There’s something about the way your body feels after a run in the cold. The usual aches are there — sore muscles, legs feeling heavy — but when you run in the cold, you feel it in your bones.
Even runs on the treadmill inevitably bring me back outside, trudging back to my apartment in layer after layer, just trying to power through.
I envy those that enjoy running on the treadmill. At best, I tolerate it, knowing the ends justify the means. What am I going to do? Not run? I found myself making that short walk to my apartment gym six times this week, each walk less enjoyable than the last. After last Sunday’s run, I was mentally preparing myself for multiple runs inside throughout the week. In hindsight, I don’t know if I missed something in doing so, but I never felt as good as I would have hoped when things got going.
First, ice kept me inside. Then, snow. Finally, sub-zero temperatures, on top of all that ice and snow. By the time Thursday and Friday arrived, I found myself caught a bit in my feels for how hard this all was. How little fun I was having. The foot issue from the previous week had disappeared. But that cold feeling? That feeling of aches down to my bones? It wouldn’t go away, leftovers from the lone run I did outside on Wednesday. On Saturday night, I essentially made a pact with myself: I wasn’t going to feel sorry for myself on Sunday. I don’t have to run; I get to run.
This week in podcasting:
Taggart VanEtten joined me for the second podcast of 2024 in a conversation that fit the week pretty well, given he’s the world-record holder for fastest 100-mile run on a treadmill. We discussed that — why do it? — as well as his love of running far rather than running fast. Plus, why he left his former profession due to running.
The log:
January 8th: 6.19 miles
January 9th: 12 miles
January 10th: 14 miles
January 11th: 6.01 miles
January 12th: 10.01 miles with 5 at Lactate Threshold pace
January 13th: 6 miles
January 14th: 16 miles
Total: 70.21 miles
Year to date: 137.3 miles
January 8th: As mentioned above, ice was the name of the game on Monday. I took Banks for a walk first thing in the morning — the last of the week, sadly — and while I felt ok with my boots on, I worried my running shoes, even with spikes, wouldn’t be as safe as I’d like.
Got to the gym later that morning for a recovery run. Two things threw me off and it led to a meh run and the start of a meh week. First, I had a bagel that morning instead of a banana, figuring I wouldn’t run as early as normal, so it wouldn’t be a problem. In terms of heart rate, it was. Second, my watch had an update that removed a particular treadmill setting I use to match my pace up, which had my mind focused on that instead of my run1.
All that to say, that’s why my run was 6.19 miles instead of 6, since I went to 6.00 on the treadmill before I finished up. HR was 124 on average, which obviously isn’t anything bad, but it’s usually lower on the ‘mill. Not a fun start to the week.
January 9th: Tuesday’s run was a little bit better. Didn’t focus on my watch too much, except to keep an eye on my HR. Knew I’d be able to calibrate it at the end. I was on the treadmill for 1:33:32 and the longer I went, the more I imagined exactly where I’d be on West Papio. It helped move things along, thankfully. Averaged 7:47 across the 12 miles with my HR at 133 throughout. With 14 on tap for Wednesday, I was hoping I’d be able to get outside.
January 10th: I did.
I kinda regret it.
Last September, I wrote about Flanagan Lake closing some of the trail for construction. A 5.25-mile loop has since turned into a mile that connects only to the north loop, which is a bit longer than two miles. 14 miles meant I’d have to go around and around close to a half-dozen times, but that seemed more enjoyable than close to two hours on the treadmill, especially with 16 on tap Sunday.
So, I went to Flanagan, spikes and all. Temps were in the teens with the feels like in single-digits. I layered up, knowing I’d have wind at my back heading north and against me going back south. This led to feeling a bit overdressed one way and fairly comfortable the other, sans the wind right in my face.
I’ll be honest though; In no way did I enjoy this one. I didn’t feel like dealing with exposed skin, so I mostly went off feel and didn’t peek at my watch too often — I know my pace fairly well — and decided to hang around 8:00-per mile. The footing was pretty good for the most part, which made things a little harder. Spikes in the snow? Fine. Spikes on the ice? Helps peace of mind. Spikes on the concrete? I’d rather not. Throw in the monotony of a 2ish-mile loop and the mental fortitude and tricks I find myself using on the treadmill were also being used at the lake.
My pace picked up after the halfway mark. Not checking my watch too much, my HR started to climb as well. I was rarely in the 140s and eventually a mile averaged 162 and 166, way higher than I’d have expected for the pace I was running. By the time I finished, I was happy to be done. 7:51-per with my HR averaging 151. The trails weren’t going to be clear for at least a week, but I decided I wouldn’t be hitting up Flanagan again for a while.
January 11th: My body very much enjoyed Thursday’s six-mile run back inside. Slowed things down, averaging 9:13-per mile, and kept my HR where I want it, going 119 throughout.
January 12th: Friday’s run would bring my first true workout ever on a treadmill. I have done 100-meter strides once or twice, a weird challenge of its own. This run would start with three miles easy before I bumped things up to my Lactate Threshold-pace for five miles, before a couple more easy to finish. The issue with going that fast was that my HR wouldn’t really get as high as I needed it to, so I’d just run as fast as I would have aimed for outside.
Decided to start at 7.7 miles per hour — a 7:47 mile — for the first three, before going 10.1 mph for the first three LT miles — 5:56 miles — 10.2 mph for the fourth LT mile — 5:53 — and finished at 11 mph — 5:27. It was challenging, but given how frustrated I often was the first four runs of the week, it went better than I hoped. Finished with a couple 8:00-miles and was ready to get going with the rest of my day. Overall, 6:51-per with the HR averaging 143. Solid.
January 13th: The coldest day of the week (to that point, at least) arrived and I again made my way over to the gym. Six more recovery miles ahead of a Long Run on Sunday, I went 9:13-per again. HR averaged 120.
January 14th: I wrote the majority of this newsletter Saturday, in a way wish my mental funk away into the run Sunday morning.
Thankfully, it worked.
16 miles on the treadmill, I got going and really did feel so much better than I had throughout the week. Maybe it was the extra stretching and rolling I did on Saturday night. Maybe it was writing so much of this down. Maybe it was being excited about the Dallas Cowboys playoff game that was coming up later that day2. Whatever it was, I got going and felt strong early and often. And while it’s hard for two hours on the treadmill to go by fast, I didn’t find myself looking at the clock as often as I would have on Thursday or Friday. 7:42-per mile, my HR averaged 135. I trudged back to my apartment in the cold, feeling good. Feeling accomplished.
Writing this all out I found myself realizing I don’t have as much to say about treadmill runs as I do ones outside. I don’t know exactly when I’ll see cement again on a run, but I’m looking forward to it. This was one of my challenging weeks of running since 2020. Here’s to it making me stronger.
Come to find out, at the end of the run, you’re able to calibrate the distance to each other, so focusing on that was a complete waste of time.
Oops.