Run Eleven: On A Treadmill

The stats are wonky because of me doing this
on a treadmill.

I did my first run ever on a treadmill during my first ever time in a fitness center this morning. It was an interesting experience. There were a whole bank of TVs silently showing things from CNN to the Oprah channel to Univision's Spanish Language children's programming. I can not even guess why anyone had the kid's show with the puffy purple elephant (presumably in Spanish, though there was no sound from any of them) on in a gym where no one under 13 is allowed. There were some really inspiring people who I want to be able to run like (one woman was doing sprint intervals and looked like a painting of a goddess). I could listen to music for the first time (and now know that "And She Was" by the Talking Heads is Awesome To Run To). 

I joined the gym because the weather is going to be very cold and dry and windy the next few days and I can't keep beating up my lungs with cold-and-exercise-induced asthma. I had two attacks that each kept my lungs hurting for a couple of days last week. 

Running on a treadmill is definitely easier -- I was able to run for five minutes without much trouble and even did a six-minute run, though that took some willpower. My speed wasn't anything to write home about (3.something miles per hour when running) but that's about where I'm at. I feel like maybe I was able to run better because I could breathe better, but I'm not sure. It probably also helped actually being able to get my muscles warmed up walking before I started with the running. It's been cold enough outside every time I've run that I don't really get to feeling warm until about half-way through. 

Which probably means I'm doing something wrong.

Anyway, so how did the run go? Pretty well, on the whole. 

The week four running program is: 3 minutes of running, 1 1/2 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2 1/2 minutes of walking, repeated twice. My goal for the run was to do all of one five minute interval and at least three minutes on each of the other running intervals, for a total of 14 minutes of running. Somehow I managed to miss a cue (even though I was in the nice quiet confines of the gym and listening to music straight into my ears), so I didn't wind out following the program exactly right. * facepalm * I did make my goal for the total time -- I ran the first three minutes, the first five, and then added a sixth minute on to the second five.

I think the treadmill is going to be good for building my cardiovascular health, even if it isn't as good for developing as a runner. My endurance {and keeping my breath to the extent that's different) has always been a weak point for me. Even when I'm walking, I get winded pretty easily. I don't want to treadmill every day but there are going to be some good sides to it, I think. 

Next run is scheduled for Monday. I'll be going back to the gym because it's supposed to be bitter cold (wind chills not too much above 0F). Goal for the run -- either run all of everything (without missing any cues for a change) or run at least 14 minutes again at a faster pace. I'll be overjoyed if I can run all of everything *and* go at a faster pace. I'm hoping that Wednesday it will be warm enough to go outside again -- I don't want to do all of Week 4 on the treadmill.