Another Reason I Hate Indoor Running

I know what you’re thinking.

This is just going to be another post from some outdoor running diehard who’d prefer frostbite to the safety and warmth of running indoors on a treadmill.  There’s nothing this clown has to say that I haven’t heard a dozen times already.

Would I do that?

Not hardly.

Today’s post will touch on some familiar ground as to my struggles with treadmills.  But thanks to recent events, I’m that much more cognizant as to why I prefer shivering to sweating it out on the so-called “hamster wheel.”

A New Perspective

I also know what you’re thinking now.  

Good heavens. Is he going to blather on again about his damned left knee?  We’ve been hearing about it since last July.  I’d prefer another dose of his AI art or another movie take-off.

My torn meniscus is part of my new-found wisdom.  But only part.  It’s how I addressed my first round of recovery that I discovered the further limitations of treadmills.

Return to Running:  Round One

Based on guidance from my running coach and physical therapist, my initial return to running started with walking combined with minimal intervals of easy, slow running.  These segments would increase, based on how my knee responded.

A lack of or decreasing tightness were good signs.  Increased tightness or pain meant the opposite, requiring me to ease back or return to walking.

Due to a misdiagnosis of my condition, improvements were minimal at best.  It also quickly became all the more important that I recognize the warning signs of tightness and soreness so that I could quickly adjust my pace and/or distance.

Running outside on familiar courses made that process much easier for me.  I knew every inch of the short routes around my home.  Transitioning from walking to running or vice versa seemed a comfortable process.  Likewise when I would need to ease back or carefully increase my pace.  There was also the privacy that comes with early morning runs that my workout was mine alone.

Just can't completely trust you, can I?

Winter Returns

With the news of an approaching snowstorm, I signed up for membership at a nearby facility with a number of treadmills open at all hours.  Which sounded perfect for me.

However, from that first morning when I started the treadmill through the remainder of that week, I not only experienced past frustrations with indoor running as well as several new ones that are shared below.

• Usual Gripes.  Even as I was switching from walking to running every few moments, I could not escape the typical monotony associated with staring at the same storefronts across the street for the duration of the workout.  Or the perceived lack of movement that comes with essentially running in place.  Then there’s the perception of feeling out of place when those on each side of me were fully engaged in running while I shifted to walking.  Although I know no one cared, regardless, I still felt self-conscious.

But more important were the other issues I encountered.

• Inaccuracies.  Neither my Garmin nor the treadmill seemed accurate with my paces or distance.  I know my running pace could not be as swift as my watch recorded.  Nor could it be as slow as what was posted on the treadmill.  Ditto for distances or calories burned.  The only category I could trust from either was the time involved for each segment.  Which was key.  But lacking knowledge of pace and distance created the following problem.

• Limited Knowledge on Progress.  As I said, based on a misdiagnosis, my recovery was uneven from the start.  But without knowing my actual pace or miles, it proved impossible to gauge if I was indeed making progress or not.

Don't you worry. We'll be back outside soon enough!

• Further limitations.  Those more accustomed to treadmills are likely to disagree with me but I found it difficult to adjust my pace on the device as opposed to merely picking up my pace or slowing down.  It also had me more focused on the pace indicated by the treadmill - even though it was inaccurate - in lieu of “listening to my legs.”

If nothing else, a six-to-eight-week recovery from surgery that won’t have me running again until sometime in March, greatly lessens the likelihood of any lengthy return to the treadmill.  On that note, the recovery has progressed nicely with me eying that six weeks return over eight.

Your Experiences

It’s no secret that the last eight months since I tore that meniscus have not be easy.  Before I knew the actual cause of my pain, I confess to many moments of frustration and despair.  What helped keep me going through those most challenging days were reading accounts that many of you shared on the various social media groups I follow.  Your courage and determination frequently inspired me to continue my efforts.

I would like to share those stories in a future post or posts.  I know that they will help and inspire other as they have for me.  If you’re willing to do so, you can either include them in the comments section or message me on Facebook.

So long as it's not icy or uber-cold, I'll take these conditions any time!