When It’s Winter but You Hate Running on the Treadmill
Sometimes I really wish I didn’t hate the treadmill as much as I do.
When I checked the weather report last night so see what I was in for in the morning and saw 20 degrees with a real feel of 15 I almost wanted to curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep (not really but you get the idea, ha). I had two choices… 1. run my workout on the treadmill OR 2. get my butt to the track at o’dark thirty. Naturally I chose the track.
And so as I ran lap after lap around the track, fighting through the cold and wind and desperately trying to warm-up my fingers during my jogging rest I got to thinking…
What’s a treadmill-hating girl to do during the freezing winter months??
1. Learn to dress for the weather – There’s nothing worse than being under-dressed when you’re running in the cold! Learn to layer, wear a waterproof/windproof jacket, and keep your head and fingers warm with a hat and mittens (<– much warmer than gloves!)! Once you get it down you’ll be able to get through most of your outdoor runs feeling quite toasty!
2. Get used to being cold – Sometimes, no matter how warm you dress you’ll still feel pretty cold when you’re out there running in freezing temperatures. Keep telling yourself “it’s only temporary!” and “I’m so hardcore!” Then look forward to that warm shower and cup of coffee/hot cocoa/tea that you totally earned!!!
3. Find an indoor track near you – Sure, running in circles isn’t the most run thing ever BUT it is wayyyyy more fun that staring at yourself in the mirror in front of your treadmill for an hour (who wants to look at themselves for that long!?). Lots of local running clubs will meet up at an indoor track once a week and colleges have times when the public can use their indoor tracks free of charge. Whenever you want to get in a good quality workout and it’s too cold or icy to do it outside the indoor track is the place to be! [you can find an indoor track near you using this website!]
4. Rope some friends into joining you outside – Any run is better with friends, and running in the cold is no different! Knowing that you’re meeting up with someone else will get you out of bed on those dark winter mornings and chatting with your buddy will take your mind off the temperature!
5. Don’t be stupid – It’s possible for it to be TOO cold to go running outside. If that’s the case, don’t be stupid and go out for a run anyways! Take your run to the treadmill and do a little hill workout to switch things up and make the time go faster! Don’t have a treadmill? Take a rest day maybe do some light yoga – there are plenty of great workout videos that you can find online!!
Man – I’m looking forward to some good winter runs now! 😉
Do you hate, kinda like, or love the treadmill?
What are your tips for getting through the winter as a runner?
Coffee, tea, or hot cocoa after a cold winter long run??