treadmill running

Smiling when on the treadmill: it’s possible!

Somebody told me yesterday that the day—January 26—was actually December 56th. She was right. There’s plenty of four-lettered reasons (snow, dark, blah) why January is a rough month, but when we’re nearly two years into the pandemic, December 56th, 2022 feels particularly acute.

Long story short: For our bodies, minds, and all that is good in the world, we gotta keep moving forward.

While spring will be here at some point TBD, today is not that day. We’ve still got a few more months when icy roads, on-line school, or some combo thereof, can limit your outdoor running. Which is why it’s good to brush up on how to keep things lively on treadmill workouts.

The words “boredom” and “treadmill” don’t have to go hand-in-hand, especially when you heed these three treadmill running tips:

1. Pump Up the Entertainment

Tell us something we don’t know, Dimity, right?

But seriously, if you can find a series you really like—and the episode length is close to the amount of time for which you want to run—you’ve kind of already won. I had an only-while-working-out rule for two recent hit shows: Succession and The Morning Show, and I will say, I was genuinely bummed when I hit the end of both seasons. I also like a fast-paced comedy like Insecure or New Girl (older, but new to me).

Also, given that I still have nightmares about Silence of the Lambs (especially anytime mentions fava beans), I’m not much for scary shows. But watching them in daylight while sweating, when I pay about 60% attention to them, is a good call. This is how I got through all the episodes of Mindhunter, a great, albeit frightening show, about the start of the FBI.

If you’re a desk jockey and the idea of staring at a screen for another hour has you cross-eyed, consider mining your younger years for your favorite albums/songs. There’s something about meaningful music from your past that passes miles on the treadmill.

You’re not running nowhere on a black belt; instead, you’re transported to the time when you were screaming out lyrics at your first concert (REO Speedwagon at the Minnesota State Fair) or braiding friendship bracelets (Upstairs at Eric’s by Yaz) or driving to college (Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls). You’ll end the workout with a smile on your face, ready to call your best friend from eighth grade.

2. Keep the EZ and LSD to a Minimum

While I will never trash an easy run—or an LSD (long, slow distance) run—I will say, the treadmill is a challenging place to make that feel as fulfilling as it does outside.

Tish Hamilton agrees with me. As she says in this beat-treadmill-boredom article: “Take your normal, regular run outside, one that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something but that hasn’t leveled you—whether that’s 2 miles or 6 miles—at your normal I’ve-got-this pace, whether that’s 10 or 15 minutes per mile.

Now put that same run at the same pace on a treadmill and O.M.G. It takes for-EVER. And this may just be me and my brain, but my “easy” pace outside feels SO much harder on the treadmill.”

Plus, let’s just say it: it’s frustrating when your easy pace outside doesn’t correspond with the treadmill’s speed. Why-gasp-is a 10-minute-gasp-mile so hard on a-gasp-treadmill when that’s my normal pace outside? It could be that your treadmill is not calibrated correctly or that you don’t have the mental stimulation of being outside.

Doesn’t matter: when your expectations don’t align with your reality, frustration can easily set in—and we’re guessing you might have enough of that in your life right now.

3. Challenge Yourself with New Workouts

Trust me on this: time always passes more quickly when you challenge yourself in a workout. The constant brain game of getting ready for the next interval, staying engaged during the tough parts, and recovering/soaking up sweaty accomplishment  breaks things up beautifully.

You can make up a workout on the fly (one song easy, one song hard x 10 songs), you can follow a workout on an app, or you can dig into one of of these six favorite treadmill running workouts from the Train Like a Mother Club coaches.

Whether you want to climb some Midwest Hills or do a combo treadmill/resistance band workout, we’ve got you covered. (Bonus points for doing one while listening to a mix tape from your senior year of high school!)

How is your treadmill running?
How are you keeping things lively on the black belt?