual > weight-then-enter > incline = 3.0 - enter > speed = 6.0 - enter > enter/start/go

Most machines have a default like that.

[cherrystarz.livejournal.com]

How long have you had that shirt? ;-)

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I used to have the sticker in the 90s - I only got the shirt from an old-schooler last year. He still makes them - I posted about it with his website at the time. He does punk/rockabilly material a lot - think faster pussycat kill kill made into a shirt.

[cherrystarz.livejournal.com]

Ah, perhaps I am remembering the sticker...

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Yay you for running. Do you do your whole run at a 3% incline?

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Yup, though the cool-down afterward is at zero incline. I haven't experimented with raising it over that - this is the goal I meant to reach, and I haven't really decided what to do next. Soon it'll be running outdoor weather...

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Congrats on hitting your goal! You could try decreasing the incline to 1-2% and see if that lets you run any faster. Or keep adding a minute to increase distance. Lots of nice places to run outside in your area. I'm jealous. I especially envied the folks who went jogging along the Mall in DC with all those museums lining either side. (I realize you don't live right there but it's just neat to think people can run there)

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Oh I do totally appreciate where I live. Granted, I chose it and I live in this tiny expensive dump rather than a much bigger/nicer house in the suburbs...but when I go running BESIDE MY HOUSE and see tourists taking pictures of things I use as mile markers, or people getting out of their cars and stretching from the drive as they warm up to run BESIDE MY HOUSE I get all validatey :)

I'm not going to decrease the incline - I enjoy not being all "speed for the sake of speed," plus I saw a calculator that noted running on a treadmill is easier than running the same speed outside due to no wind resistance (I think the correction was like 1.2). I could up my distance, but I'm still trying to balance enough cardio to lose my not-washboard belly with enough food and rest to gain strength. It's insane wanting both!