There’s some snobbery in running circles about running outside versus running on the treadmill with the former being seen as the more valid form of the sport. I don’t think either is more valid than the other but running on the treadmill does get a bit boring.
Apparently there’s a world record for the fastest time to complete a marathon on a tradmill – of course there is there’s a marathon for everything these days! Eric Blake (USA) ran a complete marathon on a treadmill in 2:21:40 hours on 24 June 2006 at Malibu Fitness Center in Farmington (Connecticut, USA).
He must have had a good film or some pretty great tunes to keep him going – staring at myself in the mirror getting gradually more sweaty and out of breath is not something I could see myself doing for longer than about half an hour let alone 2 hours 21 mins. Obviously this is the main reason I won’t be setting a new ladies record for the treadmill marathon any time soon.
I’ve had a couple of moments when I’ve looked across at the row of people pounding their treadmills alongside me and thought how ridiculous it is. My gym is near my office and near the Thames. I’ve run during my lunch hour for the past year and now that the weather is nicer I think it would be much nicer to run along the river – and would make me feel less like a hamster on a wheel.
Also, there’s a recession on don’t you know and the current message is ‘cut back on spending’. So out goes the £53 per month gym membership and in comes the bi-monthly massage as reward for putting in those miles on the tarmac This carrot will hopefully work much better than the stick that is the guilt I feel at paying for the gym and not going my self-promised twice a week.