Seven Miles of Not-So-Dreadmill

on December 9, 2012
in All Posts

I asked a very serious question on Twitter this morning.

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And I got some amazing responses.  My favorite thing was how many people simply replied, “Yes.”

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Craziest response? Stacey – she ran TWENTY MILES on a treadmill once.  I thought to myself, “If Stacey can do 20, I can totally do 7.”

 

Why was I intent on running 7 indoors?  Well, Henry seemed full of energy this morning, and I thought letting him work out his madness at my gym’s daycare seemed like a good idea.  This was his second daycare experience, and he likes it so much that I bought a package.  I’m not sure how this compares to other gyms (I bet a lot offer free childcare), but ours is $3 per hour if you buy the biggest package and $4 if you pay by the hour.  Not bad at all.

 

Luckily, my treadmill had a TV and a Christmas movie was just starting as I got on (12 Dates of Christmas on ABC Family… which was as awesome as you would expect it to be <—read: terrible).

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My goals for this run – which was my long run of the week – was to run it as fast as possible and survive.  I average 9.20-mile overall, and at the halfway mark, I got off the treadmill and went to check on Henry.

 

Creepin’ through the window…

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He seemed pretty happy so I returned to the dreadmill and banged out another 3.5 miles.  I think the combination of going fast + having a movie to watch + breaking the run up at the halfway mark was key.  The 7 miles flew by, and I was pretty surprised that I only experienced one moment of OMG I HAVE TO GET OFF THIS DAMN MACHINE.  I don’t normally do over 3 on the treadmill, so that’s saying something!

 

Questions for you:  1) What’s the longest you’ve run on a treadmill? and 2) If you’re a momma, do you use your gym’s childcare?  How much does it cost?

{ 70 comments }

 

  • Cindy December 9, 2012, 2:03 pm

    I must be in the minority or I’m just plain weird, but I would rather run on the treadmill. I don’t like to be cold or wet, and it is pretty much always that in Glasgow. That and I find I can pace myself better on the treadmill and don’t have to worry about people/cars/buses/etc. If I were to run outside I’d prefer to run on a track so I don’t have to worry about the above, but sadly there are very few public ones in Glasgow, and none near where I live.

    • Wendy December 9, 2012, 3:07 pm

      Cindy, I’m weird like you, because I LOVE my treadmill! I do 95% of my running on the treadmill (run at 4:30 am before work) – and my longest treadmill run was 26.2 miles!

  • Anne @strawberryjampackedlife December 9, 2012, 2:11 pm

    For our final training run for a half marathon, we had to run 10 miles. Unfortunately it was rainy and cold, so we had to do it on a treadmill. I took lots of breaks (probably too many) and enjoyed watching some RHOA. It really stunk, but we did it!

  • Karen @ Run Shop Travel December 9, 2012, 2:12 pm

    I did 13 on a treadmill when I was marathon training on vacation. It wasn’t that terrible – the last mile was the hardest for me but I finished it! Normally I would check out a place to run on vacation but I was in Bermuda where they drive on the other side from the US so I thought that would make things a little too confusing – nevermind the super narrow roads and 85 degree weather!

  • Tanya December 9, 2012, 2:13 pm

    I think the longest I have ever run on a treadmill is 5 miles. I would rather run through rain, snow, and sleet simultaneously than do more than that. I only do treadmill running when it is so icy outside that it’s dangerous to be out running. Thankfully that very rarely happens where I live.

  • Cailin December 9, 2012, 2:15 pm

    I did 22 miles on the treadmill last December before the Disney marathon. I got a lot of crazy looks at the gym. I was avoiding running in the heat in Florida and only planned on 15 instead of my 20 miler. Also I had a cracked rib and was on the tail end of bronchitis.
    I used to use my gym daycare – but we have a new treadmill arriving tomorrow.
    Just had my third baby 4 weeks ago and I don’t have time to get to the gym during daycare hours!

    • Sarah @climbinvegan December 9, 2012, 3:12 pm

      You are one strong women… 22 miles AND three kids? inspiration to all of us 🙂

      • Cailin December 9, 2012, 7:36 pm

        The running is what keeps ,e same;)

  • Isabelle December 9, 2012, 2:21 pm

    That’s funny- I did 7 miles on a treadmill yesterday! My record is 10 miles..I’ve done10 miles a few times, but not a bit past ten. That is truly my boredom limit on the treadmill 🙂 I agree that splitting it up is crucial- I do 4 or 5, refill my water/use the restroom, then just do a “few ” more:)

  • lyn December 9, 2012, 2:24 pm

    My average run is 7 miles, usually done on a treadmill since I’m an early riser (around 4AM). I’ve logged many miles on treadmills. The longest I’ve run on a treadmill is 10 miles. It’s definitely NOT fun and it takes longer to get into my ‘zen zone’. A few ways I combat boredom: find treadmill with a TV and have solid play mix. If desperate I will go when the gym is busy because the competitive side of me keeps me going as I log the miles. Nothing makes me feel better than lasting longer than the person on the treadmill next to me. I’d like to suggest that someone make a virtual running chamber where you’re surrounded by different scenery that simulates an outdoors run to combat the boredom of the ‘dreadmill’.

  • Shel@PeachyPalate December 9, 2012, 2:28 pm

    I’ve done 10 miles…and loved it! Guilt free tv watching!

  • Holly A. December 9, 2012, 2:37 pm

    Oh those twitter responses are awesome! So glad to see that you survived! I try to tune into my music on the treadmill but I wouldn’t trade my outdoor runs for the warmth of a treadmill even when it’s snowing or raining.

  • Elizabeth December 9, 2012, 2:37 pm

    WOW, 7 on the treadmill! That’s awesome. I have tried running on the treadmill for some of my runs when it gets really late at night (a lot of my workouts tend to be that way since I’m in college, haha!). I CANNOT run as long as I can outside though! It might be because the gym is so so warm but I have to stop at every mile instead of finishing 3 like I usually do (and it feels awful- thank goodness for water fountains). So, I’m hoping the winter isn’t bad so I can run most of my runs outside (plus, no treadmill when I’m hope for break)!!

  • Jackie December 9, 2012, 2:43 pm

    I like running on the treadmill, it’s so much more gentle on my body than the crappy sidewalks in my neighborhood. 10 is the most I’ve done.

    I don’t belong to a gym – but I used to and there were time limits on the machine. Those jerks.

  • Katie December 9, 2012, 2:47 pm

    I did 8 when I was on Spring Break in March. I was hungover, too. But my first half marathon was a week after that, so I knew if I didn’t run I would be in worse shape! It actually went really well. I just kept visualizing all the toxins from the night before leaving my body. And knowing that I had paid a $10 guest fee to run at the gym down the street while all my friends were still sleeping made me feel like a badass haha.

  • Kelly December 9, 2012, 2:48 pm

    16 miles on a rainy day. I love the treadmill. After some random dude exposed himself to me while running near my house I don’t feel as safe running outside alone. It’s also SO hot outside most of the year in Florida.

  • Taya December 9, 2012, 2:54 pm

    My longest run was 20 miles while training for a marathon. It was wayy too hot outside, but I was determined to train! It was the longest I had ever run in my life, and to be even more insane, I took a Yoga class afterward. Ugh. I’d been hoping the Yoga would feel good on all of my tight muscles, but it was so challenging. I think the instructor put in a whole series of planks and Warrior 3 holds just to be evil.

  • Clare @ Fitting It All In December 9, 2012, 2:57 pm

    I ran 17 on a treadmill during marathon training two winters ago! Ice = i had to!

  • Amanda K. December 9, 2012, 2:59 pm

    Way to go! I started running on the treadmill a lot more after my son was born. It’s easier for me to workout during the day when my husband is at work, which means I either have to run with the stroller, at the gym or not at all. Sometimes the treadmill is more attractive than running with the stroller 🙂 (esp because i can watch real housewives on the treadmill!)

    Our gym has childcare for an extra $2 a month…not bad!

  • Elizabeth M. December 9, 2012, 3:08 pm

    The longest I’ve ever run on a treadmill was 11 miles. It did not go well. There was this guy on the elliptical behind me for like 30 minutes clearing his throat very loudly (one of my biggest petpeeves and I wanted to punch someone in the face (not someone, him) but at least he distracted me! Since I’m going to be training for a half during winter again(I’m just smart like that) weather makes a huge difference so I’m sure I will have to endure it again.

  • Hillary December 9, 2012, 3:12 pm

    When I was training for my last half (last winter) I ended up doing a 10 and 11 mile run on the treadmill. Honestly, with a magazine and music, it wasn’t so bad!

  • ashley December 9, 2012, 3:55 pm

    Maybe when he’s older, drop him off there and run outside?

    • Caitlin December 9, 2012, 6:04 pm

      You can’t 🙁

      • Amanda K. December 9, 2012, 6:46 pm

        you can’t do that at our gym either, but ours does have a running group that meets once a week and if you’re running with the group then you can drop them off — haven’t done it yet but i think it’s a great idea.

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More December 9, 2012, 4:09 pm

    I’m definitely keeping this in mind. I have plans to run 5 miles tomorrow and I’m afraid I’m going to end up having to run it on the treadmill because we’re due for some potential snow tomorrow and I’m afraid of slipping on the ice while I run. A movie is a good idea so I might have to time my run at just the right time… 😉

  • Jennifer Cook December 9, 2012, 4:17 pm

    My husband did 3 (!!) 20 mile runs on the treadmill when training for his first marathon. It was so hot here, he didn’t have much choice!

  • jenny December 9, 2012, 4:23 pm

    The most I have run on the treadmill was 6 miles. It was horrible; definitely a mental challenge.
    I use my gym childcare regularly. It is $1 per child for up to 2 hours. If you get the package, it is 30 visits for $25. I’ve paid as much as $2 per child before (at another facility), but with 3 kids that adds up fast!

  • Sam @ Better With Sprinkles December 9, 2012, 4:28 pm

    I did 8 miles once…and that was about a year and a half ago. Right now, anything longer than 3 drives me insane.

  • Abby December 9, 2012, 4:38 pm

    I also love/prefer treadmill running! 10 miles is the longest distance I’ve ran on one and it wasn’t so bad. The daycare at our rec center is free with a membership but I hardly ever use it, its always super full.

  • michelle December 9, 2012, 4:59 pm

    A blog I read, Run EMZ, did a 100 mile treadmill run. That’s not a typo! She regularly runs 20+ miles on the treadmill and I can’t believe it when I see her instagram pics.

  • Amy @ Extracurricular Activities December 9, 2012, 5:08 pm

    The most I’ve ever done on a treadmill is 10 miles, and I was running verrry slowly. You would think that would make it super boring, but somehow the slow running made it easier. I think that was about 2 years ago, and I haven’t run that far on a treadmill since if that tells you how enjoyable it was! It never gets crazy cold in Houston so you can pretty much run outside whenever, luckily for me. I don’t have kids, but I hear my gym (YMCA) has great free daycare. When I do have kids I plan to take full advantage of it! Such a great option for moms who don’t have regular help but still want to stay fit.

  • Kyla December 9, 2012, 5:11 pm

    I actually did run 20 miles on the treadmill once, but I had no other choice! It was in the middle of August in St. Louis(St. Louis summers equal death), I was scheduled to go to a Cards/Cubs game that afternoon and celebrate a 21st birthday, and I was training for a marathon. I was not about to go run at 5 am by myself when it was still dark and some of the crazies were out, so I sucked it up and went to my apartment gym. Luckily, MTV plays music videos at early hours in the morning so I had that on and broke my run up into 5 mile intervals. After, 5 miles I would stretch, and at some points eat a cliff bar. It wasn’t the best run but I was consistent and got er done.

  • Heather December 9, 2012, 5:29 pm

    I watched 12 Dates of Christmas today on Netflix. As in… I chose that movie. I needed a bit of holiday cheese.

    Great work getting it done, friend!

  • Jenny V December 9, 2012, 6:05 pm

    My longest mill run was 10 miles during half mary training. I always have a playlist ready and I do ladder runs to help build speed. I vary the ladders workouts and sometimes do a simple version – last .20 of each mile is pace + burst (e.g. 6.0, 6.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.8, 7.0)

    http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/running/training/running-ladders1.htm

  • jen December 9, 2012, 6:16 pm

    i love teh 12 dates of christmas! zack morris is so cute! thats one of my favorite bad christmas movies of all time haha

  • Lee December 9, 2012, 6:20 pm

    I did 9 once. My gym doesn’t have tvs on the treadmills. It was pretty torturous.

  • Rachel December 9, 2012, 6:54 pm

    I think the max I’ve ever run on a treadmill is 4 or 5 miles. But I’m decidedly not a distance runner; it definitely get boooooring! So kudos!

    We belong to the YMCA & our branch offers free childcare & let me tell you, it is a God send! Not only do my kids *love* it there, but it offers me some “me” time. It was pretty much the selling point for me. And here in rainy Seattle, it’s nice to have a place to go to & get out of the house. We all tend to get a little stir crazy around here!

  • Callie December 9, 2012, 6:54 pm

    My gym’s daycare costs $10/month for the first child then $5/month for each additional child. I go 3-4 times each week so I end up paying less than $1 per visit for my 2 kids.

  • Christine @ BookishlyB December 9, 2012, 6:59 pm

    I ran 20 once. Crazy. If you go into it knowing this is the way it has to be and have plenty of music and episodes of Gossip Girl it’s all good.

  • Allie December 9, 2012, 7:20 pm

    Farthest I’ve ever run on a treadmill is 13.1. It was a PR, too! Too bad it doesn’t really count.

  • Molly @ Happy&Healthy December 9, 2012, 8:03 pm

    Congrats! I ran 8 the other day but there was nothing on TV at all, so I was dying of boredom.I ended up stopping every 5 mins (after mile 5) as a way to break it up haha, so I probably actually didnt run the full 8

  • suzie December 9, 2012, 8:29 pm

    I love the treadmill. I pretty much only run on it, routinely running approx 40 milesd a week on it, usually each of my average runs is 9-11 miles. Ive run a bunch of 20 milersd on it in the past. I guess i just like having complete control of my pace

  • Stephanie December 9, 2012, 8:32 pm

    I have a family membership at the Y for $100 per month which includes unlimited daycare and it is awesome. My girl loves the ladies and the facility is so nice with an awesome pool and tons of classes. We started at 5 months and now these women are like family to my little girl 🙂

  • Jessica December 9, 2012, 8:57 pm

    Ok a few things. First off, WOW you are SO lucky your gym has daycare and that is a $teal too! My gym costs an arm and a leg and no day care. I would LOVE to go to the gym. I run everyday on the treadmill during one of zach’s naps. I am doing run a day-cember 😉 I like watching tv on the abc player bc i don’t watch much otherwise (can’t really watch around baby they exhausted when he goes to sleep). So i don’t mind the treadmill. BUt, that being said, I only run 4-5 miles daily. SO cheers to you for SEVEN! You go girl!

  • Heidi December 9, 2012, 9:14 pm

    I hate the treadmill-I can’t bring myself to do more than 3. I’ll run outside whenever I can. My gym (a YMCA) has free and AWESOME child care that’s split up by age groups. My kids love it. 🙂

  • Leah December 9, 2012, 9:24 pm

    The most I’ve run on a treadmill was 12 miles. I trained for my first half marathon almost completely on my home treadmill. Alot of people discouraged it but where I live it’s not convenient or safe to get out and run with all the tractors, cows, coyotes, deer, and random other stuff I don’t want to meet.

  • Lindsay M December 9, 2012, 9:51 pm

    I have run a measly 6 or 7 miles at most on the dreadmill. It was torture. I love to run outside. My kids are now 6 and 5 and love the gym daycare. They are mad they can only stay 2 hours max. Play, play, play!
    Side note: I owned/taught Stroller Strides in Texas and we did our workouts outside during the Summer. This is why using gym daycare is fairly new to us and maybe why they appreciate getting to play instead of being in a stroller.

  • Vicki December 9, 2012, 10:26 pm

    It was somewhere around 8 miles, but I can’t remember….I think I’ve erased it from my memory. And, I’m not a mamma, so I’m not sure about the daycare rates 🙂

  • Heather December 9, 2012, 10:48 pm

    congrats on your run! abc movies definitely make things easier. that’s great that henry loves daycare! i used to work in a gym daycare and some of the little ones would get such terrible separation anxiety 🙁
    i think my longest is 8 or 9? that was a couple of years ago, though. in college i used to run on it a lot, but now i try to run outdoors as much as possible because i’ve come to like treadmill running less and less. i think i’ve been into a toughin up thing because recently i’ve been running in rain and snow! who am i?!

  • Casey December 9, 2012, 10:51 pm

    Seems like you handled the long treadmill effort quite well! However, if you were ever in the same situation but wanted to go outside, would it be possible for you to go for a run from your gym? I have no idea what the location is like/whether there are any feasible running routes. But it would add variety to your running locations and still allow Henry to be in daycare. Personally, if I run from the gym, I find I am also significantly more apt to spent a few minutes stretching/strengthening, too. Just a thought!

  • Katie Cooke December 9, 2012, 11:03 pm

    so in my logical mind i KNOW that the abc family and hallmark movies are terrible but in my heart of hearts i just really love a happy ending. i was watching that movie today too!

  • Lyn @ Life Lyn Style December 9, 2012, 11:04 pm

    Our gym is $5 an hour per kid for hourly, but has a monthly pass. For my two kids 3 and 5, it’s $60 a month. Since we go 5-7 times a week, it’s totally worth it.

  • Faith December 10, 2012, 12:31 am

    My husband decided years ago to train for a marathon so one night he hopped on the treadmill at the gym to see if he could do 18 miles. It was prime time at the club and he kept getting kicked off because of the time limit. He would just go get back in line until the next machine opened up!

  • michelle December 10, 2012, 12:34 am

    4 mi. on the treadmill is my max… but I am new to running and got to train for my half over the summer. I will need to ramp up treadmill running this winter b/c my next race is early May.

    re: childcare – we both work out of the home full time (so our LO is in daycare 9+ hours M-F) so no, we don’t typically use childcare at the gym. I work out at 5:30am and DH goes at 8pm. When one of us in out of town we do use it. It’s $4/hour or $30 unlimited for the month to add on childcare.

    They also have a separate full time daycare there that we use. It’s not for drop ins. But the kids get to use the gym facilities so it’s nice because if I get off work early I can get in a quick workout and pick up my LO at the normal time.

  • Sarah December 10, 2012, 6:48 am

    The Gold’s Gym daycare at my old gym was AMAZING for my kiddo. I took her starting around 2 1/2 until she was almost 4 and she started as a toddler who didn’t like most kids but liked adults and ended having fun with all the kids and being happy to go every day. A surprisingly great experience.

  • Margaret December 10, 2012, 7:52 am

    I’m the crazy one who prefers the treadmill 🙂 I pretty much train exclusively on the treadmill, and only run outside for races. I’ve now done 3 1/2 marathons, so I’ve gotten up to 13 miles on the ‘mill! To each their own 🙂

  • Jenny December 10, 2012, 8:01 am

    My longest on the dreadmill (and incidentally, longest ever run) was around 16 miles. I spent a good part of a morning on the darned thing! I was running in a fitness contest sponsored by my job – they were giving away an ipod to the employee who logged the most miles in a three week period. I won! By something like a 1/2 mile! I have yet to find something to motivate me to run that long indoors since though, hahaha…

  • Lindsay@A Healthy State of Mind December 10, 2012, 9:13 am

    My longest was 10 miles. And you’re gonna think I’m crazy, but I don’t use any distractions while on the ‘mill. No music, no TV, no audio books…nothing. I like to think of it as mental endurance training 🙂

  • Erica December 10, 2012, 9:17 am

    that poc of Henry is so cute, what a happy guy. my baby you is like that, he loves to make new friends. great job on 7! the longest tm run I’ve done us 6 …

  • Kevin December 10, 2012, 10:47 am

    I’ve never been on a treadmill for more than an hour (I don’t do a lot of long-distance racing), so my farthest on a treadmill would probably be around 7.5 miles.

    Just out of curiosity, for those of you using the treadmill to train for long races, are you setting the incline at all, or just running at 0% slope? I’ve read that you should be running at a 2% incline to simulate the resistance of actually running outdoors.

    • Caitlin December 10, 2012, 1:48 pm

      0 – i’m lazy.

  • Breanne December 10, 2012, 12:59 pm

    I think my longest on the dreadmill is 4 or 5 miles… but that was a couple years ago. My recent attempts at the dreadmill have ended about a mile in. I love all of the suggestions though, I might have to give the dread another go.

  • Carina December 10, 2012, 1:48 pm

    The longest I’ve done is 13.1, on vacation in Jamaica during marathon training, visiting there for a wedding with people who were paranoid I’d be killed if I left the resort to run. What I hate most about treadmills, and it’s reflected in the comments above and that you got, is that it’s only good if you can distract yourself from running. In my mind, even in marathon training, if you want to distract yourself from what you’re doing, you shouldn’t be doing it (unless it’s something like cleaning the toilets and it’s only minutes of your life).

  • Bobbie December 10, 2012, 2:07 pm

    I’ve done a max of 6 on the dreadmill and have never attempted more…it scares me. 😉 I’ve braved crazy weather just to avoid a long run on the treadmill!
    My gym charges $10 a month unlimited childcare which, since I have 3, is an amazing deal! Unfortunately, that is the only good thing about my gym these days. I’m not thrilled with any of the classes and the treadmills are falling apart. Probably going to change gyms where the childcare is a little more but they have a lot more to offer class wise. I can time it so that I only bring my youngest 2 mornings a week so it shouldn’t be too bad. Summer is where the issue comes in b/c I have 3 kids at home all summer. Of course there is always going in the evening after the dear husband is home.

  • Laura WL December 10, 2012, 3:21 pm

    The longest treadmill run I’ve done is 12 at the gym and now I can’t remember why! I know my friend was visiting and it was early in the morning and I was training for a marathon but the other details are fuzzy… I haven’t had a gym membership in forever though bc it seems like a waste of money and I live in a fairly moderate climate (Pacific NW. The only thing that keeps me from running outside is ice and that is only 1x-3x a year). The gym childcare thing though might make me change my tune after I have a kid.

  • Barbie December 10, 2012, 4:42 pm

    Our gym’s nursery is $15 or $20 a month for unlimited use 🙂

  • Kelly @ Kelly the Culinarian December 10, 2012, 5:56 pm

    I did eight miles on a treadmill once when I was training for a fall marathon. It was the Fourth of July and too damn hot to run outside. Alas, it was still hot inside and my gym is right across the street from a host of fast food.

    So I bought a movie to watch on my phone and ran towards a Taco Bell that never came closer. For 90 minutes.

  • Lesley December 10, 2012, 8:34 pm

    Longest run was I think between 7 and 8 – same as you. I was constantly changing the speed because I have ADD while on the treadmill. I’m usually so busy doing all kinds of things, it’s a surprise I don’t fall off!

  • Amber K December 10, 2012, 8:41 pm

    My longest run ever was on a treadmill. This was (sadly) during The Hills age and I ran through an entire episode. I don’t remember how far I went, but it was over 20 min of straight running. I have never been able to do that since then!

  • Lizzy @ Lizzy Lives in LA December 10, 2012, 11:37 pm

    I did 10 once. I had a friend come to my apartment gym with me and I told her a very long, dramatic boy story for most of it. I didn’t even think about the running. Without that, I think yes, death would be inevitable.

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